the setup…
Detective Sergeant Stilwell and two of his deputies have set up a sting to catch a drug drop at a remote mountain airstrip based on a tip from a confidential informant. When the plane arrives and drops the bag, Stilwell and his team move in but things go terribly wrong with one deputy dead and the other seriously wounded. Stilwell is benched during the internal investigation and while clearing out the lost and found room, he discovers a backpack that traces back to a missing woman and LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit headed by Detective Renée Ballard. Of course, Stilwell keeps his hands in both cases.
the heart of the story…
I was hoping for a crossover at some point so I was delighted to not only get Ballard but a whiff of Harry Bosch! I loved getting two complex cases to sink my teeth into and I was completely engrossed. The pacing was pitch perfect and the writing nimble without sacrificing character depth.
the narration…
I’m already a big fan of Will Damron and he was excellent as a storyteller, keeping things taunt and tense. I’m loving him as the voice of the series.
the bottom line…
I loved the temporary partnership between Stilwell and Ballard as they navigated this case almost seamlessly. It was the secondary plot but felt equal to the murder investigation involving the dead deputy. I didn’t have time to form deductions and sat back to wallow in the action. The ending caught me off guard so I’ll be waiting impatiently for the next book. This far surpassed my expectations.
Book Info
- Release Date: May 19, 2026
- Series: Catalina #2
- Narrator: Will Damron
- Audio Length: 7 hours, 45 minutes
- Publisher: Hachette Audio
Blue Mood Café 