Life can quickly go from bad to worse every 15 minutes, particularly when you have a sociopath in your life. (Photo by Denis Bourez, Flickr)

“I’m a sociopath. I look normal, but I’m not. I’m smarter, better and freer because I’m not bound by rules, law, emotion or regard for you. I can read you almost immediately, get your number right away, and push your buttons to make you do whatever I want. I don’t really like you, but I’m so good at acting as if I do that it’s basically the same thing. I fool you. I fool everybody.” Thus begins Lisa Scottoline’s brilliant novel, Every Fifteen Minutes.