When Victor and Sara decide to adopt a fatherless child, will the serpents who sing in the night hinder or help them? Leila has moved from an overseas country to New Zealand, where she hopes to begin a new and better life. But what will the consequences be when she looks in the mirror once too often? Then there's the dishonest son, a habitual liar, who is overcome by greed and steals his mother's money. When Alex is seduced by the black beauty from Tanzania, the lies are compounded. Is his marriage strong enough to withstand the strain? Oliver's mother dies at an early age, and as his father's love for her also dies, Oliver suffers the after-effects when his father turns to drink. "A striking collection of short fiction told by a distinctive voice with exceptional insight into the devious soul." —Barbara Unkovi