Review by Booklist Review
More rumination than case history, this is no true-crime potboiler, but engrossing, if less titillating, reading in a similar vein. Ross says his flip answer when asked what he did for a living was to describe forensic psychiatry as "therapy with dead people." In each chapter, he considers a concept about or aspect of murder and develops it with sketchy case histories. The cumulative stylistic effect is not unlike that of a pop-therapy or self-help book, except that this book is about heinous criminals. Despite the antisocial nature of the subject, Ross' tone is more Fred Rogers than Jerry Springer--unusual in the literature of mayhem but not without charm. Ross' aim is to address whether all humans are psychologically capable of murder and what to do with those who act on that capability. A lack of clear answers eventually induced him to leave criminal forensic psychology. Although they defy easy summation, the views he garnered from his former profession are interesting and provocative. --Mike Tribby
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Drawing on many cases and years of experience, Ross, a former prison psychiatrist, reveals in his nonfiction debut that truth is more haunting than fiction. Ross describes the well-nigh impossible task of defining insanity in legal terms that emphasize clear-cut external motivation over the layered and often mysterious roots of murder. Although marred by an awkward writing style and by overly intrusive appearances by the author, the cases presented here (details changed to protect confidentiality) illustrate the ancient conundrum about whether man is inherently good or evil. In the instance of one paranoid young woman who murdered under the panicky delusion that she was defending her home, mental illness seems to have tragically scrambled an innocent soul. In another instance, a retarded man who wore a perpetual smile seemed to harbor a cold core of evil. Ross's attempt to integrate the struggle of his own life among murderers (everyday cruelty and aggression take on an ominous charge; he is in the unwanted role of healer) feels a bit melodramatic and forced. Still, he compellingly makes the case that no one who commits murder can really be sane. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
