''The Mask of Sanity'' is an American novel by Jacob M. Appel, published by The Permanent Press in 2017. The novel was a finalist for the Faulkner-Wisdom Prize and the runner up for Killer Nashville's Claymore Award.

Plot

Dr. Jeremy Balint is an up-and-coming cardiologist who discovers that his wife Amanda is having an affair with his fellow physician Warren Sugarman. He is also a high-functioning

sociopath Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...

. Balint plots to murder Sugarman and to disguise the murder as the work of a

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

Reception

Bruce DeSilva in ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' described the novel as "both a suspenseful yarn and a chilling portrait of the mind of a high-functioning sociopath." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' praised the novel's "matter-of-fact, nonjudgmental prose" and described the volume as "deeply unsettling." ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' called it "Intelligent and chilling." Reviewing the novel in ''Amsterdam Quarterly'', Bryan Monte wrote "''The Mask of Sanity'' is full of surprises and will keep the reader wondering if Balint will be caught all the way to the very end of the story."Review in Amsterdam Quarterly
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References

{{Reflist 2017 American novels English-language novels Censored books Permanent Press (publisher) books