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The Liar's Playbook: A Memoir of Family and Crime
The remarkable, true story of an unusual childhood, complete with gangsters, guns, diamonds, drug smuggling, and fraud—just like any other little girl’s life.
At twelve years old, Leslie Bradford-Scott watched police cars swarm her family’s suburban home in Ontario. Hours later, she, her mom, and her grandmother were fleeing across the border into Florida with no explanation and no questions allowed. In an instant, her idyllic childhood turned into a maelstrom of grift, guns, and tragedy.
Decades later, Leslie’s mother handed her a blue binder—her father’s secret prison manuscript dubbed the Liar’s Playbook. Inside was a confession to trafficking goods, running arms, and playing both sides between international intelligence and the mafia. For most of her life, Leslie believed her father was a drug dealer with delusions of grandeur. Instead, she discovered a shadow world of espionage, organized crime, and explosive family secrets, including her father’s claim that he smuggled jewels to fund CIA-backed operations for the Contras. Her investigation leads to Hamilton’s violent “Bomb City” era, where mobsters like the Musitanos settled scores with dynamite, and some of the blood trails lead straight to her family.
Part true-crime thriller, part intimate memoir, The Liar’s Playbook tracks a daughter’s search for truth through unreliable memories, corrupt intelligence agents, and the long echo of her father’s double life. As she pieces together what really happened, Leslie must ask the one question that still haunts Can you forgive someone whose actions nearly destroyed you?
At twelve years old, Leslie Bradford-Scott watched police cars swarm her family’s suburban home in Ontario. Hours later, she, her mom, and her grandmother were fleeing across the border into Florida with no explanation and no questions allowed. In an instant, her idyllic childhood turned into a maelstrom of grift, guns, and tragedy.
Decades later, Leslie’s mother handed her a blue binder—her father’s secret prison manuscript dubbed the Liar’s Playbook. Inside was a confession to trafficking goods, running arms, and playing both sides between international intelligence and the mafia. For most of her life, Leslie believed her father was a drug dealer with delusions of grandeur. Instead, she discovered a shadow world of espionage, organized crime, and explosive family secrets, including her father’s claim that he smuggled jewels to fund CIA-backed operations for the Contras. Her investigation leads to Hamilton’s violent “Bomb City” era, where mobsters like the Musitanos settled scores with dynamite, and some of the blood trails lead straight to her family.
Part true-crime thriller, part intimate memoir, The Liar’s Playbook tracks a daughter’s search for truth through unreliable memories, corrupt intelligence agents, and the long echo of her father’s double life. As she pieces together what really happened, Leslie must ask the one question that still haunts Can you forgive someone whose actions nearly destroyed you?
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
336 pages, Paperback
Published May 26, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’ll start off by saying I’m not normally big on the non-fiction side of things most of the time but there was something that intrigued me about this book. I was extremely pumped when I received this eArc from Simon & Schuster & Netgalley.
This is an in-depth look into the lives of Leslie Bradford Scott & her father Jean Claude Garofoli. Everything about this book screams “no way is this real”. Leslie takes us on a wild ride from Grimsby, Ontario to Florida with her family talking about diamonds, Sheiks, mafioso, armed robbery, fraud, CIA, informants….. honestly there is literally everything in this book. There are a few things that I took away from this story that I am not sure I was supposed to but oh my goodness were Father & Daughter geniuses. The amount of businesses and ventures that were started and had succeeded for periods of time for these two was absolutely astonishing. The amount of times they re-invented themselves and restructured their lives is utterly amazing. But the true feat is the depths that Leslie goes to in trying to understand her Father and his life is unwavering dedication. It all starts with her mom handing her a binder of her father’s memoir that he wrote while in prison. While delving into his account she encountered alot of what he wrote didn’t match up with her memories. Here begins her journey to piecing together her childhood into adulthood and who her father and her family truly were. The people she tracks down the secrets and lies she uncovers it will blow your mind.
I’m going to be thinking about this story for a long while and the utter commitment Leslie had in finding herself and coming to peace with her past and accepting who her father truly was. A fantastic read.
This is an in-depth look into the lives of Leslie Bradford Scott & her father Jean Claude Garofoli. Everything about this book screams “no way is this real”. Leslie takes us on a wild ride from Grimsby, Ontario to Florida with her family talking about diamonds, Sheiks, mafioso, armed robbery, fraud, CIA, informants….. honestly there is literally everything in this book. There are a few things that I took away from this story that I am not sure I was supposed to but oh my goodness were Father & Daughter geniuses. The amount of businesses and ventures that were started and had succeeded for periods of time for these two was absolutely astonishing. The amount of times they re-invented themselves and restructured their lives is utterly amazing. But the true feat is the depths that Leslie goes to in trying to understand her Father and his life is unwavering dedication. It all starts with her mom handing her a binder of her father’s memoir that he wrote while in prison. While delving into his account she encountered alot of what he wrote didn’t match up with her memories. Here begins her journey to piecing together her childhood into adulthood and who her father and her family truly were. The people she tracks down the secrets and lies she uncovers it will blow your mind.
I’m going to be thinking about this story for a long while and the utter commitment Leslie had in finding herself and coming to peace with her past and accepting who her father truly was. A fantastic read.
April 5, 2026
Thank you Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this memoir.
Bradford Scott’s memoir is lively, showing the contradictory stories of her own memories of those of her fathers in his own memoir. This memoir shows the reader that we never truly know the people around us, and that love can exist even in the most complicated of relationships.
Bradford Scott’s memoir is lively, showing the contradictory stories of her own memories of those of her fathers in his own memoir. This memoir shows the reader that we never truly know the people around us, and that love can exist even in the most complicated of relationships.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The Liar’s Playbook – When Struggle Feels Like Performance
How did the book make me feel/think?
Early responses frame this as a story of resilience. I struggled with that reading. Much of what’s presented as hardship is cushioned by mobility, opportunity, and choice—travel, business attempts, the ability to walk away.
The narrative begins to feel less like survival and more like self-mythologizing.
I never felt the stakes. I never felt the cost.
And without that, I couldn’t connect to the character or root for her—especially as the writing leans into its own importance, drifting toward performance rather than story.
The Liar’s Playbook presents itself as a story of resilience in the face of unfathomable obstacles.
But was it?
Cars. Luxury. Mobility. Opportunities everywhere.
Struggle? Start a business. Don’t like it? Walk away.
Love arrives in a cherry-red convertible. Woe is me.
High school drama. A distant mother. A brother with asthma. A golden child sister.
Bullying is never okay… but weren’t you talking about your criminal father?
Somewhere along the way, hardship begins to feel misframed—less survival, more performance.
And then: a proposal from an older man, a property purchase… why did I keep reading?
The prose collapses under its own weight. A bombardment of metaphors. Everything means too much. The reading experience becomes exhausting, insufferable. I couldn’t connect. Sentimental whiplash. Twenty words where four would have been sufficient. The story is lost in the performance of being a “writer.”
The times may have been difficult. I’m not convinced the writer understood how easy their difficult lives were.
With nobody to cheer for… what’s the point?
I liked the book. Then I didn’t.
WRITTEN 19 March 2026
2 stars = flawed in craft or execution.
How did the book make me feel/think?
Early responses frame this as a story of resilience. I struggled with that reading. Much of what’s presented as hardship is cushioned by mobility, opportunity, and choice—travel, business attempts, the ability to walk away.
The narrative begins to feel less like survival and more like self-mythologizing.
I never felt the stakes. I never felt the cost.
And without that, I couldn’t connect to the character or root for her—especially as the writing leans into its own importance, drifting toward performance rather than story.
The Liar’s Playbook presents itself as a story of resilience in the face of unfathomable obstacles.
But was it?
Cars. Luxury. Mobility. Opportunities everywhere.
Struggle? Start a business. Don’t like it? Walk away.
Love arrives in a cherry-red convertible. Woe is me.
High school drama. A distant mother. A brother with asthma. A golden child sister.
Bullying is never okay… but weren’t you talking about your criminal father?
Somewhere along the way, hardship begins to feel misframed—less survival, more performance.
And then: a proposal from an older man, a property purchase… why did I keep reading?
The prose collapses under its own weight. A bombardment of metaphors. Everything means too much. The reading experience becomes exhausting, insufferable. I couldn’t connect. Sentimental whiplash. Twenty words where four would have been sufficient. The story is lost in the performance of being a “writer.”
The times may have been difficult. I’m not convinced the writer understood how easy their difficult lives were.
With nobody to cheer for… what’s the point?
I liked the book. Then I didn’t.
WRITTEN 19 March 2026
2 stars = flawed in craft or execution.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The What
This story follows a woman from the small town of Grimsby, Ontario trying to make sense of the complicated legacy her father left behind. He was a man who always seemed to live somewhere between legal success and criminal behaviour, never fully belonging to either world. After his death, she discovers his memoir and begins a journey to uncover the truth about who he really was. Along the way, she also starts uncovering truths about herself, her childhood, and the patterns she inherited from growing up in chaos.
The How
Memoir, hidden memoir, mafia, self-discovery, generational trauma, healing, hidden secrets, complicated father-daughter relationship, family member loss, small town secrets, healing journey.
The Vibe
This memoir is told from the author’s point of view. She incudes photos of her childhood and growing up, while referencing to specific excerpts from her father’s memoir that he wrote while in prison.
The Hit
This memoir was not about exposing secrets or digging into crime, it was about understanding how unstable childhood environments shape you, and learning to separate the good traits worth carrying forward from the toxic habits that need to be left behind. I loved the theme that wealth and status mean nothing if your life is empty underneath it all. I also loved that the author was able to heal and find forgiveness.
The Miss
I really wish we got more from the memoir itself. I wanted more of the gritty details, more of the father’s voice, and more insight into the real criminal elements of his life. Some sections also dragged a little, and there were a few moments that felt unnecessary or like they did not add much to the overall story.
The Rec
If you enjoy uncovering hidden truths, mafia drama, and emotional self-discovery, this is definitely worth picking up. I enjoyed this one.
Overall I would rate this book:
⭐️ Rating: 4/5
This story follows a woman from the small town of Grimsby, Ontario trying to make sense of the complicated legacy her father left behind. He was a man who always seemed to live somewhere between legal success and criminal behaviour, never fully belonging to either world. After his death, she discovers his memoir and begins a journey to uncover the truth about who he really was. Along the way, she also starts uncovering truths about herself, her childhood, and the patterns she inherited from growing up in chaos.
The How
Memoir, hidden memoir, mafia, self-discovery, generational trauma, healing, hidden secrets, complicated father-daughter relationship, family member loss, small town secrets, healing journey.
The Vibe
This memoir is told from the author’s point of view. She incudes photos of her childhood and growing up, while referencing to specific excerpts from her father’s memoir that he wrote while in prison.
The Hit
This memoir was not about exposing secrets or digging into crime, it was about understanding how unstable childhood environments shape you, and learning to separate the good traits worth carrying forward from the toxic habits that need to be left behind. I loved the theme that wealth and status mean nothing if your life is empty underneath it all. I also loved that the author was able to heal and find forgiveness.
The Miss
I really wish we got more from the memoir itself. I wanted more of the gritty details, more of the father’s voice, and more insight into the real criminal elements of his life. Some sections also dragged a little, and there were a few moments that felt unnecessary or like they did not add much to the overall story.
The Rec
If you enjoy uncovering hidden truths, mafia drama, and emotional self-discovery, this is definitely worth picking up. I enjoyed this one.
Overall I would rate this book:
⭐️ Rating: 4/5
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What initially drew me to this book was the blend of true crime and memoir. It’s such a compelling concept, but while the story itself is powerful, the overall execution felt a bit flat for me.
The Liar’s Playbook follows Leslie’s journey growing up in the shadow of her father’s crimes, navigating the weight of family trauma while trying to build a life separate from it. As she confronts her past, including her father’s own written account from prison, the memoir explores truth, identity, and the long process of healing.
What stood out most was Leslie herself. Her growth, persistence, and determination to rise above her circumstances are incredibly admirable. You can feel how hard she fought to carve out a different path, and that resilience carries the heart of the book. The way the memoir explores family trauma and the ongoing process of confronting and processing it is honest and well done. It doesn’t feel easy or neatly resolved, which adds to its authenticity.
However, the pacing didn’t fully work for me. Around the two-thirds mark, when the focus shifts more heavily to her father’s prison manuscript, it started to feel repetitive. The structure throughout followed a pattern where tension would build and then drop, only to repeat again, which made the reading experience feel uneven. While I understand that memoirs reflect real life and aren’t meant to be tightly plotted like fiction, the tone remained quite consistent throughout, which contributed to that sense of flatness.
Overall, The Liar’s Playbook tells an important and personal story, anchored by a strong and admirable voice. While the pacing and repetition made it harder to stay fully engaged, Leslie’s journey and resilience still make this a meaningful read.
The Liar’s Playbook follows Leslie’s journey growing up in the shadow of her father’s crimes, navigating the weight of family trauma while trying to build a life separate from it. As she confronts her past, including her father’s own written account from prison, the memoir explores truth, identity, and the long process of healing.
What stood out most was Leslie herself. Her growth, persistence, and determination to rise above her circumstances are incredibly admirable. You can feel how hard she fought to carve out a different path, and that resilience carries the heart of the book. The way the memoir explores family trauma and the ongoing process of confronting and processing it is honest and well done. It doesn’t feel easy or neatly resolved, which adds to its authenticity.
However, the pacing didn’t fully work for me. Around the two-thirds mark, when the focus shifts more heavily to her father’s prison manuscript, it started to feel repetitive. The structure throughout followed a pattern where tension would build and then drop, only to repeat again, which made the reading experience feel uneven. While I understand that memoirs reflect real life and aren’t meant to be tightly plotted like fiction, the tone remained quite consistent throughout, which contributed to that sense of flatness.
Overall, The Liar’s Playbook tells an important and personal story, anchored by a strong and admirable voice. While the pacing and repetition made it harder to stay fully engaged, Leslie’s journey and resilience still make this a meaningful read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
“As the sun dipped lower in the sky, we sat there, father and daughter, enveloped in a fragile peace I hadn’t felt in years. It was a peace built on the remnants of old wounds and the quiet of approaching finality. But underneath, questions still simmered. Who did he see when he looked at me?”
The Liar’s Playbook, A Memoir of Family and Crime, is a captivating and moving read, and intimate page turner.
Imagine your childhood, or everything about your family as you know it, being questioned… not knowing who your father really is, nor who you are?
This is what @lesliebscott is trying to uncover as she shares her story here. But memories are unreliable, and nothing makes sense anymore.
When her mother hands over a binder; her father’s hand written manuscript from years back, Leslie Bradford-Scott reads through with interest, but also some doubt. Her relationship with her father had always been complex, a man larger than life and with many faces.
But facts and details are oddly specific, and so she starts to wonder; could his words be true? Was her father a fraud, a wanted man, or was he a valuable informant for the CIA?
An account of a tumultuous upbringing and unbelievable experiences, and the woman trying to demystify it all. Finding herself in the process, as well as some closure along the way.
Beautifully honest, and full of courage.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.
The Liar’s Playbook, A Memoir of Family and Crime, is a captivating and moving read, and intimate page turner.
Imagine your childhood, or everything about your family as you know it, being questioned… not knowing who your father really is, nor who you are?
This is what @lesliebscott is trying to uncover as she shares her story here. But memories are unreliable, and nothing makes sense anymore.
When her mother hands over a binder; her father’s hand written manuscript from years back, Leslie Bradford-Scott reads through with interest, but also some doubt. Her relationship with her father had always been complex, a man larger than life and with many faces.
But facts and details are oddly specific, and so she starts to wonder; could his words be true? Was her father a fraud, a wanted man, or was he a valuable informant for the CIA?
An account of a tumultuous upbringing and unbelievable experiences, and the woman trying to demystify it all. Finding herself in the process, as well as some closure along the way.
Beautifully honest, and full of courage.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Liar’s Playbook: A Memoir of Family and Crime by Leslie Bradford Scott
Pub Date May 5/26
This is a surreal memoir as Leslie recounts her childhood and the complicated trajectory of her life. When she is handed a manuscript her father wrote while in prison, revealing secrets and a life she was too young to understand, it sparks a desire to uncover the “truth” about who her father really was.
As the youngest child, Leslie, never felt fully connected or part of the family. Frequently overlooked, and often left to fend for herself, she envied the seemingly close relationships her parents shared with her older siblings. She grows up insecure, grappling with feelings of being unloved and unworthy. Scott describes her fragmented understanding of her impulsive, charming father’s world, the undertone of secrecy and sense of danger and how this environment shaped her.
The memoir is divided into two sections, Leslie’s account of her life and her later investigation and podcast, following her receipt of her father’s manuscript. This leads to considerable repetition in the second portion of the book, without adding to the narrative. I would have preferred a more interwoven narrative.
Like Leslie, you are left with just as many questions as answers about the many faces of her father.
Pub Date May 5/26
This is a surreal memoir as Leslie recounts her childhood and the complicated trajectory of her life. When she is handed a manuscript her father wrote while in prison, revealing secrets and a life she was too young to understand, it sparks a desire to uncover the “truth” about who her father really was.
As the youngest child, Leslie, never felt fully connected or part of the family. Frequently overlooked, and often left to fend for herself, she envied the seemingly close relationships her parents shared with her older siblings. She grows up insecure, grappling with feelings of being unloved and unworthy. Scott describes her fragmented understanding of her impulsive, charming father’s world, the undertone of secrecy and sense of danger and how this environment shaped her.
The memoir is divided into two sections, Leslie’s account of her life and her later investigation and podcast, following her receipt of her father’s manuscript. This leads to considerable repetition in the second portion of the book, without adding to the narrative. I would have preferred a more interwoven narrative.
Like Leslie, you are left with just as many questions as answers about the many faces of her father.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC.
Non-fiction books about growing up in dysfunctional families have a high bar to reach (because who hasn’t read and loved The Glass Castle or Educated?) The Liar’s Playbook certainly tries, and for some, may succeed. My take is that I actually think the story might have been more compelling as a fiction novel based on true events. I say this not wanting to discount Leslie Bradford-Scott’s experience in the slightest. However, because she was left in the dark throughout her childhood and, in many instances, wasn’t able to get concrete answers in adulthood, it was hard to understand the intricacies of everything her dad was doing and what the stakes were.
The strongest moments of storytelling come in the first half of the novel, when the reader experiences Leslie’s childhood along with her. For example, the chapter where she was robbed in her car put a pit in my stomach, and knowing that her brother would eventually die but not knowing how created a tangible sense of unease. I also enjoyed the author’s writing style – easy to read and digest amidst the chaos occurring in the pages.
It was the second half, when Leslie combs through her dad’s manuscript, that admittedly lost me a little bit. The book delves into her dad’s recollection of various events compared to Leslie’s, but since the reader already knows Leslie’s experience, it begins to feel a bit repetitive. She also goes back and forth between giving her dad the benefit of the doubt, praising him as a genius, and blaming him for the neglect and instability she experienced in childhood. And I understand that these are the sort of complicated emotions a person who grows up with a narcissistic parent would likely feel, but when they’re put in a novel format, it becomes hard for the reader to decide what to feel, because the author herself still doesn’t quite know.
Overall, The Liar’s Playbook was an interesting story, and generally well written. I’m just not sure if I took anything away from it.
Non-fiction books about growing up in dysfunctional families have a high bar to reach (because who hasn’t read and loved The Glass Castle or Educated?) The Liar’s Playbook certainly tries, and for some, may succeed. My take is that I actually think the story might have been more compelling as a fiction novel based on true events. I say this not wanting to discount Leslie Bradford-Scott’s experience in the slightest. However, because she was left in the dark throughout her childhood and, in many instances, wasn’t able to get concrete answers in adulthood, it was hard to understand the intricacies of everything her dad was doing and what the stakes were.
The strongest moments of storytelling come in the first half of the novel, when the reader experiences Leslie’s childhood along with her. For example, the chapter where she was robbed in her car put a pit in my stomach, and knowing that her brother would eventually die but not knowing how created a tangible sense of unease. I also enjoyed the author’s writing style – easy to read and digest amidst the chaos occurring in the pages.
It was the second half, when Leslie combs through her dad’s manuscript, that admittedly lost me a little bit. The book delves into her dad’s recollection of various events compared to Leslie’s, but since the reader already knows Leslie’s experience, it begins to feel a bit repetitive. She also goes back and forth between giving her dad the benefit of the doubt, praising him as a genius, and blaming him for the neglect and instability she experienced in childhood. And I understand that these are the sort of complicated emotions a person who grows up with a narcissistic parent would likely feel, but when they’re put in a novel format, it becomes hard for the reader to decide what to feel, because the author herself still doesn’t quite know.
Overall, The Liar’s Playbook was an interesting story, and generally well written. I’m just not sure if I took anything away from it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book started out strong! Maryann’s life chronicled from childhood memories through adulthood. Processing the trauma throughout and dealing with her dad’s crazy schemes and distorted versions of the truth. As a fellow Canadian who is familiar with the areas discussed in the book I also loved how I could vividly picture the environment and surroundings. The chapters would outline Maryann’s perspective and then show how different her dad had remembered it in his “liars playbook”.
Then around 60% everything repeated itself. We had read Maryann’s and her father’s version throughout so why were we recapping it again? It wasn’t full of drama and danger - but the significant trauma moments well paced in the beginning were already resolved in the readers mind by the time they were repeated. No new details were added and I felt like the authors therapist listening to multiple instances of the same thing for her to process - something that we as the reader didn’t need.
The author led such an impressive and turbulent life and I really wish the rest of the book followed the pattern of the first 60%.
Then around 60% everything repeated itself. We had read Maryann’s and her father’s version throughout so why were we recapping it again? It wasn’t full of drama and danger - but the significant trauma moments well paced in the beginning were already resolved in the readers mind by the time they were repeated. No new details were added and I felt like the authors therapist listening to multiple instances of the same thing for her to process - something that we as the reader didn’t need.
The author led such an impressive and turbulent life and I really wish the rest of the book followed the pattern of the first 60%.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This unflinchingly honest debut is a riveting account of a daughter’s struggle to come to terms with her father’s abusive, felonious past, and of the self-awareness that comes with healing. What is so extraordinary about Leslie Bradford-Scott is her unwavering strength, wisdom and courage to follow her dreams and create a fulfilling life for herself and her children, despite a volatile past rife with betrayal, trauma, rejection, secrets and lies. Told with a visceral understanding of the human condition, in compellingly wrought prose, The Liar’s Playbook captures the resilience and loneliness of one woman’s search for truth, identity, love, and a safe place to call home.
I highly recommend The Liar's Playbook, which has stayed with me months after reading this extraordinary memoir.
I highly recommend The Liar's Playbook, which has stayed with me months after reading this extraordinary memoir.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Part true crime, part memoir and way more emotional damage than I expected. Yes, there are mafia connections, family secrets, and brushes with the criminal world but the real story lives in the messy, complicated reality of growing up in its shadow.
I went in thinking the crime would be the main character. Plot twist: her survival story completely stole the show. This isn’t just about mob ties it’s about neglect, resilience, and realizing that sometimes the biggest mystery isn’t the crime… it’s understanding your own parents.
Came for the mafia drama, stayed for the heartbreak and honesty.
Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the eARC.
I went in thinking the crime would be the main character. Plot twist: her survival story completely stole the show. This isn’t just about mob ties it’s about neglect, resilience, and realizing that sometimes the biggest mystery isn’t the crime… it’s understanding your own parents.
Came for the mafia drama, stayed for the heartbreak and honesty.
Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I was excited to read this as I love true crime. This memoir follows Leslie’s life growing up with a complicated family and her father’s criminal ways. We get Leslie’s POV as well as excerpts from her father’s manuscript he wrote while in jail.
I think the main focus of this story is how Leslie was the product of her environment and how she persevered through that but I was missing more details of her father’s life and the crimes he committed. The writing felt a little flat and like it dragged a bit. I felt some parts were unnecessary to the overall picture but I understand this is a memoir.
I did enjoy it for the most part though.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!
I think the main focus of this story is how Leslie was the product of her environment and how she persevered through that but I was missing more details of her father’s life and the crimes he committed. The writing felt a little flat and like it dragged a bit. I felt some parts were unnecessary to the overall picture but I understand this is a memoir.
I did enjoy it for the most part though.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!
May 26, 2026
All family members experience events from the past through their own lens to some extent, but probably this disparity was never so dramatic as when Leslie read the journal written by her father before he died and discovered that his version of events was markedly different from her own memories. She sets out to find the truth by interviewing family and friends, and is eventually able to reconcile her complex feelings for the enigmatic, brilliant, ambitious, and downright criminal character who did so much to influence her own life decisions.
Thanks to the publisher for this Advance Review Copy.
Thanks to the publisher for this Advance Review Copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I wish I could travel back to the 70s and give little Leslie a huge hug. She deserved to be seen and listened to. I was a lot more interested in her memories than her dad's writings. It's his story, but also hers. I thought the life of crime would be the interesting part, but her story is the captivating one; living through neglect and surviving a lot pain.
Leslie is a beautiful writer and I am so grateful she was able to put her story down.
I wish I could travel back to the 70s and give little Leslie a huge hug. She deserved to be seen and listened to. I was a lot more interested in her memories than her dad's writings. It's his story, but also hers. I thought the life of crime would be the interesting part, but her story is the captivating one; living through neglect and surviving a lot pain.
Leslie is a beautiful writer and I am so grateful she was able to put her story down.
May 27, 2026
Non-fiction and memoirs are not my favourite genre(s), I do pick one up every once and awhile that sounds intriguing which is why I requested this ARC. This book follows the author and her Father through their crazy and intriguing lives in the world of crime. My favourite parts were the exerts from the blue binder from her Father, I could have had more of that. This one could be for you if you like mafia stories and elements of self-discovery and forgiveness.
Thank you to @simonschusterca and @netgalley for the advanced readers e-copy in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to @simonschusterca and @netgalley for the advanced readers e-copy in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Non-fiction isn't my go-to genre but this was an interesting journey. Detailing a Canadian family's life through crime, excerpts straight from a prison journal of the patriarch. All from the POV of a resilient daughter and her realizations of what her father truly was. I found it captivating to read about these dirty dealings so close to home where I of course it seems like these crimes only happen in the movies.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received an advance copy of The Liar’s Playbook to review, and I fell immediately under its spell. Leslie Bradford-Scott pieces together the mystery of her father‘s double life with honesty, curiosity, and surprising humor, and it reads like a detective story. The Liar’s Playbook is a moving reminder of how complicated families and the truths we inherit can be.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Part true crime, part memoir. The author tells the story of growing up with a father with mafia connections but it’s more than that. It’s a story of
the secrets that hold a family together, the lies we tell ourselves, and the quest to truly know who our parents are. If you like resilient women, shady underworld deals, and swanky Florida families, this book is for you.
the secrets that hold a family together, the lies we tell ourselves, and the quest to truly know who our parents are. If you like resilient women, shady underworld deals, and swanky Florida families, this book is for you.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This fascinating and deeply moving story explores themes of courage, resilience, determination, acceptance, and forgiveness. The author demonstrates remarkable courage in her quest to uncover the truth about her father, regardless of what she might discover. Her resilience is especially evident in the face of hardship, including the life-altering decision to leave her family home at just fifteen years old.
Her determination shines through in her efforts to build a better life for her two children—one filled with the love, encouragement, and support she herself was denied growing up. Despite the absence of a nurturing foundation, she forges her own path with strength and purpose.
In time, she comes to accept who her father truly was. Near the end of his life, she ensures that her daughters have the opportunity to know their grandfather, creating a bridge between past and present. Ultimately, she reaches a place of forgiveness, recognizing not only the pain she endured but also the gifts she inherited from him.
In spite of a difficult and often painful upbringing, she succeeds in building both a thriving business and a meaningful career as a writer. Her story is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and the possibility of growth, healing, and transformation.
Her determination shines through in her efforts to build a better life for her two children—one filled with the love, encouragement, and support she herself was denied growing up. Despite the absence of a nurturing foundation, she forges her own path with strength and purpose.
In time, she comes to accept who her father truly was. Near the end of his life, she ensures that her daughters have the opportunity to know their grandfather, creating a bridge between past and present. Ultimately, she reaches a place of forgiveness, recognizing not only the pain she endured but also the gifts she inherited from him.
In spite of a difficult and often painful upbringing, she succeeds in building both a thriving business and a meaningful career as a writer. Her story is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and the possibility of growth, healing, and transformation.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
You never know what is happening behind closed doors, thank you for Simon & Schuster Canada for an advance copy. This book based is based on a family members life of crime it shows the love that happens even during chaos. I recommend this book if you like non fiction especially being from very close to where this book was based was pretty cool to me.
May 28, 2026
This memoir was gripping from the very beginning and held my interest until the very last word. Extremely well written, made me feel the emotions of the author. Pulled out many emotions from empathy to anger. A great experience for any reader !
May 26, 2026
One of the best books I have ever read. This kept me on my toes the entire time. What an incredible story.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.75 stars, rounded up.
This book was very different for me. I like to read at least one fiction book a year and I did find this super interesting, especially since I know some of the Canadian cities mentioned.
This book really dove into the impacts of emotional neglect can have on a child. Some quotes that really stood out to me where:
"The moment I stepped out of those hallways, the weight of home hit me- friction, silence, danger, and that constant feeling of being on the outside."
"...all that muscle, all that brawn was useless when you head's a psychological war zone. Hatty's brothers could bench-press a car, but they couldn't lift the weight of their father's addiction."
"Diamonds are forever, but so is emotional trauma." It was the gift. that kept on giving.
This book was very different for me. I like to read at least one fiction book a year and I did find this super interesting, especially since I know some of the Canadian cities mentioned.
This book really dove into the impacts of emotional neglect can have on a child. Some quotes that really stood out to me where:
"The moment I stepped out of those hallways, the weight of home hit me- friction, silence, danger, and that constant feeling of being on the outside."
"...all that muscle, all that brawn was useless when you head's a psychological war zone. Hatty's brothers could bench-press a car, but they couldn't lift the weight of their father's addiction."
"Diamonds are forever, but so is emotional trauma." It was the gift. that kept on giving.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
June 4, 2026*Received ARC copy from publisher*
Enjoyed this memoir. Found it very relatable at parts being from the same city & then moving to the US when I was also 12. The difference was I had loving & attentive parents, whereas Leslie’s were often borderline cruel & dismissive. Everything was shrouded in secrecy, with many unexplainable events & people.
I did have some issues with the order of the story. I felt her father’s journal entries should have appeared within her own story, not later/closer to the end. It’s sort of all over the place & very repetitive. I think in one chapter closer to the end, she mentioned that Mike was at her father’s deathbed 3 times & in the same words. Just felt it needed to be cleaned up more in the editing process. It also barely talks about the prison time of her father which I felt was alluded to a lot when reading the description of the book.
All in all, a fascinating story with alot of mystery in what her father’s truth was. & sad that she had to access who her father truly was through other people after he died. Leslie herself is an inspiring person, tenacious, determined & business minded. The letter at the end was the perfect ending & the cherry on top of acceptance & forgiveness.
Enjoyed this memoir. Found it very relatable at parts being from the same city & then moving to the US when I was also 12. The difference was I had loving & attentive parents, whereas Leslie’s were often borderline cruel & dismissive. Everything was shrouded in secrecy, with many unexplainable events & people.
I did have some issues with the order of the story. I felt her father’s journal entries should have appeared within her own story, not later/closer to the end. It’s sort of all over the place & very repetitive. I think in one chapter closer to the end, she mentioned that Mike was at her father’s deathbed 3 times & in the same words. Just felt it needed to be cleaned up more in the editing process. It also barely talks about the prison time of her father which I felt was alluded to a lot when reading the description of the book.
All in all, a fascinating story with alot of mystery in what her father’s truth was. & sad that she had to access who her father truly was through other people after he died. Leslie herself is an inspiring person, tenacious, determined & business minded. The letter at the end was the perfect ending & the cherry on top of acceptance & forgiveness.
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