Parker,
Robert B. Melancholy Baby. Putnam. Sept. 2004. 304p. ISBN 0-399-15218-0.
$24.95. Fiction.
Boston P. I. Sunny Randall is unhappy to
learn that the ex-husband she still loves is getting married
to someone else. Her life seemingly a mess, Sunny seeks the
help of psychiatrist Susan Silverman. In between sessions that
probe her relationship with her insufferable mother and beloved
father, Sunny works on the case of Sarah Markham, a distraught
21-year-old woman who wants to track down her biological parents.
The only trouble is that the couple who raised her claim she's
theirs but refuse to take a DNA test to prove it. Sunny soon
learns that Sarah's parents have lied about their past. The
deeper she delves into their lives and her own mind, the more
dangerous her situation becomes. But when things get too rough,
she has her bull terrier Rosie to ground her and her gay friend
Spike to defend her. In his fourth Sunny Randall novel (after
Shrink Rap), Grand Master Parker, as always, leavens his story
with sly wit while relying on dialogue to advance the plot
and develop character. Recommended for all popular fiction
collections.