In many respects, think I'd have named this one The Last to Lie - in the end, it seems to me, it comes down to the last one to get caught in a whopper. And while I won't reveal who that is, I will say that there are plenty of possibilities; virtually every single character is not telling the truth about something.

Almost all of the lies are centered around issues surrounding a pharmaceutical company's drug and its off-label use as a female fertility booster. Problem is, the company's reps are using illegal tactics to promote the drug's prescriptions by their clients. What's more, the doctors may not be warning patients sufficiently of potentially devastating side effects. At least one character, Ellie, is leading a crusade to right what she considers to be an unholy wrong; as a newly minted Boston investigative news reporter, she's trying to pull together enough evidence to air the story of her lifetime - one that will take down the company and its owners, the uber-wealthy Vanderwold family. Like it or not, she's assigned a novice assistant, Meg, an eager beaver who has to be one of the most annoying characters on the planet.

Enter another would-be company opponent, Nora, manages to get hired by the company as a pharmaceutical rep. But her motive isn't to become sales team leader; rather, she, too, is surreptitiously looking for evidence of company wrong-doing. Then there's the family itself, and it's anything but the Ozzie and Harriet variety. There's a powerful but off-putting father, a manipulative mother who makes the Wicked Witch of the West look like a saint, a suntanned hunk of a son who will one day take over the company and a younger sister whose hatred of her parents all but consumes her life.

The story is told mostly from the perspectives of Ellie and Nora, with chapters flipping between the two as well as back in time to focus on what's happening with the Vanderwold crew. That's done as well as this technique ever is, but it gets more confusing as we learn that not everyone is who they claim to be (oh heck, almost no one is). The crossover into the realm of unbelievability, though, happens as the various characters meet and interact with each other as their various alter-egos and no one is the wiser (put another way, even with different colored contact lenses and a wig and a seven-year absence, I'm pretty sure I'd recognize my husband).

All told, it's a clever concept that held my attention throughout and it's well worth reading. Thanks very much to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. Now I'm looking forward to the next one from this talented author!

First, a thank you to NetGalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having absolutely loved The Murder List, I didn't even bother to read the description before I dove into this one. So, I was a little startled to discover that the big villain was big industry and quite honestly, a little dismayed - for some reason those typically just don't do it for me. As I sit here typing this, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole - did I like? Did I not? There is so much do duplicity, so many impersonations that it's sometimes difficult to keep track of what's going on, who's who. (I'm impressed that the author didn't confuse herself!) For me, it felt a little alienating, but at the same time, it did keep me trying to figure out what the heck was going on - and that's a good thing - hence the four stars. The ending was a little hokey, but not in a bad way and I'll continue to read Hank Phillippi Ryan books because they have yet to disappoint.

Lie is what people do to get what they want. This terrific book not only has a lie, but multi-layered lies that include broken lives seeking revenge which evolves into murder. When you think you have it figured out, there's a twist that you never see coming. You won't want to put this book down.

OMG! My head is spinning and I am so mad this book is over! I loved every second of it! Thank you Hank Phillippi Ryan for this crazy web of lies, deceit, murder, rich people, Blinker the cat, and most especially for making it so twisted there was NO way to figure out the story until the very end! A true psychological thriller!
I will not give anything away because you need to read this not knowing anything about it. The surprises are so worth it! But I will tell you it messes with you! I loved the characters! All of them! *wink wink*....read it and you will know what I mean :-)

10 stars across the board! This is a summer read must have!!

Thank you for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was offered the opportunity to review The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan, which publishes August 04, 2020. I have read several of her books previously, and this book did not disappoint! A murder mystery with multiple twists and turns, set in the pharmaceutical industry. I read this book in one sitting, then started the book over again. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss any of the subtle clues scattered among the pages. As I've come to expect from the writing of Ms. Ryan, the book was well written, paced well, and the story was fun to read. I would highly recommend and encourage you to preorder this one, or stalk your favorite books store on August 4 to grab your copy!

Hank Phillippi Ryan has written another winner with The First to Lie. Multi-dimensional characters and plot twists that keep you guessing until the very last page. Be careful or you might just get caught up in the web of lies that Ryan spins so expertly. If you are looking for a great summer read them I definitely recommend this book.

Not a huge fan of this one. There were too many POVs and alternative personas happening and it started to just get unbelievable. I just have a hard time believing that if you change a wig and a pair of glasses, no one would recognize you. Also...way too much "I'll get revenge...just you wait." It was an ok read, just not plausible.

The story was good, but the characters confusing. I know part of the mystery was all the characters playing different parts, but that just didn't work out to be as thrilling as I had hoped.

Suspenseful? Some, This book has some good elements but it wasn't for me. Though I will recommend to those who enjoy a twisty story with a good plot.

Quickly I realized this book was not for me. I had a really tough time following this story as there are many, many characters to keep track of and a few of the characters change their names which really confused me. DNF at 40%. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this complimentary book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This one was loads of fun! Twist after twist after twist, The First to Lie is an aptly named roller coaster ride that will keep you guessing right to the end. Investigative reporter Ellie is hot on the trail of a pharmaceutical company that is engaging in some shady practices. What follows is a story so engrossing and well-told that you’ll need to finish this in one sitting. Interesting characters, great story, an absolute page-turner. FIVE shining stars fo this one. You will NOT be disappointed. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was sucked into the story right from the beginning and felt like I was a spy as I read it. There is definitely a guessing game as to if most of the characters are who they say they are or if they are somebody else that had been introduced into the story through delving into the past and through different narrative perspectives. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

4 out of 5 stars
I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review.
This was a twisty tale. You should know from the start that just about everyone's going to be lying - the title is <i>The First to Lie</i> after all. Keeping up with all the lies, and trying to figure out who these people really are kept me guessing nearly till the end. I managed to catch on just before each reveal, save for one last one which I wasn't expecting. It also kept me eagerly turning pages, hoping to see my latest guess either confirmed or find new clues that would make me revise my theory! It was a very fun read, exactly what I've come to expect from Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Twists and turns on every page. Just when I thought I had someone figured out, they became someone else. Revenge, retribution, and a big drug company who would do anything to make money. This story was a bit hard for me to follow but I did think it was well written.

When reading The First to Lie, make sure you focus on who the characters are. It was a bit confusing to me as characters were being introduced and time was flicking back and forth, but perhaps that was just me. Once I was focused, I was intrigued. There is a large pharmaceutical company that may hold the answer to many struggling women's prayers. Does it truly work? Is it safe? Or is the company just trying to make money? When the company is investigated by a TV journalist, things become really scary for many involved. There are so many plot twists and character surprises that keep you turning the pages so you can find out what happens next. Great book!

I think writing a review for this book without giving any spoiler is going to be impossible for me. So I am just going to keep it simple!

An amazingly twisted book filled with mystery that will literally fry your brain thanks to the multiple characters and deception all through the book.

It took me a while to actually get into this because there are so many characters and each of their version is narrated in this book. Once I finally understood what was going on I just couldn't stop reading it and the final conclusion was just amazing. It was totally unexpected!

This is my first book by this author and I am looking forward to read more of her books.

Highly recommended to all mystery & thriller lovers!!

Thank You to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this ARC!!

FUCK YOU PHARMINEX!
end of review
JUST KIDDING! But yay for a storyline about bringing down a big pharma company that doesn't represent itself or its drug(s) the way it should. And then to use this towards women with fertility issues - let me just say that this makes my blood boil for a number of reasons..... But while this is the main part of the book in terms of storyline, let's take a big look at the characters that seem to be the most interesting thing within these pages.
Ok, first of all, I didn't expect so many damn POVs and it took a while for me to get into this book because of it... and then once it all made sense, I did that open mouthed "huh" thing you do when that light bulb goes off over your head. Now, I'm all for suspending some belief in any story that I read... but I do think this one may have *just* gone a little too far. One character, maybe two but then..... what? Sorry readers, I can't say much more or it'll spoil this book for you and I refuse to do that.
Full of twists and turns you may or may not see coming, what you will find are motivated characters who will do whatever they need to in order to get to the bottom line. While I found the book to be entertaining, I do think taking it down a notch or two in terms of the whose who would've helped me enjoy it more as a story rather than as one of trying to keep track of what was going on. My first by this author and definitely wanting to try another.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC.

Wow, I must have missed the boat. There was so many spectacular reviews! Talks of huge plot twists, deep characters, and everything coming together nicely. Sure. But mostly, I found it to be too wordy. To confusing at times, with so many POVs. I hate to be the one to go against the grain, but I didn’t have a good time with this book.

The First to Lie is the first book that I have read by Hank Phillippi Ryan. After reading some of the reviews, and hearing good things from other book reviewers that I follow, I was excited to receive an advance copy. I found the premise of the book - exposure of an unethical, corrupt pharmaceutical company -very intriguing. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the book. It took me two attempts to finish and I considered giving up a couple of times. I think that because all of the characters are pretending to be someone else (and in some cases, multiple someone elses), I found it hard to connect with any of them. Even though this book didn't work for me, I look forward to reading more from this author - hopefully some of her other titles will be a better fit for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge Books for the ARC.
Publication Date: 8/4/2020

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

The First to Lie is somehow my first book by Hank Philippi Ryan, but now she has definitely went on my list of go-to authors. I got the same feeling while reading The First to Lie as I did with The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger. Both books have unique and smart plots that you haven’t read before and are a nice change of pace in a genre that is currently dominated by domestic psychological thrillers.

The First to Lie is a mystery about a pharmaceutical company that may be manufacturing fertility drugs that can actually cause a woman to become infertile. The book features multiple narrators and timelines that all interconnect and build to a fun and satisfying conclusion. While I saw some of the twists coming, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. The author is excellent at juggling multiple plot lines and keeping a consistent pace throughout.

Overall, The First to Lie is a unique, well-plotted mystery that is perfect for fans of Cristina Alger and Kimberly Belle!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted closer to release date. .