Another suspense novel by Hank Phillippi Ryan that will keep you up reading past your bedtime.

The first lie is the start of lies that change lives. Keeping the story straight is a lot of work for those living the lives they have created by their lies.

We follow Nora, Ellie, Meg, Lacey, Brooke as well as the Vanderwald family who own Pharminex. Great wealth doesn't always mean a happy life free if loss.

Nora Quinn is a pharmaceutical sales rep for Pharminex. Ellie Berensen is a investigative reporter for a new TV station who is focused on Monifan, a drug manufactured by Pharminex.

The plot seems pretty simple but is quite complex as the characters reveal themselves and their histories while they delve into revealing the truth behind this miracle drug.

A H.E. A. (Happy Ever After) ending to lighten the heavy drama of drugs gone rogue and an industry that allows these things to happen.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge.

It took me several chapters to start getting into this. There were a lot of twists and sometimes the story got so confusing that I'd have to reread sections multiple times.

Although The First to Lie's basic story isn't new, Hank Phillippi Ryan tells it in a fresh and exciting style, justifying Publisher's Weekly starred review and making me wish that PW could give it more than their highest recommendation. Ryan's experienced hand in this genre reveals itself at the start of this stand-alone novel. It did not take me long to become immersed and once I was in it was all I could do to hang on for the ride. I'm usually pretty good at sussing out clues and figuring out mysteries well before the end of a book, but The First to Lie had me guessing until almost the end. Who was who? Who was lying, or rather, who wasn't lying? The story gets tied up just a tad too neatly but that does not detract from this "can't put it down" book. Kudos to Ryan! I hope she's working on another one right now.

It is tough for me to review this novel without biases, since Hank is a friend (and really, she is a friend to the whole mystery community!) I will do my best. The novel opens as we move back and forth between the points of view of Ellie Berensen and Nora Quinn. Ellie is an investigative reporter, and Nora is an employee at the company Pharminex. Ellie is investigating Pharminex, and Nora is starting to discover why. The company has been producing a drug, Monifan, and encouraging doctors to prescribe it off-label for infertility. Unfortunately, a small percentage of women are rendered totally infertile by the drug, and so it harms many rather than helps. Pharminex is owned by the Vanderwald family, and in flashbacks, we see into the points of view of Brooke Vanderwald, the heiress daughter, and Lacey Vanderwald, the wife of heir son Trevor. We know, too, that in the present day, Trevor has died under mysterious circumstances. So there is a lot to untangle here.

Like THE MURDER LIST, the story moves in unexpected directions, although once I caught on to the theme, I figured out many of the twists. This did not spoil the story for me, though - I was invested in the characters and their different journeys. I also loved the lush descriptions, particularly in the Vanderwald sections, which drip with opulence as they examine the lives of the moneyed elite. Hank is good at describing with laser-pointed accuracy, giving details that allow the reader to slip right back into the aughts.

Hank Phillippi Ryan has written a superb read with The First to Lie. Well worth the time and a true page turner!

THE FIRST TO LIE
BY HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN

The reason why I chose to read this book is because I wanted to see for myself first hand how talented of a writer is this former investigative reporter who used to have her own segment every night in Boston where consumers could get help with a problem. Hank Phillippi Ryan really wowed me with this mystery about powerful families and powerful pharmaceutical companies. In this narrative nobody is really who you think they are which made for an explosive ending that happily I did not see coming. The ending is what clinched the deal for me that this was a mystery well worth my time and efforts reading it. At first it was confusing with Ellie/Nora but once I kept reading the pieces of the puzzle all interlocked with each other.

I really enjoyed reading this novel about an investigative reporter who worked for a TV network channel 11, just like the author's alter ego. Pharminex is promoting a pill to doctors who are supposed to assist woman who are having trouble having children and it destroys the chance to ever conceive as a side effect. Ellie's character was strongly developed and I liked her and this twisty turn of who she really was is what makes this read worth the effort when the reader comes to the big reveal at the end.

This former news woman turned author can really write and this story totally captivated my interest the more deeper into the book that I read. It took some time for me to get used to the ever changing character's but in the end all of the loose ends get tied up together. I would like to read more from this author and do recommend this to fans of the mystery/psychological thriller genre as I believe they will not be disappointed.

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Macmillan-Tor/Forge Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheFirsttoLie #HankPhillippiRyan #MacmillanTorForgePublishing #NetGalley

An intriguing novel of lies upon lies that keeps you reading while trying to find out who isundercover to solve the mysteries and who is dangerously creating the mysteries. Hank Ryan does a humdinger of a job in creating this exciting vol u me.

Wow! Talk about a mind blowing story! You really don't know who to believe once you get in to the meat of the story - there are a LOT of characters, and also many twists and turns that will have your head spinning! Once I got all the ladies identified, there was the multiple point-of-views, plus flashbacks to previous times. I found myself guessing (wrongly it turned out) many times, and was totally satisfied by the ending. I look forward to more from Ryan! Thank you to #NewGalley for my ARC of this pshchological thriller!

I thought the description of this book sounded really good. But I just could not get into it. I read up until Chapter 4 and just couldn't force myself to read anymore. I don't want to be harsh and say the book was horrible. I'm sure other people will enjoy it. It just didn't draw me in right away and I'm usually a big mystery/thriller reader.

This novel is a total thrill ride! It's a page-turning adventure, making you wonder what is going to happen from chapter to chapter. There are so many twists and turns that I found myself gasping on repeat.

The characters are dynamic and interesting, and the plot is fascinating. The story line is brilliant and intelligent, and the world is incredibly described and well crafted, creating pictures in your head as the story unfolds.

If you're looking for an exciting read that will keep you up all night, this is a fantastic choice!

I tried but just couldn’t get into this. I need to be sucked in pretty quickly and it just didn’t do it for me.

That was a twisted story! It’s an edge of your seat , trying to figure out what just happened story! Wow!
Lots of twists and turns in this book! I enjoyed it!
Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy

Nora, Ellie, Meg, Brooke, Lacey, Guy, Gabe, Pharminex – if you remember the children’s games where you trace a line from a person through a maze to an object, then this is the adult version of it.

Nora is hiding something, that’s for sure, but what? There are so man twists, we are quickly questioning everyone in this story. What are their real motives? Are they who they say they are? You think you have it all figured out, and then it takes another twist.

It seems simple enough at the beginning: Ambitious reporter Ellie is starting her new job at a TV station with an investigative piece on a pharmaceutical company and the devastating side effects their drugs can have.
And then there is Nora, trying to sell the Pharminex drugs to doctors… and yet trying to get close to the women in the waiting room as if trying to uncover something. What is she hiding? What is her interest in these women, so desperately trying to get pregnant and struggling?

It is a rollercoaster, but – just like in a rollercoaster – you are strapped in safe and you know you won’t fall. Hank Phillippi Ryan is your safety belt. She pulls the strings at the right moment, knows when to hold on tight and when to let go, and how to get us back down safely.
She expertly guides us through the maze of characters, lies and deceptions and you will find yourself glued to your book (or kindle) for a good few hours at a time, because every time you think you have untangled the web, you find a new element. This will leave you guessing until the very end.

The First to Lie follows the story of a reporter who’s trying to expose a pharmaceutical company for wrongful conduct. This company is manufacturing a “miracle drug” which is meant to help women become pregnant. This drug is being distributed and prescribed by doctors as an “off label” drug. What patients are not aware of, is that this drug can cause infertility in some women.

As we dig deeper into the story, we’re introduced to a few of the women who have been victims of this drug. Two of which are directly linked to the Vanderwald family, owners of the Pharminex Pharmaceutical Co.

This psychological thriller is packed with twists and turns. It has it all...scandal, secrets, drugs, a murder investigation, and characters who are not what they seem.

I’m so excited to join in I know How This Book Ends book club featuring a live conversation with the author of this book @hankpryan. The First to Lie will be available on 8-4-20. You’ll definitely want to get your hands on this one!

This plot is complex and full of twists and turns on every page. Philippi keeps you guessing from start to finish. Character within characters in this fast paced plot. How far would you go to right wrongs, seek revenge and report a story? This book has it all.

I literally couldn’t put this down. I almost want to start from the beginning and read it again. If you are looking for an excellent mystery then this is definitely the book for you. So many twists and turns leave you wondering what did I just read. Excellent plot but easy to follow. Fantastic characters you want to learn more about. Highly recommend!

The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan is an engrossing, if sometimes confusing, thriller involving reporters, lawyers, and big pharma. We are introduced to a cast of characters who we know are duplicitous for their own personal reasons. The story is told through the eyes of Nora and Ellie in the present tense, who each have an agenda to take down a big pharmaceutical company who is marketing a drug off-label to help women who are having fertility issues. There is also a back story told from the perspective of Brooke and Lacey who are members of the Vanderwald family which owns the big pharmaceutical company. I like that this book takes on the issue how big drug companies can conduct a cost-benefit analysis to calculate the cost of individual liability cases against the potential profit of using a drug which may have adverse side effects. It also tackles just how far investigative reporters are willing to go through to expose the truth. Ryan also manages to delicately discuss how painful infertility can be and what some women are willing to try in order to successfully conceive. This novel is full of twists and turns and characters who may not be who they profess themselves to be. I don't want to inadvertently give any spoilers, but Ryan does deliver a solidly entertaining thrill ride.

A bit too confusing for me. Several of the characters are someone else, or (supposedly) someone else, which led to a kind of merry-go-round type of story. Decent writing, ok plot. But nothing to elevate it above other more engrossing mysteries.

When a big drug company promises to help families with fertility issues but ends up causing infertility in women, Ellie, Meg, Gabe, Guy, and Nora become involved in one way or another. Who can be trusted? Who is guilty? The novel sends the reader on a wild goose chase with many suspects before neatly tying up all the loose ends. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

I was beyond thrilled to get an early copy of The First To Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan in exchange for an honest review! She is one of my current favorite authors and I loved The Murder List and Trust Me so much.

This book was a great thriller read but I must admit I missed the legal aspect that were in her other books! It isn’t my favorite of hers but I will forever be a fan. It was a bit hard to follow but with a great storyline as big Pharma is taken on and it’s super relevant these days! I pretty easily figured out what was going on with only a few surprises! No jaw dropping moments for me.

Overall, I totally recommend this read if you are a fan of this authors writing! I did enjoy it - but admittedly it fell a bit short for me possibly due to super high expectations!

3.5 🌟🌟🌟💫 - from me for a solid but in my opinion not a stellar read. I just expected more - 🤷‍♀️