Lies that Bind

by Penelope Williams

Can a whole town be evil? Tulla Murphy’s life has unraveled. Spurred by a loss that forces her to rethink all her plans, she retreats to the town where she grew up, even though she vowed never to go back. She soon discovers that Parnell is still the petri dish of old secrets and simmering resentments of her youth as she reconnects with her three childhood Leo, Kat, and Mikhail. Their friendship once insulated them from the enmities of the schoolyard and the treacheries of the town, but Tulla isn’t sure if it can protect them again. Then mysterious deaths start occurring ― the first at the height of one of Parnell’s most ferocious storms. As the body count mounts, Tulla is plagued by a growing suspicion that threatens loyalties and makes her question her memories. Is it possible that her friends are more dangerous than the forces swirling around her?

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

456 pages, Paperback

Published May 14, 2019

Reviews

[Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this off a display stand on my way out of our local library. So glad I did. This is an amazing read with the solving of the story not happening until the last few pages! Don't pass it up if you get the chance!

[Sharron Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Lies that Bind" by Penelope Williams hooked me by the title alone with its play on a familiar phrase that switches out "ties" for "lies" and serves up a who-done-it mystery delivered in a lively-paced telling. It is a delicious concoction of characters and circumstances spun from true crime stories and overlaid with a haunting sense of being in "black Donnelly" country somewhere in eastern Ontario in a place described by one character as a petri dish of ugly secrets dating back generations.

The tale had me guessing right to the end: who among the four friends since childhood had a stake in seeing erstwhile town bully,Billy, done in? Billy, who insisted on the name "Dom" possibly short for dominator is found dead and hanging from a skipping rope in a tree having been blown clean through his massive front window by the force of a tornado that hits the town from time to time and is aptly named "the fist of God".

Amid engaging, tone perfect exchanges of dialogues, the tale offers vivid smatterings of religious hucksterism, pedohphile rings, criminal coverups, Bahamian cancer cures - you name it - it all comes down to the solidarity of lifelong friendship forged in childhood versus unrepentant evil. Serious crime issues aside, the tale is a fun one for readers who like erudite literary references sprinkled through their main meal of mystery whodunits.

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mystery that interested me as I live in the same region where the action takes place. This novel is certainly an accomplishment for a new novelist -- interesting plot and characters, lots of intrigue. My only problem with it was that I found it a bit long and I was getting bored with it. In my view, if novels are longer than 300 pages, then the book must have a very riveting plot. Otherwise, this is a fine mystery novel and I look forward to reading others by Williams.

[Devin Drennen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads giveaway win and I thoroughly enjoyed it. At times it got a little slow but it kept you guessing until the very end

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out loving it, but about halfway through the book, there were too many storylines starting to develop. Not as tightly written as it could have been.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't get into it, had to skim and skip to find out whodunnit.