None of the potential motives for the killing seem promising. The bride was Jewish and it was an arranged marriage. No one close to the families involved seems to be anti-Semitic. No spurned lover is discovered. April must dig deeper for a cause. Perhaps a serial killer who hates brides. What a gruesome thought, thinks April, yet she persists in checking old, unsolved crimes.

At last she finds a tenuous connection. A bride fell - or was pushed - in front of a subway train the day before her wedding. Curiously, the two brides employed the same wedding planner, Wendy Lotte. Wendy’s credentials as a potential murderer are impressive. She is an expert with a rifle, and her own wedding plans were interrupted when the groom had second thoughts. The problem seems to be placing Wendy at the scene of the crime at the proper time. No witnesses can be found and, naturally, Wendy protests her innocence.

As usual, Leslie Glass does excellent work in The Silent Bride describing the difficulties of April Woo, an American-born Chinese. April definitely thinks like an American, but she has been indoctrinated by her dragon lady mother with the ethics and morals of a dutiful Chinese daughter. As an American, she would like to have control over her own life, marry her Latin lover, and pursue her career as a police officer.

Yet she is Chinese and, as an only child, must provide for her aging parents, a fact about which her mother reminds her daily. In addition, despite her rational mind telling her otherwise, she believes in Chinese spirits who, being offended that she has not married another Chinese, would bestow bad luck upon her. It is truly fascinating to watch April grapple with her dual heritage.

The premise, for the plot, while sufficiently intriguing, ends rather weakly. What sort of misguided individual would want to kill a bride at what should be one of the happiest times of her life? When the motive of the killer is finally revealed, it seems unsubstantiated and weak. From the abbreviated character sketch the author gives of the killer, the perpetrator doesn’t appear to be capable of pulling off such a heinous crime. Several red herring characters are much more likely candidates.

I am an avid fan of Ms. Glass’ April Woo series. I was especially happy to see Jason, April’s psychiatrist friend with whom she often consults about the mind set of the people involved in her cases. He offers advice on how her suspects are likely to react and whether they are likely to have committed a given crime. It is nice to see her stand on her own, very capable, two feet.

In addition to providing the reader with a multitude of information on Chinese culture and tradition, Ms. Glass offers some perspective on New York as a city after the events of September 2001. She has carefully chosen the publication date for this book so as not to seem to be writing in the future. The Silent Bride is a worthy addition to the April Woo series, which, incidentally is the first not to have the word “time” in its title. The strength of the series continues to be the characterization., especially the details of April’s dilemma in trying to reconcile her Chinese heritage with her American way of thinking.

--Andy Plonka