Endless Road and Other Stories — John Lutz

Lou Roebuck, in "The Truth of the Matter," seemingly has it all: cushy, high-paying advertising job, beautiful trophy wife, and stellar war record. But it's all a house of cards. Roebuck is a pathological liar. The war record is a lie, the job history that landed him a job is a lie, and the devoted wife will jump ship when the lifestyle disappears. When the house of cards collapses, Lou robs the company safe of petty cash and hits the road, where his instinctual ability to deceive, under the pressure of flight, begins to affect Lou's own sense of what's real and what's not. This superb story showcases Lutz at his suspenseful, nightmarish best. Four other fine stories round out this excellent collection by a modern master. The title story--about a military advisor who makes a potentially history altering choice based only on events from his youth--seems especially timely at a point when many citizens are pondering what prompts various world leaders to make their decisions.