Near the west coast of Singapore lies the leafy enclave of Sabre Green - a haven of wealth and luxury in one of the richest countries in the world. But beneath the glamour lies the insidious truth of the country's maid culture, where a woman's life is cheap.

Here are the voices of the unheard - of maid and employer, of village girl and city dweller. Follow Lucilla, Ma'am Leslie, Shammi and Madame Eunice as they strive, each in their own way, to exist in a country whose pristine exterior belies the dark shadows beneath.

In this candid, often brutal narrative, the lives of four women are woven together. What follows is a story of loss, madness, abuse and hope - and the ways in which they can haunt a woman's life.

*

`A great read; tense, vivid and involving, both heart-breaking and heart-warming' - Lesley Glaister, author of Jerwood Prize winner Little Egypt