I don’t think it’s possible to read the above blurb and not be intrigued by this novel – what would possess a man to go to great lengths to get himself admitted to a psychiatric hospital and convince everyone he’s psychotic!?! I’m not going to reveal the reason why, you have to read the book to find that out for yourself but what I will say is, A Justifiable Madness is a truly entertaining read! And Morgan is clever about it, she fully pulls you into this story, has you burning to know why Mark had himself admitted, you start going through all the different scenarios in your head before she reveals the reason.

Narrated by Mark, the patient, and Monica, a nurse on the ward, A Justifiable Madness is sure to entertain. Mark, or should I say Jesus Trainman [again, you have to read it for yourself to find out what that’s all about], finds himself in much deeper water than he intended when he gets himself admitted to Pargiter Ward, where he’s placed under the care of Dr Giles Sharman. And if there’s one place you don’t want to be, it’s under the care of Dr Sharman – he’s a power hungry psychiatric consultant who abuses his power in the most shocking way! The race is on for Mark to get out of the hospital, where he has been placed under legal section, whilst still fulfilling his “mission.”

One thing we look for in crime thrillers are the characters we love to hate – those filled with pure evil, enter Dr Sharman. A Justifiable Madness also has some wonderful characters too, enter the patients, namely Welsh Phil, who becomes an ally of sorts to Mark. Mark, himself, is a very likeable character, and that reader anticipation kicks in as you begin to fear for his well-being. And Monica may just be the best nurse ever!

I believe it was the authors intention to entertain so when you read phrases such as “Hotel Bonkers” and “Nutters”, don’t take offence please – it’s all in light-hearted jest. Morgan worked in mental health services for nearly thirty years, so I’m sure she has no intention to cause offence, she just has a fun sense of humour and that humour shines through in this novel. I’m a student Mental Health Nurse and when I finished this book, I thought, phew – I’m glad this is a work of fiction, I’d hate to work under such a horrid consultant, only to read the Acknowledgements at the end of this book to see this novel was inspired by true events!

The events move at a fast-pace in this thriller, making it a quick and enjoyable read. If you love to be entertained, read A Justifiable Madness. As a debut novel, I have been thoroughly impressed and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author as she had me completely entertained by this fun and fast-paced read!

*My thanks to Bloodhound Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book*