Publication Date: July 9, 2024
When ambitious attorney Claire Hewitt is asked to represent the Satoris, one of Philadelphia’s most prominent families, in a lawsuit over the death of their daughter, she is thrust into an opioid nightmare with deadly impact—and not for the first time. Claire’s guilt for not saving her sister, Molly, has not subsided in the twenty years since Molly’s almost certainly opioid-related death. Now, with this new assignment, her guilt comes full circle. Who was really at fault in Molly’s death? And who is at fault now?
What begins as a quest for truth becomes infinitely more complicated as Claire struggles to balance her desire for justice with the Satoris’ thirst for revenge. She knows she needs to expose the greed that transforms legal opioid production into illicit fabrications and the neglect that is the breaking point between physicians and their patients. But there are powerful people who will seemingly stop at nothing to prevent these truths from seeing the light of day, and she is sabotaged at every turn. Can she push past the obstacles in her way to build a winning case?
Based on true events, Side Effects Are Minimal is about a corrupt pharmaceutical industry, the guilt of physicians prescribing the opioids that kill, and the pain experienced by families who’ve lost loved ones to an epidemic that has brought the United States to its knees.
A determined attorney takes on a career-altering case regarding the opioid death of a young girl and fights a pharmaceutical company determined to protect its lucrative chronic pain medication.
Claire Hewitt knows this case will have a significant impact, especially in light of a personal tragedy due to opioids. Author Laura Essay takes a complex issue and distills it into a top-notch medical thriller in Side Effects Are Minimal.
With the help of her team, Claire sorts through piles of evidence, tracing the drug from its inception through the various testing phases and then the vibrant marketing campaign targeting key practitioners.
There’s an interesting contrast presented with the pharmaceutical company’s perspective, highlighting Phil Westcott’s years of research. He is not going to allow a lawyer to take away everything he has created.
The showdown may take place in the courtroom, but it’s the battle on the streets that claims the spotlight. Claire finds danger in the most unlikely places.
Side Effects Are Minimal serves as an example of an all-too-real scenario involving the opioid crisis in the United States.
 Laura Essay is a lawyer whose dedication to justice and compassion shines through her debut novel, Side Effects Are Minimal.
Laura Essay attended the University of Nebraska and obtained a law degree with honors from Creighton University School of Law. A profound commitment to serving others shaped Laura’s professional journey. Her firsthand experience as an assistant attorney general equipped her with a deep understanding of pressing issues, particularly the opioid crisis gripping America.
Beyond her legal and writing careers, she has tirelessly devoted herself to humanitarian efforts by extending aid to vulnerable populations.
In her moments of respite, Laura finds solace in various pursuits, including cooking, music, running, and travel.
