Inner City Blues: A Charlotte Justice Novel

Coming from me, who usually has books, movies, etc. figured out by the middle, that's saying a lot.Inner City Blues is a mystery that takes place during the Rodney King riots. A well-to-do doctor is accused of being involved in a string of murders, but our heroine, Charlotte, isn't so sure.Join Charlotte in a journey to find justice.Woods kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time (albeit from the suspense of the case Charlotte was working OR the suspense of Charlotte's life, including her love life), and had my mind working overtime.I applaud Paula L. Woods for creating a heroine I could root for, feel sympathy for, and in the end, care for.I am anxious to read the next book in the Charlotte Justice series, Stormy Weather.

I had a difficult time believing that this was her first novel. Based on this debut novel, she is an incredibly gifted and talented writer The writing was supurb, the plot flowed, there were absolutely no gaps in the storyline and most importantly, her characters were fully developed. She portrayed Charlotte as strong yet vulnerable and with a good balance of both. I am really looking forward to her next Charlotte Justice novel and hopes she makes reference to the premier eating establishment in LA....Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles! I can smell the waffles and chicken wings at this very moment!

I am not usually enthralled with detective stories/mysteries even when they star black protagnonists. However, Charlotte Justice first seized and then released me, only when I had finished her story. The author captured not only the post-1992 riots Los Angeles, but also the Los Angeles I grew up in during the sixties and seventies (View Park, Crenshaw, Baldwin Hills and the "Dons", etc.)The writing was tight and spare, the plot was intriguing with enough nuance to be real be not trite. Paula Woods got it right! I eagerly anticipate many more novels featuring Det. Charlotte Justice!

It seems there are a rash of books out right now that revisit L.A.'s recent, volatile racial history. After reading Kellerman and Connelly and now Paula Woods' INNER CITY BLUES, my vote goes to Woods for the most realistic portrayal of the racial nuances of L.A. and the secrets that threaten to destroy the city. And besides the thrills and suspense, this book is sexy, funny, and gave me as a reader a great taste of black life in LA I never knew existed. And I want the recipe for that Electric Lemonade the heroine, LAPD homicide detective Charlotte Justice, drinks--it sounds heavenly!