Bad Seed

Christine Penmark adores her little daughter. Rhoda is the very model of upbringing and diligence: neat, hardworking, obedient—like an impeccably behaved child. But beneath all this correctness, something troubling slips through. Why do the other students shun the girl, and why do the teachers insist she should be transferred to another school? Why does even the local janitor prefer to keep his distance from her? Soon Christine learns the reason—and the truth will prove something one simply cannot come to terms with.

William March’s cult novel, published long before “Rosemary’s Baby,” was among the first to create the frightening image of a child-murderer. This book is rightfully considered a classic of psychological thriller fiction and, in many ways, helped set the rules of the genre.