Smart, charming Leo Balanoff had a rough and unconventional beginning in life. To start with, Leo Balanoff is not his given name. And his brother, Trace, is not his brother. Nor is his mother, Marilyn, his actual mother. So when Leo turns out to be a natural liar, who can really blame him? More about that later.

Leaving his childhood behind --- which is an entirely fascinating story on its own --- fast forward to his days as Leo Balanoff, a skilled law partner with Montgomery Morris. Amid various allegations of questionable activity, he has had a hard time retaining his law license. He swears he didn’t do any of what he’s accused of doing, but being a pathological liar, it’s hard to believe anything he says. Even Monty’s first question tends to be, “What did you do now, Leo?” Realistically, it’s a fair one.

"By the time you finish David Ellis’ THE BEST LIES, you’ll have to make a chart to unravel what just happened and who did what to whom. This is by far the best twisted tale to come along in a while."

A few years ago, Leo was deeply in love with Andi Piotrowski, a respected member of law enforcement, which, in his eyes, made them the perfect pair. And Leo believed that Andi loved him back. He was right --- until he did something for which she couldn’t forgive him. Which is pretty amazing because that wasn’t the worst thing Leo ever did. In fact, looking at it from certain perspectives, he could claim the moral high ground on that one. Still, he paid the price, did his penance and finally got back to practicing law. But then he slipped up again, this time in a very big way.

Leo had been dancing with some nasty criminal lowlifes, and when one of them turns up dead --- with a knife sticking out of his throat that has Leo’s fingerprints all over it --- it looks kind of bad for him. In the past, he’s wiggled his way out of tough situations, but this time it’s going to take a genius to walk away. The feds give him a choice: go to prison or help them nab Nico Katsaros, which is an almost certain death sentence. Nico doesn’t just play dirty; he plays dirty with nuclear deadliness. No one knows how many cops he has bought, or which ones.

Meanwhile, Andi no longer works for Deemer Park P.D. She left for a better paying gig. That seemed odd to Leo, considering how much she loved her job. Well, it’s none of his business now. They’re no longer a couple. She made it clear that he killed their relationship. They’ve both moved on. Actually, he hasn’t. Leo never stopped loving Andi. In fact, whenever he makes a choice, he first stops to consider what Andi would think, not that it matters. Maybe someday it will.

However, someday may never come for Leo if he screws up this sting. He may not be around to see the next dawn as Nico wouldn't think twice about snuffing him out if he even looks cross-eyed. Plus there’s Chris Roberti, the FBI agent handling Leo, who seems to have his own secrets. Or maybe Leo is just being paranoid. Who wouldn’t be?

Along with Leo, readers have to stay on their toes. The sleight of hand going on here surpasses even the most astounding Las Vegas magic show. By the time you finish David Ellis’ THE BEST LIES, you’ll have to make a chart to unravel what just happened and who did what to whom. This is by far the best twisted tale to come along in a while.