A man who keeps snails for a hobby. A young boy fascinated by the terrapin his mother brings home. A woman seeking psychiatric aid for her troubled husband. A young governess eager to show her affection for the family that hired her. These are a few of the seemingly ordinary people who fill these eleven quite extraordinary stories by a master of psychological suspense. With skill and perception, Patricia Highsmith reveals the secrets that may be hidden behind even the most sane, civilized facade--the sometimes terrifying possibilities that lurk in the dark corners of the human mind. These tales show Patricia Highsmith at her chilling best.