Ironwood
Sworn to protect a scenic island meant to be far from the evils of the mainland, Detective Sergeant Stilwell can feel danger closing in.
Detective Sergeant Stilwell knows that his posting on Catalina Island is no paradise, but to most residents, it seems blissfully separated—by twenty-two miles of ocean—from the troubles of Los Angeles County. But now a threat is coming to his safe haven.
Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, Stilwell and his deputies watch a plane land in the middle of the night at the Airport in the Sky, a remote airstrip in the mountains. A duffel bag of drugs is dropped and the deputies move in, but things quickly go sideways. While Stilwell chases the fleeing pickup man into the mountainside brush, shots are fired on the runway and the plane flies off.
An internal inquiry follows, putting Stilwell on the bench until he is cleared of responsibility for the disastrous operation. But he is determined to find out who brought deadly violence to his island, and begins his own secret investigation into the drug deal gone wrong.
While under orders to remain in the sheriff’s substation, he finds in the lost and found a valuable backpack that was never claimed. He traces it to a woman who disappeared while hiking on the island four years ago. But then why was the pack only turned in two months back? Now thoroughly intrigued, he follows the mystery all the way to the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard.
Stilwell and Ballard work the case from both sides of the channel, and soon realize they are on the trail of a criminal who revels in taunting the authorities. Meanwhile, frustrated at being shut out of an investigation on his own island, Stilwell risks his already shaky standing in the department to pursue a case whose reach is wider than he ever imagined.
Page-turning, packed with intrigue, and bringing together an unstoppable investigative team, Ironwood continues the Catalina series with all of Michael Connelly’s signature “relentless narrative drive…evocative atmosphere, realistic dialogue, and well-developed characters” (Washington Review of Books).
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Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly's name has become synonymous with compelling crime fiction, capturing readers with intricate plots, morally complex characters, and a gritty exploration of justice. Born in Philadelphia in 1956 and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Connelly’s early career as a journalist gave him a front-row seat to the dark undercurrents of the world. His time reporting on crime for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and the Los Angeles Times provided him with an unflinching look at human nature and the law, themes that would later define his fiction.
Catalina
Set against the sun-drenched yet shadowed shores of Catalina Island, this series navigates a world where paradise and peril sit side by side. The island’s postcard-perfect streets and harbor views mask a darker rhythm, where secrets, old grudges, and carefully hidden crimes simmer beneath the surface. Here, the calm of the ocean contrasts with the tense, unrelenting investigations that drive each story, giving readers a setting that feels alive and unpredictable.
Catalina consists of one book and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of two more books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
