26 July 2024
First Lie Wins By Ashley Elston Review & Book Club Questions
Reviewed by: Melissa Ng
Quick Facts
Book Publication Date: 2 January 2024
How I Read It: Borrowed from my local library
Where You Can Find First Lie Wins: Amazon Australia* | Kobo US* | Kobo Canada*
First Lie Wins Review
I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I have to say, the UK cover doesn’t do it for me. When I saw it, I thought, “Is this really the Reese’s Book Club pick for January 2024?” But then I saw the US version, and I thought, “Yes! I get it now.” No offense to the UK, lol.
At first, I was a bit confused by the title. You can usually get a sense of what the book is about from it but what does “First Lie Wins” actually mean? And what does it have to do with stolen identities? But within the first 30 pages, you find out.
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 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.
First Lie Wins is about Evie Porter, a professional con-woman who travels from place-to-place completing jobs for her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith. Once Evie finishes one job, she’s given the details of the next.
Her latest job is to gather some important information from her unsuspecting boyfriend, Ryan. While on the job, they attend a party where a woman walks into the room and introduces herself to everyone using Evie’s real identity. From there, things start to unravel, and the story becomes a classic cat and mouse type mystery.
Now, the blurbs and reviews make it sound like this new mystery woman is the main part of the story. That’s a little misleading, she’s just a small part of the story, but the catalyst for a lot of things changing and unfolding.
The mystery and suspense of the novel was great. It was fast-paced and easy to read. I felt like I was moving through the chapters quickly. Especially with the dual timelines. I like a good mystery that shows both past and present timelines.
I did think the ending was a bit predictable, but as is the case when you’ve read a lot of mysteries and know that the mysterious identity is usually someone you’ve met along the way.
Plus, there were some parts that didn’t quite add up. For example, Evie employs the help of a tech guy, Devon, on a lot of her jobs. She picked him up along the way in one of her previous jobs and has asked him for help ever since. But that’s not so believable, if she’s got this Mr. Smith boss that calls all the shots.
Was it a ground-breaking mystery? No. But it was a fun read and a good palate cleanser between books. So, I would recommend it.
It’s also being adapted into a TV series, but in the meantime, if you’re looking for something with a similar vibe, you might like to check out a TV show called Imposters. It’s about a con artist called Maddie who works for “The Doctor”. Maddie insinuates herself into people’s lives, marries them, and then steals from them before disappearing. Highly recommend.
First Lie Wins Book Club Questions
- Do you like the dual timeline with flashbacks?
- Who did you think Mr. Smith was?
- Do you think Evie would have ever gone back to her real identity?
- Why do you think Evie and Devon were able to work together for so long?
- Do you think there was any significance to the origami swans?
- Would you stay with Ryan knowing his questionable business?
- Do you think Evie’s new business will be successful?
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