The Dark of Day: A Novel of Suspense (Thorndike Core) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Barbara Parker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2008 | Series: Thorndike Core

Miamis hard-partying culture is the backdrop for Parkers latest, a stand-alone featuring CJ Dunn, defense lawyer to the rich and famous. CJ knows aa lotabout partying, having done her sharewith boyfriend Billy Medina, who throws some of theclassiest galas in town. When pretty Alana Martin disappears from one of them, Rick Slater, bodyguard-driver of a localpolitician, is tagged as the last to see her, and CJ,with a possible CNN gig to entice her, agrees to manage the fallout. Slaterclaims he is innocent, but as curious CJ investigates, she finds herself not onlybecoming more skeptical ofher client but also recalling her own youthful mistakes. Parkers earliernovels, especially her Gail Connor series,have earned kudos,but this one is less successful.The multiplestory threadsmostly come together by the close,but not withoutsomestretching, andthe prose this time sometimes verges close to clich.That said,Parker has her fans, and female lawyers are a hot commodity in the genre at the moment.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Expert Miami lawyer C.J. Dunn battles to protect the image of a powerful security agent for a well-known congressman with the hope of striking it rich in the process. However, when the body of a key witness is found, Dunn must battle to save not only the success she so desires but her life as well. Elizabeth Rodgers gives a moderately commanding performance with her sturdy, unwavering bass tone. Sadly, she walks a fine line between reality and absurdity; her poorly realized Southern accent is as phony and cartoonish as Yosemite Sam. The performance is too slowly paced to salvage the story as Rodgers tends to putt about the prose as if struggling for perfection. A Vanguard Press hardcover (Reviews, May 5). (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From Booklist

Miami’s hard-partying culture is the backdrop for Parker’s latest, a stand-alone featuring CJ Dunn, defense lawyer to the rich and famous. CJ knows a a lot about partying, having done her share with boyfriend Billy Medina, who throws some of the classiest galas in town. When pretty Alana Martin disappears from one of them, Rick Slater, bodyguard-driver of a local politician, is tagged as the last to see her, and CJ, with a possible CNN gig to entice her, agrees to manage the fallout. Slater claims he is innocent, but as curious CJ investigates, she finds herself not only becoming more skeptical of her client but also recalling her own youthful mistakes. Parker’s earlier novels, especially her Gail Connor series, have earned kudos, but this one is less successful. The multiple story threads mostly come together by the close, but not without some stretching, and the prose this time sometimes verges close to cliché. That said, Parker has her fans, and female lawyers are a hot commodity in the genre at the moment. --Stephanie Zvirin --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 599 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; Lrg edition (October 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410410714
• ISBN-13: 978-1410410719
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,849,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Miami-based thriller, July 3, 2008

By 

Mystery Fan (Elmhurst, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark of Day (Hardcover)

I won't repeat the basic storyline, which is already here in the book description. Instead, I'll just say that the book is a great read and hard to put down. It has a complex protagonist--a very successful defense lawyer, a recovering alcoholic with a secret past. It it set in Miami, and delves into the sordid side of the lives of that city's "beautiful people." It has a compromised politician, society high-rollers, an unscrupulous journalist, vulnerable young women seeking a piece of the action, and a shadowy client, who may or may not be guilty of murder. The author takes her protagonist on a suspenseful, roller-coaster ride, as C. J. Dunn tries to find the truth before she loses her reputation or even her life. Highly recommended, as are Parker's early books, also set in Miami, which featured attorneys Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not her best, August 27, 2008

By 

Linda Holman "L A Jewel" (Chatsworth, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dark of Day (Hardcover)

I just recently finished Barbara's Parker new book "The Dark of Day".
It is not part of her on-going series featuring Gail Connor, a Miami attorney. I knew that when I purchased this book but believed that I would love anything she wrote.

Well, this book just did not thrill me like her other books have. The main character is another Miami lawyer, but does not have the depth of her previous efforts. The characters were a bit one dimensional and predictable. I was saying to myself "oh, please!"..when reading some of the dialogue. I did not feel a bond to anyone except perhaps the male criminal suspect and the lawyer's ex father in law.

I was able to put this book down over a period of days, when I usually have read her previous books in one sitting.

The book had a lot of potential, but it just fell short of the mark for me. I would give it a 3-1/2 stars instead of 3, but it was not possible with this rating feature.

Would I have bought this book if I had known this? Probably...I like to judge things for myself! But...I would have waited and bought it used when the prices came down a bit.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Legal Thriller, July 9, 2008

By 

Fable (The Garden State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark of Day (Hardcover)

Anyone who likes intriguing characters, a plot full of twists and turns, and a tropical Miami setting should read Barbara Parker! Parker is a former Florida prosecutor; her protagonist in this novel is high power defense attorney C.J. Dunn, whose clients are not the only ones with skeletons in their closets. I enjoyed Parker's "Suspicion" series as well, and hope that she will write more books about C.J. Dunn. If you have enjoyed other legal thrillers, try reading The Dark of Day--it won't disappoint you.