Judging Time (April Woo Suspense Novels) [Paperback]

Leslie Glass (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1999 | Series: April Woo Suspense Novels (Book 4)

The beautiful wife of a former pro football player is found dead alongside her husband's best friend--one viciously stabbed to death, the other a victim of an apparent heart-attack. A manhunt is immediately launched, targeting the ex-athlete, but Asian-American NYPD Detective April Woo remains unconvinced of his guilt. With City Hall breathing down her neck, and a media onslaught spinning out of control, April must vindicate one man and prevent a killer from evading justice!.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this thriller, featuring Glass's popular Asian American policewoman, April Woo, the wife of a former football player and her male companion are stabbed to death?but at least it's in Times Square.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

A brutal murder is committed outside one of New York's trendiest restaurants. Merrill Liberty, wife of former NFL star Frederick Douglass Liberty, is stabbed to death, her mutilated body covering the corpse of her husband's best friend, who appeared to die trying to defend her against her attacker. No one saw what happened, but Merrill's husband is the most likely suspect. NYPD detective April Woo isn't so sure. With the help of her partner and sometime lover Mike Sanchez, April launches her own investigation into the seemingly unsolvable case. April's mother, Sai Woo, thinks April should give up police work and settle down like a good girl. And after meeting dozens of dead ends and incurring the wrath of her supervisor, April is almost ready to agree. Glass writes a masterful police procedural that shows how plodding and painstaking--but ultimately exhilarating--a murder investigation can be. But it's her wonderfully rich portrait of smart, sensible, intrepid, stubborn April Woo that sets this book apart from the also-rans. Emily Melton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Signet (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451195507
• ISBN-13: 978-0451195500
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Tense Murder Mystery, February 21, 2002

By 

Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Judging Time (April Woo Suspense Novels) (Paperback)

A couple die outside a restaurant one night. They're friends who were having a late dinner together. Merrill Liberty si stabbed in the neck after seeing Tor Peterson collapse to the footpath. When the police arrive on the scene, they have to work out two things about the deaths: who died first, and; was one person murdered or both.

April Woo returns in this New York City police mystery. She has just started at a new precinct after her promotion to sergeant and is finding her new fellow officers less than welcoming. Her ex-partner and would-be love interest, Mike Sanchez has been assigned to the murder case as a special investigator and joins April, sho is heading the investigation, in trying to solve it. What a coincidence!

April and Mike are under constant pressure to solve the case because the murdered woman's husband is Rick Liberty, a former pro-footballer, and the murdered man was one of the richest men in America. Clues prove hard to come by and their job isn't made any easier when apparent mistake are made by the medical examiner while performing an autopsy on the bodies.

To keep things interesting, the ongoing love / hate relationship between April and Mike enters a new phase, adding a whole new level of unease and tension to the case.

April Woo finds herself in a constant identity battle being fought on two fronts. The first is with herself as she tries to overcome her Chinese instincts that dictate that, as a Chinese woman, she should remain subservient. If she is to be a successful New York City cop she must overcome this. The second is with her fellow officers who clearly don't think a Chinese woman has what it takes to lead murder investigations.

The plot is pretty standard fare, but for those who have met April Woo before, it is interesting to see her character develop. It's quite an enjoyable addition to the April Woo series.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very New York, thrilling, exciting, versatile, October 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Judging Time (April Woo Suspense Novels) (Paperback)

A very informative and accurate description of the mixture that characterizes New York City. The author takes time to describe the different ethnicities, not always as accurate as we would like for them to be, but better than most. the story is well thought, and with lots of in and outs. In my opinion, it is what a book is supposed to be, entertaining, somewhat educational, and suspenseful. Thanks

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great police procedural and a fantastic series, December 19, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Judging Time (April Woo Suspense Novels) (Hardcover)

Chinese-American police officer April Woo is assigned to investigate a double murder that occurred near the Liberty restaurant. Also assigned to the case is her boyfriend Detective Mike Sanchez. The chief suspect is a former football star, Rick Liberty, whose spouse Merrill and his best friend Tor Peterson are the victims.

The evidence proves that the motive, opportunity, and means were all available to Rick. This makes everyone in the police department and the media believe that Rick did the crime during a jealous rage. That is everyone except April, who has to overcome her own peers and boss, the medical examiner's office, and her personal distrust of Mike to prove that the former football star is innocent. However, if Rick did not do it, the culprit had the opportunity to set it up so it seemed as if he did.

The novel is a great mystery that provides interesting insight into the Chinese-American culture and , to a lesser degree, the Hispanic-American culture. Fans of this series will especially enjoy JUDGING TIME because it is clearly the best novel to date. The relationship (and often times non-relationship) between the protagonists has taken quantum leaps forward that will elate the reader. Leslie Glass, a superstar in the making, continues to climb the ladder towards the top run of the ethnic-mystery novels.

Harriet Klausner