How Tom began to write novels—Tom has been presenting and giving speeches for over thirty years on a wide-range of topics covering the art of performing a financial crime investigation. On stage, he always told real stories where he applied his methods and techniques. (See Videos) People would say, “You tell a good story. You should write a novel.” So he did!
In April 2018, he published SUNDAY NIGHT FEARS which was meant to be a one-and-done novel, but he discovered that he absolutely loved what is turning out to be his second career. And readers wanted more!
Tom will soon release book 2 in the Sam Halloran Thriller Series (July 2021): ONE HONEST SOUL is a continuation of the first book but can be read as a stand alone novel.
Tom is now working on his third in the Sam Halloran series (yet untitled) about his investigation of a major city public school system—a real case that resulted in shocking indictments and convictions.
Tom retired from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) in 2008 where he was the partner-in-charge of the Chicago Forensic Accounting practice. He’s been profiled in a number of world-wide publications, selected by Wiley as the lead author of an award-winning professional book A Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation, given hundreds of speeches, and grew his Chicago practice to become the second largest in the US firm of PwC. He is a CPA and CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner)… But given his background, no one could have predicted he’d end up where he did. So, let’s take a quick tour.
BACKGROUND—In 1968 Tom knew he had to leave Jersey (a guy from Jersey never says New Jersey!). He was graduating HS, his dad was an abusive alcoholic and Tom needed to get away from him. Totally at random Tom selected Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, from the American College Directory. Four years later he graduated with a degree in marketing knowing he’d need to make a living selling something.
He went to work for the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company selling Winstons, Camels, Salem and other cigarettes and plug chewing tobaccos out of the trunk of his car. He did that for nine years and decided he didn’t want to do it for the rest of his life. What he really wanted to do was apply his talent for selling to another trade—he selected the public accounting industry. He’d first need an MBA and pass the CPA Exam (he had only nine credit hours in accounting). His goal was to work for one of The Big Eight (Big Four today) accounting and auditing giants. And guess what? It all happened! Tom was a decade older than his entering class—the oldest staff auditor ever hired in the Indianapolis office.
TODAY—After retiring from PwC, he and his wife, a retired school teacher, sold their Chicago condo and headed about a hundred miles west. They purchased some land, then built a home in the middle of the woods. Before leaving, they made a stop at PAWS and rescued a mixed-Labrador puppy. Their sons’ families live a short distance away—allowing precious time to spend with their four grandchildren. In 2021 he and his wife will celebrate 50 years of marriage!
Living in the solitude of the woods provides the perfect environment to write, but Tom does miss his interactions with Chicago colleagues, clients and friends. Some of that gap is filled by meeting new people at speaking conferences and those who reach out to him after reading his books. He still mentors young professional around the globe interested in learning how to market and perform financial crime investigations. That, he will never tire from!
He enjoys receiving emails from his readers and would love to Zoom into your Book Club gathering and give the back story. Just reach out to him!
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