Oh my is this quite convoluted. I could follow it, but in the end I thought it was all a bit pointless. It's all the Oceans films to the Nth degree and ends up being too clever for its own good, in my opinion.

‘She’s stolen your identity. Now you have to steal it back.’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Headline for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘First Lie Wins’ by Ashley Elston.

What a debut thriller! I read this novel ‘cold’ and I would suggest that this is the best way to approach it. So just a few details for context.

We are introduced to Evie Porter, who has recently moved in with her boyfriend, Ryan Sumner. His friends are curious about her though she appears to be quite careful about her answers to their many questions. What is she hiding?

When one of Ryan’s friends brings his new girlfriend to their house, her presence clearly rattles Evie, including the fact that they look very similar. Afterwards Evie locks herself in the bathroom, thinking: “This is not good. This is not good. This is not good. She is not from Eden, North Carolina—I am. Her mother didn’t die from breast cancer—Mine did. Her name is not Lucca Marino—Mine is.”

Even with the cover teaser and the hints already provided, this was quite a revelation and they kept on coming throughout this twisty, turvy thriller.

Overall, I found ‘First Lie Wins’ an engaging thriller that was full of surprises. As a result I look forward to Ashley Elston’s future projects.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Ashley Elston is a new writer to me and I was very impressed by her debut crime fiction outing. This novel is at times baffling, at times annoying but always totally engrossing. Evie Porter is the central character--but is she?! The work she does is mysterious, who she works for is unclear. Who can she trust? Wonderful!

Wow! This book is truly something else!! Really clever and well written. It took me a while to get going with it, but once I got into it I was hooked!

This is one of the best thrillers I've read for such a long time - it had me gripped and kept me intrigued the entire time. I enjoyed the dual perspectives from the past leading up to the present, and the present too. Such a clever concept and not one I had read before. I will definitely be recommending to everyone and will be keeping an eye out for further novels from Ashley Elston.

4.5 stars!

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review</i>

Wow. What a book.
My first time reading this author and won’t be my last.
It’s such an unpredictable fast paced twisty thriller you won’t want to put down.
It has so many twists you don’t see coming, keeping you reading. It’s a story of who to believe, what is true and who can you trust.
I loved all the characters, especially Evie Porter and liked how the plot unfolded. It’s just a brilliantly written debut.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had me totally hooked from start to finish.
Definitely recommend.
Thanks to #NetGallery @Headline for an arc of #FirstLieWins in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
Book publishes 02 January 2024

Fantastic and utterly unputdownable!

90% gripping thriller plus 10% romance make this fast paced mystery an irresistible mix.
Professional conwoman Evie Porter tries to wriggle her way out of the many-years-long deadly stronghold by her untraceable anonymous crime lord boss. Her very existence is in his hands unless she succeds in identifying and unmasking the villain… What an absolute gem of a debut novel, highly recommended and looking forward to hopefully many more books by Ashley Elston!

Wow what an excellent read.
A very clever unusual premise that unreavels itself chapter by chapter like an onion slowing giving you an insight into a totally unique world.

If you like a book with plenty of twists and that keeps you on your toes then this is the one for you.
The plot is really clever totally different from anything else I’ve read for a while and it kept me up way past my bedtime a couple of nights.
Full of lies, red herrings and has you questioning what everyone is really hiding.

If there is one thing I can say about First Lie Wins it's, GO IN BLIND. Honestly this book is something else and it takes a fair bit to impress me. I'd actually forgotten what this book was about when I picked it up two days ago and when I started reading... Well to say I had a few 'WTF' moments was an understatement.

I will not give you any spoilers with this book, namely as it's the perfect cat and mouse tale and you need to take the ride and enjoy it. Over the top, yes definitely at times. But it's really hard not to like 'Evie'! I won't go into any other characters, it's better that way.

When I read a book that is based on a fair few lies (To say the least) I either come away 'wowed' or 'disappointed'. I'm pleased to say it definitely wasn't the latter! A solid 4 stars. This was my first Ashely Elston book, it will not be my last!

First Lie Wins was sent to me as an ARC in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Headline.

Elston's "First Lie Wins" is an impressive debut release that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story is a psychological thriller that starts with a bang and does not let up until the very end. The writing style is gripping, with plenty of suspenseful moments that absorbed me from start to finish.

This book was so enjoyable that I could finish it within 24 hours. The plot twists are cleverly woven into the storyline, making it easy to follow while keeping me guessing until the end. The characters are well-developed, and the author creates a sense of realism that draws you into their world.

I would give "First Lie Wins" a well-deserved five-star rating. It is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and mystery novels.

Don't miss out on this exciting debut by Elston. Order your copy of "First Lie Wins" today and experience the thrill of this exceptional book for yourself.

Debut author for me and one that I had high hopes for. Stolen identity? Rollercoaster. twisty and intense this one had good chapters and also not so good chapters, it ended up being a cat and mouse game after a death near the mid part of the book which took the story to that point to no return, I didnt really like the characters and the main character was a bit of a nuisance but it was well written and fine to read

First read of 2024

3.5 stars

Well, this book had me in a chokehold for most of yesterday 😮
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I'd started it the day before NYE and fully intended on it being my last read of 2023 but because life, I'd only got 20% through. So then I spent my New Year's Day with Evie Porter (not her real name), the MC in this absolutely brilliant cat-and-mouse thriller!
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I think this book is best approached with no real idea of what's going on - just dive in and enjoy a wild ride!
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I can't say any of the characters are hugely likeable, but they're not exactly unlikeable either - but with how gripping the plot is, it just doesn't matter. Speaking of the plot, it's so incredibly well written. It's complicated but easy enough to follow. It does a great job of peeling back the layers and letting you into a little bit more of the story at just the right time.
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So, the twist? Pleased to say, it made sense. I didn't see it coming but I can see how if I'd been paying closer attention I might have been able to work it out, if I'd wanted to. That's all we want isn't it? A twist that's not some distant cousins auntie on the other side of the family, 7 times removed 😂 I enjoyed the ending itself as well. It felt quite tongue in cheek and it made me chuckle 🤭
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Anyway - fun and gripping. Highly recommend!
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Whilst this is Elston's thriller debut, she has written lots of other books before, which I will definitely be picking up!
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Thanks @netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for this review.

Well, this hit the ground running and didn't let up until the very end... Evie Porter has it all. A cracking life, all told. Until, that is, one day she meets herself... Oh yeah, and that really does make sense. Cos, you see, Evie Porter doesn't exist. She is a ghost, working for a "Mr Smith", assuming different identities to complete different tasks. Given an identity and location, she scouts around until she is given a target. Only problem is, her latest task is royally going a bit wrong. She has fallen for her mark. And the "herself" she meets, well, that's just someone else from her "job" who has been given her real identity and history... The identity that, until this happened, was the only thing she could rely on. The only thing she has kept clean.
And so begins a cat and mouse game where Evie not only has to complete her task, but also work out why the doppelganger, and also what motive Mr Smith has to send her. In fact, there's a bigger problem, who is Mr Smith...
Ooo what a tangled web we weave... And this one is most definitely very tangled. And also very expertly woven. With twists and turns aplenty, and also containing a cracking mix of secrets, lies and more than a healthy slice of dubious behaviour, it held my attention perfectly throughout and, even though Evie was a bit of a dubious character, I couldn't help cheering her on. As to some of the other things, I did guess a few bits early, but they were just mostly throw away "I wonder if" guesses and so didn't mar my overall enjoyment. And when the whole truth was finally laid bare, I sat back and applauded a job well done. Oh and it was also a lot of fun!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

What a brilliant and cleverly written book. Full of suspense and mystery. I couldn’t put this book down, I was page turning from start to finish. A very gripping and thrilling read, fast paced and twisty throughout.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the novel concept of “Evie”’s job and it kept me on my toes, guessing what would happen next. I rooted for the main character, so the book definitely got under my skin. There’s great twists but I think the ending was resolved in a way that felt a little rushed. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to my fellow thriller fans, it’s a brilliant debut and I will definitely by there did the next book.

Not What I Expected 🤔

I found it took awhile to get into this book, overall it was different to what I thought it would be but an overall a good read. Told over different times by various aliases.

There has been a lot of prepublication hype for this thriller and I was delighted to get the opportunity to read this one, the hype is deserved!

This is a propulsive page turner, It pulled me in early and kept me hooked the whole way through. Evie is living a picture perfect life. She has just moved in with her handsome partner, they have a beautiful home and life is good, except Evie isn't who she says she is. Evie is just the latest role for her. Her boss, Mr Smith, who she has never met, provides her with an identity, location and a target and this time the target is her partner.

This was a clever story and a decent read. I did thing the book got unnecessarily convoluted around the midway point after a very strong first half of the book but it was blip and the book returned to its twisty breath taking pace. My only other criticism is I thought it could have been 30-40 pages shorter, a tighter ending and this would have been a 4 star read for me but overall I really enjoyed it. I really liked the protagonist and nice to see a woman in such in a role.
Recommend

3.5- 4 star.

A very good read with characters that jump off the page.
Absorbing and compelling crime read,a tightly controlled story with secrets unravelling slowly but surely.
Grabbed me from page 1 til the end

This book is really difficult to review without giving everything away so I am going to try and write as little as possible.

‘Evie Porter’s’ life hasn’t always been the best but she has managed to survive. One day she gets caught in an unlawful act until ‘Mr Smith’ helps her to get out of trouble.

Now she is under ‘Mr Smith’s’ hand and has to do what he says, go where he says and be who he says. Can ‘Evie’ trust Mr Smith?!

I really enjoyed this book and loved all the twists and turns. The book had me hooked from the beginning. There was a couple of times where I was slightly confused on what was happening especially during the flip backs but in the end it all made sense.

Would definitely recommend.