Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Florence thinks she's finally met her soulmate, when a friend from High School contacts her through the class website. Charismatic and funny, he sweeps her off her feet. But Daniel isn't all that he seems. He slowly lures her into his web. Entangled in love, money, and a dream, by the time Florence realizes what is happening, it's too late.
Imagine being taken to the greatest heights of ecstasy only to find yourself free falling with no logical explanation. You hit the ground, stunned and confused, and then clutch your chest to close the gaping hole that exposes your heart. Feel the nerve endings twitch with electric heat at every pulse. Touch the open wound with the tips of your fingers. Visualize how the hole got there... Not with a razor-sharp knife, but with a spoon, over the course of months or even years, leaving you numb to the pain. This is what it's like to be involved with a sociopath. If you were feeling the red-hot coils of a stove, your reaction would be to jerk your hand away, but this kind of danger is psychological. Like a skillful game of chess, you watch your opponent, anticipating their next move. Once you've exhausted every avenue to find it makes no difference, and you shed the last drop of blood, you have to face the truth. As Gloria Steinem says, "The truth will set you free, but first, it will piss you off."
When Florence stops feeding Daniel's thirst for her money, he makes and excuse to leave, but invites her to come and stay with him at his house in New York. Even though Florence knows exactly what he is and the game he's playing, she has a plan to get some of her money back and takes him up on his offer. Hidden inside his house is something of value and she is determined to find it.
Synopsis
Imagine being taken to the greatest heights of ecstasy only to find yourself free falling with no logical explanation. You hit the ground, stunned and confused, and then clutch your chest to close the gaping hole that exposes your heart. Feel the nerve endings twitch with electric heat at every pulse. Touch the open wound with the tips of your fingers. Visualize how the hole got there... Not with a razor-sharp knife, but with a spoon, over the course of months or even years, leaving you numb to the pain. This is what it's like to be involved with a sociopath. If you were feeling the red-hot coils of a stove, your reaction would be to jerk your hand away, but this kind of danger is psychological. Like a skillful game of chess, you watch your opponent, anticipating their next move. Once you've exhausted every avenue to find it makes no difference, and you shed the last drop of blood, you have to face the truth. As Gloria Steinem says, "The truth will set you free, but first, it will piss you off."
Florence thinks she's finally met her soulmate when a friend from High School contacts her through the class website. Charismatic and funny, he sweeps her off her feet, but Daniel isn't all that he seems. Entangled in love, money, and a dream, she realizes his game and struggles to take back her life.
Some people hear the word sociopath, they imagine a psychopathic killer, but sociopaths do not kill the body. They are killers of the heart. Driven by narcissism, they lack a sense of moral responsibility and have no conscience. The definition doesn't come close to what lurks beneath the surface.
Synopsis
Florence St. John is looking for a second chance at love. Just as she's about to give up on romance, Daniel Weaver contacts her through their class website. Handsome and charming, he says all the right things to make her fall in love with him. Florence doesn't know that Daniel is a master manipulator. Coming up with one scheme after another, he convinces her to finance his sketchy endeavors to earn money. As he slowly takes control of her life, Florence finds herself on an emotional roller coaster, desperately trying to regain her independence. Entangled in love, money, and the dream, she's reluctant to leave Daniel but faces financial ruin if she stays.
This is an intelligently written memoir that helps readers understand the psychology of a sociopath. The story is told from a first-person narrative perspective that is utterly absorbing. Florence's prose is exquisite, the tone powerful and irresistible, and the events well-constructed to keep the reader moving from page to page. I felt that it was one of the best portraits of a sociopath I have read after Thomas Harris' novels. From the very beginning, the author offers readers powerful insights into the personality of a sociopath: "The sociopath's most deadly weapon is the charm offensive - but beware... it's superficial charm and lacks an atom of sincerity.... Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite