This book consumed a whole 24 hrs of my life. I started this Monday night and read up to 30% before I made myself go to bed, but as soon as I woke up Tuesday morning I continued on reading until I finished the whole book!
I don't read too many thrillers but I haven't been this hooked on a book since The Housemaid by Freida McFadden!
There were a few twists and turns I just didn't see coming and just as I thought I knew what was going on? Nope — wrong! Guess again!
As well as Evie Porter's story, we get some background on how she got to where she is in the present story. Normally I'm not a fan of stories within stories but I really enjoyed this one, and almost felt like I was getting two books for one.

I have just finished this book and enjoyed it with lots of twists along the way.. I did feel it got a bit lost and slow in the middle but at about 75% through really picked up with more twists to keep you on your toes.

I would definitely read another book by Ashley Elston.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This story weaves a captivating and unsettling narrative, drawing readers into its twisted depths with a subtle touch. The artful restraint in details adds to its allure, leaving room for imagination to fill the chilling gaps. Less becomes more as the narrative unfolds, leaving a lingering sense of unease that resonates long after the last page is turned.

Grifter Evie is on another job for the elusive Mr Smith and has inveigled herself into businessman Ryan's life and home, in order to find some dirt on him. The problem is she has also fallen in love with him. Can she deliver to Mr Smith? And is Mr Smith, in turn, double-crossing her?
I loved the premise of this book, and thought Evie was a great character - she has a heart and her own moral code, and her reasons for doing what she does. But as the story goes on, the plot thickens so much with twists and turns, that I foud it hard to keep up with what was actually going on, who was villain and who was good guy, and who was double-crossing who, when and why.
Otherwise, a well-written book with fast-paced narrative, humour and plenty tension.
But I felt the plot could have been less bamboozling.
Real fans of thriler fiction may enjoy this, but in the end it wasn't for me.

Lucca is a grifter, someone who sets up cons to retrieve inormation, items, or set someone up. Whilst on a job finding information about a business that her boss wants to takeover, a person comes to town who has her real name looks like,e her a d knows her origins. Why?
If you like unusual twisty cat and mouse thrillers, you love this. Fans of TV show Hustle will love this too. Edge of your seat stuff.

I absolutely loved this book!

This book totally delivered beyond my expectations. I loved the story of 'evie' and how she built her life on deceit and tricks. Whilst her career often veers to illegal, I appreciated that 'evie' is a survivor.

I enjoyed the idea that her 'partner' also led a secret life and that their relationship turns into a game of cat and mouse in terms of showing their cards of who they each really are, while acknowledging that there are really feelings for one another.

I'd definitely read more from this author!

We meet Evie Porter as she settles into life in a new town, with a new boyfriend… and a new name. As we slowly learn more about Evie and her backstory, her present status becomes increasingly precarious and she finds she must go to extraordinary lengths to protect what she holds most dear.

It is hard to say more without giving anything away, so I will simply say that I loved the twists and turns of this novel. It was fun and clever and the characters were all intriguing. It kept me guessing throughout, and I would absolutely read more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

A refreshingly original concept and lots of social media hype gave me high expectations for this book, which started out strong and grabbed my attention.

After that though, it did drag; the writing felt a bit flat and lacked emotion and richness. I didn't find the characters to be likeable, with the exception of Devon, who was awesome!

I'm more than happy to suspend disbelief to an extent, but I wasn't at all convinced that a young woman from a poor trailer park would be able to turn herself into a criminal mastermind, just like that, outwitting other, more experienced criminals, in order to reach the "target" given to her by the mysterious Mr Smith. And speaking of Mr Smith, what was his motivation? I can only presume money?

At around 75%, the pace picked up again and a few more twists saved the day!

I understand this is the first adult book from this author and it definitely has potential, but I feel that a strong edit could lift this book from ok to mind-blowing!

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Ashley Elston and Headline for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Well I must say what an absolute gem of a read!
First Lie Wins has everything to keep you completely hooked.
Intrigue, suspense and some wonderful psychological twists.
Evie Porter has the perfect life, a gorgeous boyfriend a beautiful home and some great friends.
The only problem is that Evie doesn't exist, well not in the traditional sense.
"Evie" has been given a job to do by her elusive boss Mr Smith, she needs to get close to Ryan Summer her next target. But Evie never knows what her job will involve, it could be just hands on surveillance or something more sinister.
But Evie is having a problem with this job, she has started to fall for the lifestyle she is living including having feelings for Ryan and if you don't want to be taken out by her boss then she needs to be extra careful.
There are so many twists in this book it will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what on earth could happen next.

3.5 stars This book sounded like it would be an interesting read and a concept I haven't read about before. Although I did enjoy the book I found find it dragged in places and could have been a bit shorter as there was too much detail. I will however read more by this author in the future.

First Lies Wins really did have it all.

I read the first quarter of this book thinking that it was going to go one way and then it completely flipped on me and took me on a very different rollercoaster.

One that I still very much enjoyed. I loved Evie and how she navigated the world and the job that she found herself her. I liked seeing the way her relationship with Ryan changed her slightly and then I liked seeing the way that she interacted with Devon.

I enjoyed the way that this story was told, leaving you all the necessary breadcrumbs to get you to the grand reveal which I personally didn’t see coming until about the same time that Evie pieced it all together.

This was the perfect thriller for me and I enjoyed the rollercoaster that I went on with and the satisfaction that came at the end when the plan came together.

This book very different from your average thriller with so many twists and much suspense. The flashbacks are necessary to understand Evie and her multiple alias’ although I sometimes wanted to skim read them as I wanted to get back to the fast paced main story. I guessed one of the twists only to find that I had only half guessed it. Thank you Netgalley for giving me an advance copy of this book which I am delighted to give five stars.

Wow...jump on for the ride as the twists don't stop coming. This is Ashley Elstons first Adult book, normally a YA author, welcome! I can't wait for the next one!
I don't want to give too much away but it begins with Evie Porter. She has a mission. Her 'target', Ryan. However she begins to see a different life with Ryan. A life she never thought she'd have.....a fast paced thriller, you won't be disappointed! Thank you to Netgalley & Headline for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

To avoid any spoilers I'll keep my review short and sweet. This book is full of secrets and twists and turns. This book will definitely keep you reading on for more and I practically raced to the end to find out what happens. Would highly recommend, thanks tonetgalley for sendinge this arc in exchange for my honest review.

WOW! What a clever book. This review is going to be very short so I don’t drop any spoilers but fans of suspense will love this.

Book is due to be released 9 January 2024.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Headline for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic! I was blown away by all the secrets and twists that kept coming… The ending completely blew me away. I raced through the pages as fast as I could

What a great title for this thrilling tangled novel which kept me awake trying to work out the mysterious Mr Smith was.
This thriller was well paced and the reader was drip fed information as the novel progressed..
Luca, the mistress of identities was a very resourceful character, not always a favourite of mine but certainly remarkable. Her progress through life as an anonymous ghost, changing identities and collecting information as she worked for the enigmatic Mr Smith was dangerous and exciting.
A great read

Wow, this was a real page-turner! The only slight niggle I have is that at some point, it seemed like it'd need a bit of suspension of disbelief, but then the last chapter ties everything up nicely. There were a couple of things I'd guessed, but there is also a lot of information withheld from the reader. I feel a few questions are left unanswered, but they didn't hamper my ability to enjoy the book.

Will be looking out for more of this author's work.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

This was a good read. I really loved the cat and mouse action and I was rooting for the protagonist and I really enjoyed this author’s work, I hope there’s more to come. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this arc. #Netgalley #FirstLieWins

This was a thrilling read. Lots of twists, turns and mystery. The plot was clever, the characters interesting and credible.
A rollercoaster of a read which I highly recommend if this is your genre. I will definitely read more from this author.