Phantom Effect
Michael Aronovitz
Night Shade Books
February 2, 2016
Reviewed by Elaine Pascale
Jonathon Martin Delaware Deseronto is a serial killer with a formidable problem: not only is he stuck on a major highway with two flat tires and two dead bodies in his trunk, he is being forced to experience what it is like to be stalked…by himself.
Phantom Effect is an intriguing novel with a very unique premise. Can the ghost of a victim force a serial killer to find redemption? Is it possible for a sociopath to replace the rush he feels when killing and dismembering with empathy? Aronovitz manages to answer these questions in a way that is unpredictable yet relatable. He twists the serial killer tropes to find new ground in a genre desperate for fresh approaches.
The chapters toggle between the first person perspective of the psychotic Deseronto and a limited omniscient third person. This shift manifests the psychological break with reality faced by Deseronto, along with the heightened awareness of reality experienced by his victim, Marissa Madison. In life, Madison was gifted with the ability to not only see the inner-workings of people’s lives (which she calls “patchwork”), she was also able to problem solve a brighter future for many. In death, her powers provide Deseronto with a flashback of her final week on earth, along with some of the pivotal points of her life experiences.
By viewing Madison’s “pretty girl” existence through the lens of her killer, Aronovitz turns the concept of the male gaze on its head. This, along with the active and colorful writing, kept my interest.
I hate to admit that I did find some sympathy for Deseronto. He had the tell-tale psychosexual break that marks many serial killers, but there were some unique variables (chalked up to the creative mind of Aronovitz) that made me feel sorry for the killer. Madison was likeable and there were some interesting parallels between her life as an outsider, due to her psychic abilities and the life of the outsider in Deseronto.
Phantom Effect is well written and complex and a perfect read on moody, stormy winter’s day.
