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Formerly a police officer with the NYPD, African American Mali Anderson was fired for punching out a racist cop in the first book of this series. NO TIME TO DIE is the third book, and Mail is preparing to enter a social work doctoral program. She has no intention of returning to the police, in spite of the fact that that her job may be offered to her again as a settlement in the lawsuit she filed as a result of the incident. Since the man she is dating, Tad Honeywell, is a homicide detective, she is still in the world of the cop in spite of herself. When one of her good friends, Claudine Hastings, is brutally murdered, she is pulled into investigating, although Tad is officially in charge and wary of Mali's involvement. Mali is certain that the killer is Claudine's ex-husband, James, who is a slime of the lowest order. He is a vengeful man who has mistreated several of the women in their Harlem neighborhood and has a hatred for Mali based on her relationship with his ex-wife. Mali's feelings about James really color her objectivity, and she is forced to adjust her belief about James' guilt when the clues point elsewhere. The true killer is revealed early on, and several of the chapters of the book are told from his point of view. He is a truly tortured man (nicknamed Ache) whose abusive childhood at the hands of an uncaring mother has led him to a deranged view of himself and others. Mali is a target of both of these men. She is a strong and intelligent woman, but she is no match for their special brand of horror. Her passion and caring makes her stand out from the rest of the characters, who are flat on the page, several verging on caricature. James, Claudine's ex-husband, is completely evil and lacking any positive qualities. Surprisingly, the serial killer, Ache, is even more of a caricature, which is a handicap to the story because much of the book is told from his point of view. Somehow, the sad events of his youth and mistreatment at the hands of his mother never felt real. His mother comes across as more comical than frightening, which was certainly not the author's intention. Even the good guy, Tad, is one dimensional, exceptionally good looking and sensitive and oh so unreal! As in Edwards' first book, IF I SHOULD DIE, the stand-out element is her depiction of the Harlem setting. Although the area is sadly falling into decline, Mali sees it with a lover's eye. She lives with her father, a jazz musician, and has a finely-tuned sense of its past history and greatness. Harlem is the place where she lives and loves and is more of a character than any of the people in the narrative. Although the book itself is just average, there is the potential for so much more. Edwards' prose is beautiful, but the predictable plot and lack of depth in characterization ultimately disappoint.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, February 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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