Evie Porter has been a subordinate of the mysterious Mr. Smith for years. Her boss always gives her a different task, which always comes with a new identity. First, she has to blend in with her surroundings. She would then wait for George, the courier, to deliver further messages from him. Then the person to whom you have to get close in one way or another gains their trust. Then finally comes the task itself.

Years pass, and Evie always successfully completes every mission given to her.

But one day she finds herself face to face with her lookalike, who even owns her real name...

This woman could endanger the success of Evie's mission, and she is no longer sure that she wants to complete the task that drove her into Ryan's arms... Although Ryan trusts Evie, her friends would prefer to take her past into small pieces and analyze everything. With one exception, the others are satisfied with the information that Evie tells them. But Rachel can't be taken down like that...

Over the years, it has become clear to Evie that these dangerous missions are not life insurance, and if the operation goes wrong, there is no one to rely on. That's why she enlists Devon to be her right-hand man.

I just loved it! It was very exciting and kept me interested until the end. Even back then NetGallery's announcement newsletter promoted the book First Lie Wins in a very creative way, which is by the way the first Adult book of the writer Ashley Elston. She previously wrote YA books. Absolutely professional writing, highly recommend it to those who may not be fans of the thriller genre. I rarely read on this topic myself, but I'm happy I did get into it anyway.

This book gets ★★★★★ from me. :)



Thanks to NetGalley and to Headline for the arc in return for an honest review.

Evie Porter appears to have the perfect life, a handsome boyfriend who adores her and a lovely home, everything she's dreamed of since she was a little girl but Evie isn't who she says she is, in fact Evie Porter doesn't even exist, it's one of the many aliases she adopts whenever she takes on a job for her boss, the elusive Mr Smith. Her latest mark, Ryan Sumner is different though, she's falling for him but she knows, if she fails again, things will get very messy and her real identity could be compromised.

First Lie Wins is told from the perspectives of Evie and her numerous aliases throughout this intriguing, yet complex, story and dips back and forth from present to past telling us her back story. It's an interesting tale full of twists and turns at every chapter, which requires a lot of concentration so you don't lose your grip on the story and where it's heading. It's a first for me by this author and is definitely worth a read.

I'd like to thank Headline and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Addictive. Intriguing. Unputdownable (if that’s even a word). I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since finishing it.

First Lie Wins is Ashley Elston’s debut thriller and it is fantastic. Evie Porter had everything: a perfect boyfriend, a house with a garden and a group of fancy friends. Except Evie Porter doesn’t exist! She was given this identity by her mysterious boss Mr Smith and her mission is to discover everything about the town and the people in it. Her target is Ryan Sumner, but Ryan had gotten under her skin and she starts to envisage a life with him. But she can’t make any mistakes, not after what happened last time.

This book is brilliantly written. It had me hooked from the start and each chapter drew me in further. A great debut and I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Headline and the author for the chance to review.

Ashley Easton is new to me and I was intrigued by the blurb. Wow! I wasn’t let down. Simple premise but the detail and intricacy of the plotting is superb. The pace early lets up and I found myself literally skipping through this as the scenario unfolded. I love anything with a doppelgänger theme, but it’s not easy to get it all right. Ashley has nailed it with a timeline that moves back and forth and so many unexpected twists it makes your heart race. Very impressed by this tense and taut story that’s haunted me since I finished.

This thriller kept me guessing from start to finish. It was so fast paced, I couldn’t put it down. One of those ‘just one more chapter’ books, before you know it, you’ve finished! Would love a sequel.

WOWZERS! What an absolute belter of a read.

If you love books that have you shocked continuously, second and third guessing and full to the brim of twists and turns then look no further!

This is Evie Porter's story, but who is Evie Porter? Evie has everything but Evie doesn't exist.

Now living in Lake Forbing, Louisiana, Evie works for Mr Smith. She has many identities, many faces and travels covertly from one job to another, never knowing what will be asked of her.

Her latest mark is Ryan Sumner, unfortunately she falls for him which is not part of the job. How can she get her life back, love a normal life when she no longer exists?

An unpredictable, fast paced, well executed cat and mouse read that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Huge thanks to netgalley and Headline for the ARC.

A fantastic, fast paced thriller that's full of twists and turns. I loved how the book told the story from a totally different perspective, it was refreshing and fun. It had me hooked the whole way through. I'd love a sequel!

Ashley Elston is a female American author and mother of three and this is her debut as an adult thriller writer but she does have experience of writing thrillers for young adults. The book jumps around with chapters flashing back and forwards in time which can be annoying in some books but in this case is integral to the story line. We twist and turn and deceive and trick as alias names and confusion rains. Enjoyable read and clever idea for a plot line that teases the reader to the last page. Thanks the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC.

You meet someone at a party who looks exactly like you. They even have your name. What do you do?

This is the dilemma facing Evie Porter as she works an undercover job. The reader follows her on this job while also discovering her past through her different identities and her uncompromising boss.

This book had me absolutely gripped. Evie is morally grey but you can’t help root for her as she tries to make her way in a high stakes world. Told from Evie’s point of view but through different timelines, you’ll never see all the twists that have you guessing to the last page.

I absolutely loved this book! It kept my attention throughout and hooked me in immediately! I couldn't recommend this enough!

This is a great book!

The plot is clever, the characters felt authentic and relatable... despite being all very shady I could empathise with them on some level. The mystery builds slowly in a crescendo of things that don't add up, until the big blow when the 'true' Lucca meets the 'new' Lucca. Honestly I couldn't get my head around what was actually happening and why and had to stay awake late at night just to find out!

The plot was complex but not difficult to follow, very cleverly built and with a few twists (none of which I was able to predict) that kept me glued to the sofa. And the ending was very satisfying, I very glad all characters got what they deserved.

A must read for thriller fans!

Thank you Netgalley and Headline for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved the cat and mouse chase vibes in this book. I love a twisty thriller so this was right up my street!

A strong cat and mouse thriller with plenty of twists. Interesting characters, a fast narrative and a story with a satisfying denouement. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Wow. Twisty, clever, gripping, great story and characters that felt real, I couldn't put this down. Evie is working for Mr Smith but she is falling for her latest mark and nothing is feeling right - especially when a woman arrives at a party saying she is Lycra - Evie,a original name. Brilliant and original thriller - just buckle up and enjoy the ride.

The authors first book for an adult audience and after reading I'm sure it won't be her last.This was a strong paced thriller filled with characters all flawed in their own different ways.The storyline was unique and told in present time and from the main character's past aliases point of view.
The twists were unpredictable and the ending was summed up perfectly.
An excellent cat and mouse thriller.
RECOMMENDED.
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline Books for the ARC.

This started well with Evie Porter enjoying life with her dream man Ryan Sumner. Soon it becomes obvious that all is not as expected as the reader becomes aware that Evie is ‘on a job’ and that Ryan is her current mark.

I was expecting a psychological thriller but found this to be more of a spy thriller. There was a lot of dialogue about Evie being undercover in previous jobs, use of burner phones and too much where I had to completely suspend belief. Evie even found her own personal sidekick, Devon, who is an expert in obtaining information whether by hacking into computer systems, using devious code systems for communications, assuming different identities and outwitting the big boss, Mr Smith. This character was all too convenient for the plot and too unbelievable for me.

If you are looking for a novel with many twists and turns with a lot of jeopardy and danger thrown in this might be good for you. I can see this will appeal to many read but not for me.

I remember when this book was originally advertised on NetGalley - and although it is not the usual genre that I would choose - I was immediately intrigued by the storyline and was eager to read it!
I was instantly captivated by the protagonist’s story and then the situations that she found herself in, desperately reading as quick as I could to find out what the outcome would be at every stage and how she would overcome the obstacles and challenges thrown her way. This story is filled with twists and turns, many of which I never saw coming, but kept me hooked throughout and they continued all the way through to the very last chapters! The story was complex, intricate, incredibly well-constructed and revealed just enough in each chapter to leave you wanting more; I read this book in only a few sittings as I just could not get enough. Told from the perspective of the protagonist, but at different times in her life, Ashley Elston has created characters that are somewhat morally grey but incredibly likeable and I constantly hoped that things would actually work out for them!
It is very cleverly written and I will honestly look for more works by this author in the future, especially since this was their debut book! I would highly recommend this book to everyone and have already been speaking to many of my colleagues about it. This is a story that will stick with me for a long time and will be one of those that other books of this genre will be compared to.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ashley Elston for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.

This had so many good reviews so when I got the opportunity to read it I was excited.

The first few chapters were good, but then I found myself going back and forth, the chapters being told in present and some in past tense and it confused me quickly. I did however manage to finish the book but it has taken me so long to read it that I know I didn’t really enjoy it.

This just wasn’t for me but I know others have enjoyed it and other readers will.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a great read, I really enjoyed this book. It keeps the reader engaged all the way through, usually on the edge of their seat, a real page turner!
Even though the main character is not totally law abiding you can't help but warm to her as you learn about her past life and understand her thought processes.
The back stories help to flesh out the character and fill in the details building up to the present job. There are numerous twists that you don't see coming and predicaments that you wonder how they will pan out in the end.
I really appreciate the author's skill in writing this book and I would love to read more like this.