OMG what a BOOK! I LOVED THIS BOOK.

It gave me the creeps, it was smart, it was UNPUTDOWNABLE (Is that a word? It is now). Wow seriously. I was hooked right from page 1 - I loved how it flipped back in time in parts and I really loved the twists and turns this book took us on, what a delight. What a creepy, brilliant, tense delight.

I love a good thriller and this was a cat and mouse thriller in the most unusual way, I loved that it was all morally grey characters and I loved all the surprises thrown our way. I loved how it was unwrapped and how it slowly started slotting together as the story went on.

Honestly - BRILLIANT. This is an instant recommend and I'll be forcing it on EVERYONE. Thank you Netgalley!!

4.5 STARS
This is a twisty, complex thriller that pulled me in from the first page.
The characters are interesting and well developed and richly drawn in this atmospheric character driven novel. Even though the characters are shady, I found they all had redeeming likable qualities
Evie has recently moved to a small town and meets Ryan who later becomes her boyfriend and they move in together. Then one day a friend from Ryan’s past turns up with his new girlfriend, who looks uncannily similar to Evie and is also using Evie’s previous identity. A cat and mouse tale told through multiple timelines, the past is seen through the eyes of Evie’s previous personas. It’s a twisty, tense and clever story, so gripping I read it in one sitting. Excellently plotted, the tale is skillfully structured and fast-paced, full of intrigue, secrets and lies.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

Wow what a fantastic book. I couldn't put it down. The plot is exciting and unexpected. I don't want to spoil it.
Inserting yourself in to a different life, taking on new personas as directed by an unknown person pulling the strings
Fantastic book and I will be following the author.

I really enjoyed this very clever book. At first I couldn't work out what was going on, but as more of the story unfolds, it is impossible not to get drawn in. The characters are good, and I would very much enjoy seeing this as a film.

This is an interesting novel where no one is as they first appear. Evie Porter moves in with her handsome boyfriend Ryan at the beginning of the novel after a flat tyre meet cute. Evie is then thrust into the right-knot group of Ryan’s friends who want to know where she is from and who she is. The First Lie is that she is was orphaned in horrible circumstances and that stops the questions dead.

No one is however what they say. Evie has assumed the identity to do gain access to Ryan, after many years as a thief for hire and master confidence trickster. She is however in hot water with her boss and the job doesn’t go smoothly.

I enjoyed this book as it continued to change direction and pace. A classic one-last-job-before-going-straight-heist plot line, with characters you can relate to.

Evie is in love - or is she? She's moved in with boyfriend Ryan and seems to be happy but all is not as it seems because Evie is on a mission for her boss Mr Smith. It all threatens to fall apart when a woman who could be her twin walks into a party using Evie's real name.

I was expecting a psychological thriller from the title but this was more of a thriller-thriller. And very enjoyable it was too. Evie is a likeable character in spite of the dodgy lifestyle she follows and we root for her throughout as she tries to find a way out from her life of crime. While reading the book I thought it would make a great film and sure enough one is being made. Can't wait to see it.

A cleverly plotted thriller which keeps you turning the page. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This novel is built on an interesting foundation at the intersections of espionage and love. The protagonist is a young woman by the name of Evie Porter who appears to live a charming life in the Deep South with a partner in a beautiful property that must be the envy of the neighbourhood. Except for the fact that Evie Porter does not actually exist – because hiding behind this fictitious identity is a woman placed in the community by a shadowy Mr Smith, tasked with fulfilling a secret mission. Throughout the plot, the reader catches glimpses of previous missions and the true character of the young woman, but when will those closest to her find out the truth – and which of the purported truths is the most accurate one?

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for letting me read an advance copy by way of an ARC, gifted in exchange for this book review.

A story with lots of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat wondering who is telling the truth and whonis lying. A good read

Totally had me hooked
A slightly different storyline but with fantastic characters.
My first Ashley Elston but I doubt it will be my last, I'm already looking forward to read another of her books
Thank you NetGalley

I absolutely love stories about conwomen and found this to be a really fresh take on that trope. The twists were satisfying and I was on the edge of my seat the entire read.

4.5 stars. Evie Porter lives by the motto "First Lie Wins" hence the title of the book. This book is the story of Evie Porter, except Evie Porter doesn't actually exist. The book alternates between the current timeline and a look into the past of Evie unveiling more details about her as we go.
There was an excellent twist towards the beginning of the book that I was not expecting and things really took a turn after that. The book was suspenseful and well executed. The ending ties things up nicely with a twist I wasn't expecting. Do yourself a favor and read this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for ARC.

Evie's perfect relationship, with equally perfect Ryan, is a modern fairytale. One day she's confronted with someone whose very name evokes Evie's dark and secret past. Why is this happening? What's the danger and where is it coming from? Is Evie the only one with secrets they'll go a long way to expose?

So far, so page-turning. It's all put together very well, so that as the plot unfolds and thins out like spun sugar, you almost don't notice that it's become mostly air. Evie (as she is known when we first encounter her) is very engaging, even when she's engaging in shady activities, and most readers will want her to win out in the end. To explain my main nagging dissatisfaction with the premise I would have to spoil the plot a little so I won't. Let me shut up so you can enjoy the ride, and the satisfying twist at its end.

I really enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down. If you like twists and turns and thrillers then this book is for you. I look forward to reading another book in this genre from this author. Do yourself a favour and give it a read!

What a twisted and intriguing career path Lucca/Evie has!! It was a real page turner with great flashbacks to her past lives. Full of suspense with so many twists and turns and an ending I really didn’t see coming. It’s my first book by this author but definitely won’t be the last, thoroughly enjoyable.

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

This was a great page turner. I thought the first couple of chapters were slow but 10% in and WOW! Things take off in a very unexpected direction. Evie Porter is employed as a specialist in undercover work by Mr Smith. But all is not as it seems! The story has flashbacks to previous jobs Evie has done and their consequences. She sets out to unmask Mr Smith. Along the way she falls for one of her ‘marks’. Great interweaving of characters, scenarios and red herrings. I really liked this book. Lots of twists and turns to keep you reading. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a prepublication ebook

This was a thoroughly enjoyable and fun read! I've been facing into a little bit of a reading slump lately and this pulled me right out of it. It's a fast-paced cat and mouse thriller that I absolutely devoured. I found Evie to be a very likeable character (Which sometimes isn't the case with these types of books) and I was massively rooting for her throughout the read. I thought the cons were fun to follow and cleverly thought out, it was very interesting seeing them play out. I also enjoyed the few little red herrings that were thrown in. It made the twists more rewarding. I also liked the flashbacks to show how Evie's career progressed.

With many thanks to Netgalley and Headline books for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily

Well this might just be the best book I’ve read all year. An absolute rollercoaster of a book with a plot that is just so clever. Perfectly executed and very well written, with so many twists and turns and a pace that moves at a million miles per hour. An absolute page turner that you can’t and don’t want to put down and that early twist at the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the book. An addictive and ingenious 5⭐️ read

This is the first book I have read by Ashley Elston, and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were interesting, the story line in itself keeps you on your toes, I found it unpredictable, and the pace of the book keeps you wanting to read more.

A stand out cat-and-mouse thriller with layer upon layer of characterisation. I enjoyed Evie Porter’s character and how you got to meet her again and again. Lies ran thick throughout the storyline which kept me guessing and wanting more. The constant sense of running away was underlying which helped to build that but if tension, especially when secrets made relationships fraught. Fantastic!

Ideal for fans of cat and mouse suspense that features a con artist narrator. Her cons reside within other cons, some short, others very long. With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.