I was always a massive thriller reader but recently found myself getting less excited by them. I think I'd maybe read too many and could see the formula early on which dampened my experience. First Lie Wins was like a breath of fresh air and really reinstated my love of thrillers.

Evelyn "Evie" Porter is in a new relationship with Ryan Sumner. However, Evie is not real. Ryan thinks he is her boyfriend, but really he is Evie's next job.

Her boss, known only as Mr Smith who she has never met, has been assigning Evie (real name Lucca Marino) to jobs where she is tasked to seek out intel and other information from politicians to businessmen, giving her a new identity each time to do so.

When Ryan's friend James turns up at a party with his new girlfriend "Lucca Marino", Evie quickly realises that Mr Smith is out to get her but in this game of cat and mouse, Evie is always one step ahead.

This book is so clever and is meticulously and intricately planned out. The timeline switches between present day as Evie Porter but is interspersed with chapters from Evie's past aliases and jobs. You can see it all play out in your minds eye and it is such an entertaining read.

I would say that I probably wanted it to end about half a page earlier than it did but that's absolutely a personal thing. I highly recommend this book!

This captivating thriller is a great example of living up to the hype! ‘First Lie Wins’ by Ashley Elston is the Reese’s Book Club pick for this month and has been all over bookstagram, so I dove into my copy with a mixture of excitement and trepidation… Once I became immersed in the novel, I was absolutely gripped from intriguing start to satisfying finish.

The premise of this book is that our main character is an expert at walking into new identities to get the job done for her mysterious and omnipresent boss and then tossing them aside to move on. We first meet her as she is ingratiating herself into a Louisiana businessman’s bed, life, home and friendship group. However, when she runs into a woman using HER true identity, a spiral of deceit, ambition and tragedy begins to unravel…

I loved how fast-paced this book was, and the narrative structure which included flashbacks was very effective. I found that I was rooting hard for the main character despite her moral greyness and enjoyed guessing which connections were real. The tight-knit Louisiana friendship group was perfectly characterised and the gossipy nature of parts of the novel were fun. I can see why Reese Witherspoon chose this one as it felt very cinematic throughout and I can see it translating very well to screens big and small.

I’d recommend this racing, heart-pounding, unpredictable thriller fronted by a very strong female character to anyone! A clear five stars from me!

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of this one. All opinions are my own.

An absolute pageturner! I loved every moment of this one and really couldn’t figure out quite where it was headed up until the very end! Very cleverly written! I will be recommending this to everyone that I know!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston is a 4 ⭐️ read.
This was a really good story, plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Would recommend.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley

Well, here's a twisty, turny novel if ever there was one. It's a tale of hidden identities - nobody is who you think they are - including the main character who is a master (or should that be mistress?) of disguises. Even she gets the shock of her life when, during her latest 'job' she is confronted by another woman who appears to have stolen her genuine identity. The plot thickens!
I defy anyone to work this book out before the end! Every time you think you've worked out who's a good guy and who's not, and who knows what about who, then bang! another plot twist. Questions abound from all angles - is Evie more at risk from her 'boss' or her latest target? Could they even be the same person? How far reaching are Mr Smith's contacts and how dangerous are they?
This is a book that kept me awake even when I was disciplined and went to bed instead of reading just one more chapter. The possibilities of who's who and what is going on keep the brain cells firing long after you've put the book down, and you'll be keen to pick it up again at the soonest opportunity.
Top notch plotting and smoke screening from a brilliant writer.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

This is my first introduction of Ashley Elston. After a slow start, this was a good read and well plotted. Characters and aliases abound, I was unsure who was who and curiosity kept my interest.

Welcome to the world of Lucca Marino. Who is she? Enter Evie Porter a wonderful character who is resourceful, fiesty and thinks on her feet, you can't help but like her. She has secrets, who doesn't? Evie's boss, Mr Smith has even more secrets and is lying to Evie. Devon, technical guy, was a fabulous charater, funny and resourseful and talented.

This is a tale of stolen identity. This would make a good film. I did enjoy this novel and give a 4 star rating.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING ARC OF THIS BOOK IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

Hyped as one of the best thrillers of 2024, I’m afraid I found this to be a fairly mediocre cat and mouse story.

Evie Porter is a ghost in own life, working as a con artist for the mysterious Mr Smith. She has spent the last six years or so carrying out heists with skill and dexterity but Mr Smith is out to test her loyalty, putting her on a new job tracking Ryan Sumner, a hot businessman who is involved in some shady business himself. In throwbacks to previous years and earlier identities, we get snapshots of Evie’s life that build a picture of her as a person and how she has gotten to the heist of her life.

The book is well-plotted (with the exception of the Devon character - I mean, HOW did Smith not suss that) and has many twists and turns, it just all felt less than thrilling for the most part and lacked pace and colour. I was glad to reach the end. I was even tempted to abandon it around the 80% mark, a sure sign that I had no investment in any of the characters.

If you love an all-American thriller that is all plot, all telling, and no character work, no showing, you might like this more than me. Not my cup of tea, a little too bland. 2/5 ⭐️

*Many thanks to Headline books for the arc via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.

I've just finished devouring "First Lie Wins" by Ashley Elston,and all I can say it’s that the hype is absolutely justified. From the moment I picked up the book, I was captivated by it.
The narrative begins at a party, where our protagonist, Evie Porter, encounters a stranger who not only bears an uncanny resemblance but also shares her name. The premise alone intrigued me, and as the story unfolded, I found myself immersed in a thrilling rollercoaster of deception and suspense.
Evie Porter, a character who seemingly has it all – a devoted boyfriend, a picturesque house, and a lively group of friends – is, in fact, a carefully constructed facade. Her entire existence is a lie, meticulously crafted by an enigmatic employer. The layers of identity, location, and the chosen mark, Ryan Sumner, add complexity to the plot, keeping me on the edge of my seat.
What sets this novel apart is the psychological depth woven into the narrative. As Evie becomes entangled in her latest job, the lines between her fabricated life and her true self blur. The storytelling is masterful, making it impossible for me to predict the twists that I found in the final chapters.
The culmination of the story left me reeling, and I couldn't shake off the impact of the unexpected revelations. Elston skillfully unravels a tale that keeps you guessing until the very end. I must admit; I hadn't read anything quite like this before.
After seeing this book featured in the Resee book club, I couldn't resist giving it a go. The rave reviews I found were spot-on,and it lived up to the expectations.
If you're looking for a must-read thriller that will keep you hooked from the first chapter, look no further. Ashley Elston has crafted a tale of lies, intrigue, and unexpected twists that will leave you craving more.
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own.

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!