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.
If you enjoy fast-paced police procedurals with clever, flawed detectives, you’ll LOVE this one. This is the second book in the Catalina series featuring Detective Sergeant Stilwell, and while you can read it as a standalone, as sufficient backstory is woven in early on, I recommend reading Nightshade first because it gives you a much better understanding of Stilwell’s past and how he ended up on Catalina Island. This book is even faster paced than book 1, with Stilwell juggling multiple cases at once, and I (like Stilwell) barely had a moment to catch my breath! The story is masterfully structured, opening with a gripping nighttime operation that goes wrong and has serious consequences.
Told from Stilwell’s third-person POV, the story is a relentless, high-stakes puzzle plot. From the opening chapter, where his team is caught in a disastrous operation, Stilwell is forced to chase answers and once again salvage his career. Just as he captures clues as to who targeted his team, new evidence from the case of a missing woman surfaces and demands his attention. The narration then shifts between investigations, along with a few smaller cases thrown his way—and there’s literally never a dull moment!
I loved Stilwell’s investigation style in the first book, but he gained even more of my respect and admiration here. He has a brilliant mind that’s always looking outside the box and bends the rules (and puts his career on the line) when he thinks he’s on the right track. Like in the first book, he also gets reprimanded for keeping his superiors in the dark until he’s about ready to make an arrest or absolutely requires assistance—and I imagine this attitude will continue throughout the series.
His relationship with his girlfriend Tash continues to develop but is much more in the background. She’s mostly given page time when Stilwell requires information or needs to warn her of danger that’s coming their way. Add in threads involving the mayor and his son from book 1 that continue to heat up, along with new characters on the island, and the book gets more intricate. And Catalina Island again feels like a character in its own right. Stilwell’s investigations take him to many places across the island and out to the mainland, and it made me want to book a trip and explore all the places mentioned.
With very short and punchy chapters, many ending on mini cliffhangers, and only 336 pages, I recommend setting aside time for a binge read. The novel is divided into four parts, with new cases/clues coming up in each. The writing is straightforward and very immersive, but you still have to pay close attention, as Stilwell’s shifting case focus and the large cast of secondary characters—LAPD officers, island detectives, and Stilwell’s superiors—he interacts with can be dizzying at times. Some cases have satisfying resolutions, while others are left open-ended and will likely continue in the next book. The story ends with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger that will have you immediately needing the next book—let’s hope we don’t have to wait a whole year for it.
If you’re an audiobook listener, you’re in for a major treat. Will Damron returns to once again fully embody Stilwell and brings Catalina Island and its large cast of characters vividly to life. His performance makes the listening experience feel cinematic from start to finish. By the end, it felt like the audiobook went by way too fast, and I easily could’ve listened for several more hours! You know those books where the narrator was MEANT to play a character—this is one of them!
Narrator Performance
Ironwood is narrated by award-winning narrator Will Damron, who also narrated the first book in the series, Nightshade. He doesn’t just portray Stilwell—he fully embodies him. From the very first chapter, I felt completely immersed in the performance. He gives Stilwell a sharp, intelligent voice that perfectly captures his relentless determination and amazing ability to connect the dots. Whether Stilwell is following up on leads or reaching out to fellow officers or contacts for information, Damron makes every interaction engaging and realistic.
Just as in the first book, the dialogue between Stilwell and Tash is a highlight. Damron does a wonderful job conveying their mutual comfort, trust, and loyalty, and Tash’s involvement in key developments is well executed and makes her even more likable.
There are a lot of secondary characters—law enforcement officers, suspects, business owners, and island residents—and Damron brings each one vividly to life with distinct voices and emotional nuance. His portrayal of Kent Middleton, the man Stilwell believes to be involved in the missing women cases, is especially compelling. As Stilwell nonchalantly questions Middleton, you can feel the underlying tension, suspicion, and uncertainty beneath the surface. When Stilwell is forced to work alongside an LAPD detective to uncover the truth, Damron creates a compelling dynamic between the two investigators.
The final chapters, featuring a high-stakes cat-and-mouse chase, are brilliantly narrated with high tension and expert pacing that keep you on edge and concerned for Stilwell’s welfare. By the end, I felt as though I’d spent days on Catalina Island with Stilwell, and I wanted to book a trip to see all the places mentioned. The audiobook is so entertaining that it felt like it ended way too fast—and I recommend binge-reading both books back-to-back. You’ll thank me afterward!
Narrator Performance
Ironwood is narrated by award-winning narrator Will Damron, who also narrated the first book in the series, Nightshade. He doesn’t just portray Stilwell—he fully embodies him. From the very first chapter, I felt completely immersed in the performance. He gives Stilwell a sharp, intelligent voice that perfectly captures his relentless determination and amazing ability to connect the dots. Whether Stilwell is following up on leads or reaching out to fellow officers or contacts for information, Damron makes every interaction engaging and realistic.
Just as in the first book, the dialogue between Stilwell and Tash is a highlight. Damron does a wonderful job conveying their mutual comfort, trust, and loyalty, and Tash’s involvement in key developments is well executed and makes her even more likable.
There are a lot of secondary characters—law enforcement officers, suspects, business owners, and island residents—and Damron brings each one vividly to life with distinct voices and emotional nuance. His portrayal of Kent Middleton, the man Stilwell believes to be involved in the missing women cases, is especially compelling. As Stilwell nonchalantly questions Middleton, you can feel the underlying tension, suspicion, and uncertainty beneath the surface. When Stilwell is forced to work alongside an LAPD detective to uncover the truth, Damron creates a compelling dynamic between the two investigators.
The final chapters, featuring a high-stakes cat-and-mouse chase, are brilliantly narrated with high tension and expert pacing that keep you on edge and concerned for Stilwell’s welfare. By the end, I felt as though I’d spent days on Catalina Island with Stilwell, and I wanted to book a trip to see all the places mentioned. The audiobook is so entertaining that it felt like it ended way too fast—and I recommend binge-reading both books back-to-back. You’ll thank me afterward!
Ironwood is narrated by award-winning narrator Will Damron, who also narrated the first book in the series, Nightshade. He doesn’t just portray Stilwell—he fully embodies him. From the very first chapter, I felt completely immersed in the performance. He gives Stilwell a sharp, intelligent voice that perfectly captures his relentless determination and amazing ability to connect the dots. Whether Stilwell is following up on leads or reaching out to fellow officers or contacts for information, Damron makes every interaction engaging and realistic.
Just as in the first book, the dialogue between Stilwell and Tash is a highlight. Damron does a wonderful job conveying their mutual comfort, trust, and loyalty, and Tash’s involvement in key developments is well executed and makes her even more likable.
There are a lot of secondary characters—law enforcement officers, suspects, business owners, and island residents—and Damron brings each one vividly to life with distinct voices and emotional nuance. His portrayal of Kent Middleton, the man Stilwell believes to be involved in the missing women cases, is especially compelling. As Stilwell nonchalantly questions Middleton, you can feel the underlying tension, suspicion, and uncertainty beneath the surface. When Stilwell is forced to work alongside an LAPD detective to uncover the truth, Damron creates a compelling dynamic between the two investigators.
The final chapters, featuring a high-stakes cat-and-mouse chase, are brilliantly narrated with high tension and expert pacing that keep you on edge and concerned for Stilwell’s welfare. By the end, I felt as though I’d spent days on Catalina Island with Stilwell, and I wanted to book a trip to see all the places mentioned. The audiobook is so entertaining that it felt like it ended way too fast—and I recommend binge-reading both books back-to-back. You’ll thank me afterward!
