Suspicion
by Joseph Finder is an intriguing novel about family and being
entrapped in a bad situation. This stand-alone book explores
the father/daughter relationship, how technology has changed
the dynamics between people, the villainess of the drug cartels,
and big government at its worst. These issues are intertwined
within the theme, how one small decision can change someone’s
life.
The plot begins with a single dad, Danny, having financial
troubles and unable to pay for his daughter’s tuition
at an elite private school. In a desperate situation, he makes
a decision that anyone would make, and it turns out to have
some terrifying consequences. Thomas Galvin, the father of
his daughter’s new best friend, is also one of the wealthiest
men in Boston. Galvin is aware of Danny’s situation
and out of the blue offers a $50,000 loan to help Danny cover
his daughter’s tuition. Uncomfortable but desperate,
Danny takes the money, promising to pay Galvin back. Everything
unravels from here because the DEA informs Danny he has accepted
money from a drug cartel. Danny has to make an impossible
choice: an indictment for accepting drug money that he can’t
afford to fight in court or an unthinkably dangerous undercover
assignment, helping the government get close to his new family
friend.
Finder brilliantly shows how a single individual has no control
over their life once a big conglomerate, such as the US government,
the drug cartels, or even a large corporation, decides to
go after them. How can someone fight and win against these
powerful entities with unlimited resources? Danny is portrayed
in the beginning of the book as a down on his luck ordinary
guy, who behaves in a “wus-like manner.” However,
as the story progresses so does Danny’s backbone.
Finder commented, “I ran these scenarios by lawyers
and those in the DEA. This is big government at its worst,
where they force you to spend money on lawyers. I know of
people who have gone through the mill being sued by the government.
You are put in a terrible situation where some government
lawyer wants to get you. They just don’t care. I showed
how my character Danny was pinned down like a butterfly in
a specimen kit. Then there are the drug cartels that are one
of the worst villains possible. They are not constrained by
laws, perception, and morals. They are ruthless and an uncapped
villain. I hoped I showed how Danny and Tom were both entrapped
in a situation they could not get out of. They both are victims
and had to make necessary moral decisions that changed their
lives.”
A powerful quote in the book, to “understand the intoxicating
sensation of defying death, of facing down our hardwired instinct
for self-preservation.” Anyone from the thrill seeker
to the average person can appreciate being in that kind of
situation. Even someone that avoided an accident can appreciate
this quote, remembering that deep breath taken after realizing
possible death was avoided.
Parents will enjoy the other major theme, father/daughter
relationships. The way this generation uses technology with
the use of Googling, tweeting, texting and other techno-marvels
lend a modern flavor to the storyline. The teenage daughter,
Abby, is seen as a typical adolescent. She is at times self-centered,
melodramatic, and puts more importance on her desires than
concerns for her dad’s financial struggles. For example,
she never wants to bring her rich best friend Jenna to her
house because of the embarrassment factor.
Finder, a father himself, noted, “I went through raising
a teenage daughter. I have a great relationship with my daughter
who is now twenty. But those teenage years were insane and
difficult. I wanted to show in Suspicion that being a parent
of a teenager is the hardest job of all. The way a teenager
disappears into their cell phones, their texting, and putting
on earphones as they listen to their music, this all partitions
them off from their parent. I remember as a teenager when
I wanted to call a friend there was only one phone in our
house. There was never ever any privacy since the phone would
only go as far as the cord. Yet, now they have a world of
communications including cell phones, Facebook and Twitter.
That is why I put the quote in, ‘just a phone call away.’”
Suspicion is an engrossing tale of relationships,
being put in unthinkable situations, and losing complete control
over one’s life. It is a very believable, intriguing,
fast paced and interesting story.
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