Suspicion of Malice: A Gail Connor & Anthony Quintana Novel

Florida attorney Parker has produced a new installment in her series of legal thrillers that feature Miami lawyers Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana. Since the previous novel (Suspicion of Betrayal), Gail has split up with her Cuban-born lover, the rich and sleek Quintana. But events conspire to throw them together again when Roger Creswell, the heir to a yacht-building fortune, is shot dead during a wild party. Bobby Gonzalez, a dancer with the Miami City Ballet, is the prime suspect in the murder. Despite her father's opposition, Anthony's teenage daughter, Angela, is taking dance lessons with the ballet company. Having fallen in love with Bobby, Angela asks Gail to help exonerate him. Meanwhile, Anthony is investigating the murder on behalf of a friend of the victim's family. As in her earlier mysteries, Parker serves up an enticing plate of murder and intrigue baked by the hot Florida sun. Gail and Anthony generate more heat and sexual tension, while the painful history of Anthony's Cuban family adds poignancy. This fast-paced story may get overly dramatic at times, but that's more than made up for by its inspired mix of sexy love story, sulky teenagers, family feuds and secrets, dramatic contrasts between different cultures and sharp outbreaks of murder and mayhem. (May)