Dictionary definitions of Cracker include: "exceptionally excellent person or thing; crazy", an apt description of charismatic forensic psychologist Dr. Edward Fitzgerald (or "Fitz", as he is known). Cracker is also the name of the Edgar Award-winning television series on A&E that has garnered worldwide critical acclaim. In The Mad Woman in the Attic, Fitz is on the trail of a brutal serial killer whose latest victim is a former student of his. The police already have a suspect. Found lying by the railroad track covered in the victim's blood, the young man claims complete amnesia. The police bring in Fitz to get a confession. They are highly displeased, however, by the result: Fitz claims the police theory does not fit the facts. The ingenuous psychologist becomes convinced this troubled young man is innocent. In agreement is lovely Detective Sergeant Jane Penhaligon. When Fitz and she team up on the investigation, his personal involvement in the case grows, as do the complications in his already tangled personal life.