The monster in chains has the key to her past. But the real threat was never locked away at all..
Dr. Hanna Nowack is a professional at keeping the world's most dangerous men safely behind glass. But she's never met a monster like Richard Hale.
A brilliant, charismatic serial killer, Hale shatters Hanna's composure when he requests her by name. Their sessions spiral into a chilling, claustrophobic game of mirrors and manipulation as Hale exposes fragments of Hanna's past-memories she's buried and questions she never dared to ask about her husband's death.
Inside the concrete quiet of Great Meadow, Hale offers Hanna pieces of a puzzle she never meant to solve: the secrets her husband never told about his criminal family, and the danger that didn't die with him. Each session tightens the noose-clinical questions turning into confession, fascination into fear. And somewhere in the dark, someone is watching.
To uncover the truth, Hanna must decide which monster to face: the one in chains, or the one she invited in. Because the closer she gets to Hale, the more she begins to wonder if the real threat was never locked away at all.
Book One in The Lies That Bind Us series. Continue Hanna's story in Book Two, Beyond the Truth.
Note: This novel contains mature themes and psychological intensity consistent with the thriller genre. Support resources provided.
About the AuthorZane, Sophia: - Sophia Zane is a trauma-forward author of psychological suspense, writing for women who carry scars. Her emotionally charged thrillers explore the fragility of memory, the weight of trauma, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit. With layered narratives and morally complex characters, her stories dive deep into the minds of survivors, criminals, and those caught in between, where truth is never simple and secrets rarely stay buried. A former interviewer and researcher, Sophia blends lived experience with emotional depth to ensure authenticity on every page. She is passionate about telling stories that resonate, especially with readers who have felt voiceless or unseen. She lives in Virginia with a small army of rescue animals and can usually be found curled up with a good book, a strong cup of coffee, and her cat Kevin, who insists on supervising everything.She is a proud member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association. Her debut novel, The Lies We Whisper, launches The Lies That Bind Us series. While The Lies We Whisper is a work of fiction, its character dynamics and psychological depth were inspired by interviews Sophia conducted with real-life inmates. Book Two, Beyond the Truth-also shaped by this research-is currently in the works and scheduled for release later this year.You can find her on Instagram and TikTok @sophiazaneauthor or visit her website at sophiazane.com.