Customer Reviews

A Suggestion of Death

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Cinda Hayes is a former Boulder prosecutor now in private practice. While hosting a radio talk show with an eye toward drumming up some new business, a call comes in from a frightened young woman who believes she may have an "intimate tort" claim. The trouble is, 20-year-old Mariah McKay cannot recall exactly what it is that she believes her father, prominent Harrison McKay, might have done to her as a child. Cinda takes on the fragile, child-like Mariah as a client and tries to help her piece together her past and make sense of the tenuous bits and pieces of memories she possesses. At the same time, Cinda is exposed to a group of self-proclaimed patriots among whom Mariah lives. When Cinda begins receiving threats, it is unclear whether Mariah is the reason for them and whether the patriots or some unknown menace are the source. The delightful Lincoln Tolkien, first introduced in the excellent "Render Up The Body", reappears in this novel. Cinda needs to get her love-life under control, but I think she's getting there. The denouement of this novel is as wrenching and disconcerting as that of "Render Up The Body." Hole up in your jamies with a stash of junk food and read this in one sitting if possible.

I tried to read "Render up the Body," but couldn't get past page 50. That's usually a pretty good indicator to how I'm feeling about the author and his/her writing. But in an effort to be fair, I read "A Suggestion of Death" and actually stayed with it through the end. There was no urgency, no excitement of any kind, and it was certainly not a page-turner. The only slightly interesting character was the receptionist, Beverly. The ending was especially bad; it just fell with a dull thud. By that point I really didn't care anymore. All in all, this book was a dud.

Mariah contacted Boulder attorney Cinda Hayes via a radio call-in show. Mariah claims her father, Colorado senatorial candidate Harrison McKay, sexually molested her as a child. However, the waif-like woman also admits that her memories of her relationship with her now estranged father are vague and seemingly repressed.

Mariah resides with a neo-Nazi militia group that leaves chills running up and down Cinda's spine. Still, she begins to investigate Mariah's claim. As Cinda makes her inquiries, she finds herself beguiled and repulsed by the militia's "Judge" Pike Sayers. However, the case turns dangerous when someone, perhaps the enigmatic Pike, will kill to insure Mariah's memories remain fragmented and other evidence remains buried.

A SUGGESTION OF DEATH is an excellent legal thriller that will propel Marianne Wesson soaring to the top of the bestseller lists. The astute story line focuses on the legal questions dealing with repressed memories while still pumping out action. Cinda retains her witty, self-deprecating vigorousness. However, her commons sense needs to be questioned when ugly incidents that should have sent her to the police, drive her to dig deeper. Cinda's partner Tory Meadows continues to be a spirited caring individual and Pike adds a sinister freshness. With this tale and RENDER UP THE BABY, Ms. Wesson has quickly proven she is an impressive writer.

Harriet Klausner

Mariah contacted Boulder attorney Cinda Hayes via a radio call-in show. Mariah claims her father, Colorado senatorial candidate Harrison McKay, sexually molested her as a child. However, the waif-like woman also admits that her memories of her relationship with her now estranged father are vague and seemingly repressed.

Mariah resides with a neo-Nazi militia group that leaves chills running up and down Cinda's spine. Still, she begins to investigate Mariah's claim. As Cinda makes her inquiries, she finds herself beguiled and repulsed by the militia's "Judge" Pike Sayers. However, the case turns dangerous when someone, perhaps the enigmatic Pike, will kill to insure Mariah's memories remain fragmented and other evidence remains buried.

A SUGGESTION OF DEATH is an excellent legal thriller that will propel Marianne Wesson soaring to the top of the bestseller lists. The astute story line focuses on the legal questions dealing with repressed memories while still pumping out action. Cinda retains her witty, self-deprecating vigorousness. However, her commons sense needs to be questioned when ugly incidents that should have sent her to the police, drive her to dig deeper. Cinda's partner Tory Meadows continues to be a spirited caring individual and Pike adds a sinister freshness. With this tale and RENDER UP THE BABY, Ms. Wesson has quickly proven she is an impressive writer.

Harriet Klausner

Marianne Wesson delivered a well thoughtout story with interesting characters. I did not figure anything out before she wanted me to (always a big plus in my book). I read her first book "Render Up the Body" which also featured attorney Cinda Hayes and hopes she delivers another one soon. This is not just another version of every other book you've read lately. If you are looking for something new and refreshing, try this.

"A Suggestion of Death" is a very well written legal thriller dealing with contemporary social issues, such as rightwing militias, common-law vs. governmental courts, farm foreclosures and the problems created, how anger at the government can be used consciously and turned into racist ideology and actions against people of color, against affirmative action, against integration of the cities, and against immigration into the U.S. It does deal well with contemporary social and political questions. Also, the legal points and arguments are well posed and certainly caused me to think about the issues posed. The book is well written, well flushed-out, logical and it flows well. The main characters are interestingly portrayed and are people I'd like to meet. Recommend this to readers who require well-written mysteries, and lovers of legal thrillers, who like to ponder all sides of an issue or situation. Bravo to Marianne Wesson for writing such a good book which I read this Labor Day weekend and wish the next one is out soon.

"~Marianne Wesson wrote a book that took me to bed early two nights in a row - I didn't want to put it down. Woke up this morning and finished it before breakfast."~ because of the horrific murder of JonBenét Ramsey) and Wesson visits many of the local landmarks in her book. It deals with Boulder, a bit of Colorado history, family relationships, law, and a fairly new subject - repressed memories.

I am so taken with Marianne Wesson's fine writing, engaging plots, excellent characters and ability always to fool me. How splendid to read Wesson's books and be entertained and at the same time educated about subtle, important points of law and the Constitution. "A Suggestion of Death," like its predecessor "Render Up the Body," further entertain me through their wonderful, intimately accurate flavors of Boulder, Colorado, a city I have long admired.

I was so excited that Wesson had written a follow up to the well written and neatly plotted "Render up the Body." This book is well written too, but is way too short on anything that would pass for substance. Wesson lost me with the convoluted story of Mariah "Drew" McKay, her lost memories, her anorexia, her association with a group of farmers that take the law into their own hands, and her relationship with her powerful, estranged father and sister. It was endless, and the conclusion to the story was so lame that I'm mad at myself for wasting the last three days reading this book. In some ways, it seems like Wesson just gave up on page 295. From 296 on it's almost if she's just going through the motions of tying up all of the loose ends. I don't recommend this book at all now that I really think about it.

I was so impressed by Render up The Body that I went in search of this novel; hungry for more! I was not disappointed. Ms. Wesson has a unique way of writing that immediately drew me into the story and kept me there until I turned the last page of the book.

I especially enjoy the fact that her characters are so diverse. There is an air of honesty about each one and their individual belief structure, ie. homosexuality, bi-racial relationships, etc. yet none of it offends the reader. You find yourself "cheering for the underdog".

When I closed the book I realized that I had questioned my own beliefs concerning the death penalty and other issues faced by the characters - its about time an author made us think.

Keep up the great work, I am anxiously awaiting the third novel.