Customer Reviews

Suspicion of Vengeance

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Suspicion of Vengeance" is a superb installment in the Gail Connor/Anthony Quintana series that is based in Florida. Barbara Parker has written a book that not only succeeds as a legal thriller, but it works on a number of other levels as well.

Those who have read this series know about the tempestuous relationship of Gail and Anthony. Anthony Quintana, a successful criminal lawyer, is handsome, proud, rich and a bit condescending at times. Anthony, a Cuban, was born into a society in which men are dominant, and he sometimes forgets that Gail Connor, also a lawyer, takes orders from no one. Gail will not accept Anthony unless he treats her as an equal.

In this novel, Gail takes the case of Kenny Ray Clark, the grandson of a woman named Ruby, who cared for Gail and her family for many years. Kenny has been condemned to die for a twelve-year-old crime that he claims he did not commit--the murder of a young woman, Amber Dodson. Anthony tells Gail that she is making a mistake in taking this hopeless case. Gail is not a criminal attorney and she has no idea how much time and money it will take to carry out an appeal to a death sentence. Anthony is proven right, but instead of fighting with one another, as they would have done in the past, Gail and Anthony join forces to help free Kenny.

Parker does many things well in this novel. In flashback, she describes in vivid detail the murder of Amber Dodson, as well as the events that led up to the arrest of Kenny Ray Clark. We learn about Amber's ineffectual husband, Gary, and her boss, Whit McGrath, a wealthy developer with a shady past. Could one of these two men have been involved in Amber's death?

The mechanics of conducting a "death appeal" are meticulously laid out and explained, and Gail's exhaustive efforts to free Kenny leave her physically and emotionally drained. She and Anthony learn that the story of Amber Dodson's death is much more complicated that it first appeared. Amber Dodson was involved in an affair with her boss, Whit McGrath, a man with a great deal of money and some secrets that he would not want revealed. Was Amber killed to keep her silent? Or did her killer have another reason for viciously stabbing her to death?

In "Suspicion of Vengeance," Barbara Parker, a former prosecutor herself, shows that the criminal justice system is deeply flawed. When the police and the courts make mistakes, they rarely admit it. Instead of depicting the character of Kenny Ray Clark as just another loser, the author climbs into Kenny's skin to show how it feels to be wrongfully condemned to death.

There are several mysteries in the novel and Parker handles them all with skill. The novel ends in a stunning and climactic manner and the loose ends are not all tied up neatly, just as life is not always neat and tidy. Gail's and Anthony's relationship has evolved from a strong physical attraction based on passion into a partnership based on caring and compassion. I recommend "Suspicion of Vengeance" highly. It is a terrific novel of legal suspense.

Suspicion of Vengeance is one of Barbara Parker's best in the Connor/Quintana series. The character development was fantastic, and it was nice to see growth in the relationship between Gail and Anthony. Ms. Parker also gives us a great story. Whatever your viewpoint on capital punishment, she definitely makes you think and reevaluate. Unfortunately, now we have to wait another year for the next installment ...

The sixth outing for Barbara Parker's legal duo, Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana, is the best yet in this excellent legal thriller series. Gail and Anthony take a capital appeal case with time running out and the system running against their client. With an engrossing plot, intriguing characters, and great pacing, the reader is drawn into the story of this last-ditch effort to save an innocent man (or is he) from execution. As they pursue the case, Gail and Anthony find that the only way to stop the execution is a fraught-with-danger attempt to locate the real killer. If there is any quibble with this thought-provoking study of the death penalty and the legal system, it is that fans of the series might miss its usual Miami locale and also notice that the focus here on the legal partnership of Connor-Quintana leaves little time for focusing on the deliciously torrid side of their relationship. But then, perhaps, that's for the next "Suspicion" book. If you haven't read the earlier books in the series--Suspicion of Innocence, Guilt, Deceit, Betrayal, and Malice--do so. They shouldn't be missed!

After everything that has happened to them in the past, lawyers Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana are trying to make their relationship work. He hires divers to try and find the engagement ring he threw into the muddy pond. Their joint profession brings them closer together when Gail's mother asks her to help the son of an old family retainer appeal his death sentence.

Kenny Ray Clarke has been convicted for the vicious death of Amber Dardson twelve years ago. He has been sentenced to death and the appeal process is rapidly running out. Gail is reluctantly dragged into taking on the appeal. Anthony knows what the mental price on a lawyer the process takes and reluctantly helps her in order to spare her a nervous breakdown. By the time they are fully acquainted with the facts of the case, Anthony and Gail believe their client is innocent, but only have days left to prove their case before Kenny receives a lethal injection.

SUSPICION OF VENGEANCE is one of the author's best Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana novels to date. Barbara Parker has thoroughly researched the death penalty issue and it is more than likely readers on the fence will come away converted to her belief that its too open for human error. This novel is an exciting romantic legal thriller that will have massive cross-genre appeal.

Harriet Klausner

Twelve years ago a young woman was brutally killed, stabbed twenty-seven times. Kenny Ray Clark, a local troublemaker with a felony record, was arrested, tried, and found guilty. Now, many years later, his aunt is positive he is innocent.

When new evidence is brought to light, Miami attorney Gail Connor agrees to take the case, even against the advice of her boyfriend, defense attorney Anthony Quintana. After reviewing the case, Gail feels there have been many suspicious events surrounding the investigation of the murder, and when she reads the original case transcripts she is convinced her client was wrongfully accused.

Set out to free her client and find the real killer, Gail enlists the help of her cousin Jackie Bryce, a rookie cop trying to make good in her father's (who also happens to be the county sheriff) eyes. As the two begin looking into the murder, Jackie soon comes face to face with the dark secrets surrounding her own family, and the truth about her mother's death.

Desperate for answers, and racing against time, Gail will need the help of Anthony, for behind this murder lies greed and deception, and if Gail is to uncover the killer's identity she will become the target of a terrible revenge.

`Suspicion Of Vengeance' is a thrilling read. Wonderful characters, heart stopping suspense, the hot setting of Miami, and clever plot twists sets this mystery apart from many of the others in this Genre. Barbara Parker has created a strong series with her Gail Connor novels, and her latest entry may be her best yet. Any fan of mysteries, thrillers, or legal suspense books should dive into this one. If you have not yet discovered Ms. Parker, do yourself a favor and READ HER, she is that good.

A MUST read!

Nick Gonnella

Another interesting novel in the series featuring Gail Connor, attorney, and Anthony Quintana, defense lawyer. Gail and Anthony are sort of engaged to be married, but in the last edition of this series, she threw his ring into a murky pond at the country club, and although they're still seeing each other, marriage plans are on hold.

Gail is approached by a dear old friend, who had been their housekeeper years ago, to handle the appeals for her grandson, Kenny Ray Clark, who had been convicted of the brutal stabbing death of a young woman 12 years ago. All of his appeals so far have been unsuccessful, and this is his last chance to avoid execution.

After just a cursory investigation, Gail realizes how flimsy the evidence was and is convinced that Kenny did not receive a fair trial and is innocent. Gail becomes obsessed with stopping the execution. Anthony tried to warn her not to become involved, because he knows her so well and realizes that she will be overwhelmed by the appeal process and her own emotions. But eventually, when he sees that she cannot be deterred, he agrees to help.

Gail also involves her cousin Jackie Bryce who is now a rookie cop in the police department headed by her father who was in charge of the murder case 12 years ago. When the execution date is set, the action and pace intensify as Gail races against time to discover who really killed the victim. There are many people who want the crime to stay unsolved and for Clark to be put to death, and none of them are happy with Gail's meddling and probing.

This legal thriller is provocative, well paced and believable, and I'll look forward to more installments in the saga of Gail and Anthony.

Into NOT enjoying Barbara Parker's 6th outing for the legal couple, Anthony Quintana/Gail Connor. It is certainly a stretch to believe that Connor, a civil attorney, and a sole practitioner at that, would become involved with a death-penalty appeals case. Forgiving that, sit back and enjoy what is Parker's most ambitious and well-written tale of the series!

In it, some of the past jealousy dances over Connor's relationship with her ex-husband do not play a role, and her civil practice and single parenting responsibilities don't dominate the story line, as they have in past outings (this is positive; Quintana's jealousy does not become him). Nor does Quintana appear as self-assured and in control of situations in the "wilds" of northern Florida, as he does in his native
Miami. One of the most important and touching passages of the book deals with his realization and communication to Connor that she is a better attorney than is he, himself, because of the passion and dedication with which she serves her clients.

The client, Kenny Ray Clark, is on his final stretch of death row in Florida for a murder it becomes obvious he did not commit. Central to proving this is the role played by a new character, Jackie Bryce, a local deputy, and Connor's cousin.
Connor's family relationships are the background focus of the tale, and the sense of desperation the group feels while racing the clock to prove that someone else killed Amber Dodson and covered up the murder by blaming Kenny Ray, is palpable. Although there are a lot of victims in this tale, few are as tragic as the Mendozas, a local immigrant family who found themselves in the way of a land grab by the real perpetrator's of Amber's murder. You'll find yourself unable to put the book down as Connor and Quintana peel away the layers of the cover up, in a race against death.

Strong characterization, tense and thrilling plotline, and her signature byproduct of the incredible bond between Quintana and Connor all will heighten your enjoyment of this Parker
effort.

Read all 6, Parker is a terrific storyteller!

This is my first read of a Barbara Parker novel. Suffice it to say that I'll be buying other Parker novels.

Gail Connor is a single mom and a civil attorney trying to make ends meet. Anthony Quintana is a high profile, well-to-do criminal defense attorney. While their interaction would lead the reader to believe anything but the fact they're in love, they certainly are. Gail is guilted by an old family friend into taking on the death penalty appeal warned by all, including Anthony, to be futile. Regardless these admonishments and excepting the fact that she's never handled a criminal matter, much less a death penalty appeal, Gail takes the case. She is representing Kenny Ray Clark who is scheduled to die in just a few short weeks. Gail is overmatched but a quick learner. To boot, she has the best teacher around in Anthony. Anthony agrees to help but only under the strict parameters of Gail's Trade Wind emotions. And, Anthony has a dark side--one that pays off.

This story has all the essential elements: a bad guy, family squabbles, misdirection, deceit, murder, sex, reality, and...well, you get the idea. Parker has created an outstanding legal thriller.

The only reason this novel didn't receive 5 stars was due to the level of legal jargon. While not overwhelming, I believe it detracted from the story somewhat.

The political question of the appropriateness of the death penalty is intertwined in this complexly plotted but ultimately unsatisfying work. Without revealing too much, I will say that there are only two possible outcomes in any "innocent man on Death Row" work. The choice an author makes usually relates less to the appropriateness for the work itself than to the views of the author on what is ultimately a political question.

Here other plot choices clearly could have been made. The problem is that the factual innocence of most of the newly freed from Death Row have come from DNA testing, and not lawyer theatrics. Parker commits to a lawyer-centric plot for obvious reasons, and it is in this mode the work and its ingenious plot slips a bit.

Entertaining to the end, its at the end that you yearn for what could have been.

I waited so long for this book to come out that I was worried it would be a letdown. I was wrong! I found the murder plot to be intriguing, and as usual, the sparks between Anthony and Gail added a lot of interest.

I was especially interested in the death penalty aspect of the novel, and was impressed by Parker's level of detail. It is obvious that she knows her stuff, and she educates the reader about the intricacies of the system without preaching.

I found the ending to be satisfying as well. As one other reviewer stated, the one thing missing is the sultry Miami locale which always adds so much flavor to Parker's books, but the plot and suspense more than make up for it.

I am the mother of an active 1-year-old, and although I am usually exhausted at the end of the day, no amount of exhaustion could keep me from this book! I finished it in four nights, just because I couldn't wait to see how the plot was resolved. If you like suspenseful legal thrillers, this one is for you!