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.