Rating: 
Summary: Woods does Justice to the police procedural
Review: The Rodney King beating and verdict, and the subsequent riots have divided the city of Los Angeles along racial lines. Thus, any minority found outside after curfew takes one hell of a risk from the predominately Caucasian police force. When Black ER doctor Lance Mitchell is being beaten by her peers, Detective Charlotte Justice intercedes and rescues the individual. Near the beating site, Charlotte discovers the corpse of Robert "Cinque" Lewis, a punk she hates for having killed her spouse and daughter. Under the corpse, Charlotte finds Lance's wallet. LAPD feels they have the killer in the person of Dr. Mitchell. However, Charlotte winders if that is too simple. She cannot understand why Cinque returned to town after disappearing years ago. In spite of the brass' warnings, Charlotte continues to investigate what happened to Cinque. INNER CITY BLUES is a tremendous police procedural that stars a refreshing new character. The story line is loaded with action and insight as the days following the LA riots of 1992 are explored from the unique perspective of a Black female cop. Paula L. Woods clearly does justice to the sub-genre with an excellent tale that will leave fans pleading for more works starring Charlotte. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Want to see another side of the LAPD-read Inner City Blues
Review: As a general rule, I don't normally buy into the hype about a " new exciting author" with a different view of my hometown of Los Angeles; invariably they disappoint me because the author does not understand the currents & nuances of the City. However after reading this novel I believe that Ms. Woods has captured the city & its cops as well as its citzens brillantly- I look forward to the return of Det. Charlotte Justice.
Rating:
Summary: An Unbelievable Debut
Review: As a mystery writer with my first novel in initial release, I have had a difficult time believing INNER CITY BLUES is genuinely Paula Woods' debut novel. It is simply too perfect. Set against the backdrop of the Los Angeles civil disturbances of the too recent past, Woods creates a perfect heroine for the police procedural of today. Charlotte Justice is struggling with emotional baggage, yet she is trying to move on with her life. She suffers from various types of discrimination as an LAPD officer, yet she is dedicated to her work. In INNER CITY BLUES, Detective Justice is faced with a baffling case mixing her personal past, the murder of her husband, with the racially turbulent situation in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict. Charlotte Justice is a convincing contemporary woman with internal struggles and external challenges. Ms. Woods captures her setting perfectly, and her plot is swiftly paced. INNER CITY BLUES is an excellent book, most deserving of the recognition it has received.
Rating:
Summary: An Unbelievable Debut
Review: As a mystery writer with my first novel in initial release, I have had a difficult time believing INNER CITY BLUES is genuinely Paula Woods' debut novel. It is simply too perfect. Set against the backdrop of the Los Angeles civil disturbances of the too recent past, Woods creates a perfect heroine for the police procedural of today. Charlotte Justice is struggling with emotional baggage, yet she is trying to move on with her life. She suffers from various types of discrimination as an LAPD officer, yet she is dedicated to her work. In INNER CITY BLUES, Detective Justice is faced with a baffling case mixing her personal past, the murder of her husband, with the racially turbulent situation in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict. Charlotte Justice is a convincing contemporary woman with internal struggles and external challenges. Ms. Woods captures her setting perfectly, and her plot is swiftly paced. INNER CITY BLUES is an excellent book, most deserving of the recognition it has received.
Rating:
Summary: She kept me guessing...
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: She kept me guessing...
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: I read this book--cover to cover--in one weekend
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING DEBUT NOVEL
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING DEBUT NOVEL
Review: 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!
Rating: 
Summary: Another Great Series
Review: I love a good mystery and Paula Woods has written a winner. Charlotte Justice joins the ranks with other top notch African American female sleuths Tamara Hayle, Blanche White, Star Duvall and newcomer Alex Powell. Our appropriately named heroine is a detective with the LAPD's Homicide Division; she's bright, socially aware and intuitive. Thirteen years ago her husband and baby girl were murdered in the driveway of their home providing Charlotte with a very personal interest in justice being served. The Justice clan is quite a family, all card carrying members of the black bourgeois; brother Perris a former LAPD cop turned criminal defense attorney; his equally ambitious buppie wife Louise; Charlotte's father, a chemist who has made a small fortune manufacturing cosmetics for black women and Mom Justice, a fair-skinned daughter of an upper crust black family. Charlotte cringes at and often breaks the three Justice rules which are 1. Don't marry anyone too light, or too dark 2. Common is a word that should only be applied to stocks not people and 3. Don't even fix your mouth to say you're in love with some white person. There are also several other equally interesting and well developed characters, for instance Steve Hightower, Charlotte's supervisor. With his black mother/Jewish father he has no idea who or what he is and is so uncomfortable around black people he's earned the nickname "incognegro." Unfortunately he's making an exception in Charlotte's case almost making Clarence Thomas look like a choir boy. We also have Aubrey Scott, a gorgeous doctor that Charlotte has known almost all her life. She is so smitten with him she can't think straight, which hopefully won't turn out to be a bad move. Inner City Blues is set in LA during the riots that followed the Rodney King verdict. The man who stole Charlotte's life Cinque Lewis is found dead and Lance Mitchell, a doctor who works with Aubrey, is the main suspect. Charlotte hopes to be able to clear Lance's good name and also find out where Lewis has been hiding for the last thirteen years. I can't wait to read the second book of the series "Stormy Weather". I've already ordered my copy. Reviewed by Ruby
APOOO BookClub
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