The Best Lies by David Ellis ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I Chose It: Ellis’ book, Look Closer, is one of my favorite thrillers.

Because Look Closer was filled with so many twists, I was on high alert for this one, and I was still bamboozled. While vastly different in terms of theme to Look Closer, this one still delivered a great thriller.

Told in alternating POVs alongside different timelines, this one kept readers cleverly off balance the entire time. Playing off an unreliable narrator trope, this one kept me skeptical about who to believe and what to believe.

I did think this one had a lot going on that may be hard for some people to relate to. Corporate espionage, spies, crime rings, undercover agents, questionable ethics, traumatic childhood. It was a lot at times, and because of the depth of this one, the build up was a bit slow. However, I still recommend it and I recommend going in as blindly as possible.

Fans of crime dramas with political influences, twisty reads, and people interested in trade secrets will enjoy this one!

This book had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster! Guaranteed you’ll be caught off guard at least twice, but Ellis does a phenomenal job of tying everything back together. Told from multiple points of view, you’ll get to know some interesting characters with this one!

The author's previous book, "Look Closer" was the absolute mind-blowing, jaw-dropping thriller which remains one of my top recommended books of the genre. I could. not. wait. to get my hands on this new release. In this novel, Leo, a whip-smart attorney who seeks justice at all costs, must stand up to the drug dealing syndicate and play a dangerous game.

OK, this started as a slowburn thriller with multiple characters and timelines to keep track of. Once things started to fall into place, the hair-raising ride bagan!

My favorite thing about this book was its main character, Leo himself. From his tragic childhood, to his phenomenal musical abilities and his brilliant mind, his never dying desire to seek justice at all cost, Leo is your perfect imperfect hero. There were a few parts where his gray lies and his "stunts" had me shaking my head, but he will absolutely remain one of my favorite and most memorable fictional characters.

HOLY TWISTS! They just kept coming, but were perfectly timed and executed so it all tied up nicely in the end.

Every detail matters in this fast-paced complex psychological thriller. The twists were to die for (no pun intended). If you're going with the audiobook, commit to listening at normal speed and paying very close attention.

The Best Lies is the first book I’ve read by David Ellis, and after reading it, I definitely need to check out his backlist. The Best Lies is told in multi-POV from mainly three characters: Leo, Andi, and Chris. Each character will play an intricate part in the book, and if you think you’ve figured out what’s happening, think again because David will throw you twists and turns up until the very end.

My head was spinning by the time I finished this book, but in a good way. I appreciated the short chapters and the fast-paced reading of the book. I definitely recommend paying attention while reading this book since there are multiple timelines explaining what leads up to why Leo is being accused of murder, which is how the book starts. Leo had to be my favorite character due to everything he endured from his past and the present day, which David definitely touches on with the flashbacks and such. Leo is one character who definitely knows how to tell the best lies, and you’ll understand once you read this book.

My only complaint is that some of the story became repetitive at times. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller and gave it four stars. I don’t want to risk spoiling anything, but just know that reading the synopsis alone won’t give you full details about what to expect in this book. There is so much else that happens in this book, and it all involves Leo getting the justice he always wanted.

If you enjoy reading psychological thrillers with corporate espionage and twists and turns, especially at the end, you should definitely check out this book.

🕵️‍♂️ The Best Lies 🕵️‍♂️

🔪 multiple POV
🔪 super short chapters
🔪 crime thriller
🔪 undercover/espionage
🔪 multi-timeline

This was good! With the multi-POV and multi-timeline it was a lot to keep track of at times, but as the end neared everything started to be revealed to connect together. I personally love when books do that and you can see the bigger picture and WOW did he create such an interconnected storyline.

Heavy on the crime and law enforcement, and you do have to pay attention to fully grasp everything that is happening. It is a bit long, but the short chapters really help propel your reading. I definitely wanted to know what was happening and what Leo was up to with his tricks. The twists were wild and some I didn’t see coming!

There were ample lies and half-truths…up to you if they were really The Best Lies.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved Davis Ellis' previous books,so I was really excited to dive into this one. It was so well written that I couldn't put it down! Lots of action and twists all throughout. I definitely recommend this book to any reader!

What an amazing twist-filled read!!! I honestly didn’t see the majority of the twists coming!! 😱 Loved both the MMC and FMC!! This was my first read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last!!! 🙌

Highly recommend this one to my thriller-loving book peeps!!! 👏👏

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin, and David Ellis for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review!! ❤️

As a crusading attorney with a knack for bending the truth, Leo's life takes a perilous turn when his fingerprints are discovered on a murder weapon linked to a notorious drug dealer. Desperate to avoid prison, Leo agrees to go undercover for the FBI, a decision that thrusts him into a deadly game of deception.

In my opinion, this was a slow burn suspense. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT give up until you get 40% through. I am not a DNFer, but I didn't get that "I don't want to put it down" feeling until then. But when it came on, it came on STRONG. You won't regret sticking it out. A bunch of twists you will not see coming, David Ellis has yet to disappoint.

Thank you David Ellis, Penguin Group, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

The Best of Lies was such a great story. I didn't know who or what to believe. It was slow to start but I recommend continuing.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

David Ellis does not disappoint again. Wow. What an amazing thriller to add to my collection. This book knocked it out of the park.

Twisty, grippy, well done

Clever and unpredictable, kept me guessing who and what I could trust until the end! An intriguing plot, unreliable characters, dual timelines, and short chapters made this a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. No one writes a head spinning plot twist like David Ellis! His talent for writing a captivating and unpredictable reading experience is unmatched.

Thank you to Net Galley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the digital ARC!

This was a wild ride of a book with twists, turns, and surprises throughout.

I am a fan of David Ellis’ other books as well and this one did not disappoint. If you like mystery thrillers that are more thought-provoking than gruesome, give this book a read.

3.75 stars rounded up! OKAY. I LOVED "Look Closer," that was a 5 star read for me. Therefore, I had such high expectations for this book, as well. I enjoyed getting to know the characters through the first 20% of the book. However, from about 20%-70% I almost DNF'd. BUT LET ME TELL YOU.... the ending and plot twist DID NOT disspoint. David Ellis has a way of layering the plot so thick that everything makes clear sense at the end if you're following along. Overall, a great book.

The moment I saw the synopsis of a pathological liar being accused of murder, I was sold. And I can happily report that it not only lived up to but exceeded my expectations. Leo is an absolute trip and I loved every minute of it it. This twisty ride also earned points by being told in my absolute favorite format of multiple timelines and POVs.

While I pride myself on my detective skills, I could not figure out who to trust in this one! Every time I thought I had a grasp on it, another twist came flying at me. There were so many moving parts and the way Ellis got them all to come together so perfectly was just amazing.

This was the first book I’ve read by David Ellis and just wow. I’ve had Look Closer on my shelf for a few months now and I am definitely moving it up the TBR pile!

Thank you Putnam and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

Leo is a pathological liar and an attorney in Chicago. When his DNA and fingerprints are found at a crime scene, Leo swears his innocence. But more sinister things are at play, involving a former lover, the city’s crime boss, and so many lies it’s hard to tell fact from fiction.

I was a huge fan of Look Closer (I gave that 5 stars), but had a hard time with this one. I don’t know whether it was the crime mob aspect or keeping track of all the jumps in the timeline with all the lies intertwined, but this wasn’t my favorite. I’ve heard so many others love it though! I’m unfortunately in the minority.

This felt surprisingly different from Look Closer, which read like a twisty domestic thriller. The Best Lies is a much darker story with darker themes and characters. Not really my thing, and if Ellis goes back to writing a Look Closer sort of book again, and I will read it!

4.5 rounded up - I first discovered Ellis in 2022 with Look Closer and loved it, a favorite for me that year. I was excited to receive an ARC of his latest, The Best Lies, and it did not disappoint. We meet Leo Balanoff, a pathologic liar who is quite a character. I found his inner dialogue often laugh-literally-out-loud funny and appreciated the thought that went into developing his personality. Leo is an attorney with many secrets and will often do whatever it takes for his clients and himself to make things right. He gets very tied up when a drug dealer is murdered and there is overwhelming evidence to arrest Leo for the crime. And then we go on a very big ride from there. Ellis is so witty and so smart - in fact I would say perhaps one of the smartest crime writers out there today. And it’s no wonder, he is a judge in the Illinois Appellate Court. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the twists and turns in The Best Lies and while I did have an early inkling where it was going, I didn’t fully commit to it so he still got me by the end. I hope you enjoy Leo as much as I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Best Lies will be out on 8/23/24.

Really hard to read.
Lotsa characters with a storyline that hopped and skipped made it difficult to enjoy the story.

I appreciate the ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Best Lies was a complex thriller. Based on the title, you pretty much know there are a lot of lies being told... you just don't know who is lying, nor who they are lying to. It took a while to get into the story and understand what was going on, especially who all the different characters were. It centers around attorney Leo Balonoff who we know at the very beginning is being arrested for something, maybe murder. The book then goes back in time to discover how things unfold for Leo, his ex-wife Andi, and detective Chris.

I am a huge fan of David Ellis's book Look Closer, but this one fell a little short for me. I enjoyed the last half of this book much more than the first half, so it's one that you really need to stick with to get to the twist. I would categorize it as more of a crime thriller than domestic thriller (like Look Closer was).

I read this author’s book “Look Closer” about a year ago and absolutely loved it. I didn’t love this one quite as much, but it was still a fantastic page-turner that I had to finish in one sitting! This is pretty much two stories in one: a story of corporate espionage, and one of human trafficking.

This story starts with a lawyer/pathological liar/compulsive counter named Leo Balanoff being arrested for the murder of a man named Cyrus Balik. Cyrus was involved in both drug and human trafficking, so not many people in law enforcement mind that he’s dead, but now Leo can be used as ammunition…

There are a lot of characters in this story (maybe too many?) but Leo was definitely my favorite. We also have Andi, a former police officer who now works in corporate security, Chris, another officer and cancer survivor, and Nico, the “Greek Ghost”, who replaced Cyrus after his unfortunate demise.

Basically, we have an action-packed thriller that bounces back and forth in time (too much - along with the abundance of characters, I also didn’t care for the way the past and future were laid out) and takes you through some wild and unexpected moments. The ending was fantastic, with twists that I never considered. This is another solid read; I may have to look at older books by this author! 4.5 stars.

(Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons, David Ellis and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on July 23, 2024.)