Suspicion of Deceit [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Barbara Parker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1998

MysteryLarge Print EditionThe narrative triumphs . . . thanks to Parkers rich mix of tropical politics, edgy romance and secrets from the past. New York TimesAnother sure bet from an author who started out big with Suspicion of Innocence and never looked back. Library JournalAttorney Gail Connors world begins to spin out of control when her fianc, fellow attorney Anthony Quintana, is questioned in the deaths of several people with ties to Cuba. Gails investigations on Anthonys behalf only seem to lead to more questions about his past and his loyalties and the knowledge that soon shell be forced to either save or destroy the man she loves.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Like Parker's first two novels (Suspicion of Innocence, LJ 12/93; Suspicion of Guilt, LJ 2/1/95), this thriller thrusts Miami lawyer Gail Connor into perils from which she emerges owing mostly to luck. Gail, now engaged to Cuban exile Anthony Quintera, also a Miami lawyer, provides legal counsel for the Miami Opera. A promising young singer, Thomas Nolan, is to star in Don Giovanni, but his connections with Castro's Cuba may cause trouble for the opera should they become known. From this rather interesting beginning, the plot wanders further and further afield, until the reader yearns for the inevitable murder. Politics, nostalgia of the Miami exile community, and conflicting memories or reports of Gail's fiance and friends bulk out the story, which hovers uneasily between episodes of Gail and Tony's lovemaking and Gail's getting herself into cliched predicaments (donning a wig to stake out her suspect's movements, breaking into the home of the chief suspect). Sadly, this series demeans both women lawyers and Miami Hispanics. Buy only if you live in Florida and have a lavish book budget.
-?Elsa Pendleton, Boeing Information Svcs., Inc., Ridgecrest, Cal.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Readers disappointed that Parker's last two mysteries did not feature attorneys Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana will be delighted to find the Miami twosome at the center of this complex, involving tale. With publisher promotion (including the simultaneous million-copy paperback release of Criminal Justice, 1997), Suspicion should also draw new readers. Parker (who earned Edgar-finalist status for her first effort, Suspicion of Innocence, 1994) uses opera and Central America as effective counterpoints to the confrontation between Cuban and Yankee culture--within Gail and Anthony's romance and within Miami society--which has animated the series. To build business for her new solo practice, Gail takes on the Miami Opera as a client, only to learn of a pending crisis: the rising young bass-baritone scheduled to play Don Giovanni in Mozart's opera sang recently in Castro's Cuba. The singer may be in danger, as may several of Gail's opera contacts who have ties to puzzling aspects of Anthony's past, ties that lead back to Nicaragua in the late 1970s. A satisfying read. Mary Carroll --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 615 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Pr (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786214600
• ISBN-13: 978-0786214600
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,239,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Parker's Best in this Series-Too Many Politics., April 4, 2007

By 

J. Kirkman "book jen" (St. Petersburg, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Suspicion of Deceit (Hardcover)

Gail and Anthony are about to be married but not without problems and doubts. When a case comes along involving Thomas Nolan, trouble is on the rise. Nolan is a big opera star, and everyone in Miami wants to kick him out. That is simply because of terrorism from Cubans in the past. And when Gail begins the filing of a lawsuit, bad things begin to happen. Gail is badly hurt and nearly killed a few times when she tries to find out what is going on behind these killing sprees. She has her eye on Felix Castillo, Thomas's bodyguard, but that changes when other clues to the mystery come up, and near the end a bombing occurs in a building where Gail is, and Felix is hurt right along with her.

There was a lot of politics in the book, and since I am not a fan of politics, it bored me a bit though I managed to find parts of it interesting enough to finish the book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tropical Politics, Romance And Murder- Parker's Best So Far!, October 11, 2003

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Suspicion of Deceit (Paperback)

Attorneys Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana are back in Barbara Parker's third mystery thriller about law, crime, politics and complex community, family and love relationships in Miami. This latest offering by Ms. Parker, highlighted by the culture and politics of Miami's Cuban exile community, is her best novel to date.

Gail and Anthony are now engaged to be married. As they become more involved with each other's families, she learns much about Anthony's past, and the very different person he was twenty years ago. Gail has left the prestigious law firm, where she worked for eight years, and has opened her own office. Among her clients is the Miami Opera, which she now represents. Talented opera singer Thomas Nolan, an old classmate, is to star in the opera's new production of Don Giovanni. However, his past visit to Cuba, and his potential connections to that island's government, can cause serious problems between the City Opera and Miami's Cuban exile community. Gail gains more insight into community tensions when she becomes better acquainted with Anthony's grandfather, who is a staunch supporter of the movement to overthrow the Castro regime. Gail, while searching for a way to continue with the opera's production without firing the star, discovers that the present political problem is intertwined with a violent incident from Anthony's past - when as a rebellious youth he went to Nicaragua with two friends and his young lover to work with the Sandinistas. As the facts emerge, she questions the validity of her relationship, and once again risks her life in her quest for answers. The usual murders and violence that are the flesh and bones of most mystery thrillers are present here. I find that the added information and plot twists involving Miami's Cuban exiles are fascinating and really provide an interesting glimpse into a little known subculture in America. As always, Ms. Parker's knowledge of the law adds much depth to the narrative.

The characters, Gail, Anthony, her daughter Karen, her mother and Anthony's family are all very well crafted figures and continue to grow and change with each book. Gail, as always, juggles her roles and responsibilities as mother, lover, daughter, friend, as well as her demanding career. The characters are what brings me back to this series, much more than the plots, which are relatively good. The characters are so compelling and so realistic that I can't help but care about what happens to them all. I highly recommend this entire series.
JANA

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars For fans of Cuban politics and opera, November 18, 2001

By 

Diane Davis (San Ramon, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Suspicion of Deceit (Paperback)

This was my first Barbara Parker book. Maybe if I'd read the earlier entries in the series I'd have felt some affection for the main couple, but none developed during "Suspicion of Deceit." They, along with a large cast of unappealing characters, never tell the same story twice, so it's hard to know where the truth lies - or to care. I was simply bored through most of it, and by the time the action picked up it didn't matter much who did what to whom.