THE PSYCHIATRIST-AUTHOR DRAWS UPON OVER THIRTY YEARS IN THE FIELD OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND THE PRESENTATION OF EXPERT TESTIMONY IN COURT TO PROVIDE ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION FOR THE LAYMAN INTERESTED IN CRIMINOLOGY AND VICTIMOLOGY. DR. ABRAHAMSEN CONCENTRATES HIS ANALYSIS IN TWO PARTICULAR AREAS. IN THE FIRST HE USES CONCLUSIONS FROM HIS SPECIAL RESEARCH INTO SUCH MEN AS LEE HARVEY OSWALD, SIRHAN BISHARA SIRHAN, AND JAMES EARL RAY TO DISCUSS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC COMPLEXITIES OF ACTUAL AND WOULD-BE POLITICAL ASSASSINS. THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE BOOK, HOWEVER, IS DEVOTED TO THE SECOND AREA OF CONSIDERATION, THAT OF MURDER IN A LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH IMPLICATIONS OF THE REACTIVE MECHANISM BETWEEN HOMICIDAL AND SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. THIS EXAMINATION OF THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND IS BASED ON THE AUTHOR'S RECONSTRUCTION OF AN ACTUAL CASE HISTORY INVOLVING A YOUNG WRITER WHO MURDERS HIS GIRLFRIEND. THE DISCUSSIONS IN BOTH AREAS ARE GROUNDED IN FREUDIAN CONCEPTS OF REPRESSED EMOTIONS, ANXIETIES ARISING FROM CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, FRUSTRATION, FEAR, AND DEPRESSION. IN REFERENCES TO CASE HISTORIES THE AUTHOR EMPHASIZES THE PECULIAR RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN MURDERER AND VICTIM, WHAT HE AT ONE POINT TERMS THE 'HOMICIDAL PROCESS'. THE BOOK IS ALSO INSTRUCTIVE IN REVEALING THE APPLICATIONS OF CRIMINAL PSYCHIATRY TO THE LAW, ESPECIALLY AS IT INVOLVES THE INSANITY DEFENSE. (SNI ABSTRACT)