Ironwood by Michael Connelly

From master storyteller Michael Connelly comes the second instalment of the Catalina Island series, featuring Detective Sergeant Stilwell and reconnecting us with Detective Renee Ballard.

After a tip from an informant, Stilwell and his deputies watch a plane land in the middle of the night on a remote airstrip on Catalina Island. The arrest goes terribly wrong with one detective killed, another seriously injured, and the suspects escaping.

Next comes an internal inquiry, putting Stilwell on the bench until he is cleared of responsibility for the disastrous operation. However, he is determined to find out who brought deadly violence to the island and begins his own secret investigation into the drug deal gone wrong.

While attending to mundane matters, he finds in the lost and found a backpack that was never claimed. After investigating, he tracks it back to a woman who disappeared while hiking on the island four years ago. But then why was the pack only turned in recently? Further enquiries lead him back to the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard.

Together they work the case and soon realise they are on the trail of a potential serial killer who revels in taunting the authorities. After setting up a sting operation to catch the criminal they are then required to find the evidence that will convict the killer.

Once again, Connelly is at his best with real dialogue, complex investigations, exciting suspense, and the dogged sleuthing by a police sergeant working outside of his mandate.

Reviewer: Chris Casey

Allen & Unwin