A Lie Within A Lie: The Singer by Ghostly Writer

Practice to Deceive was a novel I described last year as being rather stunning and sometimes shocking. Of all the female masking adventures I had the pleasure of exploring, it was probably the most well-rounded, and the most balanced in terms of plot, characterization, and sheer erotica.

Having been treated to an early read, I am delighted to say that Ghostly Writer has completely outdone himself with A Lie Within A Lie: The Singer. Even knowing the general concept, and being fully aware of his fetish for female masking, this was a novel that still kept me guessing for the first few chapters, and which managed to sustain a few genuine surprises later on.

Ethan is a young man, on the cusp of adulthood at the end of his European vacation, when he becomes infatuated with a mysterious singer named Marla. I almost hate to say anything about her, because the series of slow reveals regarding her character are so well done, but the cover blurb does tell all - Marla is just one of the many personas adopted by Dominic, a master of disguise who is blessed with keen observational skills, a natural talent for mimicry, and marvelous expertise in crafting perfectly life-like latex masks and bodysuits.

Surprisingly complex, this is a novel that is all about the art of disguise and the science of seduction. It is truly bewildering just how many people Dominic can become (sometimes looking, sounding, and acting like multiple people at the same time), and just as astounding in how aroused Ethan is by both the disguises as the act of disguise itself. It is a story that crosses multiple lines of gender and sexuality, revealing a lot about what it is that connects two people together. It is definitely unusual, and flirts with some taboo moments, but it is ultimately a powerfully arousing tale of love, lust, and longing.

There is a passion for detail here that you do not often come across in even the most polished, professionally published erotic literature. Ghostly Writer makes the reader see and feel each aspect of the disguise, painting a series of vivid pictures that amaze as they arouse. Readers with a fetish for masking, dollification, female impersonation, or simple crossdressing will find a lot to admire and appreciate here. The sex is equally succulent, vibrant and intense, but never vulgar. Given how many genders are sometimes mixed in a single intimate encounter, it really is a story that crosses orientations as well as genders.

Most importantly, however, the relationship between Ethan and Dominic/Marla is well-crafted, giving us two human beings in whom we become emotionally invested, desperately hoping that their wild scheme to be together will work out. Ethan is more than just a college kid enjoying a European fling, and Dominic is far more than just someone who enjoys putting on a lie. There is no insta-love (or even insta-lust) here, but instead a slow progression of their relationship, marked as much by trials of trust as leaps of faith.

Of course, with A Lie Within A Lie: The Singer being the first half a two-part story, we will have to wait to see what happens back home, but this is a completely satisfying tale on its own.

Reviewed by Sally

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