The house matched the address: a squat thing with boarded windows and a swing with a single broken chain. The air smelled of old heat and mildew. Inside, someone had been living in careful, defensive compartments: worn books on the floor, a kettle on the stove, photos strewn face-down. In a room lined with newspapers, a woman sat like a cutout from another life. Her hair was ironed flat, her skin mapped with lines of time. She looked up when they entered and, for a beat, everything in Olivia's chest dropped away. It was Madeline — older, yes, but the same impossible angle of smile.
, differs from earlier volumes by focusing on a "mother/daughter" con-artist team. Verified Web History the stepmother 12 sweet sinner 20082009 web verified