Ironwood is the second in Michael Connelly’s Catalina series. Connelly recently appeared virtually for The Poisoned Pen, and you can watch that event below the review. There may still be some signed copies available in the Webstore, https://tinyurl.com/4nhhxzwf.
Critic Oline Cogdill reviewed Ironwood for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and shares the review with us. Thank you, Oline.
Book review: Michael Connelly’s action-packed ‘Ironwood’ brings back Detective Sgt. Stilwell
‘Ironwood’ by Michael Connelly; Little, Brown; 336 pages; $32
Catalina Island, off the California coast, often is viewed as a tourist destination, with more than a million visitors annually and fewer than 6,000 residents. But as Michael Connelly shows in “Ironwood,” his second action-packed novel set on Catalina: “little island, big crime.”
“Ironwood” also marks the second appearance of Connelly’s new series lead, L.A. County Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Stilwell, who is stationed on the island. It’s just “22 miles of ocean” from Los Angeles but also light years away in terms of attitude, scenery and respect.
Every police officer assigned to Catalina has been transferred there as a form of punishment, Stilwell included. At first, Stilwell viewed the assignment as an exile, but two years later, he has settled into the island. It now seems the right place for him. He’s in love with his girlfriend, Tash, the interim harbormaster with whom he lives. And there are advantages to being in charge without the overwhelming politics that comes with a larger department, although there’s always work-related politics.
Stilwell is not a replacement for Connelly’s perennial character L.A. (now former) detective Harry Bosch. Nor is he Bosch-light. Stilwell is a sturdy character in his own right, capable of helming this new series. Stilwell shares Bosch’s DNA as a tenacious investigator, ethical with a high sense of justice.
“Ironwood” finds Stilwell and two of his deputies on a drug deal stakeout that ends when one deputy is killed and the other is seriously wounded. Stilwell can’t be part of the investigation, so it must be handled by L.A. detectives. Instead, Stilwell is told to clean up the station’s chaotic lost-and-found stash. Still, the deputy can’t help but look into the investigation.
The lost-and-found assignment leads him to a cold case involving a woman who disappeared a few years before. That investigation puts him in the orbit of Detective Renée Ballard, the only paid member of the LAPD’s cold-case unit who has become one of Connelly’s go-to ongoing characters.
“Ironwood” shows the community of Catalina, from the varied residents and daily life on the island to its history and topography. And, of course, its crime — from the major to vandalism and graffiti.
That sense of community extends to police duties with Ballard and Stilwell working well together, respecting each other’s skills. Harry Bosch makes a brief appearance with Ballard, giving Stilwell a tip about how the venerable detective works. She calls Bosch’s method of investigating “Harry Bosch-style,” which should be a mantra for Connelly’s novels.
“Ironwood” shows what a satisfying series this already has become, as it continues Connelly’s tradition of emphasizing both character and action with aplomb. I’m already ready for a return trip to Catalina.
Enjoy the event at The Poisoned Pen.