Suspicion

Revenge is at the core of this maudlin, loosely woven tale of three women's fight for justice against wealthy Jason Trask, the man responsible for scarring their lives. Protagonist Kate Edwards seeks vindication for two vicious rapes (her own and her younger sister's) by attempting to hire ex-con Tucker Caldwell to kill Jason. Jason's ex-wife, Mariana, another victim of his abuse, has tapes that will implicate him-if she can get the district attorney to reopen Kate's rape case. And attorney Colleen Robbins is out to even the score when she learns that her late father was blackmailed by Trask and forced to throw Tucker's trial. Bringing Trask down isn't easy, since his family owns Fall River and almost everyone in it, including the judge. The only alternative is for Kate, Mariana and Colleen to take the law into their own hands and eliminate Jason. But who will do the deed? Pappano (Passion) offers a disturbing view of spousal abuse, rape and the effect they have on the lives they touch, but by and large, it is hard to believe such a bleak story about one unrelentingly evil man's absolute control over a town. (Mar.)