The Suiting (Tor Horror)

When Victor Frankl, an ineffectual but grasping corporate player, becomes possessed by the drive of slain small-time hood Jean Paul Bouchette, Frankl is transformed into a dangerously self-detructive man

From Publishers Weekly

It's an old adage that "clothes make the man," and it would seem to be a stale premise for a story, but first-time novelist Wilde handles the idea with wit and energy. Inhibited office worker Victor Frankl comes into possession of a beautiful suit. Used, but in perfect condition, the expensive outfit had belonged to a now dead gangster named Bouchette. Although too wide in the shoulders and too tight in the waist, the suit makes Frankl feel attractive and powerful, and he begins to work out in a gym to mold his body to the garment's dimensions. As his body fills the suit, Frankl becomes more and more like the brutal Bouchette. And, like Bouchette, Frankl is going down a slippery slope to self-destruction. Though his prose style becomes increasinglysometimes confusinglyelliptical, Wilde is a skilled writer who has produced an engaging novel. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A horror first novel with both laughs and chills, this highly readable tale stars Victor Frankl, timid clerk turned body builder, womanizer, and, ultimately, murderer. Possessed by the ghost of muscle-bound mobster Jean Paul Bouchette, peacock-like Victor, clad in Jean Paul's custom-made suit, haunts the streets and singles' bars of Montreal and Toronto. A strong sense of urban geography plus a spattering of Quebec-style French add authenticity and exotic flavor. Other dark pluses for this macabre novel include above-average characterization and the author's quirky sense of humor. An excellent choice for collections of popular fiction. James B. Hemesath, Adams State Coll. Lib., Alamosa, Col.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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