Barbara Parker (writer)
Encyclopedia
Barbara Parker was an American mystery writer. She wrote 12 novels, the first of which, Suspicion of Innocence, was a finalist for the Edgar Allan Poe Award
for best first mystery novel by an American author. Parker was on the national board of the Mystery Writers of America
and was the chair of its membership committee for two years.
Parker was born in Columbia, South Carolina
and lived in North Carolina
before moving with her family to Florida
. There she attended the University of South Florida
and then earned her legal degree at the University of Miami School of Law
. Following her graduation, she was a prosecutor in the Florida state attorney's office prior to spending eight years running her own practice as an attorney. She wrote an adventure story to entertain her son and to provide an alternative to her legal career. She left her law practice and took a job as a paralegal
with a major law firm to make money while developing her writing career, never telling her employer that she was an attorney. She would write while commuting by bus to downtown Miami.
She attended Florida International University
, where her thesis for her master's degree became the genesis for Suspicion of Innocence, her first novel. The novel was a finalist for the Edgar Award
for best first mystery novel by an American author and was filmed as Sisters and Other Strangers, presented as an ABC Movie of the Week
. Les Standiford, director of the creative writing program at FIU called her "one of my first great students" who "became a wonderful writer. I have always viewed her as a wonderful ambassador for the creating writing program. We are proud to claim her as one of ours."
Her Suspicion series of novels revolved around Miami lawyers Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana, and their experiences in South Florida's changing demographic environment. She researched her books carefully, spending time with ballet dancers and cops, fashion models and rock bands while getting material for her books. A fervent opponent of the Castro regime, she visited Cuba
three times, where she brought books to help Cubans establish their own independent library. Her books Suspicion of Deceit and Suspicion of Betrayal were listed on the New York Times Best Seller list
.
She died on March 7, 2009 at the Hospice By The Sea in Boca Raton, Florida
.
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for best first mystery novel by an American author. Parker was on the national board of the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
and was the chair of its membership committee for two years.
Parker was born in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
and lived in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
before moving with her family to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. There she attended the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
and then earned her legal degree at the University of Miami School of Law
University of Miami School of Law
The University of Miami School of Law, founded in 1926, is the law school of the University of Miami, located in Coral Gables, Florida, in the United States. The school graduated its first class of 13 students in 1929.- Academics :...
. Following her graduation, she was a prosecutor in the Florida state attorney's office prior to spending eight years running her own practice as an attorney. She wrote an adventure story to entertain her son and to provide an alternative to her legal career. She left her law practice and took a job as a paralegal
Paralegal
Paralegal is used in most jurisdictions to describe a paraprofessional who assists qualified lawyers in their legal work. This is true in the United States and many other countries. However, in Ontario, Canada, paralegals are licensed by the Law Society of Upper Canada, giving paralegals an...
with a major law firm to make money while developing her writing career, never telling her employer that she was an attorney. She would write while commuting by bus to downtown Miami.
She attended Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
, where her thesis for her master's degree became the genesis for Suspicion of Innocence, her first novel. The novel was a finalist for the Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for best first mystery novel by an American author and was filmed as Sisters and Other Strangers, presented as an ABC Movie of the Week
ABC Movie of the Week
The ABC Movie of the Week is a weekly television anthology series, featuring made-for-TV movies, that aired on the ABC network in various permutations from 1969 to 1975.-History:...
. Les Standiford, director of the creative writing program at FIU called her "one of my first great students" who "became a wonderful writer. I have always viewed her as a wonderful ambassador for the creating writing program. We are proud to claim her as one of ours."
Her Suspicion series of novels revolved around Miami lawyers Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana, and their experiences in South Florida's changing demographic environment. She researched her books carefully, spending time with ballet dancers and cops, fashion models and rock bands while getting material for her books. A fervent opponent of the Castro regime, she visited Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
three times, where she brought books to help Cubans establish their own independent library. Her books Suspicion of Deceit and Suspicion of Betrayal were listed on the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
.
She died on March 7, 2009 at the Hospice By The Sea in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
.
External links
- Barbara Parker.com Author's website
- Barbara Parker at fantasticfiction.uk