This is structured so well (or I’m a dummy, you pick) that I didn’t figure out the answer to the big question until right before it was revealed. But I got the like one early! Fast-paced and fun, I’m glad I picked it for the weekend so I don’t have to stop reading much!

Girl, what!?! NOW I did figure out the twist. However, I truly enjoyed the journey this book went on. It had my interest even with my theories. This one didn’t follow the typical thriller pattern, which I liked. All in all, was a great read. Thank you NetGalley and Ashley Elston for proving me with an ARC for my honest review.

A LOT of subterfuge going on here! I began thinking 'She's not who he thinks she is', & that moved on to 'And he's not who she thinks he is!' ......& then there were others joining that parade! It was a lot of trickery & misdirection. And it all made for an interesting read..... but I can't say that I was ever overly invested in any of the characters....maybe that had something to do with all the misdirection, it was hard to really settle with anyone....because you didn't quite know who they were/what game they were playing. A lot of twists/turns, but maybe kind of a easy, quick 'beach read' in the mystery/thriller genre?
I received an e-ARC of the book from the Penguin Publishing Group/Viking, Pamela Dorman Books....via NetGalley, for review purposes.

4.5 stars

i absolutely loved this book and was hooked very quickly into it. It had short fast chapters with multiple timelines that made it so much fun and enjoyable overall to read!

I feel like they was just so much going on in this book, that it was really hard to follow… Good story line just too many “people”

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston is an intriguing cat-and-mouse thriller with some mob/scam elements mixed in. I went into this book blind and really enjoyed it. It was just twisty enough that you aren't sure who to trust.

Evie Porter is a sweet southern girl - yes, that's her job and she does it well. She's been sent by her boss, Mr. Smith, to build a relationship with the target, Ryan Sumner. She's there to figure out what Ryan is hiding in his business. But as she's getting comfortable in his life and home, with his family and friends, someone shows up using Evie's real name and knowing far too many details about Evie's real life. She knows that she messed up her last job and Mr. Smith wasn't happy about it. Could this be a warning from her mysterious boss that she shouldn't screw up this time? He is always watching, you know...

You definitely have to put aside some belief for this one, but it's entertaining and a fast-paced read that will pull you in and not let you go until you find out who is actually pulling the strings.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book was definitely not for me. I only finished it about halfway and could not continue it. It wasn’t the type of book that I normally read too many details and not enough plotline.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston is a riveting thriller that follows Evie Porter, a master of deception. Given a new identity and mission by her enigmatic boss, Mr. Smith, Evie targets Ryan Sumner in a town she's meticulously studied. This job, however, feels different—Ryan gets under her skin, making her yearn for a different life.

As Evie navigates her complex assignment, her real identity, which she’s fiercely protected, surfaces in the same town, complicating everything. With her past closing in and her future at stake, Evie must outsmart everyone to survive.

Elston's novel is a fast-paced, high-stakes story filled with suspense and unexpected twists. Evie’s character is compelling, and the tension between her past and present keeps readers hooked until the very end.

I loved this book! It was a very intelligent and riveting read. I found the premise quite original and fascinating. The book is a fast-paced read that will keep you up at night not able to put it down. I understand this is under consideration for a movie - all I can say is I can't wait to see it!

I didn't enjoy this book too much. I would rate it a 2 stars. I like thrillers that follow regular people and what happens to them. I didn't like the aspect of following a con artist. It follows Evie who is the con artist and you see flashbacks of how she got into this life. I thought it was slow and boring at times.

It was a well-written psychological suspense novel. I liked the characters quite a bit.
Felt slow-moving in the beginning, but picked up eventually.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Evie Porter isn’t who she seems to be. In fact, she doesn’t exist. Evie is just one of the aliases created by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, whom she has never met. With each new assignment, he gives her a new identity, a new location, and a target. Her last assignment didn’t go too well and Mr. Smith is not happy. Evie must prove herself or else!

This was a page-turner full of twists and turns! Cleverly written, it kept me guessing the whole time. I highly recommend this thriller!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her." Such a great lead in!!

What I liked about this book:
1. It had a fun premise - loved the hype around the book!
2. The characters and the plot were clever.
3. Fast paced - cat and mouse thriller.

What I didn't like:
1. I was lost for the first part of the book.
2. Felt like it was written to be a movie vs a book throughout many parts of the book.
3. The shift between past and present was too much and too sharp - we could have had the back and forth but made it a little less jarring.

Thank You to Pamela Dorman Books for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley.

First, thank you NetGalley and the publisher of First Lie Wins for granting me access to an e-arc of this novel. Second, I thought I was going to be reading another general mystery/thriller but then before I knew it, I was reading my first spy thriller! I think the story is well written, very well paced and if you enjoy spies, this is a great title for you! For me personally, spy thrillers are not my thing, but I definitely had a good time and will recommend this to many.
Evie Porter is living her quiet life with her great boyfriend in a very small town. However, she is not Evie and nothing about her is real. That is until the real starts to be uncovered when someone who claims to have her real identity comes around.

Just fine. Quick read, enough surprises, and scenes that draw in the reader. However, I found it to be surface-level in terms of plot - somewhat formulaic. I think fans of the genre will feel satisfied and I imagine this one will be popular!

This was interesting, though perhaps a little trite. Still very enjoyable page-turner; we have multiple copies of this in our collection as it was a book club pick.

It takes a lot for a thriller to truly impress me these days, but FIRST LIE WINS managed to get it done! I'm typically a sucker for the scammer/con-artist trope, but over the past few years, the market has felt a bit saturated. Luckily, everything about this felt fresh and fun!
Who doesn't love a morally grey character? Elston did a particularly nice job making Evie, who has a bit of a sinister edge, likeable. Although the flashbacks slowed the novel's pace a bit, they provided a lot of character development.
I can't get over the Southern setting! This book primarily takes place in Louisiana, but has little side jaunts to Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, etc. I mean, of course l'm going to love a book with a scene set on Ole Miss's campus!

What a debut! Every time I thought I knew where this book was heading I was proven wrong - I loved it!

What a book! It was difficult at first to keep up with because there were flashbacks and alias names, but I caught on quickly and loved this book! And because it went back and forth there was always a different story, which in my opinion makes it more interesting to read and you can not get bored with it. This is definitely one of my favorite books because of all the twists and turns that keep you wanting to read more to figure out what is going to happen next. I loved the ending and how it was a complete shocker, which makes me want a sequel! If you want an action pact mystery that will keep you on your toes, this suspense thrilled book is definitely for you! Thank you NetGalley, PENGUIN Viking - Pamela Dorman, and Ashley Elston for an ARC of this book!

It's a slow burn, but I really enjoyed it. An actually unique story with interesting twists. Not really a thriller as the tension is quite low, Which means it's an interesting mystery without so much of the DV that seems to be almost required in so many thrillers these days. Love!