The seventh installment in Glass's April Woo mystery series (Tracking Time, etc.) finds the 31-year-old NYPD detective on the trail of a deranged killer after a wealthy, young Orthodox Jewish bride is gunned down on her wedding day. Police initially suspect it's a religious hate crime, but Woo and her Latino lover, Lt. Mike Sanchez, swiftly shift gears when another bride is shot dead in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral less than a week later. In the midst of the investigation, Sanchez proposes to Woo despite his disapproving Catholic mother and Woo's own traditional, overbearing parents. Complicating matters further, Woo is asked to serve as maid of honor for her demanding "sister-cousin," Ching, whose upcoming wedding has now been pronounced cursed by Woo's superstitious mother, Skinny Dragon. The author's flair for capturing cultural idiosyncrasies and developing quirky characters is highlighted best by her cast of suspects, which include a famous Chinese dress designer (à la Vera Wang), a flamboyant florist with a penchant for "adopting" attractive young refugee boys from war-torn countries and a kleptomaniac wedding planner who's also an expert marksman. With its rich characterizations and well-drawn setting, this rollicking mystery is a plentiful source for comic thrills and suspenseful chills. (June)
