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. 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. Her collection includes personal research, photographs, original manuscripts with editorial notes and pre-print copies of her authored works.