An engaging read that I thoroughly enjoyed! Highly recommend and will purchase several physical and digital copies for library collections. Thank you!!

This addictive, unique, and twisty thriller is a standout in the genre. Evie Porter is a con woman (and Evie is an alias) who works for Mr. Smith, her mysterious boss who communicates with her via postal boxes. He sends her the latest target with little initial knowledge about the ultimate goal, and she insinuates herself into the target’s life and then waits for her next instructions. The story is flawlessly plotted, and the twists and turns come at just the right points in the story. Every time I thought I had it figured out, the plot went in a different direction. I recommend going in blind to not have anything spoiled. First Lie Wins will be a huge hit for those who enjoy well-executed thrillers that keep the reader guessing until the very end. 4.5 stars

Excellent read. I ejoyed 10 blind dates so much and love that an author can serve up two different genres so enticingly well. Thank you #netgalley for the ARC. I chose this for our book club read which is why I waited to read it. It was worth the wait though.

A page turning mystery thriller. Keeps you guessing the whole time. Will appeal to fans of Lisa Jewell and Lisa Unger. Highly enjoyable and a great read!

Evie is so shrewd and uses her con skills so cunningly at times I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or just say wow. I could see this story being made into a tv movie as there are a lot of thriller moments, twists, and turns. Here’s hoping we hear more Evie in another story.

This was SO FUN! At first it felt like The Passenger, which I read forever ago but remember really enjoying. I liked the change in timeline, enjoyed the twists, and felt the character motivation made sense. A quick and fun read!

Evie has worn many hats, and many names. Now she's dating a perfect guy, Ryan, but not for the right reasons. It's all a con, but what Evie doesn't know now is who's being conned. Thrilling and original, readers will be left breathless.

Fun thriller! Was addictive and twisty! enjoyed this--good beach read! thank you net galley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a review.

I always love when a books plot is unique. This book was definitely not like others that I had read. I kept trying to chase the lies. Seeing if I had it figured out. Such a clever story line. Highly recommend.

Thank you Ashley Elston, Penguin Group Viking, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First Lie Wins is a fast paced, cat and mouse game, strong female lead, with lots of twist and turns book and WOW was it good!

Who is Evie Porter? Who does she work for? What is her goal? First Lie Wins had me guessing from the beginning to the end. I had no idea what kind of ride this book was going to take me on, and a rollercoaster it was! Ashley did an amazing job keeping me on my toes and trying to figure out what was happening and who I should be rooting for along the way. If you like psychological thrillers that keep you wanting more then you have to read First Lie Wins.

I got this book from NetGalley a while back but the hype around its release and immediately after got to me and I just couldn't bring myself to read it at the time. But once I started it two days ago, I could barely put it down and I ended up taking my lunch break at work yesterday in my car just so I could finish it in peace.

I inhaled it. It was such a fun read. I think the premise was neat; I loved reading things from the perspective of a liar and thief like Evie. The short chapters were really propulsive and I found myself thinking "Okay, I can handle another chapter or two." until I my eyes burned to close and I had to get some sleep. Even though a lot of the characters are criminals, I really liked them! Especially Evie's sidekick Devon, who I would love to know more about. The twists were a lot of fun and I loved how it ended.

I can see why it was so hyped up!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early review copy via NetGalley in exchange for my thoughts in the form of a review. Thank you, PRH/Pamela Dorman Books!

First Lie Wins was one of the most entertaining "thrillers" I've read in a long time. Actually, I have a hard time categorizing this book - it is not really a thriller, but an intense "cat and mouse" game with a very satisfying ending.
Evie Porter has just moved to a small town in Louisiana, and has moved in with her boyfriend, Ryan. After being introduced to Ryan's friend group, Evie faces a lot of scrutiny and questions about her background. Chapters flashing back in time alternate with the present telling the story of Lucca - the girl that "Evie" truly is. She is employed by a mysterious "Mr. Smith" and cons people or does unusual tasks dictated by the mysterious Mr. Smith, who she knows only by modified electrical voice. When Evie starts to have intense feelings for her present target, Ryan, and realizes that Mr. Smith may be setting her up for an epic failure - or worse - the true nature of the game is revealed.
Is it a bit implausible? yes. Is the book fast-paced and entertaining? Also yes. I enjoyed the ride and twists and turns of Evie's adventure.

This wasn't for me, I think. I didn't like the characters, I found the story to be rather boring and I was unsatisfied with how it ended.

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group/Pamela Dorman Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was twisty and fast-paced with great character development of Evie, the main character, but man, was it was A LOT. The book is told in alternating timeline format -- each of Evie's past jobs (going back 10 years), and then the present (i.e. her current job). Evie is basically an undercover operative, working for an unknown boss "Mr. Smith". Evie jobs are generally to retrieve secret information about a client, and report back to her handler. She has had varying degrees of success on her past jobs, but Evie's current job seems like a perfect situation.

Evie has become the new girlfriend of her target Ryan Sumner, and tries to find information on his "secret" smuggling business to give to her boss. But she really likes Ryan, and he invited her to move in with him, and everything is going great. Until she meets one of Ryan's old friend James, who has a girlfriend who looks JUST LIKE EVIE. She has her real name too (Lucca Marino), which throws Evie into a huge loop. As the noose of the job pulls tighter, blackmail ensues, and Evie begins to struggle with her morality and contemplates just walking away from the job.

Along the way we meet other players in the game: Matt (Evie's Handler), Devon (Evie's trusted tech guy/secret helper), Amy (one of Evie's former targets, who Evie is being blackmailed about killing), George (Evie's deliveryman), and of course Mr. Smith himself. Eventually after many crossings, double-crossings, triple-crossings, we find out Mr. Smith's true identity (this twist got me; I thought I had it figured out, but I in fact did not. Kudos to the author on that one).

If you like mystery-thrillers and twisty, plot-driven books with morally gray characters, then you'll love this book! IT can get confusing at times because of all the timeline-jumping and aliases, but the book is worth it! A very good read!

Elston has created an exhilarating story of betrayal, lies and deceit in her debut novel, First Lie Wins. I was hooked from page one and read this story in one sitting. And can we just talk about how cute of a name for a protagonist Evie Porter is? Loved every page.

4.5

“Blunt honesty has more value than blind worship”.

This was a fun and wild ride of a book. A twisty turny southern thriller where you don't know who to trust, what's real and who the players are. This book kept me guessing. I felt like it left enough breadcrumbs throughout to make sense but surprised me enough to be intrigued. I liked the way it wrapped up and I appreciated the found family element of this one.

Now this was a good thriller. You know from the beginning that our narrator, Evie Porter, isn't who she says she is. We don't know exactly who she is or what she's doing, but we know to be wary. This sets the stage for a great thriller full of cons, lies and manipulations. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but this was very well done.

There are little reveals throughout the book that keep you guessing about what is actually happening and who is telling the truth. By the end, it all gets explained and it is done so well. This isn't a whodunit thriller, but rather one of trying to figure out who is doing what, for who, and why.

It was a book I didn't want to put down - so that's the sign of a good one!

First Lie Wins is a whirlwind of suspense! This fast-paced, twisty thriller hooked me from the first page. Evie Porter, the protagonist, is a captivating enigma – clearly hiding a secret past. What starts as a simple con takes a sharp turn, becoming a complex exploration of a morally ambiguous character. Elston masterfully dives into the question: can someone like Evie ever truly escape their shadows? First Lie Wins is a thrilling adult debut, and I can't wait to see what Elston writes next!

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would have given this a 4/5 (very good), if I didn't have to pay such close attention to the storyline. There were many details, twists or info that needed to be followed. However, I did like it, and I'm definitely interested in more by this author. (3.75/5)

It takes a lot for any suspense story/thriller to truly surprise me, but this one did on multiple occasions. And boy, was it fun!

Evie Porter and Ryan Summer seem like the perfect match: a young, attractive couple, ridiculously in love, about to move in together. The only catch? Evie Porter doesn‘t exist - and Ryan Summer is her mark. So begins this clever cat and mouse game full of false identities, secrets, and plot twists. Watching Evie in action felt reminiscent of watching Sidney Bristow in those glorious „Alias“ days, although Evie doesn’t have the CIA (real or fake) behind her, but her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith. But she is equally tough and quick to think on her feet, and it‘s impossible not to root for her.

I flew through this solid, twisted, unexpected thriller, and I’m already secretly hoping there might be a sequel at some point.

Thank you to the author, Pamela Dorman Books, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.