Book Review: Adverse Impact

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Adverse Impact     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Phillip Tomasso III
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Quiet Storm, Jun 2003, $25.95

Employment law paralegal Linda Genova works for Hartzman, Cross, Lacy & Bierman, a firm that specializes in representing companies that are having legal issues with employees. She feels pretty good with her work but not so much with her personal life due to her ending of her relationship with her boyfriend Joey Viglucci. After going together for six months, she concludes that she knows nothing about him except images her mind painted to fill in the void.

Soon after she stops seeing Joey, a secret admirer begins sending Linda romantic letters and flowers. Linda feels touched and her ego soars until the letters take a twisted turn into something obsessive and dirty. Seemingly harmless pranks also occur though she does not see the connection to the dark mail. Linda provides the police a list of males, but they find nothing while the perpetrator gets bolder and nastier.

The reason ADVERSE IMPACT works is the lead female character, whose state of mind metamorphosis from a gleeful slight buzz to confusion and ultimately terror, is brilliantly handled so the audience feels all that Linda fears. The support cast especially the men, provides depth to Linda's persona and serves as potential suspects though readers will wonder who is stalking her. Phillip Tomasso III provides fans of chilling suspense and woman in peril thrillers with a powerful tale that keeps readers guessing what will happen with the next twist while tensing muscles wondering when the attack soars into attempted, perhaps successful, homicide.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner