Some crimes are so horrific that society can only view them
as having been committed by the criminally insane. District
Attorney Tony Fraser must prosecute and convict such a
killer. The killer entered into a home and viciously shot
and mutilated three victims in such a heinous and inhuman
manner as to be reminiscent of Charles Manson and Jeffrey
Dahmer. The manner of death presents Tony Fraser with a
quandary. He wants to present his case to the court and ask
for the death penalty for Charlie Reese. But, the case is
riddled with missteps and disappearing witnesses. And the
bizarre nature of the crime indicates that there may be
some competency issues. Reese claims he's sick and needs
help. His actions, however, lead Tony to believe this is
not an irresistible impulse, but calculated serial killing.
In addition, Tony Fraser is a driven man who's trying to
cope with his family loss. Several years ago, his young
daughter Molly died, and he and his wife have been
grappling with the loss as well as struggling to keep their
marriage together. The Reese case creates a huge chasm in
their relationship, and Tony makes several choices
regarding the prosecution that push him close to the brink
of prosecutorial misconduct and challenges his future goal
of becoming a judge.
RAMPAGE is a strong and powerful story of the legal system,
the roles played by all parties in a court proceeding and
the lengths both defense and prosecutors will go to reach
their desired results. Wood's storytelling is exceedingly
visual and descriptive, sometimes uncomfortably so.
However, it leaves the reader with a feeling that the line
between right and wrong and good and evil is a thin one too
easily crossed.
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