I loved this book! I love books with multiple POVs and I really loved the pharmaceutical angle of this one. It can help so many, but if it hurts a few, is it worth it? Will definitely be reading more by Hank Phillippi Ryan!

This was my first book by Hank Phillippi Ryan but it definitely will not be my last. How I managed to go so long without reading her, I have no idea. I found this one really entertaining, and loved how it switched between POVs. I found this book really easy to follow, and love that parts of it took place in my home of MD! This book has lots of twists and turns, and not being a big fan of big pharma, I love a story that takes on pharmaceutical companies. This one kept me guessing until the end, and I couldn’t believe how it ended. So many twists! I recommend this one to those who love twisty reads, and books filled with lies, secrets, and revenge. This one is available now!

I did not enjoy this book. I am over the new narrator every chapter genre as well as the unreliable narrator. I enjoyed Hank Phillippi Ryan's other books, but this one didn't do it for me.

This book will have you questioning everyone’s motives up until the very end. Thrilling cat and mouse storyline. Loved this book highly recommended

This book is best to go into with very little information so you can truly enjoy the twists and turns throughout. It was fast paced with a great flowing storyline. This one will keep you guessing until the very end!

The First to Lie was a gripping story that kept me up late following the twists and turns of the plot, where fake identities and intrigue left me wondering until the startling ending. Hank Phillippi Ryan takes on some of the unsavory characteristics of the pharmaceutical industry as well as some not-quite-ethical medical practices. Combined with the greed and snobbishness of some of the supporting characters, this makes for a dangerous combination.

Pls don't kill 🔪me but I couldn't help boasting abt the author first!

✍️ USA Today BESTSELLING AUTHOR @HANK has Won FIVE AGATHA AWARDS in addition to Anthony, Macavity, Daphne du Maurier, and Mary Higgins Clark Awards.

As ON-AIR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER for Boston's WHDH-TV, she's won 36 EMMYS and many more Journalism Honors, and her work has resulted in new laws, criminals sent to prison, homes saved from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in restitution for victims and consumers.

Ryan lives in Boston with her husband, a Nationally Renowned civil rights and criminal defense attorney.
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📚 “Intricate, complex, and devilishly clever… like reading a burning stick of dynamite.”

📖 This book, is fast ⚡paced & a quick (352 pg) exciting read!
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MIRRORS MAKE SUCH FALSE PROMISES. THEY TELL YOU: LOOK HERE, AND YOU’LL SEE YOURSELF. BUT THAT’S THE FIRST LIE.

I am so amazed at myself & at the author's writing style, so simple yet so enticing.
Tbh I have never read murder mysteries or thrillers of any sort more than Nancy Drew & Famous Five in middle grade. I don't know, I somehow lost interest in this genre.
But reading this one, got me up & alert, as if I am the one responsible to unearth this mystery! 😅
I read mixed takes on this book but for me it was not at all twisted or confusing or with too many POVs. There was nothing too much, that I did not love.
There was a reality check, money-power-dupe, emotions, resentment-regret- revenge & call for justice & retribution.

So the STORY is pretty simple, wherein a pharmaceutical co. markets it's drug as a miracle drug for ppl who have infertility issues & crave a biological child. The company never reveals the side effects of the drug & plays with the fears & emotions of it's patients.
The whole gig is to bring the truth out in the open.

All said, it's the EXECUTION of the story, the main characters: Nora( Brooke) & Gabe(Liam) & also the supporting characters that make this read awesome.

It also talks abt various life lessons, briefly, throughout..like..
We all have our reasons for being who we are.
Speaking lies, enacting various role, changing enactments- that's how I have survived.

I also liked the mention again n again, wherein Nora/ Brooke is influenced by her mother's words throughout her life until she finds out... 🤫

Loved it!
⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️
P. S. Remember the author has already won 5 Agatha Awards!

#noorthebookwormreviews
#thefirsttolie

The First to Lie was a great read by Hank Phillippi Ryan. This book questions what would happen if you could become someone else in order to get what you want. A young woman was betrayed and goes on a very obsessive path to get justice. She will get that justice, no matter what dark secrets are revealed about her family. But she doesn’t realize that she isn’t the only person looking to get revenge. I loved reading this book and can’t wait to read more by Hank Philippi Ryan.

I got an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for a review. The idea behind the story is good but I had a hard time getting into the story and there were too many characters who were not who they pretended to be. Overall, I figured almost every characters but one and was shocked to have gotten them right from the beginning.

The First to Lie takes readers on quite a roller coaster ride! I’ve got to share that the number of twists and lies from various characters in the book was pretty astonishing & tough to keep up with! Just when you were thinking you were starting to figure things out, another curveball was thrown & shook everything up again.
I haven’t read a book with this same subject matter before, so the mystery surrounding reproductive drugs and a pharmaceutical company scandal was interesting to follow along with. If you don’t mind that subject matter & enjoy lots of twists, you’d likely enjoy this book.

Mirrors make such false promises. They tell you: Look here, and you'll see yourself. But that's the first lie. You see a face and a body, sure. But a mirror doesn't show your true self.

That you have to find on your own. By looking inside. And no seductive piece of silvered glass can help you. Still I know all it takes is tweak here and twist there to become someone else. So, would you do it? To get what you always wanted? Sure you would. All you have to do is lie.

When is it good to lie? The title itself lends you to believe that you cannot believe the narration. However, based on the title, you as the reader are searching for the truth. Who do I believe in the cast of characters? Sometimes you have to lie to expose the truth- that is what draws you in.

Ellie is on the story of her life. The big pharma and the family behind it. Women who desire a child of their own however, because of the drug Monifan, they have hope. Hope turns into something dreadful.

Because the narration unravels the plot little by little, it is to easy to give anything away but I can say the lies lead to sad truth of Big Pharma, what people will do for money, and the breakdown of the family. I was a bit frustrated with Ellie and Meg but after the big reveal, my frustration eased and I was awarded with big surprise of surprise. Enjoyed this one.

A special thank you to Forge Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Revealing a lot about this book would definitely spoil it. To say it is twisty is an understatement. The story is told primarily in the alternating points of view of Nora, a sales rep for the pharmaceutical company Pharminex, and Ellie, a TV reporter investigating Pharminex. Ellie suspects that Pharminex has been pushing a fertility drug without adequately explaining its risks. There is also some backstory about the family that owns Pharminex. Just assume everyone in the book is lying. The motivations aren’t terribly credible. You also have to believe that one character is too stupid and unobservant to live and that the obsession to give birth blocks all thoughts of surrogacy or adoption. Despite the facts that the plot was preposterous and I hated the ending, this book was certainly a page turner. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and the Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.I

It took a few pages for me to get into the book but once I did I could not put it down and actually finished it in one day.
So many twists and turns, ups and downs that I felt like I was on a never ending rollercoaster!!!!.
One of the best Psychological thrillers that I've read this year.
I absolutely can't wait to read more by Hank.

What a twisty thriller! The First to Lie kept me completely entertained from beginning to end! All of the characters in this book are lying, and they each have their own agenda. I didn't know where the story was going to end up, but Hank Phillippi Ryan did a great job of tying it all up in the end. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'm just going to say that you should definitely read this book! Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

No one is as they seem and they all lie! This book got very addicting after 25%. I almost gave up and I'm so happy I didn't.

This book is crazy because it seems like it could be true. It makes you think about medications that have serious repercussions besides death. So twisted!

Caution: this book talks heavily about miscarriages and infertility that is caused by a medication.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thought I had this book figured out, but I was proven wrong over and over again. This was a great suspense novel full of twists and plenty of interesting characters. I had a difficult time putting this book down. If I could have, I would have read it all in one sitting!

This may be the first thriller this year that I have enjoyed! The twist were awesome and there were a lot of them! This follows the POV of three characters that are seemingly unconnected but you know they are. I love reading thrillers with multiple perspectives. This book was unputdownable!

Twists and turns, deception and lies. What is the real truth? And whose truth? Enjoyed this book a great deal.

What if there's a big Pharma company marketing a drug for off label purposes? In this case, the drug is supposed to help women have babies. But, there is a terrible side effect in some cases that makes the women unable to conceive.

What if there's is an investigative reporter who wants to bring the company down? Assisted by her slightly strange coworker, Meg, Ellie sets out to do just that. Quickly she finds she is in over her head. Not everyone is who they seem to be, nor everything either. Who told the first lie and what was it?

The book is told from varying points of view. For a minimum, there is Ellie and Nora with flashbacks told by Brooke and Lindsey. I found this a little hard to follow especially in the beginning. I had some trouble getting into the book and staying interested, but things got better.

A good bit of the book seemed to move slowly. Then near the end, there were a lot of revelations and action increased. It did keep me guessing though up until then. And there were plenty of twists.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. Mainly this was because of the number of points of view and how slowly the book moved for me at times. The resolution was really the best part for me. It's worth a read. Just don't expect lots of action. It moves at a more sedate pace. It is a standalone novel.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This didn't affect my review in any way.

Sigh. I’m all for a thriller with a good twist that I don’t see coming but it can also be taken too far. And unfortunately, for me that was the case in The First To Lie.

At the start we are following two characters - Nora who works at a pharmaceutical company and Ellie who is an investigative journalist trying to expose the company for knowingly selling a drug with harmful side effects. Great premise! However it quickly started to go downhill for me - spoilers ahead.

It turns out Ellie and Nora are the same person. Okay! But then it also turns out the men they are each talking to - Gabe and Guy - also the same person. At this point it starts to feel like the author is just messing with us (the reader) because obviously they all know that. It’s getting fairly convoluted but fine.

Then we have Ellie/Nora’s neighbor/assistant Meg and her source Abigail. Guess what??? Same person!

We are also learning about the Vanderwalds - the family behind the pharmaceutical company, particularly Lacey (the daughter in law) and Brooke (the daughter). Guess what? You’ll never guess this time. Meg/Abigail is ALSO Lacey AND Ellie/Nora is ALSO Brooke! AND Gabe/Guy is ALSO Liam - Brooke’s boyfriend when she was 15. This didn’t work for me. Too much. And pretty early on I realized everyone were overlapping I just wasn’t sure exactly who was who and I was hoping Gabe might turn out to be Trevor - the son who died but his body was never recovered. Figured either that or Liam.

Anyway - if you like your twists with some unbelievable twists on top - this might be more for you. It was a miss for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.