Nightshade

Moss is the victim at the center of Nightshade. Although she does not play an active role in the novel, the discovery of her body sets the plot in motion, and her characterization changes dramatically across the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Moss is depicted as over-sexualized and manipulative. The people in her life repeatedly describe her as “bad news” (75, 122, 280, 293), and this accusation often has sexual undertones. Her ex-boyfriend suggests that Moss was “available for private parties of any kind” (106), while a former customer at the Black Marlin Club describes her as “loose and looking” (122). These descriptions suggest that, for the men in Moss’s life, her overt sexuality was her defining characteristic.

Moss’s roommate, Leslie Sneed, suggests that Moss used her sexuality to manipulate the men in her life. Sneed claims that Moss “didn’t love anybody” and saw her job at the Black Marlin Club as an opportunity to find a rich husband (202). According to Sneed, Moss “said it was like shooting fish in a barrel” and struggled to keep her conquests “separate so one didn’t know about the others” (203). Sneed’s interviews depict Moss as a manipulative woman who hoped to use her sexuality to escape her life. These early depictions of Moss align with misogynistic noir tropes in which violence against women is portrayed as punishment for excessive or unruly sexuality.

Stilwell’s discovery of Moss’s personal items while searching her room show a different side to her. Among her things is If I’d Known Then, a collection of letters written by women in their thirties to their younger selves; Fruiting Bodies, a collection of modern fairy tales featuring LGBTQ+ women; and Everything I Know About Love, a memoir of a woman in her twenties. This collection of books reflects a desire to think about her experience as a young woman in the world, especially in regard to sex and romance. These books complicate the novel’s earlier depiction of her as a manipulative “gold digger.”

The novel’s characterization of Moss changes again with the introduction of Daniel Easterbrook, who claims that Moss planned to run away with him before she was murdered. Easterbrook insists that their relationship “was real. For both of [them]” (264). He describes Moss as “funny” and “well-read” and says that their relationship made him feel a passion [he] never knew [he] had” (264). Easterbrook’s description of Moss here differs dramatically from her depiction earlier in the novel, reflecting unexpected depth in her character.

Ahearn is Stilwell’s former partner and his primary rival in Nightshade. He is characterized primarily as a foil for Stilwell. While Stilwell is dedicated to securing justice for victims, the novel implies that Ahearn is willing to obstruct justice in order to protect other officers and that his primary concern is his own career. The root of Stilwell’s feud with Ahearn is his belief that Ahearn “either took a dive or just looked the other way” during their final investigation as partners because he and the suspect “were in the same academy class” (166). Ahearn’s willingness to protect a fellow officer offers a stark contrast to Ahearn’s determination to take down a corrupt mayor.

Although Stilwell is still bothered by the obstruction of justice, Ahearn dismisses Stilwell’s complaint, suggesting that “nobody ever gave a shit about” the case but him (39). Ahearn’s true concern is the effect of the dispute on his career. He argues that Stilwell’s accusations are “not going anywhere” and that he’ll “never get promoted [and] never have [his] own squad” as a result (39). Ahearn’s concern with his career over the pursuit of justice distinguishes him from Stilwell’s relentless investigations.

Stilwell’s rivalry with Ahearn is a strong motivator throughout the novel. Early in the investigation, Stilwell is motivated to pursue the case in order “to show up Ahearn and make Corum realize he had transferred the wrong man” (101). As he learns more about Moss, Stilwell’s attitude toward her is shaped by his expectations of Ahearn’s attitude: “Stilwell was sure that once Ahearn learned her story, he would pass judgment and leave her down there as he moved on to the next one” (118). These passages suggest that Ahearn is a powerful motivator for Stilwell despite their rivalry.

Dano is the assistant harbormaster in Avalon and a love interest for the protagonist, Stilwell. She is depicted as a manifestation of Catalina Island, and her relationship with Stilwell reflects his growing attachment to the island. The novel’s introduction to Dano explains that she has “lived [on Catalina] her entire life and ha[s] no plans to leave” (18). Later, she is described as “a lean and tanned island girl with dark hair and dark eyes” who “d[oes]n’t need anything in the world beyond the twenty-two-mile-long island where she’d been born” (48). The close association between Dano and Catalina Island in these introductory passages suggests that she acts as a symbol for the island itself.

Accordingly, Stilwell’s relationship with Dano is a reflection of his relationship to the island. As his relationship with Dano grows more serious, “Stilwell stop[s] going to the mainland on his days off” and begins to live full-time on the island (49). While Stilwell struggles to balance his responsibilities on the island and the mainland, he recognizes that “a future with this woman mean[s] a future on the island” (285). The novel ends with Stilwell reuniting with Dano on an isolated beach known only to locals, suggesting that he has fully assimilated onto the island. Throughout the novel, Stilwell’s relationship with Dano mirrors his growing seriousness about Catalina Island, and he ultimately commits to both at the same time.