Nightshade, Michael Connelly, author; Will Damron, narrator
Sergeant Stilwell has been exiled to the island of Catalina because of the internal politics of the Los Angeles homicide department. Although it is considered a step down, he enjoys living and working there. His romantic and working life are both satisfying. So far, after three years, the frenzy of LA is no longer part of his life. He does not miss it.
When the story begins, Stilwell’s day is interrupted by the report of the discovery of a mutilated buffalo in a protected area. He suspects it has been deliberately staged to start rumors of aliens in the area in order to attract tourists. He begins to search for the murder weapon. Then, another discovery is made that is far worse. The body of an unidentified female, stuffed into a bag that has been weighted with an anchor, has drifted into the harbor. Her main identifying mark, because of decomposition, is a purple streak in her hair. The color is called Nightshade, and it gives the book its title. Nightshade is also a poison plant.
After the body of Leigh-Anne Moss is discovered and identified, Stilwell realizes that this woman might be connected to another crime that he is investigating, the theft of a sculpture from the Black Marlin Club. A female employee was accused of fraternizing with the members of the club and was terminated. Then, she was also accused of the theft. Now she has gone missing. The theft is within his jurisdiction, but the homicide is not. Because he believes that the victim in the water and the woman accused of the theft are possibly one and the same, he feels it necessary to investigate both, even if clandestinely. He is drawn into the politics of police work, once again.
As the investigation proceeds, there is unexpected violence and corruption. Even though there are suspicions about who is guilty, the crimes must be proven, not just suspected, and the gathering of evidence is complicated. Some of the scenes are rather obvious, though, leaving guesswork by the wayside. The bad guys and the good guys are clearly defined and easy to figure out.
This book, which is the first in a new series by Connelly is very easy to read. The mystery is simplistic. In the end, most of the crimes are solved and the guilty parties receive some kind of justice. Some of them seem to get away with their crimes, but they will probably be featured in future books in the series. I expect “Baby Head” Terranova to reappear and face justice. This series is bound to be popular as a beach or vacation read that doesn’t require too much thought, but will hold the interest of the reader and provide reading pleasure.