The Rules of Survival

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (10/06) From the moment I saw the cover of this book I knew that I would find pain within. The pain of a young man facing the abusive life he's survived. "Emmy, the events we lived through taught me to be sure of nothing about other people. They taught me to expect danger around every corner. They taught me to understand that there are people in this world who mean you harm. ... Read Full Review

Edgar winner, Werlin, combines suspense with real life problems as Matt and his sisters Callie and Emmy try to keep their volatile and unbalanced mother happy. One day in the convenience store they witness Murdoch stopping a kid from being abused and become obsessed with him. For Matt's birthday, Callie finds Murdoch's address but their mother finds it and takes them all over to Murdoch's house. They begin dating and kids'... Read Full Review

As Matt explains, it was a sweltering Boston evening, and a date night for their mother. Matt was thirteen at that point, and Callie was eleven on that evening they left their five year old sister Emmy sleeping alone in the apartment, climbed out the window, and raced around the corner to buy a couple of Popsicles at the convenience store. They would return home a few minutes later with the dream that a stranger whose behavior... Read Full Review