First published 2025
Detective Stilwell thought his transfer to Catalina Island meant quiet days policing petty crimes. The department exiled him here after mainland politics cost him his homicide position. Then a body surfaces in the harbor. The Jane Doe has purple streaks in her hair and nothing else to identify her. Stilwell calls her Nightshade. A separate poaching case on the protected reserve quickly turns violent when Stilwell probes an influential island resident's background. His former colleague works to block him at every step. Stilwell pushes past protocol boundaries to pursue both investigations. The cases pull him deeper into the island's hidden corruption. This peaceful refuge from big city crime harbors its own deadly secrets. Stilwell becomes the only person willing to seek justice for the dead woman.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, hidden-secrets
Setting: Catalina Island
345 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company