A Killing Gift: 6

Combining nerve-wracking suspense and wry humor, A Killing Gift, the latest installment in Leslie Glass's April Woo mystery series (after The Silent Bride), finds the intrepid NYPD detective in pursuit of a serial killer with martial arts expertise. After discovering the corpse of a recently retired colleague and nearly getting herself killed in the process, April wastes little time recovering before digging up clues with her fiance/partner, Mike Sanchez. When the body count rises, a chilling pattern emerges, and the couple realize that the victims all share a connection to a local university. Once again, Glass delivers a unique narrative filled with sharp dialogue, quirky characters and shades of oriental mysticism. Glass brings the Big Apple and its inhabitants to life as only a native New Yorker could, and Manhattanites-as well mystery aficionados-may well find Woo to be one of the most compelling heroines to grace the genre in years.