Leslie Glass Books In Order

Publication Order of April Woo Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Leslie Glass is a crimes and suspense fiction author. She has written numerous books since 1976 key among them is the New York Best selling April Woo series. Leslie is a professional journalist who graduated from the Mannes College and Sara Lawrence College with a B.A. She also does playwrights, and guest posts in the world recognized magazines such as the Cosmopolitan. Besides writing fiction novels, Leslie is also an expert recovery advocate, a humanitarian, and a documentary writer/producer. Leslie Glass debut published work started with Getting Away with It. We shall look at the final books from her April Woo series collection.

Anne Korkeakivi was born in New York City. She goes by her writing name Leslie Glass. She is a bestselling crime novelist most renowned for her April Woo series. Besides writing crime stories, Anne is a journalist and a playwright writer. She went to Mannes College and Sarah Lawrence College respectively, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Some of her articles have featured in popular magazines such as the Cosmopolitan and Redbook. Her debut novel, Getting Away with It, published in 1976. Since then, she has published several stand-alone novels and the bestselling April Woo series containing ten editions. We shall review some of her best works in this article.

Burning Time #1 April Woo

A stunning Chinese-American detective recently relocated from Chinatown to the Upper West Side. Her first assignment involves a missing-persons case. Her first case involves a serial killer on the loose, murders a young college girl and leaves her in the wild California desert with his signature mark of fire parched on her delicate flesh. A prominent doctor returns home from a work trip only to discover that his wife, an actress, is not who he thinks she is. She lives a double life.

Burning Time merges these three characters in a twisting tale of fate. Detective April Woo must find the bloodthirsty killer, but with the help of Dr. Jason Frank. She must first understand what she is up against, and the Psychiatric doctor helps Detective April Woo unravel the murderer’s thought pattern. Only Detective Woo can decipher the vicious killer’s next move. This NYPD cop is not your ordinary police, just as she is about to hunt down the calculating and meticulous killer.

Besides dealing with highly stressful assignments from her job, April also struggles with juggling the Chinese traditions as well as working in a male dominated law enforcement environment. The heinous crime, however, seemed needlessly violent, and the murderer seems to have a field day, butchering innocent citizens. In addition, as with all crime series novels, April has a Hispanic cop flirting with her. Will she relent quickly? The old Chinese ways stand in the way of Woo finding true love in the midst of her already complicated life. The book also highlights several other interracial relationships with other notable characters.

Hanging Time #2 April Woo

The heat is on Detective Woo and Dr. Jason Frank to apprehend the elusive killer. Time is running out, with more victims disappearing. This time detective April finds a sales girl brutally murdered in a posh boutique on the upper Westside in Manhattan, New York City. Meanwhile, the ensuing mayhem at the NYPD police station sees the local cops compete for top spots in the unit. Office sexual favors, ambition and slander get in the way of integrity to efficiently solve the unseemly barbaric crime with a murderer-playing hide and seek.

Hanging Time provides an exciting storyline with April displaying maturity in her official duties. The entire character cast feels real, dealing with so many issues at work and out of work. We are also introduced to two sisters, one of whom might be the culprit to the boutique murder crime. What a twisted plot!

Loving Time #3 April Woo

This storyline intertwines different characters trying to survive in a cruel world. In a high-priced bachelor pad, a tormented man dies a horrible death, actually by his own hand. An ex-nurse sneaks through the halls of a big hospital building hiding under an alias. She is about to commit a crime driven by her insatiable desire for revenge. In another scene, an ambitious psychiatrist tries to manipulate his way to escape punishment her past sins. Dangerous obsessions take place at a high-end psychiatric establishment, where patients get killed and die for love. NYPD Detective Woo and reputed psychiatrist Jason Frank delve into the dangerous scenes of murder, sabotage, and absolute madness, in an establishment where the silent killer dwells.

The third book in the April Woo series provides an excellent solid opening. The young Chinese detective slowly loosens up and finds his counterpart crime solver, the psychiatrist attractive. Finally, there’s hope for some love action! With all the madness from the bizarre mental institution, these two could use a break in the evenings and enjoy each other’s company, away from the insanity of their jobs and Woo’s dragon mother.

It is exciting to have a Chinese detective and the cultural elements overlying with the cop expectations of displaying a fierce demeanor. Her Chinese mom, Sei, amuses readers by referring to her daughter as a “worm”. The detective also faces insurmountable pressure to marry a Chinese man according to the cultural norm. While she has to comprehend with her mother’s troubles Amy’s contemporary Hispanic boyfriend, Mike Sanchez stands in the way or perhaps may eventually marry her.

As the two-love birds y try to figure out how two high ranking Scandinavian citizens end up dead, they discover the little murder weapon used to execute the crime. Typical suspects with such murders have their spouses as the first suspects. The events following the assassination have the NYPD crime team search for all possible clues and suspects. Quite mysterious, and entertaining.

Stand Alone Novel: Over His Dead Body

Cassandra, commonly known as “Cassie” has been married 26 years. Her marriage no longer spicy and fulfilling, she finds activities to replenish her souls such as gardening, cooking and attending community meetings where she volunteers. Cassie decides to have a face makeover facelift to be precise to see if her husband will love her, just like in the old days when they were young. What follows her successful surgery is a complete nightmare. Cassie’s husband returns from a trip, sees her bruised and stitched up face and immediately collapses. Diagnosed with a stroke, he’s placed in ICU with an indefinite recovery prediction.

Cassie heals and learns new things about her husband and their children. Her husband had a long-time mistress, and they had plans to marry pretty soon. She almost goes into heart failure on discovering that the lover ran credit cards in her name, spending tremendous amounts while away on business trips with Cassie’s husband. Cassie was the only one kept in the dark on the secret relationship and escapades. The IRS is about to audit her husband’s business accounts. Meanwhile, Cassie has new hotties after her new cute face including the IRS investigator! However, the mistress left out in the cold prepares for war; she is suddenly left out in the cold and is not amused at all.

Tracking Time #6 April Woo

A psychiatrist doing his routine morning jog goes missing. He works for Dr. Jason Frank, as his clinical psychiatrist supervisor. Dr. Frank doubles up as detective Woo’s psychiatric crimes assistant as well as her lover. The trepidation of the killer is uncertain of two main suspects since we almost know who committed the murder. It’s a bit dreary since the suspect changes characters often and it is hard to keep up with the story’s momentum. Kids growing up in a wealthy environment with screwed up parents go through many psychological problems. However, the subplot of the missing shrink, Atkins, unidentified sister is questionable. Mike Sanchez, Amy’s co-detective, throws in some sexual pressure on detective Woo in their on and off romance. The revelation of some war veterans from Vietnam who use dead body parts to teach their hounds on dog tracing tricks is a bit bizarre.

The Silent Bride # 7 April Woo

NYPD homicide detective Woo investigates the death of two brides, shot by a professional sniper. She tries to demystify the two separate events and their subsequent deaths, both identical. As detective Woo and Mike Sanchez try to find the connection between the two brides, they have to move quickly as her best friend’s wedding fast approaches. April Woo, the main character of this series is a Chinese descendant working in the NYC police department. Her working partner and part-time lover is a Mexican American. Leslie displays a diverse work setting of creating relations beyond the human racial lines.

The diversity expressed in this book explains the exact setting as the real community living in NYC. With people’s from all walks of life trying to make a living, amid tight economic conditions. As with most integrated metropolitan cities, Leslie expresses the strains of having to sift through gruesome crime scenes to locate murderous in a sea of cross-raced people.

The mystery presents both tense and thrilling moments. Who would have thought to murder wedding brides, on the most important day of their lives? The first crime’s victim is a young Jewish bride, Tovah. At first, her death is perceived as a hate crime against Jewish beliefs in a cosmopolitan city. However, when the second bride dies at a St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, it becomes evident that this is not an ordinary hates crime murder. Through their routine investigations, detectives Woo and Sanchez meet an alcoholic wedding planner, and she does not share any obvious similarities with the first victim.

The two detectives also meet a high-end florist with questionable employees of African descent, former child soldiers. They also question a Chinese wedding gowns designer. As the inquiry progresses detective, April must safeguard her cousin ching’s upcoming wedding at all costs. Surprisingly, the victims shared the same service providers, just like cousin Ching’s current helpers! Will she be the next victim? As the case progresses, so does t he bond between Mike and April as they seem to love one another deeper and deeper.

A Killing Gift #8 April Woo

Lieutenant Alfredo Bernardino has come to the end of his policing career at the New York Police department. Upgraded April Woo now the head Sergeant organizes a send-off party for the retiring Lieutenant Bernardino. He served in the NYC unit for forty years in the force. As Bernardino plans for a simple life ahead, his wife who won more than $15 million but has since died. He enjoys the party but steps out of the glare and attention and in that short private moment, someone kills him instantly. April noticed Bernado’s absence and goes out to look for him; she got to him and found him lying on the ground, dead from a single shot. April sees the killer trying to get away, and she swiftly follows him. As she tries to subdue him, he overpowers her and tries to kill her as well, but Bernardino’s son, Jack comes in just in time to save her from the shadows of death.

April and her partner Mike have a daunting task of finding a killer whom she’s already encountered. At least they now have a head start. But who is this murderer, what’s his motive? The case takes an early lead from the suspicious death of the now late Bernardino’s wife, and perhaps the next person who might inherit the lottery cash. It sure displays a right motive not as sickening as the previous cases. Death for money, lots of money. Jack mysteriously dies, and detective April has a clear case to find, and secure the next possible inheritor, and to catch the killer. Collected evidence reveals phone calls received by the victims’ right before they died. The caller was asking for a donation to some charity fund drive.

We also learn about the two main characters plans to move in together and start a family. It’s been a long journey since the first book in this series, and finally, April and Mike’s love has matured into something real, something more beautiful.

A Clean Kill # 9 April Woo

The last book of this series takes us straight into the murder of a celebrity chef dies by the knife in her high-end townhouse. The first suspect is the couple’s longtime nanny. April and her now legally married husband must settle this one before heading out for their already delayed honeymoon. Mike and April now work separately and just as they wrap up things for their long-awaited holiday, another woman is found dead, she was the best friend of the first victim. Someone is trying to eliminate wealthy women in the neighborhood. Will the newlyweds ever get to enjoy their long overdue holiday? Leslie Glass wrapped up this one in a most devious thrilling way! Utterly intriguing.

One Response to “Leslie Glass”

1. Cheryl Morgan: 3 years ago

   Has Leslie Glass retired from writing novels? Will there ne snt more in the April Woo series?

   Reply