Lies That Bind

Looking for a gripping murder mystery with a feisty female sleuth? Meet Alex Duggins in this new series from a bestselling author.A WOMAN’S BODY IS FOUND IN THE WOODSNo one knows who she is or why she was left in such a dreadful state.Alex Duggins, owner of Folly-on-Weir's best pub, The Black Dog, is determined not to get involved — for once.But the person who found the gruesomely mutilated body was young Kyle Gammage, who helps out at Alex’s friend Tony's veterinary clinic. And she and Tony are reluctantly drawn into the murder investigation.To protect Kyle and his elder brother, Alex withholds vital information from the police. It's a misjudgement that will have far-reaching — and possibly fatal — consequences.Then one of them goes missing and what lies beneath is very dark indeed.WILL ALEX'S SILENCE PUT HER AND THOSE SHE LOVES IN DANGER?Perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie, J R Ellis, and Clare Chase.Stella Cameron is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with over fourteen million copies of her books in print.MEET ALEX AND TONYPeople think Alex is the perfect girl-next-door, but she’s made of sterner stuff than most girls-next-door. Divorced pub owner and graphic artist, she meets challenges head on, especially when she decides to stand up for justice and the underdog. Alex is no stranger to trouble, never has been since she was a scrappy young girl with no dad, and a mum working around the clock to keep them together.Alex’s friend Tony Harrison is a vet — to the disappointment of his GP dad. A quiet man with a sharp wit and strong belief in the goodness of others, he has taken hard knocks, not the least of these, the loss of a young wife who disappeared, never to be found.THE VILLAGEA view of Folly from The Hill — as locals call it — is cause for a smile in any season. Let’s try December, early on a cold morning. Snow covers frozen twigs that crackle beneath your feet. The snowfall is only a fine swirl now. On a high point to the west stands ruined Tinley Tower, the folly the village was named for. Below, across the green with its frozen duck pond, honey-yellow cottages huddle. Thin smoke straggles from chimneys and lights shine through small leaded windows. Villagers wake early here. The Black Dog, Alex Duggins’ pub, sits at the heart of it all, strands of coloured lights shining along its eaves. George’s bakery van is already on its rounds, as is the Lovell’s Dairy lorry. It’s too early for the scarlet-blazered children to be climbing on the school bus, but dog walkers are already marching through the narrow streets and across the green. Idyllic. Deceptively so?