Looking Into the Eyes of a Killer

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)