Portia knew from experience that all the passions look alike--love and hate, fear and rage, envy and helpless need...Jimmy Wier was charged with a total of three counts of murder, all elderly women...Blood found on his clothes matched that of two of the victims, and he was also found in possession of some jewelry and an African violet plant taken from one of them. Portia would have to try to discover what had gone on in his mind, and to put those findings before a jury...She had taken Jimmy's case because inside the twisted workings of his mind and soul was something she needed to know--and she wanted to ask him about the African violet...
Portia McTeague is a forensic psychologist, called in by the defense to examine Jimmy Wier, who is charged with two brutal murders that have shocked a sleepy Southern town. A politically ambitious--and morally corrupt--district attorney is determined to get the death penalty, and the accused is unwilling--or unable--to talk, even to save his own life.
Portia is burnt-out--tired of being beaten up by prosecutors on the stand, tired of seeing her clients die despite her best efforts, and tired of fighting her own demons. But she agrees to see Jimmy, and is immediately both seduced and repelled by his craziness. What is it that has made Jimmy Wier cross that fine line that divides sanity from madness?
The more Portia is able to discover about Jimmy's past, the better she is able to understand his pain, until, finally, the last piece of the intricate and ugly puzzle that is "Jimmy the Weird" falls startlingly into place, and the reasons for his actions become immediately clear.
Once you have begun the journey with Portia McTeague deep into the mind of this murderer, you will find it as impossible as she does to draw away from his compelling psychosis.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
"She met Portia's eyes, and in that moment there passed between the two women a silent understanding. For Portia realized all over again what she had seen the first time they'd ever laid eyes on one another ... behind the efficient, almost robotic exterior of Amy Goodsnow, she too was a member of the club--the club whose members understood like no one else could all of the terrible things that can happen to children." That combination of chilling honesty and obvious insider knowledge of the darker areas of human behavior energizes every page of this thriller about forensic psychologist Portia McTeague. Faye Sultan, who has been involved in just such a role in many high-profile murder cases, and her cowriter, novelist Teresa Kennedy, used a notorious double murder in Greensboro, North Carolina, as the basis for their story. It raises a troubling question: just how crazy does a person have to be to keep a jury from sentencing him to death? There's little doubt that a hulking handyman named Jimmy Weir savagely killed two elderly women, but when a hotshot district attorney demands the death penalty, McTeague has to dig so deeply into the depths of Weir's tormented mind that her own hard-won mental equilibrium is seriously challenged.
Advance Praise for Over the Line:
"I like books that take you into a realm of experience you normally wouldn't have. Over the Line not only takes you into the inner world of a man who commits an unspeakable crime, but also into the fragile domain of the forensic psychologist who tries to help him. This is a murder mystery of a special sort. Not a who-done-it but a why-he-done-it,
and why his professional expert will never be the same again after she gets involved in trying to help him."
--Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, author of Dead Man Walking
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 6.95
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. 1st. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # GRP97566039
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: HPB-Diamond, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_404981430
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Willis Monie-Books, ABAA, Cooperstown, NY, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Seller Inventory # 61984
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooksVintage, Tukwila, WA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. First Edition. Dust jacket in good condition. First edition, first printing. SIGNED by the author. Shelf and handling wear to cover and binding, with general signs of previous use. Teresa Kennedy's signature can be found on the title page. The binding suffers moderate loosening due to age and wear, but remains secure and in-tact; the pages are clean and unmarked. Secure packaging for safe delivery. 1.22. signed by author. Seller Inventory # 1232630721
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: books4u31, Asheville, NC, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. PERSONALIZED INSCRIPTION BY AUTHOR Faye Sultan on title page, 1st printing, no other marks noted in text, hc with djAND AS ALWAYS SHIPPED IN 24 HOURS; and emailed to you a USPS tracking number on all orders; all books are sanitized and cleaned for your protection before mailing. PLEASE NOTE OVER SEAS BUYERS if the book extra large or heavy there will be additional postage due to the new US Postage rates. Seller Inventory # 180723027S
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: Willis Monie-Books, ABAA, Cooperstown, NY, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Very Good in a Mylar Cover; SIGNED by the author on the title page. Seller Inventory # 82496
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Robinson Street Books, IOBA, Binghamton, NY, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Prompt shipment, with tracking. we ship in CLEAN SECURE BOXES NEW BOXES Very good in Very good little torn tape repaired dust jacket. First Edition.*. Seller Inventory # lower53drmr019
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Kenneth A. Himber, Lebanon, NJ, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: As New. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. First Edition, First Printing. (First Edition, First Printing) Book is a clean tight unmarked copy. Seller Inventory # 035126
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: NWJbooks, Lancaster, PA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First printing. Author signed on the title page. "Autographed Copy" label on the dust jacket. Gilt lettering on black covers in a black pictorial dust jacket. 8vo, 320pp. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # 003966
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Isaiah Thomas Books & Prints, Inc., Cotuit, MA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. SIGNED by author Sultan. First American edition. Very good copy in lightly edge worn dj.; 9.4 X 6.1 X 1.2 inches; 320 pages. Seller Inventory # 1211J414801
Quantity: 1 available