Amazon Wearing the Spider's Website Category:  Action/Thriller Publisher: Galavant Press, LLC ISBN-10:  1934291056 Type: Fiction Pages: 396 Copyright: January 2007 ISBN-13: 9781934291054 Wearing the Spider combines elements of sexual harassment, identity theft, and political scandal into one high-tech plot set in the hard-driving corporate culture. A lawyer's identity is hijacked and misused by a ruthless partner of her Manhattan law firm who engages in email impersonation, political gamesmanship and electronic forgery to set her up as the mastermind of an illegal scheme that ultimately leads to murder. She embarks on a clandestine investigation while dodging the FBI, risking her life as well as her career. It starts with a simple unwanted kiss…and evolves into a labyrinthine trail of forgery and illusion…a hijacked identity, a corruption scandal involving a U.S. Senator accused of channeling illegal benefits to a shady South American firm…even kidnapping and murder. Evie Sullivan, a rising legal star on the fast track to partnership at her respected New York law firm, is being set up for a fall…a BIG fall. The first signs, although curious, seem fairly innocuous: an expense receipt from a hotel where she never stayed, odd emails in her inbox and mistake-ridden phone logs. But then she overhears portions of a telephone conversation and her name is mentioned in a bizarre context. And, she’s blindsided by a series of email forgeries and the unmistakable sabotage of one of her client projects…adding fuel to a growing dispute within the firm about her competence—a debate that threatens to destroy her career. She is astonished to find her name linked with a major South American deal in the final stages of negotiation, even though she’s never been involved. Finally alert to the possibility that the earlier discoveries may be more than innocent errors, she watches as the deal’s restricted-access computer files sinisterly shift their content—and is shocked to see those edits traced directly back to her. A questionable, and possibly illegal, arrangement emerges, leaving her no choice. With the unresolved controversy over her recent performance hanging in the air, she must act on her suspicions. Meanwhile, an FBI agent confronts her and asks tough questions about murder and fraud as the web of deceit takes shape and the ever-changing trail of evidence points to Evie. Her sleuthing leads her to suspect the renegade partner whose crude advances she rejected but failed to report…and the U.S. Senator who is a client of the firm! But, is she correct? As she searches for answers, the electronic evidence continues to reside behind a dynamic veil of security—and certain pieces of the puzzle simply disappear. How deeply does this trail of evil go? Why has she been chosen as the scapegoat? As she struggles through this electronic chess game, can she allow herself to confide in Joe, the skilled computer expert whom she’s known for less than a month? And will he be able to help her gather tangible evidence to prove her innocence among the elusive clues and carefully woven traps? At stake: not only her professional reputation and her future with the firm, not only a commission worth $25 million—but several lives. In this intricately plotted and memorable thriller novel, attorney and former computer consultant Susan Schaab draws on her expertise in intellectual property and technology law as well as computer systems design to create a fast-paced and thoroughly believable journey through corruption and intrigue…an exhilarating joyride through the New York world of corporate jurisprudence.

Review by Heather Froeschl, Book Review Journal
My initial reaction to “Wearing the Spider” by Susan Schaab is, “Wow.” It’s a wicked web we weave and this book will leave readers with the feeling of needing to brush off a few spiders.

This legal thriller is also a work of suspense and romance, offering a bit of something for everyone. Evie Sullivan is a hopeful lawyer up for partnership at her law firm. She works diligently and passionately, often staying in the office well into the night to get things done. What she doesn’t know, could certainly hurt her. Overhearing part of a conversation in the conference room late one night sets Evie on edge and has her looking twice at things she’d brushed off as simple errors… things like her name appearing on work she hadn’t done, strange hotel receipts in her name in her expense reports from places she’d never been, emails from clients she had no known contact with. Someone seemed to be trying to make her look bad in the eyes of legitimate clients and the partners. Could it all have something to do with a forced kiss she’d fended off months ago? Was someone trying to exact some sort of revenge? Or was this all just part of something even bigger than a suffering ego? The plot thickens to reveal the inclusion of a US Senator, a commission worth $25 million, and the murder of a woman set on giving Evie some important information. Time will tell if the spider is spotted before it is too late, through it all though, readers will feel the creepy crawly sensation of Evie dealing with something quite evil.

A nice counter to the sleazy feelings elicited by certain characters are the amorous moments Evie has with a man she meets on an airplane. Drawn together, by chance or by fate, the two have a connection. He wishes to be her knight in shining armor and she needs to feel his support and good intentions. He convinces her to take action and takes part in bringing the FBI into the mix.

Susan Schaab offers a high-tech thriller that cracks open the inner workings of a large law firm and leaves one wondering just how often sexual harassment and hostile work environments are tolerated in the corporate world. Her plot is complex and compelling, inspiring the continued turning of pages well into the night. Her characters are rich with human flaws and positive attributes that draw the reader into their world. If you’ve ever been manipulated by anyone, you surely will be rooting for Evie, and booing her adversary. The feel of the book is fast paced, well planned, and most interesting. I highly recommend “Wearing the Spider.”


Liz Smith, New York Post Columnist and New York Times Bestselling Author
“The Devil Wears Prada in legal technicolor. A smart, thoroughly-enjoyable tale.”

Jay Foley, Executive Director, Identity Theft Resource Center
"The Author has touched on the very core of Identity Theft by taking the main character through a maze of unexplained twists and turns that all too closely resemble real cases that I have worked on."