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Summary: Gail Connor tries to free her client from Death Row.
Review: "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.
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Summary: van a pagar
Review: a balanced, if superficial, treatment of capital punishment. solid writing style and sense of place. the quintana series has a latter day ricky and lucy romance at its core without the original's comedic genuis.
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Summary: A romantic legal procedural that is positively great
Review: 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
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Summary: Gail Connor Solves Another One
Review: 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.
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Summary: GAIL AND ANTHONY TAKE ON THE DEATH CHAMBER
Review: As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release, I love mysteries that address socially relevant themes. SUSPICION OF VENGEANCE takes on the death penalty. Gail Conner, who usually practices civil law, becomes convinced of Kenny Ray Clark's innocence. Kenny's facing execution in a matter of days for the murder of a housewife. Gail ropes Anthony Quintana, the noted criminal defense attorney who happens to be her lover, into helping her in her attempt to save Kenny from execution. Together again, Gail and Anthony battle for justice and the truth fighting against the legal timeclock that might run out on Kenny. SUSPICION OF VENGEANCE is a terrific mystery and a top-notch legal thriller, raising serious questions about the death penalty.
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Summary: Still A Good Series
Review: Barbara Parker's books are always fast-paced and move along at a great clip. This one is no exception. However, I found little things annoying me. Too much legal jargon which wasn't explained for the non-lawyer readers. Too many Spanish phrases that weren't translated -- I speak a bit of Spanish and had to stop reading to think through what was being said; I'd find it more annoying if I didn't speak Spanish at all. And Anthony seems to be nothing but a stereotype -- a wealthy Miami Cuban who's a flashy prince of the city without much substance beneath the gold rings and cufflinks. I'd love to see him do something out of the "norm" to show another dimension to him. Still an enjoyable read.
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Summary: really good read
Review: I have to say that I am a HUGE fan of these Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana books. I look so forward to each one and again, I was not disappointed. It was a very interesting plot, a satisfying read and left me wanting the next in the series to come out soon.(but of course, as we all know, I have at least a year or more to wait!)If you havn't read any books in this series, you are missing something worth reading, but you need to go back and read the whole series, so you can understand the relationship between the two charcters and their family dynamics.But .....don't let that stop you from starting with this one, it's a great story.
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Summary: really good read
Review: I have to say that I am a HUGE fan of these Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana books. I look so forward to each one and again, I was not disappointed. It was a very interesting plot, a satisfying read and left me wanting the next in the series to come out soon.(but of course, as we all know, I have at least a year or more to wait!)If you havn't read any books in this series, you are missing something worth reading, but you need to go back and read the whole series, so you can understand the relationship between the two charcters and their family dynamics.But .....don't let that stop you from starting with this one, it's a great story.
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Summary: Exciting and Thought-Provoking
Review: 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!
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Summary: Exciting and Thought-Provoking
Review: 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!
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