SUSPICION OF VENGEANCE by Barbara Parker
A Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana Novel
Penguin Putnam - August 2001
ISBN: 0525946012 - Hard Cover
Legal Mystery

Reviewed by Elaine Broome, MyShelf.com
Buy a Copy

The death penalty . . . these three words have the power to incite passion like few others. Barbara Parker's SUSPICION OF VENGEANCE tackles this thorny subject head on. When Gail Connor agrees to help Kenny Ray Clark, who's on death row for murder, she has no idea how deeply and personally she'll be drawn into the battle to save him. In a heartbeat, she and her fiancé Anthony Quintana are frantically filing motions, begging for more time and growing more desperate by the day. Convinced of Kenny's innocence, they soon realize that it's up to them to find the real killer. As they begin to uncover the secrets that surround this crime, they realize that there are those who will do anything to keep them buried - even murder.

SUSPICION OF VENGEANCE is a no holds barred look at our court system. And believe me, former prosecutor Barbara Parker knows her stuff. With great passion, she shows how sometimes guilt or innocence really doesn't matter. She describes the collision between grieving crime victims and lawyers deeply committed to their clients. This is a very powerful and timely novel.

SUSPICION OF VENGEANCE is a fascinating look at an emotional subject: you will still be thinking about it long after you finish reading regardless of your feelings about the death penalty. This book really stands out even in a very strong series. The characters continue to grow and evolve with each book in the series. We see new strength and confidence in Gail Connor and sense a commitment in Anthony Quintana that he thought was lost. I really can't wait to see where Barbara Parker takes them (and us) in her next book - it's unfortunate that we all have to wait for another year!