"An atmospheric and eagerly-awaited debut novel from acclaimed crime writer Patricia Abbott, set in Philadelphia in the 1970's about a family torn apart by a mother straight out of 'Mommy Dearest', and her children who are at first victims but soon learn they must fight back to survive."--Publisher website.

Eve Moran's inventive and tenacious in getting and keeping whatever such things catch her eye, whether they are jewelry, money, or men. Eve lies, steals, cheats, swindles, and is even willing to take a life, paying little heed to the cost of her actions on those who love her. Her daughter, Christine is caught up in her mother's deceptions, but unwilling to accept the viciousness that runs in her family's blood. When Christine's three-year old brother, Ryan, begins to prove useful to her mother, and Christine sees a horrific pattern repeating itself, will she find the courage to bring an end to Eve's tyranny?