Reading a Michael Connelly book is like tasting your grandma’s cooking. You know it’s going to be good before you even start! His newest novel, Nightshade, didn’t disappoint.
Read what it’s about and buy it at: https://amzn.to/4jHBLCw
4/5 stars ★★★★☆
Published May 20, 2025
What I Liked About Nightshade:
I am a huge fan of Michael Connelly, especially of his Bosch series, so I was excited to see that he started a new character to enjoy.
I enjoyed reading about Stillwell, the new character and Los Angeles police detective. His character portrayed what police work would look like on a small island. Even though he was “exiled” to Catalina and told to stay out of the mainland’s jurisdiction, Stillwell must solve who killed the woman found at the bottom of the harbor.
His side interest/romance added a nice subplot, but it didn’t detract from the story line. As Stillwell tries to solve the murder mystery, you can see how police politics happen even in small towns. It was an interesting murder mystery, and I would love to read more books in the series about Stillwell.
The best part is that it mainly takes place on Catalina Island. I loved being able to picture the different places around the island, especially in the town of Avalon. If you have never been to Catalina Island, Connelly talks a little about the story and shows video of Catalina in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvlt4U6Fe1w
What Could Be Better in Nightshade:
Since Stillwell is a new character in the series, I wish Connelly had described him in a little more detail. Since I wasn’t sure what to picture in my head, I just pictured…you guessed it…Bosch. I know Stillwell isn’t like him, but I wanted more detail about who he is.
Otherwise, it is a slow-burn mystery, mixed in with some romance, and a fun, easy read. What book have you read that takes place in one of your favorite vacation spots?
Extras:
Here are my two favorite books also by Michael Connelly:
- The Waiting: https://amzn.to/4kBGR4L
- Resurrection Walk: https://amzn.to/45Wjw94
- It has Lincoln Lawyer AND Bosch in it.
You can buy Nightshade at: https://amzn.to/4jHBLCw
*If you want to read more of my book reviews, you can find them at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/
*If you missed my post about my Top Books of 2024, you can find it at: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-that-i-loved-in-2024/
Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown, and Company, and Michael Connelly for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.
