Customer Reviews

By Reason of Insanity

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

By Reason of Insanity is a powerful, gut-wrenching book. It's so completely unlike any other serial killer book, even the very very good ones. I'll finish one book and pick up another without a minute in between, but when I finished this I was reluctant to read anything else for quite a while, suspecting that any future crime books are just going to be a pale shadow of this one. So far, they all are. According to the back cover, this is considered 'One of the five greatest crime novels of the century,' and while tags like that are usually ridiculous, I agree with it.

At over 500 pages, this book is a saga of far more than murder. It's fiction, but it's written like investigative journalism, and feels very real indeed. Starting with the gas chamber execution of a convicted rapist in 1960 the story swoops back to the post-war years and forward to the 70's as the execution resonates horribly into the next generation. It takes a lot to fill a book this size, and woven in with the evolution of a tragically tortured child into a terrifying and elusive killing machine are incredibly detailed stories of journalism, politics and policing, woven together by issues of mental health and capital punishment.

Thomas Bishop is criminally insane - at least he is assumed to be, after an incident horrific enough to get him consigned to a institution at an early age. But Bishop is no raving 'nut case', as the mentally ill were popularly described at the time - his coolly planned escape and ability to use society's tools to escape detection indicate an extreme intelligence, while at the same time the shocking nature of his crimes lead some police to speculate they are up against something not even human. If they only knew, that there are even more terrifying demons inside his head...

This is not a perfect book - there are a few quite major and very annoying implausabilities, which would give away too much of the story to describe. It's not for everyone - the sexual violence is relentless and extreme, and if you're a gentle mystery reader you'll have a heart attack. So bloody, graphic and unemotional are the author's descriptions of some of the victims - there are plenty - that when he restrains from describing others, it's even scarier.

By Reason of Insanity was first published in 1979, well before the current 'popularity' of serial murder in fiction, and it probably wouldn't be written today, most crime authors seemingly being more concerned with producing endless airport bestsellers. It's bad that this book appears unavailable, it deserves a resurgence, and heaps of new readers, Shane Stevens really puts today's authors in the shade. This isn't light reading - there's no stock romance, no light relief, no predictable ending. But if gruesome doesn't bother you and you're bored with lookalike murder books, find this one and read it, I guarantee it'll shake you up.

Shane Stevens sure has a way of telling a story. This book weaves in and out of different sub-plots effortlessly. The way that some of them are linked to a serial killer is amusing within itself. Stevens offers a broad array of view points on a serial killer and the true evil that lurks in people just for their own personal gain. The book may seem to slow down at some points but just stick with it. When the different plots and characters start interacting you won't be able to put this one down. Truly a great psycho-thriller. Also recommended is "Blackburn: A novel" by Bradley Denton.

I just read this book for the first time and only one word can describe my reaction: WOW. If you enjoy serial killer stories or thrillers featuring truly evil villains, make sure you read "By Reason of Insanity" because it doesn't get any better than this. Have you ever read a book that was so scary and heinous it made you giddy? Then this is the book for you.

BROI rivals the best by James Ellroy, Thomas Harris or Jim Thompson. You will go inside the killer's mind and while you will be genuinely repulsed, you will almost develop some sympathy for him. Almost. The nature of the crimes is so ghastly and the scope so grand that any such sympathy will ultimately be lost. But the details of the killer's brilliant sociopathic abilities and horrific childhood make for a fascinating study.

Much like with Ellroy, all the characters are flawed and multi-dimensional. In fact, everyone is so busy watching out for himself, there are not many characters to root for, but this adds to the plausibility of the events. The many subplots, several of which tie together, provide depth and keep things from getting too grisly.

I could go on about the novel's interesting takes on politics, the Nixon administration and the media, but that's all bonus. The point is you will not find a more insightful, disturbing or exciting book focusing on a serial killer. The phrase is thrown around too often but you truly will not be able to put down this book.

This is the second Stevens novel I read (the first being The Anvil Chorus) and both of them go in absolutely different paths. "Anvil" is written in a suspense-thriller type way much in the tradition of the contemporary greats of that genre, whereas "Insanity" goes on a completely different path. It has hooked me. I haven't finished it yet but as far as I have read it, I can already put it down and recommend it, just like Stephen King said, to "readers who have strong stomachs". Thomas Bishop, the killer in this book, is like a fictionalized version of Jeffrey Dahmer, the Wisconsin Cannibal. Yet we must be reminded of the following...this book was published in the 70's...Dahmer only became notorious much later. If anything, I think Stevens based himself on "Headhunter" Ed Kemper to create Thomas Bishop. Kemper's crimes were horrific brutal and senseless, and he had murdered his parents (although Bishop only murdered his mother)Perhaps I am wrong in my assumptions as to who Thomas Bishop was based on. But one thing I am not wrong about is the fact that this is to be considered a masterpiece in gruesome and graphic horror, and a must read.

The book carries praises from such giants of horror as Stephen King. At first I felt that this was just a marketing ploy, providing an emphasis towards greater sales. However, as I read further, I found that the praises are duly justified.

The characters in the book are painted very well, to the point that they are sometimes too detailed. This only adds to the intrigue as you follow the main actors through to the riveting finale. Without giving away too much of the plot, (I hate reviews that do that), I can safely say that this is a true crime thriller of the old kind. It begins with a flashback type event, then slowly winds back to the present. The world within the characters are presented is detailed and lively, with many characters lining the scenes.

There is a great deal on offer to those who like both gore and motive, and where other thrillers fail to capture the imagination of why a person is doing the crime, this book really offers that up front, almost from the start.

The killer begins to move towards what can only be described as an obsession, whilst the authorities are beginning to close in. As usual, the clues left are not difficult to pick up, but in this book, there's no scope for a whodunit! You know straight away, and it becomes a festival of crime and reason.

Though the book laboured over some details for a little longer than needed, I felt that in the end the extravagance was justified. The plot is focused on the road towards a climax, and the manner in which the killer decides to close his story is truely ingenious. As always, the ending itself is abrupt, I do wish someone can master the skill of a good close to a good plot. There aren't many unseen twists, but this in no way prevents the book from being an amazing read. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to dive into a psychological binding of crime and motive, together with a rather gruesome and highly graphical effort. Definately one for a late night of reading.

Written in 1978, Shane Stevens' groundbreaking BY REASON OF INSANITY preceded RED DRAGON by a few years, but many of the elements are similar, particularly the theory that serial killers are made, not born. Detailing a murderous rampage of a brilliant serial killer (the level of violence portrayed was uncommon at that time), it portrays him as more foxy, less a superman than someone like Hannibal Lector.

The killer's chief nemesis is a savvy journalist who gets inside his opponent's head as the authorities race from one part of the country to another trying to apprehend the madman, always seemingly one step behind. Stevens ratchets up the tension with every scene, building towards a truly horrific climax, setting a tone in his prose that almost feels as if he's a journalist writing a book about the crimes a few years later, a la THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG or IN COLD BLOOD. Along the way, readers are exposed to the limitations of local law enforcement, wildly ambitious politicians, and national opinion makers out to add to their reputations; in addition to taking on the nature v. nurture argument, Stevens also presents all sides of the capital punishment issue. A great read, certainly ahead of its time, BY REASON OF INSANITY is a must read for thriller fans.

This is a first-rate novel of a serial killer's bloody rampage and the efforts of a top reporter to bring him down. The psychology is rock solid and the broader social implications of the crime spree are interwoven nicely into the novel. What is remarkable is that this novel was written way before Thomas Harris' Lecter novels, yet still outclasses many others in the genre, even today. The Citizen Kane of serial killer novels.

I've read a lot of books in the last forty years, most of which have been pretty good. Not many have been worth remembering. This one, which I first read about twenty years ago, has grabbed on to some part of my brain and won't let go. If you have any interest in this type of story, which you apparently do, then by all means get this one. This is one of few books that hyperbole won't stick to. This one sets the standard.

I can remember reading this book when it first came out and it gave me nightmares for weeks. Stevens has a real gift for creating a tense atmosphere and getting into the mind of his protagonist. It is without a doubt one of the best books of the serial killer genre ever written. ATTENTION HOLLYWOOD: When are you going to make this a film??? (Then again, you probably wouldn't be able to do it justice). Do yourself a favour and read this book..you'll sleep with the lights on, when you eventually get to sleep that is.

This book is one of the creepiest books you will ever read.The story is great and keeps you at the edge of your seat. The endingwill blow you away. Shane does not pull back and hits the reader hard. I read this book after a glowing review of Stevens's work at the end of Stephen King's The Dark Half. He said, "Only those with iron stomachs need apply" when it come to reading Stevens's works. That is true. I would just like to know if Shane Stevens is still writing. He is great.