Evie has just moved in with her devoted boyfriend, and seems to have a pretty perfect life. Except, Evie isn't her real name. And who knows what else isn't true?

This is a twisty and engaging story that kept me guessing for hours. Every time I thought I'd worked out what the truth was, I was proven wrong. Definitely a must read for any lovers of a mystery!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This is such an addictive novel...it had twists that I never suspected and I thoroughly enjoyed it, from start to finish.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I had seen lots of advance praise for First Lie Wins on social media, by some of my favourite book reviewers, and was so pleased to receive an arc through NetGalley. At time of request the book had over 350 reviews so I was looking forward to reading it.

From the start, Ashley Elston’s storytelling is completely gripping and First Lie Wins makes for compulsive reading. I could not put it down and devoured it in a day. The narrative is completely believable as it tracks the past lives of Evie, up to the present day. I thought it was a thrilling, twisty read and perfect if you are in a reading slump or looking for an entertaining and unpredictable story.

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
I absolutely loved it! I was hooked and intrigued instantly. Flying through the pages. I adored the double life - con artist element to it. Every time I thought I had something figured out something new came up. There is continuous suspense and twists that make it hard not to binge read this in one go. This was such an enjoyable mystery, I was trying to figure out. I did not see the ending coming at all, which was 100% the cherry on the pie. Highly recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Con Artists - double lives
Multiple Timelines
Cat & Mouse game
Strong Female Lead
Continuous mystery

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵: 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘥𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯, 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩: 𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘔𝘳. 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵: 𝘙𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣.

𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘳. 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘙𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴--𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.

Evie Porter is an alias working another job for Mr Smith, whilst waiting for further instructions in walks a woman who has the one identify Evie wants back, her own.

This was such a great read ‘Evie’ takes on lots of identities and we learn all about her different alias and what jobs she’s undertaken that’s led to Evie Porter being confronted by herself.

I loved the pace of the book and how it went from past to present where we learn snippets about Mr Smith and get to really know ‘Evie’. Her latest assignment has her dating her mark Ryan and it appears the line begins to fade between her working as an alias and developing real feelings but it can only lead one way as Evie is not who Ryan thinks she is.

Looking for a mystery thriller with some twists you don’t see coming, this one is for you. It was published on 2 January 2024 and I highly recommend it. I’m

Oh wow 🤯

Talk about mind blowing. I love a story that just keeps you guessing, and asking more questions than you can answer.

Twisty, and suspenseful all in one. Trust no-one in this story and just go along for the ride.

The main character is smart, clued up and perfect. But, who the heck is she? And more importantly who on earth is Mr Smith. Mr Smith such a generic name, yet he got on my nerves because I just didn't know enough about him.

The plotline is cleverly plotted out, and is mind bending 🤯

This is my first book by Ashley Elston and it definitely won't be my last.

An intriguing book, different from my usual reads and plenty of plot twists along the way. It took me a while to get into what was going on but once I did I was hooked! I loved the characters and without giving away any spoilers, there were quite a few shockers along the way. A must read!

It’s been a long time since I read a thriller that actually shocked me but First Lie Wins reminded me why I used to love this genre so much!

An intriguing, original and twisty storyline that had me hooked and always left me a little disappointed to have to set my Kindle down!

Excited to read more of Elston’s work in the future!

Deceit is the name of the game in this tense psychological thriller, and the only way in which Evie Porter can stay safe. On this particular assignment, her ability to be convincing is thwarted to some extent by the questions thrown at her by Ryan’s friends. Yet it remains her conviction that the first lie wins because it’s more easily believed.

“There’s an old saying: The first lie wins. It’s not referring to the little white kind that tumble out with no thought; it refers to the big one. The one that changes the game. The one that is deliberate. The lie that sets the stage for everything that comes after it.”

But her courage temporarily deserts her when she’s introduced to the partner of one of Ryan’s friends who looks eerily similar to her and is using Evie’s real, unknown, undisclosed name, her true identity which she retreats back to. Something must be done.

It rattles her enough to make an unprecedented call to her boss, Mr Smith, who “failed to mention the protocol when faced with an impostor using your true identity… I am in uncharted territory.” And it fuels her determination to outwit him.

This is an extremely pacey read, ideal for film or a TV series, with plentiful twists and turns that kept me hastily turning pages and burning the midnight oil to discover how it all ends.

In this brilliant debut novel, Ashley Elston does an excellent job of drip feeding the reader explanations, drop by drop, interspersed with extra background information and fresh revelations that lead to a strong and satisfying ending.

First lie wins by Ashley Elston
Book 2 of 2024

This thriller is utterly gripping. I was desperate to find put what happened next for Evie and there were loads of good twists and turns which stopped me figuring out the ending in advance. This would be a great one if you are in a reading slump as it is so fast paced.

Thank you to netgalleyuk, the author and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First lie wins is out now.

#netgalleyuk #scottishreader #irishbookstagram

An absolutely brilliant read. Loved everything about it - the writing style, the unusual premise and especially how the author, Ashley Elston, fed information on an almost ‘need-to-know’ basis. The pace never let up. This thriller is a MUST read. I will certainly look out for her next Adult fiction - cannot wait.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers Headline for this ARC.

First Lie Wins is a cleverly written, complex and compelling psychological thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Packed with secrets and lies and twists and turns this is an intense read that will keep you entertained through out. This book would make an excellent Netflix/TV movie.

Highly recommend!

A great 4.5 stars! I raced through this as I needed to know what was happening after each and every mini cliffhanger. Great main character, interesting flashbacks and enjoyable twists and turns. I did guess some of the big reveals but I loved being kept on my toes in general and wanted to see how everything played out for Lucca. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author and will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The blurb for this book hinted at so many promises of where this book might be headed, reading it certainly didn't disappoint in any way whatsoever!
As I turned the pages and learned more and more about Amy, her past and all those people she had been before it sparked so many ideas about where this might be headed and luckily I was lead right up the garden path many times as the misdirection was incredibly well written and plotted.
The story kept me turning the pages as I raced to find out what was happening and why, what had happened to make things come to a head and who were these mysterious figures in Amy's life.
The ending had everything I hoped for, many surprises and a nice bow in which the author had tied up all the loose ends!
I know this is the authors first foray into adult fiction, I sincerely hope it will not be her last, this was a really good, interesting and fun read.

This was my first book by Ashley Elston and if First Lie Wins is anything to go by, it won't be my last!

A fantastic thriller that I can't recommend enough!!

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston.
Everything she is about to tell them is a lie...
Evie Porter has everything a girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a picket fence, a fun group of friends.
The only catch: Evie Porter doesn't exist.
First comes the identity. Once she's given a name and location by her employer, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job. For Evie, this job feels different. Ryan has gotten under her skin and she's started to picture another kind of life for herself - one where her boss doesn't pull the strings.
But Evie can't make any mistakes. Because the one thing she's worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to - her real identity - just walked right into this town. A woman, who looks just like her, has stolen her name - and she wants more. As Evie's past begins to catch up with her, can she stay one step ahead to save her future?
I did enjoy this book. The storyline goes from Evie in the present and her aliases in the past. It did throw me a bit as it keeps going back and forth and I did have to stop reading it to give my mind a rest but it's very fast pasted and there's a lot going on. A lot of surprises that I didn't see coming. Twisty and gripping. The end was nicely tied up for me. 3*.

A gripping fast paced story with good characters, kept me turning the pages, couldn't put it down, a magnificent, thrilling read

Goodness - what a roller coaster of a read! This was a book which kept me guessing right until the end with its clever plotting and misdirection. I thought I had it figured about two thirds of the way through, but I was wrong!

Evie is not the protagonists real identity and she is like a chameleon throughout the novel as you are slowly taken back to 'Evie's' childhood (which was unbelievably tough!) and then through her different jobs, which needed different identities for her to be successful. Evie's aim is to be able to leave her life of crime and return to her childhood identity and live out her life in obscurity. Her plans are thwarted when her doppelganger arrives in the same town as 'Evie' - with Evie's childhood name; her ring-fenced identity has been stolen and Evie cannot work out why!

Evie's mysterious employer Mr Smith has set her up - but for what, and why?

I really don't want to talk too much about the plot so that I don;t spoil the book. Although Evie lives her life through deception and crime, I was rooting for her all the way. Do not miss this cracker of a read!!

What a way to start my reading year with this twisty thriller, I had no idea what was coming next and couldn't put it down!

Following Evie Porter as she moves in with her new boyfriend we quickly find out that all is not as it seems. Following Evie through a high risk, high octane ride as we find out what has brought her to this point over the last past ten years.

My jaw dropped a few times with this one as I scrambled to keep up and try to guess what would happen next.

An excellent adult debut and an author I'll certainly dive into the backlist of.

Would highly recommend.

This was a marvellous cat and mouse story where you're never quite sure what is a lie and what is the truth. What you can be sure of is you'll be entertained.

Lucca has a tough upbringing, living in a trailer with a mother who was sick. Needing money Lucca falls into a life of crime and ends up working for the mysterious Mr Smith. With each job she is assigned, Lucca is given a new identity and a new target. Currently she is called Evie and the target is Ryan. What will happen if Evie develops feelings for Ryan or when someone posing as her former self arrives on the scene?

I loved the clever writing of this book, yes for some of it you do have to suspend belief, but for me it wasn't too over the top. I was drawn to Evie's character, she's super smart and I found myself rooting for her all the way. I think this book would work really well being adapted to film. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good twisty thriller.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @headlinebooks for providing me with a copy to read and review.