One Line Summary

Exiled to Catalina Island, a disgraced detective investigates a harbour murder that exposes a closed paradise built on money, silence, and controlled violence.

Opening Impression

Nightshade opens far from Connelly’s usual rain soaked streets, but the moral pressure is immediate. Catalina Island’s beauty feels brittle, its calm enforced rather than earned.

Synopsis

A woman’s body in the harbour pulls Raymond Stilwell out of exile and into a web of offshore money, private security, and institutional pressure.

As the case converges with Stilwell’s past, the investigation becomes both professional and personal.

Analysis

Character: Stilwell is observant, ethically stubborn, and worn down by consequence.

Structure: Procedural clarity drives tension through process.

Themes: Exile, complicity, and the cost of maintaining appearances.

Verdict

Nightshade is a controlled, intelligent thriller that proves Connelly’s strengths extend well beyond urban noir.