The Lies That Bind

The Lies That Bind (1993) is a mystery novel by Judith van Gieson featuring female lawyer Neil Hamel, a tough-on-crime, “damn-the-establishment” type who finds herself defending the prim and proper mother of a former high school classmate. Elderly Martha Conover has recently been accused of murdering a young Latina woman, Justine Virga. Martha explains to Hamel that she has no memory of the murder, though there is a large dent in the front of her car, and Justine was killed in front of Martha's home. The investigation uncovers a web of family lies dating back two decades, all of which revolve around the life and death of Martha's illegitimate son, Michael.

The novel opens on November 1st in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lawyer Neil Hamel, whose wishy-washy reputation and attitude have led her to a less lucrative, though fascinating career, is enjoying the company of her boyfriend, the Kid. The lovers are wrapped up in bed when a knock on the door shakes them out of their stupor. Standing outside Neil's apartment is Martha Conover, a half-remembered figure from Neil's childhood.

Martha, now elderly, is the mother of Cindy, a friend of Neil's from high school. Back in the day, Martha was deeply bigoted, strait-laced, and pinch-faced; retaining many of these qualities in her old age, she still looks prim and proper as she stands on Neil's doorstep in the wee hours of the morning. Martha needs Neil's help. She has been accused of murdering a young woman named Justine Virga with her car. Though her car is dented, and the crushed body of Justine was found on Martha's doorstep, she claims to have no memory of the accident. She is convinced that she is innocent.



Neil agrees to take the case, though she is skeptical, given the evidence presented. However, as soon as she begins to dig into the lives of the people involved in the case, the evidence becomes less and less convincing.

Initially, Martha seems the likely suspect because Justine Virga was responsible for the death of Martha’s grandson, Michael. Three years earlier, on Halloween, Justine hit Michael with a car, and he died. Michael was the son of Neil's high school friend Cindy and the now paralyzed Vietnam veteran, Emilio. That Justine and Michael were both killed on Halloween, suggests Justine’s death was done for revenge.

Complicating matters, however, is Justine herself. Justine had fled Argentina a few years back; Neil soon finds out that Martha's claim that Justine might have been killed by drug lords could be warranted —Justine fled Argentina after killing a higher-up in a drug cartel. Nevertheless, that simple story of a framed murder becomes less convincing when Neil discovers that Cindy's new husband, Whit, is deeply entrenched in a gambling ring that also involves Argentinian gangsters.



Neil begins to suspect the chain leads back to Michael himself and his father, Emilio, who angered by Martha's bigotry, wants revenge.

Judith van Gieson’s work includes a children's book, a collection of poems, a collection of short stories, and thirteen mystery novels. Two of her novels in the Neil Hamel series, Ditch Rider and The Wolf Path, were included in a list of 100 best novels about New Mexico. Books in the Neil Hamel series have been published in many countries, including Japan and England, and the series was optioned by CBS for adaptation into a film series. The Lies That Bind was a finalist for the Shamus Award for best detective fiction.