First Lie Wins A Novel

I read a lot of thrillers and typically guess most of the plot twists. Not so with this book! I highly recommend First Lie Wins. The main character is likeable, it’s fast paced, and it’s different than other thrillers I have read. I look forward to the author’s next book.

Great writing, easy read, void of drugs, foul language (almost) and explicit sex proving rare not necessary for a book to be entertaining and enjoyable. I can understand why it was on Reese Witherspoon book list.The story is well written, the plot was well thought out, the flashbacks tie in perfectly and I was entertained and engrossed throughout the whole book. I love the twists and turns and did not predict the “who done it.

The main character had so many names and identities that it was hard to keep up with her. Evie was her last identity. She had been in trouble and saved by the shady Mr Smith. She had to do assignments for him that required her to change her name often. Her friend Devon helps her with computer issues. When she is assigned to find out what she could about Ryan and his businesses, she falls for Ryan. She decides she wants to stop doing assignments and stay with Ryan. It took me a little longer to read this book, because Evie has so many identity changes. I did struggle with keeping up. But the effort was well worth it! The plot takes a few twists and turns. It was an entertaining and intriguing read.

A superb con-artist thriller set, primarily, in Louisiana.“Evie Porter” is a successful con-artist with two problems. First, she’s fallen in love with her mark, Ryan Sumner. Second, her very evil boss, Mr. Smith, doesn’t trust her anymore and has destroyed her true identity. Will “Evie” escape from Smith?By the means of clever flashbacks, Ashley Elston tells us how “Evie,” real name Lucca Marino, got into this pickle. Living in smalltown North Carolina, Lucca started stealing to deal with her ailing mother’s medical bills. Lucca came to the attention of Mr. Smith and was given the choice of working for him or going to jail. Under a series of assumed names, Lucca works her way up in Mr. Smith’s criminal syndicate. Then she’s given a vital assignment: find out what information the mark, Amy Holder, had on mob bigwig Victor Connolly. Lucca doesn’t deliver the goods, so Mr. Smith gives her what might be her final job: using the identity, “Evie Porter,” she must con Ryan Sumner or else. Two problems: First, Lucca falls for Ryan. Second, she discovers that Mr. Smith has sent an employee to monitor her, a new “Lucca Marino,” who is her doppelganger.What works: Lucca/Evie is a compelling character. She’s shady but has a moral compass that Ashley Elston skillfully reveals. The author makes us feel Lucca/Evie’s dilemma; she wants to quit working for Mr. Smith but can’t do that until she knows his identity. We’re rooting for her to succeed. The plot moves well.What doesn’t work: Ryan Sumner isn’t a fully developed character. He’s a (slightly tarnished) Ken.A fun page-turner. One of the best thrillers of 2024.

The novel, “First Lie Wins,” by Ashley Elston, published in 2024 comes on like gangbusters as a fast-paced, live-feed action thriller from the very beginning to the grand finale. The main characters go on the non-stop thrill ride of their lives, one lasting a matter of years, instead of a mere 10-15 minutes at the state fair. There must be an easier way for Cinderella to make a decent living. She should have had her head examined for climbing aboard that absurdly treacherous carnival ride in the first place. Her latest prospective employer basically wants her to “Do me a favor, walk a crooked mile and wear a wicked smile,” in the metaphorical and metaphysical sense, if you know what I mean, even if he doesn’t exactly come right out and explicitly say so, or spell it out in terms we can all understand. She has certainly put herself in a perilous bind and has few other options available to her, if any at all, at that particular moment. “Have you ever worked in a soup kitchen before?” someone inquires, interrupting her train of thought. Hence, she is further incentivized to think quickly on her feet, as the sword of Damocles sways menacingly above her, dangling by a single thread, just about ready to drop. When her single golden opportunity has suddenly been squashed and squandered away, if not severely limited and curtailed altogether, a benevolent-appearing benefactor emerges. He comes to her immediate rescue, just in the nick of time, and supports her magnificently throughout the potentially grim proceedings, considering her present predicament. She could have gone directly to jail had she been duly and properly arrested by the first police officers arriving on the scene. Had they not been flummoxed by the damsel in distress routine, and found out what really transpired, the prosecution might have wanted to lock her up and throw away the key then and there. Truthfully, Cinderella’s moral compass may have wavered and temporarily veered way off course, but at least for the time being she isn’t completely bankrupt, destitute and cast out in the streets, without any hope whatsoever for a bright, promising future. To her credit, she does possess the uncanny ability to distinguish right from wrong. She is acutely aware of the vaguely ethical gray areas, it seems, and can react accordingly, but this admirable attribute doesn’t necessarily constitute slowing her down much, or impeding the progress and rapid advancement she makes in her current line of employment. Undoubtedly, her life has taken a dramatic turn for the better, and it appears that she is indeed moving up on the totem pole. Her intention is to propel herself to the top of the organizational charts like a skyrocket, at least until she accelerates into a brick wall or bounces off the Plexi-glass ceiling. Following the unlikelihood that the initial scenario actually plays out, pans out, or fizzles out, the members of an elite surveillance team working discretely in the background have a brief conversation among themselves before continuing to monitor the situation more closely and carefully. They have a big decision to make, work with her or against her. Up to this point, she has generally been unaware of their physical presence and proximity in the vicinity. But this is all about to change. I’m guessing I can dispense with the elaborate diatribe at this point. The above generic synopsis as it stands should suffice sufficiently in whetting readers’ appetites. As you may have already suspected, the novel involves a close-knit group of talented actors with a unique set of specialized skills and character traits. The plot evolves in a boldly dynamic, terrifically suspenseful manner, guaranteed to keep you perched on the edge of your seat throughout the story, wondering what happens next, as they cover a great deal of territory on their quest. Thus, the book represents the category of “most intriguing new fiction” quite well, revealing great imagination on the part of the author.