—Description—It's not easy for Chrysalis Moffat to tell the story of her life. The more closely she tries to set down the facts, the more she finds herself doubting them. Her father has been dead since she was ten; her mother has just succumbed to complications following plastic surgery. —Her bad brother Eddie returns to claim his inheritance and cunningly transforms the family house into the headquarters for a school of Tibetan Buddhism enlisting the help of trainee guru, Ralph. As the pair fleece credulous Californians of their cash, Chrysalis is drawn into a strange and compelling world: a realm of mind-blowing coincidences, obsessive gambling and mysterious siblings. —Sandra Newman has a marksman's skill for quick-fire dialogue, a passion for Byzantine plotting and a wicked sense of humour. But beneath the technical fireworks lies a brilliantly subtle understanding of human nature and our philosophical dilemmas. Is it Fate or Chance that dictates our lives? And who holds all the cards?