First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

First Lie Wins. Finished 1-3-25, 4/5 stars, thriller, 340 pages, 2024

“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. And once the lie is told, it’s what most people believe to be true. The first lie has to be the strongest. The most important. The one that has to be told.” Chapter 5

Evie makes her living lying and she’s good at it. She makes her way through the world conning people into believing she is someone that she’s not. Her name isn’t even Evie. She left her real name behind long ago. Until. Until the day that someone shows up while she’s deep into a con using the name she was born with.

This was a twisty one. I liked ‘Evie’ and the confident way she handled herself. She had been working on her shady skills since high school and I was a little jealous at how well she could read people!

As much as I liked ‘Evie’ the plot became overly complicated by the end and it stretched how far I was willing to suspend disbelief. But, it was fun, fast, and had a satisfying ending, so I’d still say it’s a win for thriller lovers.

It was a Reece’s Book Club Pick last year and I received it in my Book Club Christmas exchange.

3 thoughts on “First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

  1. kaysreadinglife says:
    kaysreadinglife's avatar

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one, Stacy. I have it on my shelf – think I got it as a ‘Book of the Month’ pick. Anyway, I also think I’d have to be in the mood for an ‘unreliable’ protagonist. Sometimes I am and sometimes not. Will keep it in mind for soon. How fun to do a book club exchange at Christmas. We bring books to swap (or not) and then donate the leftovers to the library.

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