Lies that Bind

"Enthralled from the start, I found myself pulled deeper and deeper with each chapter, consumed by beautiful prose, diabolically depraved characters, and a storyline that unspools magnificently. Lies that Bind coaxes its readers in with the arrival of a mysterious stranger who threatens to shatter what's left of the life Lorelei and Adele have built together—but we all have our mysteries, don't we?"
—Alexis Dubon, author of It's Going to Be Fine and co-editor of No Trouble at All

"Viciously sexy. A tale about pain in and out of the bedroom— especially the self-sacrificial secrets we keep, thinking that we spare our lovers suffering. A devious delight of dramatic irony, Lies that Bind gives readers a front-row seat for every delicious twist of the knife, the cruelty of which the leading lovers cannot —yet—fully comprehend.
—Briana Una McGuckin, author of On Good Authority


Lorelei Keyes and Adele Hughes are content, if not entirely happy, running a sham seance business in the English tourist town of Matlock Bath. Lorelei’s business savvy and Adele’s gift for mimicry provide for their basic needs, but the customers are not the only ones deceived. With the arrival of a mysterious visitor, Viola, the couple finds their long-held secrets under threat of exposure and their quiet life upended.

Viola pulls the pair onto a transatlantic crossing bound for Adele’s homeland of New York, and the turbulent seas are nothing compared to the treacherous and tawdry happenings aboard the ship. Adele’s gifts run much deeper than mimicry. Lorelei’s past is more depraved than she lets on. The couple faces the end of their romance, and may stand to lose much more than that if they cannot discern Viola's true intentions before reaching their final destination.

Not for the faint of heart, Lies That Bind challenges its readers as it investigates power dynamics, the nature of power, and the ways it can be expressed—whether by domination or self-acceptance; treachery or honesty. Often quite graphic in their depictions of sex and violence, Knowles and Yates interrogate the line between kink and abuse, exploring the nuance of each.