They told you Catalina Island was paradise—sun-drenched beaches, sleepy streets, a place where crime has no business setting foot. But when a young woman's body is pulled from the cold waters of the harbor, paradise cracks wide open.

Exiled from the mainland and fading into obscurity, Detective Jack Stilwell has been reduced to a badge without a mission. But when a Jane Doe surfaces—mysterious, forgotten, and cruelly discarded—something awakens in him. He refuses to let her be erased.

As the island's perfect facade begins to crumble, Stilwell dives into a tangled web of secrets, corruption, and buried sins. The locals want silence. The system wants convenience. But Stilwell? He wants the truth—no matter how dark, no matter how deep.

Nightshade isn't just another detective story. It's a haunting, slow-burning exploration of justice in the shadows, of beauty hiding rot, and of the ghosts we carry. Gritty, emotional, and fiercely human, this book pulls you under and doesn't let go.

If you're drawn to atmospheric thrillers with deeply flawed heroes, morally complex twists, and settings that betray their beauty—this story will stay with you long after the last page.