Tracking Time: An April Woo Novel

Six books into Glass's April Woo series (Stealing Time; Judging Time; etc.), the NYPD detective remains one of the more promising yet frustrating characters in crime fiction. Woo is caught between three cultures--her native Chinese, her adopted American and that dictated by the Job. Woo lives at home with her parents, tethered by Chinese morality and lifestyle, yet she is one of the most hard-driving, career-minded detectives on the force. Despite such unusual qualities, she is not particularly companionable. In her latest outing, she's cold and standoffish, stranded in a so-so plot in which she just barely takes center stage. Woo is on the hunt for a missing psychiatrist, Maslow Atkins, who disappears in Central Park during an evening jog. Chief among the suspects is Allegra Caldera, one of Atkins's patients, who may be stalking him. Unknown to Woo, Allegra is also the victim of foul play, kidnapped by the same hoods who snagged Atkins. Together, they are imprisoned in a tiny cave in Central Park, not quite dead but badly beaten. Their tormentors are two spoiled, thrill-seeking teens, David Owen and Brandy Fabman, products of privileged Manhattan backgrounds. Woo struggles through the case, worrying about her minor missteps, fretting about how she's perceived by the higher-ups, wringing her hands over her failings as a daughter and lover. The search ends predictably and without much punch, yet the strength of Glass's story lies in her cultivation of themes--broken families, culture clash, ambition and pride--as well as her strong portrayals of secondary characters. (Oct.)