Fatal Reaction

As an avid reader of crime fiction I was pleasantly surprised as soon as I started to read this book. I felt quite at home with the narrator and thoroughly enjoyed the story-line. I have now ordered from the U.S. the other three books written by this author. (For some reason she is not well known in Australia).

Azor Pharmaceuticals is pretty close to declaring bankruptcy. Desperate for a wonder drug to pull his company out of financial ruin, CEO Stephen Azorini turns to Takisawa Corporation and its miracle drug ZK-501. However, instead of completing the deal, Azor's chief negotiator, in-house attorney Danny Wohl, is savagely murdered in his Chicago apartment. Stephen turns to his lover, attorney Kate Millholland, to complete the billion dollar deal with the Japanese. Kate, who come from a prominent Midwest family, wants to make it as a lawyer on her own. Azor is a client, so reluctantly Kate agrees to continue Danny's efforts to cut a deal with Takisawa. As she dives head first into the middle of the high financed negotiations, she also seeks to uncover the identify of a cold blooded killer. The Millholland series has always been one of the best legal thrillers on the market today. The previous books (PRINCIPAL DEFENSE, FINAL OPTION and BITTER BUSINESS) are all fabulous tales that those fans of the sub-genre who have not read them, should as soon as possible. However, Gini Hartzmark's latest Millholland novel, FATAL REACTION, is by far the best of the lot. The complex story line always moves forward, even as it entertainingly provides insight into drug politics and Japanese business methods. Kate and the support cast (both the good and bad guys) feel genuine, leaving the reader rooting and hating the various players. Any one who has a FATAL REACTION to this thriller needs to switch genres. Harriet Klausner