I enjoy how this story combines elements of both spy and thriller genres! It’s exciting to see a con artist who gets outwitted by her boss with a duplicate of her. Now, it’s all about survival, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

First Lie Wins is a thrilling mystery that keeps you guessing right up to the end of the book. The characters are well-developed and the storyline flows well. I have read a lot of books over the years, and I tend to predict how the book will end before I get to the end. However, I was completely surprised by the ending of this book. I will be recommending this book to my book-loving friends!

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. Pub Date: January 2, 2024. Rating: 4 stars. In this cat and mouse thriller, the reader is taken on a journey of lies, deceit and an interweaving plot that keeps the storyline going. This is a unique thriller in which I have not read any stories like this one before. It was fast paced and it kept me wanting more. I finished this book in less than 24 hours. I could totally see this story being brought to TV/film. Thanks to #netgalley and #pameladormanbooks for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good con story. This one was so fun. Evie Porter is given a job and a mark and she must complete the job or else there will be trouble from her boss. But then another employee comes on the job, and she is using Evie’s real identity. Evie must make things happen or else her real identity will be gone forever.

The plots in this book were twisty and surprising. The way that unexpected characters banded together at the end to accomplish the final twist was fantastic.

I got bored with this book and stopped halfway through. I eventually went back and finished and am glad I did as it really finds it footing in the back half. My recommendation is keep reading if you want to stop and enjoy the finale!

A twisty, engaging book I could not put down! Evie Porter is moving in with her loving boyfriend ... except Evie Porter is not really Evie Porter, and her boyfriend is just her latest mark. Or is he? I loved following this story through Evie's eyes as she deals with her mysterious, creepy boss, alongside her shady boyfriend and his friends. We get backstory on how Evie came to this life, and all the pieces of her story come together in the end to show how she outsmarts them all. A really interesting, fast-paced read.

We read this for our book club and it was a great book club book! Fast paced and kept me interested the whole time.

“There’s an old saying: The first lie wins.”
First Lie Wins is a deliciously scandalous, twisty, cat-and-mouse thriller. It was fast paced and kept me on my toes. The dual timelines really fleshed out the story and added to the suspense. Highly recommend if you were a fan of Netflix’s con artist series, Imposters.

First Lie Wins is simply a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I admire the author’s ability to create and then relate such a well-plotted and interesting thriller.

First Lie Wins has a cast of interesting characters that are well-defined. The story moves effortlessly between the present and the events that previously occurred over a number of years. The backstories are well-drawn and add so much depth to the plot. Meanwhile, the story was never confusing or abrupt.

The twists that occur were unexpected and I literal gasp a time or two. I was constantly entertained by this book and it was definitely hard to put down. Thank you, Ms Elston, for writing such a clever thriller. It was 4.5 stars for me. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

First Lie Wins came highly recommended to me & I finally got around to reading it for a book club (a perfect book club book, by the way!) Elston kept me guessing and guessing throughout this one and I found all the characters easy to root for, while simultaneously not trusting anyone. It had all the makings of a great thriller, in my opinion!

I enjoyed that this book had espionage vibes and a bad A female lead. I liked that I was able to read about the past which helped me understand the present passages.

Evie Porter has it all. Blessed with beauty, she is now engaged to a wealthy business man who lives in a large, lovely home. The problem is it won't last, and it won't last because Evie will pull the plug on the relationship like she always does. Once the job is over. Evie is a con artist, hand selected by the mysterious Mr. Smith after she was caught in one of her cons.

If you like thrillers and books about con artists, this is a great pick. I was immediately pulled into the story and kept turning the pages trying to figure out how Evie will get out of the bind she finds herself in and how she navigates the true feelings she has toward this job's mark.

First, thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN Group Viking for the complimentary ARC. It was very exciting to have the chance to read and review this book months before everyone else. I can’t recall if it was already announced as being a Reese’s Sunshine Book Club pick when I read it, but it was extra special to read an advance copy of such a highly anticipated book. I jotted down my predictions in my iPhone Notes app, as I usually do when reading a thriller, but I was (uncharacteristically) way off base with my guesses about First Lie Wins. That’s how great the author is at creating a true mystery. I can’t wait to read future books by Ashley Elston.

let me preface this by saying that i am quite a while late on this review. however, i hope this review still influences you to read this book!

first lie wins follows con artist evie porter, who is hired by her boss mr. smith to worm her way into the life of businessman ryan sumner. but when the job starts to spiral out of her control, evie must do everything she can to save herself—and the job.

i know when i come on here, it’s usually to give high praise to a book. but i PROMISE you: this time is different. i have read so many thrillers before, but there is not a ONE that touches this for me. i couldn’t guess what was coming next. i literally was so tensed up reading the final 30% of this book. and evie is a full-fledged character. she’s not your typical “no emotion” spy; she has hopes, dreams, and loves. AND SHE IS SO, SO SMART. i almost wish i could gatekeep this book, but it’s already too popular. i think this might be my favorite thriller of the year, if not the decade.

FIRST LIE WINS is a winner! Fast paced, twisty and kept me on my toes!

Evie Porter is not who she says she is which only added to the intrigue and pulled me in from the very beginning!

This was my first book from this author and I look forward to see what she comes up with next! .

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and of course to the publisher. This was a Read Now on NetGalley for a short period of time and I snatched it up and so glad that I did! 4.5 stars!

A very fun and twisty mystery! To me, First Lie Wins is best experienced with little prior knowledge of the plot going in. Elston writes an engaging plot that makes you want to keep on reading.

I was excited to read First Lie Wins because I kept seeing it on lists of highly recommended books. While it is full of mystery and suspense, I couldn't get past the lack of a fully developed backstory necessary to understand the character of Evie Porter. She has a job with skills that appear out of nowhere and while other readers may not be bothered by this, I would have liked to read a bit more on how she became who she was. We got the why, just not the how.

I loved the twists and turns! I did find the last page very predictable. Otherwise I have recommended this book. It is definitely worth the read

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

First Lie Wins was impossible to put down. I recommend it for fans of thrillers.