Removed from her home by the agency responsible for abuse cases, Angela Gunnarsen won't be able to physically hurt her daughter Melissa anymore; the child is safe. But now things are harder for working father, Andrew, who is forced to care for his children alone. He hires a new, deeply religious babysitter who soon discovers that one of the agency's social workers has her own evil agenda for Melissa; she pushes Melissa and the other the children to tell their father what's going on. Brought in front of a district judge, the agency must respond to the allegations and deal with legal action now brought by Andrew, on behalf of his children. But when events do not work out for the best, it is Melissa who takes action to end the evil reign once and for all.Riveting and moving, A Matter of Abuse is told from the point of view of each of a number of characters, all of whom reveal a new element to the story's evolving plotline.