Paula L. Woods

Stormy Weather

Following the much-acclaimed Inner City Blues, a journey through Los Angeles's mix of politics and police corruption, secrets and lies.

Los Angeles is in the midst of rebuilding in the aftermath of the Rodney King riots when Detective Charlotte Justice of the LAPD's elite Robbery-Homicide Division takes on a high-profile case. The victim is pioneering Hollywood film director Maynard Duncan, an all-but-forgotten show business contemporary of her father.

Charlotte, fueled by a desire to see the job done right and out of respect for a great filmmaker's memory, plunges badge-deep into the murky relationships between the director, his grieving family, devoted caregivers, Hollywood players, business associates, and an elusive young man who seems to hold the key to unlocking the crime. Even when storm clouds gather, Detective Justice won't give up—putting her career, her personal relationships, even her own life on the line.

"This is a wonderfully complex police procedural set in L.A. a few months after the riots, and it has dual themes: historical black Hollywood and corruption in the LAPD. Woods' story is tight and fascinating, and heroine Charlotte Justice lives and works in both worlds. It was impossible to put down!"—Jean Utley, Book 'em Mysteries, South Pasadena, California.

"W is for Woods, and Paula Woods gives Sue Grafton a run for her money with this terrific mystery. Stormy Weather keeps it exciting, and keeps it real." —James Patterson, author of the Alex Cross series and 1st to Die

Paula L. Woods is the author of the Charlotte Justice debut, Inner City Blues, which was the winner of the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel, a finalist for the Edgar Award, and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of 1999. She is the editor of the acclaimed anthology Spooks, Spies, and Private Eyes: Black Mystery, Crime, and Suspense Fiction of the 20th Century. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and her boxer. Her email address is DetJustice@aol.com.