[.ca] Suspicion Of Madness (ISBN 0451210891)

disappointing:
I am a fan of this series and will continue to be. But this story lacked tightness. It was spread too thin with too much going on. Not enough tension. The plot seemed tired, as if she threw in characters just to fill the space. But I still can't wait for the next one. I am sure the next one will be better.

Not one of her best , but I'll still buy the next one.:
I'm a fan of Barbara Parker's Gail Connor series but this one was disappointing because it lacked plausibility. There were way too many unstable characters all assembled for the book. As if a troubled teenager, an abusive and shifty ex-husband, a mentally disturbed handyman, and a reclusive actress weren't enough to start with, two other characters also decide to commit crimes before the book is over! While I could buy most of the plot and even the identity of the murderer, the final 'twist' just wasn't believable. Hitchcock wouldn't have used it. I usually like the romance and the chemistry between Gail and her fiance, Anthony Quintana, but even that didn't save the book. These two characters have been through some serious issues as detailed in earlier books. It isn't plausible that at this stage of their relationship they'd be having trouble over the issue of when to set the wedding date, especially with Anthony agreeing to whatever Gail wanted! I would have preferred to see some real growth in their relationship. Still, I'm not sorry I read the book. It's worth reading if you follow the series. If you don't, this isn't the book with which to start.

Not Up To Par:
A lot of twists and turns, and a good ending...but not enough to save this one. For one thing, there were too many "zany" characters, which made it nearly impossible to find any kind of entertainment value in any of them. There also seemed to be too many "subplots" going on at the same time, which made it difficult to follow along with the main story. Gail has gone from a feisty, independent attorney to an insecure whining shrew. One wonders if she can go to the bathroom without checking with and getting Anthony's permission first. She whines when she thinks he doesn't want to marry her, then after deciding that maybe it's not a good idea to get married in the Keys without letting her daughter know, she gets upset when he suggests putting the wedding off until he's not in the middle of a case. She's still being manipulated by her daughter, but at the same time, she's breaking promises to her because she can't bear the thought of leaving Anthony's side for even a day. The character is turning into a caricature of who she used to be. And Anthony, ugh...I'm not sure I can think of a more stereotypical character except perhaps Carolina Aguilera-Garcia's Lupe Solano. The Spanish phrases, repeated in English in the next line, are overdone already. I've had enough of this rich, well-heeled Cuban to last me a lifetime. No one is this "perfect." Hopefully this series will get back on track...though I'm not sure that's possible as long as Gail and Anthony remain together. I'd like to see the author return this series to the "Gail Connor" series that it used to be, rather than the "Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana" series that it's become.

Intrigue and murder in the Florida Keys.:
Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana are two high powered and intense lawyers who have had a rocky relationship over the years. They take a break from their busy schedules to spend a few days in a beautiful inn on a secluded island in the Florida Keys. This is the setting for Barbara Parker's latest suspense novel, "Suspicion of Madness." Connor and Quintana are guests at a place called The Buttonwood Inn. The proprietors of the inn, Martin and Teri Greenwald, have invited Gail and Anthony to be their guests in return for Anthony's legal assistance. Teri has a son, Billy, from a former marriage, and her son is a suspect in a murder case. The Greenwalds are hoping that Anthony can help prove Billy's innocence. Gail and Anthony meet an assortment of odd characters during this trip. They include Martin's overbearing sister, Lois, a strange former actress named Joan Sinclair, who acts like Gloria Swanson from "Sunset Boulevard," a disreputable and conniving attorney, and a creepy handyman. All of these people are together on this isolated island when a ferocious storm hits. Naturally, dead bodies begin to pile up and it soon becomes apparent that a madman is on the loose. Parker's usual crisp writing style is nowhere in sight this time around. At almost 370 pages, the book meanders along its slow path, and very little happens during large portions of the novel. The dialogue is forced and unconvincing and the plot is contrived and silly. Even the chemistry between Connor and Quintana cannot save "Suspicion of Madness" from being a below average and rather dull thriller.

I'm not a fan...:
of this particular episode in the ongoing series of Connor/Quintana mysteries by Barbara Parker. True to form, Parker keeps the action localized to Florida -- this time by setting her crime/investigation in the Florida Keys. I'm not sure why Anthony and Gail thought they'd be able to have a romantic getaway given what Anthony knew about his prospective client; the stepson of a wealthy hotel owner that Anthony has defended before. This time, the client, Billy Fadden, has graduated from suspected arson to murder. There isn't a lot of evidence against Billy, but he has confessed to the murder of a young lady he'd been romantically involved with. Parker tries to keep the reader guessing with a variety of potential suspects, but too many of them have "over the top" personalities. There's an aging film star (Sunset Boulevard) holed up in a decrepit mansion, a strange and moody handyman, the sister of the hotel owner - who fantasizes a love life with a local real estate lawyer (stalking him), etc., etc. There's a storm in the keys, and the result is that we get a lot of descriptions of going back and forth from the hotel to the various places that Anthony & Gail are investigating the crime (I guess that's to get a sense of how difficult it can be to get around in the Keys). We also get the ongoing debate about whether Gail and Anthony will marry -- this time they both fret endlessly about getting the marriage license. As she did in her last book, Parker seems to be taking the tack of letting Gail's investigative talents outweigh Anthony's own, because of his tendency to jump to conclusions, and minimize small clues. This is one more schism she is building in the relationship; not sure it is a good one. All in all, getting through the book was kind of a labor of love; even the climax that unmasks the identity of the real killer was way over the top for me. I enjoy the series and will continue with it, but this was definitely a setback in terms of how far afield Parker was willing to go to get a change of pace. Anthony and Gail belong in courtrooms, or with legal puzzles that are more realistic to the types of law they practice.