By Reason of Insanity

by G. Miki Hayden

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966585801
• ISBN13: 9780966585803
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Free Range Pr
• Length: 199 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Great little murder mystery.

I have not read fiction for a number of years now, and this was a great story to break the drought.I especially appreciated the mental approach over a more conventional method of story telling. I especially like knowing the reasons behind many of the comments. The lighthearted jabs at the psycho-medical profession were especially amusing to me, along with the knowledge the author exhibited in the knowledge of the controlled substances used in the profession.My only misgiving is not having a sequel to this story to read. I understand it is not in the near future plans of this author. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery with some unusual twists. See if the ending is as surprising as it was for me.

A wicked little mystery!

On a quiet September morning in a small Michigan town, a young nurse is found brutally slain. Standing in for the ME is Dr. Dennis Astin, a psychiatrist. Then and there we realize BY REASON OF INSANITY is no ordinary murder mystery. Center City, with 32 homicides in nine months, is OUR TOWN as constructed by Woody Allen; and the self-medicated shrink is as quirky a sleuth as they come. Nothing is as it seems in Center City. The (formerly) perky murder victim turns out to be a possible stalker. The police lieutenant in charge of the case is Astin's boyhood pal and romantic rival-for his own wife. Astin's new romantic interest thinks he's nuts-and the more Astin investigates the murder of Karen Sommer, the more he fears she may be right. But then everyone is a little crazy in this town. Needless to say, not every reader will "get" the subtleties of this lean, mean little novel. Hayden turns a knowing eye and wicked sense of humor on the mental health care system (which the author covered for years as a reporter); on the ironic intricacies of the mating ritual; and on the mystery genre itself. As one would expect from veteran author and writing instructor G. Miki Hayden, the prose here is crisp and effective. The result is a clever and original novel, as much social satire as who-dunit.

Intriguing whodunit with a Hitchcock twist

The story begins when Dennis Astin, M.D. becomes involved in the autopsy of Karen Sommer. The nurse's body was found in a park not too far from the St. Luke's Medical Center, where Dr. Astin practices psychiatry. Dr. Astin could have used the autopsy fee, but Dr. Tori Heller, internist from a hospital an hour's drive away got the case first. The venue is not a big urban medical center, just a small hospital central Michigan - in a Michigan winter. And this is not a cozy mystery - it is a Hitchcock style mystery. The murder is so gruesome that Dr. Astin feels drawn in to investigate. Handling the case is semi-competent Lt. Theodore Reesner, Dr. Astin's pal since childhood. The list of suspects is uncomfortably short, consisting initially on one Dr. Peter Zinn, a physician who is heavy into administration and money-making. As the story unfolds, we learn that Dr. Dennis Astin is carrying the burden watching over Dinah, his schizophrenic sister, who lives with their difficult mother. A half-hearted romance with Dr. Tori Heller leaves us wondering about Dr. Dennis Astin's libido, until we learn of his two-decade-long affair with Mary Ellen Reesner, wife of Lt. Reesner. And the longer Dennis Astin investigates, the more it begins to look like he is the prime suspect. Although Dr. Astin is an expert at finding the right psychoactive drug to stabilize others (described expertly in the book), he may not have hit on the right combination for himself. Doctor heal thyself. Michigan winter and rural setting lends a sense of isolation. The prose is lean, the milieu is haunting, and the ending is surprising.

A winner!

Well, Ms. Hayden has gone and done it again. A wonderful follow-up to her impressive PACIFIC EMPIRE. BROI is a scintillating mystery set in small-town Michigan with an impressive cast of rich and vivid characters. My personal favorite is Dr. Dennis Astin, the protag. A bit of a hypochondriac, maybe, but I doubt if there is a man over the age of forty who will fail to recognize a smidgen of himself in this splendid character.Hayden's mastery as a wordsmith is proven time and time again within the covers of BROI. She has an extremely characteristic style of writing that is economical but still manages to get across exactly what she wants to say with remarkable accuracy. As a writer myself, I often found myself staring off into space trying to figure out exactly how she had imparted a certain piece of information without me noticing. She is able to sum up in a single paragraph something that I and many other writers would require several pages to get across The red herrings are also incredibly subtle. I had settled on who I thought was the culprit about three-quarters through the book, but I couldn't quite pin-point exactly why I had targeted this person until I went back over the story in my mind and analyzed the gentle subtelties of the plot.To sum up, a great book that I thoroughly recommend. According to the Publisher's Afterword, the next book in the Dr. Astin series will be TOO OLD FOR MURDER? Now, that *is* something to look forward to.Chris Belton, author of Crime Sans Frontieres

A perfect mix of suspense, humor and compelling characters.

G. Miki Hayden's By Reason of Insanity hooked me from the very beginning with her sly wit. But the characters, especially detective Dennis Astin, kept me reading. A psychiatrist who is painfully aware of his own weaknesses, Astin struggles to understand the evil behind a seemingly random killing, while coping with the chaos of his personal and professional life. Halfway through the book, I was sure I had the killer figured out but, along with Astin, I changed my mind half a dozen times before the end. The revelation of the real killer completely surprised me. A very satisfying read!