Suspicion of Innocence

... The basic plot is a "whodunnit" legal thrilled where the heroine, Gail Connor, falls under suspicion for the murder of her sister Renée. There are subplots of jealousy, her marriage falling apart, her daughter being ignored, Renée's history, her work, an Indian clay mask, a dodgy older relative, but these are all secondary to the (for me, anyway) highlight of the book which is the relationship between Gail and a criminal lawyer Anthony Quintana. This man is described in much details, and it's all good! He is also a very interesting character (a Cuban man) and a strong character, as is Gail. Their relationship is a strong foundation for this book, and of the (currently) six follow up books. Certainly as a man he doesn't disappoint! The plot is OK, the whodunnit is guessable, but it's the local Miami colour, the interesting conversations and dealings between the characters, which make it a great read. Barbara Parker writes with good humour and intelligence and I really care about what happens to these characters, although in subsequent books I occasionally want to shoot Gail for being very dim! But it's an excellent start to the series and well worth a read. And if you like tall, dark and handsome male leads then you can't get any better than Anthony Quintana. He's rich too!

In this intriguing initial book of the Anthony Quintana/ Gail Connors series Gail is accused of murdering her younger sister. She turns to Anthony for legal and emotional aid. When their relationship develops into a steamy romance Quintana wants off the case but not out of her life. The couple explores the old (WASP) and new (Cuban) Miami communities as they race to solve the murder. The story is well plotted and beautifully told. The main character are compelling. Start with this one and then go on to the rest of the series!

I read this novel in just one night- all night long. The plot is suspenseful and engaging. The characters are so compelling that I couldn't stop at just one Barbara Parker novel. I've now read the entire series Connor/Quintana series. In addition to her characters Parker's depiction of Miami gives the reader a real appreciation of the town and its underlying conflicts. I can't wait for the next installment.

I randomly stumbled across this book while browsing the fiction paperbacks at my local library branch. I flipped through a couple pages, thought the writing looked "not bad," so borrowed it as a fast and possibly fun read. I got more than I expected, by far! At first I found the writing a little awkward, the characterizations flat, and the story slow. However, once it started going, things got quite a lot better. It turned out to be quite well-written and had fairly good, fleshed-out characters and a good, well-paced plot. I particularly enjoyed the main character, Gail, who's a good example of a strong female character who fearlessly takes matters into her own hands, even against all the advice of her male friends, relatives, etc. And boy, does she get things done! In the end, I definitely found Ms. Parker to be one of the better writers in this genre (e.g., *much* better than John Grisham, who, although a good plotter, is definitely *not* a good writer). I'm looking forward to reading her other books. Glad I ran across this book! Couldn't put it down once it started going...

This was definitely a wonderful story. The characters are well developed, and the story was extremely suspenseful. Its refreshing to have a strong female character who is both intelligent and feminine. I've read the first three in this series. The characters over time will turn into people who you wish you could become friend with. Enjoy your novel.