tselling true-crime author Ann Rule comes "a convincing portrait of a meticulous criminal mind" (The Washington Post) in this chilling tale about a beautiful and charming widow with a dark side.

An idyllic Hawaiian wedding held the promise of a wonderful future for handsome, athletic Chris Northon, an airline pilot, a confirmed bachelor-turned-devoted family man; and Liysa, an acclaimed surf photographer, loving mother, and aspiring Hollywood screenwriter. But few, including Chris, had seen Liysa's other side--her controlling behavior and dark moods, her insatiable hunger for money and property. And no one anticipated the fatal outcome of a family camping trip in an Oregon forest.

Liysa soon revealed herself as a victim of domestic abuse that culminated at the campsite, where she shot Chris in self-defense. But crime scene evidence led detectives to wonder if Liysa was a killer, not a victim. Her controversial trial stunned all who thought they knew her.

A lifetime of sociopathic manipulations and lies had been expertly hidden behind her façade of perfection--as was her rage to destroy any obstacle to her ultimate happiness, even if it was the man she vowed to love forever.