The way I screamed when I got this ARC!! Look Closer was one of my favorite books that I read last year and I continue to recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in reading. And now after reading The Best Lies, David Ellis is cemented as one of my top, must-read authors.

Ellis is fantastic at writing a story with incredible twists that the reader can follow clearly. I feel like with so many thrillers you have to choose... you can either get something exciting or something that makes sense. With Ellis, you get both! I loved unraveling the story in this book... some of the twists I anticipated and some I was absolutely thrown by. In the end you're left with a story that was both fun and satisfying.

Which brings me to my other favorite thing about this author... action from get-go. So many thrillers rely on introducing the story at the beginning and then dragging the reader through false leads, hints, and misdirection until the final 20% or so blows the book open. I find myself falling asleep quite often with this format. This book (and Look Closer) take you on an engaging ride from the beginning all the way to the end with absolutely no lulls. I could not put it down because the story got wilder and twistier as it went on.

If it sounds like I'm the number 1 member of David Ellis's fan club it's because I am. I cannot recommend this book and this author more! Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for approving me for this ARC!

Leo Balanoff is a diagnosed pathological liar with unthinkable skeletons in his family's closet. He's also a crusading attorney who seeks justice at all costs. When a ruthless drug dealer is found dead and Leo’s fingerprints show up on the murder weapon, no one believes a word he says. But he might be the FBI’s only shot at taking down the dealer’s brutal syndicate.

Risk his life going undercover for the feds or head straight to prison for murder? Leo accepts the FBI’s offer—but it comes with a price, including a collision course with his ex, Andi Piotrowski, a former cop and “the one who got away.” Forced to walk a tightrope between an ambitious FBI agent and a cruel, calculating crime boss, Leo’s trapped in a corner. But he has more secrets than anyone realizes, and a few more cards left to play.

David Ellis may be the best thriller writer working today. His Look Closer was arguably the best book published in 2022, and The Best Lies builds on that designation. Smart, shifty, warm, and human, this is David Ellis at his best. Highly recommended. #TheBestLies #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

I loved Look Closer by David Ellis, so I had really high expectations for The Best of Lies and while it was good, it never quite got to great level for me.

This is a slow paced story and it took a long time to get going. The POV changes but I didn’t really care for any of the characters. The timeline jumps around a lot and it made it confusing at times, and also made it hard for me to get into the story. There were a lot of side characters to track and I had a hard time keeping them all straight. This is definitely one I might have done better with the physical book vs ebook bc I had to keep trying to flip back to figure out who people were which is harder to do on ebook.

The last 25% picks up considerably with a lot more action and twisty reveals. I did predict several of the major twists. I appreciate the authors ability to keep you on your toes and questioning everyone and Eve thing until the very end. While this wasn’t my favorite by him, I definitely look forward to seeing what he comes up with next! Thanks @putnum and @netgalley for the DRC!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Leo is a lawyer and pathological liar who is accused of murdering Cyrus, a drug dealer and trafficker, and they have a solid case against him, but he can save himself by agreeing to go undercover and work with the feds. Along the way he crosses paths with Andi, a cop and his ex-girlfriend.

What can you say about a David Ellis novel? Always fantastic and with me the bar for his books is set very high. I have read all of the books he has written on his own and I think his previous novel Look Closer was one of the best books I have ever read. I recommend it to everyone who asks me for a recommendation. This one wasn't quite as shocking, but it was still really really good. For awhile I thought this was going to be a straight forward novel with a straight forward ending and fortunately it wasn't. There was a lot going on behind the scenes. I just can't say enough about this author and I hope he continues to write novels on his own.

Do you like stories about spies, undercover agents, corporate espionage, national security, the Black Market and how someone with questionable ethics and a strong sense of loyalty behaves when push comes to shove?

Meet Leo Balanoff, an altruistic but ethically-challenged Chicago lawyer who is determined to right the wrongs he sees regardless of the personal cost. One price he’s already paid is a broken engagement to his ex, Andi (Andrea) Piotrowski, a former cop and current head of security for a medical laboratory working on a top-secret, highly lucrative breakthrough for the treatment of lung cancer. With a potential windfall at stake for the owner of this patent, foreign entities are determined to get their hands on it first. Just who’s trying to protect it and who’s trying to steal it? That’s where things get complicated!

Let’s just say it’s a big, messy stew of FBI agents, local cops, gangsters, American and Chinese operatives and people like Leo who get pulled into one of the most convoluted, twisty plots I’ve read in quite some time! I still have a bit of reader’s whiplash.

This story played like a movie in my mind, and I could see it working well on the big screen for those who enjoy mystery-thrillers with suspense and political intrigue. I didn’t love it as much as his previous book, but it truly grew on me as I went along and watching all the threads of the story cleverly come together in the end absolutely made it worth my time!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for the ARC. I loved Look Closer but I couldn’t get into this at all. Too many characters and the storyline felt all over the place. I was really disappointed in this one.

Where do I even begin to thank @netgalley and @putnambooks for this gifted eARC?!

I want to let you all know, I lost my mind when I heard David Ellis was releasing a new novel. I acted out. I begged. I was willing to trade my golden retriever. I dusted off my Bernie meme and tagged a publisher AND a Judge for crying out loud. That has to be borderline harassment, right?

By the grace of God, I got my first ever Putnam Approval.

You're going to fall in love with Leo Balanoff. His charm, humor, and wit are unmatched. Does it REALLY matter that he's a diagnosed pathological liar?

In true David Ellis fashion, there was no way to predict what was going to happen. This thriller is so intricately layered, and your mind will continually be blown as the story unfolds. The ending was absolutely fantastic and will leave you reeling for days. The writing is brilliant, and I found the overall story to be original and unlike anything I have read yet. I was so captivated I found it impossible to put this book down. I cannot wait for you all to read this!! Another SLAM DUNK for David Ellis!

This book was way too hard to follow. Storyline and point of view was scattered. Did not finish for me. First book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and David Ellis for an ARC of The Best Lies! Gripping - twisty - fast paced - holding that breath you just can’t release - edge of your seat. The King of Suspense is back again! Look Closer was my book of 2023 and this one is right up next to it. I could not get enough of this book. It didn’t feel like 416 pages and I didn’t want it to end! Leo is diagnosed as a pathological liar and is also an attorney. Seems like the perfect and oddest dynamic. He’s has a rough childhood and will do anything to serve justice. Leo’s fingerprints are found on the murder weapon of a drug dealer and he has found himself a bit stuck - not sure how to talk his way out of this one. He becomes more trapped when the FBI wants him to work undercover - better than jail right? This may seem like a simple solution, but David’s books are anything but straightforward. You will not be disappointed!!

What a ride this was! David Ellis has quickly become an auto buy author for me. The twists and turns really keep you engaged into the story and it makes it hard to put the book down. I am ready for everyone to read this book because i think it will be very hyped upon release. Thanks to David Ellis & NetGalley for the arc copy and buy this immediately upon release!

Genuinely, David Ellis is a master at weaving a complex and thrilling story. I'm not sure if there's another author today that can compare. When I reviewed 'Look Closer', I said it felt like a heist, without the heist. Well, he gave us a heist book and it exceeded my expectations.

The number of "oh sh*t" moments I had during this book is unreal. There are so many hidden connections and some of the characters are insanely clever. There was a point in the book when I thought, "this might be a stretch", but then more information was revealed and all the twists and turns made sense.

I absolutely loved Leo and Andi was equally amazing. I can't rave about this book enough, David Ellis is a must read in the thriller genre.

Leo is an attorney. And a pathological liar. When he is the main suspect in the death of a drug lord in a huge crime ring he has the option to go undercover and help the FBI dissolve the crime ring, or take his chances in prison.

I'll be honest, the synopsis didn't exactly pull me in. My previous experience with this author made me want to read this upcoming release, and man am I glad I did. This was a thriller that revealed twists along the way, making the entire book entertaining and even shocking at times. It was clever how all these little pieces fit together (even if it was a bit unrealistic at times). The first few chapters were a bit quick and confusing for me, but once the first major (and I mean major) twist is revealed I was all in. I think what made it confusing for me was the rapid introduction of characters with little background or context. Thankfully Ellis is able to quickly weave introductions and backstory so that I was quickly able to catch on and move along. I loved how fat paced this one was, I could not wait to get back into reading this one. Definitely add it to your list of summer thrillers.

I loved this book and I found the character development to be super interesting. I had a great time with the storyline and I’ll definitely be recommending this book to others!

This book was yet another whiplash type of book from this author with some crazy twists! I really enjoyed the cat and mouse type thriller game and couldn't decide who was telling the truth from the get go. Very good.

I thought David Ellis’ first book Look Closer was pretty good, but it didn’t blow me out of the water like it did for some. However, I thought The Best Lies was so much better.

The Best Lies was fast paced, packed with action, mystery, and lots of deceit. I enjoy books that go back and forth through different POVs and Ellis did a good job with that.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this!

There were a lot of lies in this book, but were they The Best Lies???? This book is packed full of secrets, lies, revelations, and twists.

Leo Balanoff, an attorney, is a pathological liar who is determined to see justice at any cost. When a notorious criminal drug dealer is found dead with Leo's fingerprints on the murder weapon, will he be believed, or will he be the FBI's best chance at bringing down a drug syndicate? Accepting the offer brings him back into the orbit of his ex, Andi Piotrowski, a former police officer.

David Ellis threw in everything but the kitchen sink into this book. I think perhaps he threw in a little too much. I enjoyed the first half of the book but found the second half of the book to be a little much.

This book is told through the POV's of three characters. There are also flashes to the past where readers get to know the characters in their early years. This helps to provide their current motivations and relationships. I thought David Ellis did a great job bringing everything together and showed how the character's past impacted their lives.


The Best Lies did have a nice amount of twists, turns, and reveals. This book also has a fair amount of action, but it wasn't enough to fully win me over. I enjoyed Look Closer and went into this book with high hopes. I would put this book in the liked but didn't love category. I do look forward to reading more of David Ellis's books in the future.

Well this was disappointing! I really enjoyed “Look Closer”, it was a 5* read for me so I was highly anticipating this novel.

The premise sounded interesting - a pathological liar teaming up with the FBI?? Leo Balanoff is an attorney who likes to crusade for justice. BUT he has some serious secrets that could be his downfall if they ever come to light!

Cyrus Balik is the worst kind of monster! He deals drugs and is ruthless with those who don’t pay up. He also deals in human trafficking and doesn’t care who he hurts and how many lives he ruins. He is part of a mob syndicate and when he is found dead there are many questions, so many people would want him dead!

Enter FBI agent Chris Roberti who wants Leo to go undercover to try to tease out the killer.

Leo is caught between Cyrus’s boss, Nico Katsaros and Chris Balik, both of whom are aggressive and dangerous in ways.

Our next character is Andi Piotrowski, a former cop and love interest. We’re not sure how Andi will fit into the plot.

The negatives for me were numerous:

**The writing is slow and plodding with the past and present POV’s distracting and killing any tension that I felt while reading.

**There were too many ancillary characters to keep track of.

**I simply kept putting this book down and reading something else. This was definitely not the case with his previous book when I was glued to the pages.

**I didn’t really care for any of the characters

Many others have enjoyed this one so I am an outlier once again. I will still watch for other novels by this talented author.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

my jaw is on the floor once again from david ellis’s stories!!!! 🤯 after loving the spooky thriller vibes of LOOK CLOSER, I immediately picked this one up thanks to william morrow - and boy, was I hooked!

when a lawyer is about to be arrested for a crime boss murder, everything goes haywire - and I mean, EVERYTHING! this one is so twisty and turny with its non-linear timeline that I seriously had no idea what to expect next!

just when I thought I had it figured out on who was who, something else was revealed from the past that had me throwing my kindle across the room 😅 and while it was a bit hard to keep up with at times, I loved the payoff every single time!

david ellis knows how to write a thriller with the craziest characters and plot lines! and I was seriously just along for the ride 😮‍💨😮‍💨

thank you to netgalley and william morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel

Wow. Wow. Wow.

This was so good. I requested it because I loved his previous book Look Closer. To be fair, I haven’t even heard much about him til that book—which was a crazy five star read. So I was like sure let’s try his newest.

Wow. He is so good at complex layer twists. Like once you hit a level, there’s a twist and then you go down a level. I don’t know how else to explain it. But he’s realllllly good at all of. The time frame twists, the unknown twists, just all of it.

I absolutely loved the main character, Leo. He was funny, witty, a bit complex, but so entertaining. His history and everything from his past was like unwrapping a present because I had no clue what was going on underneath. Lame comparison but this author has me fumbling for words to articulate how good this was.

Absolutely riveting and addicting. I wonder how the audiobook will be. I bet amazing. I’ll probably do a reread and I neverrrr do that with new books.

Thank you for blessing me with this treasure.

This is my second David Ellis book and it did not disappoint! A solid 4.5-5 ⭐️ book. The beginning was a tad confusing due to the multiple POV, but once you got 30-50% in, it came together beautifully.