Review – By Reason of Insanity

By Reason of Insanity opens with a series of kidnappings and murders in Virginia Beach where Catherine O’Rourke, reporter for The Tidewater Times, captivates her audience with breaking information that no other news or media outlet possesses. Her source, one Jamacus Webb, police detective assigned to the cases. Cat basks in her celebrity until she is hauled into court and commanded to reveal the identity of her source or go to jail. Cat protects her source and chooses jail.

In jail, Cat suddenly starts having visions-creepy, terrifying visions that detail the recent murders. Murders committed by The Avenger of Blood. Through these visions, Cat comes upon information that only the killer could know. After telling Jamarcus about the visions, she becomes a prime suspect in the case and is soon arrested. Though incarcerated, she can somewhat understand the arrest as it’s hard even for her to believe she has seen these visions.

What Cat can’t understand and has no explanation for is the forensic evidence that is produced, corroborating her guilt. She seeks legal representation from capable local attorney Marc Boland, but this case is too big for one attorney. Enter Las Vegas attorney, Quinn Newberg whose specialty is the insanity defense. A defense that Quinn thinks fits this case just fine, as he doesn’t begin to believe in Cat’s visions. This begins a twisting, turning ride to the conclusion, where The Avenger of Blood is finally revealed. And this is where I stop telling you about the plot before I give away a nice juicy tidbit that you’ll want to find for yourself. You’ll have to trust me when I tell you that the ending is not only very unexpected, but very creative, as well.

By Reason of Insanity is a thriller by all definitions of a thriller including a big plot that keeps going until a more than satisfying conclusion. The reader is presented with a nightmare through Cat’s incarceration and struggle to defend herself. Cat faces a problem bigger than she is and one that could happen to all of us. The story is filled with unexpected surprises that keep the reader on the edge of their seat as they wait to see what happens to Cat. This would be enough to make By Reason of Insanity a thriller, but Singer provides a sub-plot for attorney Quinn Newberg that rivals Cat’s struggles. Though Quinn is not faced with time behind bars like Cat, he is responsible for keeping his sister from being incarcerated and his niece from losing all hope. Couple this with unexplained visions by Cat and you have a plot that races right to the shocking conclusion.

Singer does an excellent job of starting with drama and ratcheting up the tension and turmoil in Cat’s and Quinn’s life as the book advances. This author really knows how to make his characters suffer. Though an attorney, Singer does not overpower the story with excessive courtroom scenes, but delves into the characters’ personal struggles. At the same time, Singer gives the reader an insight into the use of the insanity defense in today’s judicial system. If you are in a mood for a legal thriller, that goes beyond the courtroom and delves into the intense personal struggles and life-changing events of the characters, you will definitely want to pick up By Reason of Insanity.