The Best Lies

The plot reversals come fast and furious in this unconvincing legal thriller from Edgar winner Ellis (Look Closer). Illinois attorney Leo Balanoff, a diagnosed pathological liar, is back in trouble after successfully fighting to have his law license reinstated. Leo’s DNA has been found on the shirtsleeve of murdered human trafficker Cyrus Balik, making him the prime suspect in the slaying. Though Leo maintains his innocence, his alleged motive is clear-cut: he represented Bonnie Tressler in a lawsuit against Balik for hooking her on narcotics and raping her when she was 14 years old. Bonnie overdosed before she could be called to the stand in that case, and Leo and the cops suspected Balik of having her killed. The FBI cuts Leo a deal: they’ll keep him out of prison if he helps take down Balik’s syndicate. That mission puts him back in touch with his ex-girlfriend, a former cop who’s now working for a company developing a mysterious cure for cancer. The overstuffed plot also includes flashbacks to Leo’s long history of deceit that continually recast the present-day action in a new light. Ellis’s storytelling gets too tangled, and his characters are too implausible, for this to cohere. Here’s hoping Ellis’s next outing marks a return to form. Agent: Susanna Einstein, Einstein Literary. (July)