Nightshade Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Michael Connelly’s Catalina Thriller

About This Quiz

This 20-question companion quiz spans the entire novel Nightshade by Michael Connelly (2025). It covers plot sequence, character motivation, themes and symbols, and synthesis questions. Answers and explanations are provided after the quiz. Use this to check your understanding or as a reading-group discussion aid. No spoilers beyond the book’s ending.

For more study resources, see the book overview, the questions and answers page, and the ending explained.

Plot and Sequence Questions (8 questions)

Q1 (Multiple Choice)
What does Sergeant Stilwell find when he executes the search warrant at Island Mystery Tours?

A) A stolen jade marlin and a set of Prada shoes
B) A handsaw with a new blade and blood residue in the handle holes
C) A hidden recording of Mayor Allen ordering a murder
D) A sail bag containing the victim’s clothes

Q2 (Multiple Choice)
Where is Leigh-Anne Moss’s body discovered, and how is it weighted?

A) Washed up on Long Point Beach, weighted with a car tire
B) Submerged in Avalon Harbor inside a black bag, wrapped in an anchor chain and a plow anchor
C) Buried in a shallow grave near the desalination plant, wrapped in a tarp
D) Floating near the Black Marlin Club dock, tied to a buoy

Q3 (Short Answer)
What does Stilwell do with his phone’s location sharing just before going to rescue Tash from Spivak?

Q4 (Multiple Choice)
Who does Stilwell first suspect of being the killer of Leigh-Anne Moss, based on the stolen jade marlin and the harbor video?

A) Charles Crane
B) Mason Colbrink
C) Daniel Easterbrook
D) Oscar “Baby Head” Terranova

Q5 (Multiple Choice)
How does Stilwell prove that Duncan Forbes’s alibi for the night of the murder is solid?

A) Forbes produces a signed confession from the real killer.
B) Stilwell reviews harbor camera footage showing Forbes on the Emerald Sea at the time.
C) Stilwell examines photos on Forbes’s phone that show him on a fishing charter at the relevant time.
D) A GPS tracker on Forbes’s car places him at the mainland ferry dock.

Q6 (Short Answer)
What key piece of evidence does Stilwell retrieve from the bottom of the Prada shoebox that ties Leigh-Anne Moss to Daniel Easterbrook?

Q7 (Multiple Choice)
Who murders Henry Gaston while he is in custody at the Avalon substation?

A) Merris Spivak, acting on orders from Oscar Terranova
B) Deputy Eduardo Esquivel, acting under duress
C) Charles Crane, who breaks into the station
D) Mayor Douglas Allen, who arrives with a fake warrant

Q8 (Multiple Choice)
How does Stilwell finally force Charles Crane to incriminate himself in the murder of Leigh-Anne Moss?

A) By presenting GPS data from the Emerald Sea that shows the body was dumped from Crane’s boat
B) By staging a sting in which Leslie Sneed texts Crane a blackmail threat, causing him to say “She got exactly what she deserved”
C) By tricking Crane into signing a confession during a fake immunity deal
D) By playing a recording of Crane admitting the murder to Buddy Callahan

Character Motivation Questions (5 questions)

Q9 (Multiple Choice)
Why does Oscar Terranova order the killing of a buffalo on Catalina?

A) To harvest the meat for his restaurant
B) To attract attention to his Island Mystery Tours business
C) To frame a rival tour operator for animal cruelty
D) To protest new hunting regulations

Q10 (Multiple Choice)
Why does Merris Spivak attack Deputy Tom Dunne at the beginning of the novel?

A) Spivak is a drug dealer and Dunne was about to arrest him.
B) Spivak has a personal grudge against Dunne from their time together at Pitchess prison.
C) Spivak is being manipulated by Oscar Terranova to create a distraction.
D) Spivak suffers from a psychotic episode triggered by the holiday weekend.

Q11 (Short Answer)
What is the main reason Monika Juarez leaks information to Oscar Terranova about the saw handle?

Q12 (Multiple Choice)
Why does Leigh-Anne Moss keep a purple streak in her hair?

A) It is the color of the Catalina sage she loves.
B) It is a signal to her lover Daniel Easterbrook, who calls her Nightshade.
C) It is a tribute to her deceased sister who had the same style.
D) It is a disguise to avoid being recognized by Black Marlin Club members.

Q13 (Multiple Choice)
What motivates Stilwell to continue investigating Leigh-Anne Moss’s murder even after he is relieved of duty?

A) He hopes to win a $20,000 reward.
B) He feels a personal responsibility because he failed to connect Spivak to the larger conspiracy.
C) He wants to prove his competence to Captain Corum.
D) He believes Mayor Allen is the killer and wants to expose corruption.

Theme and Symbol Questions (4 questions)

Q14 (Multiple Choice)
What does the black jade marlin sculpture symbolize in the novel?

A) The beauty and mystery of the ocean
B) The wealth and privilege of the Black Marlin Club and the power it protects
C) The endangered status of marlin in California waters
D) The fragility of the island’s tourist economy

Q15 (Short Answer)
In the novel, the “Nightshade” nickname for Leigh-Anne Moss carries a double meaning. What is the second, darker meaning besides the hair dye?

Q16 (Multiple Choice)
What does the repeated use of the Emerald Sea yacht represent in the story?

A) The hope for escape and a new beginning for the victim
B) The corruption of the wealthy who can hide crimes at sea
C) The importance of sailing as a hobby on Catalina
D) The environmental damage caused by pleasure boats

Q17 (Multiple Choice)
Throughout the book, Stilwell often feels like an outsider on Catalina. Which of the following best reflects this theme?

A) He is a mainlander who does not know how to fish.
B) He is constantly reminded that “island justice” is different from the mainland.
C) He has a secret relationship with Tash that the locals disapprove of.
D) He refuses to attend social events at the Black Marlin Club.

Synthesis Questions (3 questions)

Q18 (Short Answer)
The novel contrasts two types of “justice”: the law as applied by the system and the personal justice Stilwell seeks. Name one character besides Stilwell who also pursues a form of personal justice, and briefly describe what they do.

Q19 (Multiple Choice)
How does the relationship between Stilwell and Tash Dano evolve from the beginning of the book to the epilogue, and what does it say about the role of trust in a high-stakes investigation?

A) They start as strangers, become partners for one case, then separate at the end.
B) They begin as a secret romantic couple, endure a traumatic kidnapping, and end by choosing to stay together, showing that trust must be rebuilt after crisis.
C) They begin as friends, become rivals when Tash provides evidence against Stilwell, and reconcile only in the final chapter.
D) They start as enemies because Tash works for the harbormaster and Stilwell suspects her of complicity, but they fall in love by the end.

Q20 (Short Answer)
In the epilogue, Stilwell goes to Tash at Long Point Beach and they embrace. She asks, “Is it safe?” and he replies, “Yes, it’s safe.” What does this exchange signify about the resolution of the main plot lines (the murders of Leigh-Anne Moss and Henry Gaston, and the corruption case against Mayor Allen)?

Answer Key

Q1: B) A handsaw with a new blade and blood residue in the handle holes.
Explanation: In Chapter 2, Stilwell searches the Island Mystery Tours barn and finds a handsaw with a recently replaced blade. He sprays the handle with Bluespray, which reveals hemoglobin, indicating blood. This becomes key evidence linking the tool to the buffalo beheading.

Q2: B) Submerged in Avalon Harbor inside a black bag, wrapped in an anchor chain and a plow anchor.
Explanation: In Chapters 3–4, diver Denzel Abbott discovers the body under the Aurora in the harbor. The body is in a black drawstring bag, weighted with an anchor and chain. The anchor is identified as a plow anchor typical of a pleasure boat.

Q3: Stilwell disables his phone’s location sharing with Tash’s phone so that Spivak cannot track him.
Explanation: In Chapter 33, after Spivak demands the “tool” in exchange for Tash, Stilwell goes to Settings and stops sharing his location. This allows him to approach the desalination plant undetected.

Q4: A) Charles Crane.
Explanation: Stilwell initially suspects Crane because the stolen jade marlin is the likely murder weapon, and the harbor video shows a workboat leaving the Black Marlin Club dock at odd hours. However, he later focuses on Crane after verifying Easterbrook’s alibi. The final sting (Chapter 45) confirms Crane’s guilt.

Q5: C) Stilwell examines photos on Forbes’s phone that show him on a fishing charter at the relevant time.
Explanation: In Chapter 20, Forbes provides an alibi: he was on a fishing charter Sea Mistress anchored off Anacapa Island. Stilwell checks his phone and finds a sunset photo at 7:52 p.m. and a selfie the next morning. A reflection in the captain’s sunglasses confirms Forbes was there.

Q6: A card inscribed “For you, Nightshade—Dan.”
Explanation: In Chapter 27, Mercy finds the card inside the Prada shoebox. The note connects Leigh-Anne (called Nightshade) with Daniel Easterbrook, linking him to the murder investigation.

Q7: A) Merris Spivak, acting on orders from Oscar Terranova.
Explanation: In Chapter 31, Stilwell finds Deputy Esquivel unconscious and Gaston nearly decapitated. Spivak escaped and killed Gaston to prevent him from testifying about the buffalo killing and the Big Wheel conspiracy.

Q8: B) By staging a sting in which Leslie Sneed texts Crane a blackmail threat, causing him to say “She got exactly what she deserved.”
Explanation: In Chapter 45, Stilwell has Sneed lure Crane to the Zane Grey bar. Crane’s angry reaction and statement are captured, leading to his arrest. Later, in Chapter 46, Stilwell outlines the full evidence.

Q9: B) To attract attention to his Island Mystery Tours business.
Explanation: In Chapter 30, Gaston admits to killing the buffalo on Terranova’s orders. Terranova wanted the publicity and mystery to draw tourists to his tour company.

Q10: B) Spivak has a personal grudge against Dunne from their time together at Pitchess prison.
Explanation: In Chapters 8 and 21, Stilwell learns that Spivak and Dunne were incarcerated together at Pitchess. The attack is part of Spivak’s ongoing manipulation, and later Dunne’s evasiveness about Pitchess confirms the connection.

Q11: Monika Juarez leaked the information because she was being blackmailed by Oscar Terranova, who knew about her past in Bakersfield.
Explanation: In Chapter 39, Stilwell confronts Juarez, and she admits telling Terranova that the saw handle had not been sent to the lab. She says she was compromised because of prior ties to Terranova and feared exposure.

Q12: B) It is a signal to her lover Daniel Easterbrook, who calls her Nightshade.
Explanation: In Chapter 37, Easterbrook explains that Leigh-Anne put the purple streak in her hair as a private signal for him. The color is called Nightshade, which becomes his pet name for her.

Q13: B) He feels a personal responsibility because he failed to connect Spivak to the larger conspiracy.
Explanation: In Chapter 40, during his psychological evaluation, Stilwell says his only regret is not seeing Spivak’s role sooner. This guilt drives him to continue pursuing the truth, even after being taken off the case.

Q14: B) The wealth and privilege of the Black Marlin Club and the power it protects.
Explanation: The jade marlin is described as priceless and historically significant. Its theft and use as a murder weapon symbolize the club’s insular privilege and the lengths to which Crane will go to protect its reputation.

Q15: The second meaning is that nightshade is a poisonous plant (deadly nightshade), foreshadowing that Leigh-Anne’s relationship with Easterbrook and her involvement with the club would lead to her death.
Explanation: In Chapter 37, Stilwell wonders if Easterbrook ever looked up nightshade and discovered it is also a deadly poison. The symbol ties beauty to danger.

Q16: B) The corruption of the wealthy who can hide crimes at sea.
Explanation: Colbrink’s boat is used to transport the body and dump it offshore. The yacht represents the way privileged individuals can exploit the ocean to conceal wrongdoing.

Q17: B) He is constantly reminded that “island justice” is different from the mainland.
Explanation: Throughout the novel, Stilwell faces political pressure from Mayor Allen, resistance from the Black Marlin Club, and warnings from colleagues to handle cases with “island discretion.” This theme is highlighted in Chapters 4, 7, and 16.

Q18: (Sample correct answer) Oscar Terranova pursues personal justice by having Henry Gaston killed to prevent him from testifying, and by cooperating with prosecutors to get immunity for himself, even though he is a criminal.
Explanation: Terranova uses the system (immunity deal) to escape punishment for his crimes while manipulating the investigation to his advantage. This contrasts with Stilwell’s more lawful but morally complex pursuit of justice.

Q19: B) They begin as a secret romantic couple, endure a traumatic kidnapping, and end by choosing to stay together, showing that trust must be rebuilt after crisis.
Explanation: The novel traces their relationship from casual rebound to deep commitment. The kidnapping (Chapters 33–34) strains their trust, but the epilogue shows them reconnecting, with Stilwell promising safety.

Q20: The exchange signifies that the immediate physical threats (Spivak, Terranova’s abduction ring, and the murderous conspiracy) have been neutralized. Stilwell has secured indictments against both Crane and Mayor Allen, and the case is closed. The “safe” also refers to Tash’s emotional safety and the survival of their relationship after the trauma.
Explanation: In the epilogue (Chapter 51), Stilwell confirms that the killers are in custody and the corruption case is proceeding. The word “over” applies to the investigation, the danger, and the uncertainty in their personal lives.