Sworn to protect a scenic island that's meant to be far from mainland evils, Detective Sergeant Stilwell feels danger closing in.

Acting on a confidential tip, Detective Sergeant Stilwell and his deputies watch a plane land in the middle of the night and drop a duffel bag of drugs at a remote airstrip in the mountains. But their sting quickly goes sideways. While Stilwell chases the fleeing pick-up man, shots are fired on the runway and the plane takes off unharmed.

An internal inquiry puts Stilwell on the bench until he is cleared of responsibility, but there's no way he's going to sit on his hands - instead, risking his already shaky standing, he begins a secret investigation.

After discovering a piece of key evidence in lost and found, Stilwell follows the lead all the way to the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard in Los Angeles. But they soon realise they are on the trail of a criminal who revels in taunting the authorities.

This case is wider than anyone ever imagined - and more dangerous than they had foreseen.

• Number of pages: 336 pages
• Book cover: Trade paperback
• A Catalina novel