The novel that launched Virginia Andrews' superselling career: the tale of four children locked in an attic by their once-loving mother! It was a game of happy families. The four children lived such perfect lives in such a happy, golden family. It was a game of hide and seek. Their father died suddenly. The children now lived alone, hidden in the airless attic. It was a case of tender, loving murder. Their mother promised that they would stay only long enough to inherit her family's fortune. But gradually she forgot how much she adored those children. Millions of readers have been enthralled by this gripping story of a family's betrayal and heartbreak, love and revenge -- which then sows the seeds for the future.