When Ms. Oakley read about a woman who had killed her abusive husband, she decided to write a book about people who are altruistic -- drawn to help others, even at a cost to themselves. She thought she could use the story of Carole Alden to explore this topic. What she found was something much different.

Ms. Alden claimed to be a battered woman, but there are serious doubts about this claim. She was not the altruistic wife and mother she portrayed herself to be. The author instead found a narcissistic woman who routinely lied and manipulated those around her to fulfill her psychological needs.

This book, based on a true crime, also features analysis of several leading psychological researches into topics such as battered woman syndrome, co-dependency, victimology and other related topics. It is extensively researched. It provides an insight into the mind of a killer that is all the more chilling for being unsensationalized, and true. ( )