First Lie Wins: Reese's Book Club Pick (A Novel)

Name: First Lie Wins: Reese's Book Club Pick (A Novel)
SKU: 56421
Availability: InStock

4.4 | 48,068 ratings

Price: 14.99

Last update: 06-25-2024

About this item

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK | #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“This fast-paced read has everything you could want in a thriller: secret identities, a mysterious boss and a cat & mouse game that kept me guessing the whole way through.” —Reese Witherspoon

Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a tight group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: 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 mark: 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 isn't like the others. 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 must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there's still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn't be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge. . . .

The unputdownable thriller everyone in America is reading. A #1 NYT Bestseller: FIRST LIE WINS

Fast-paced and twisty, this book kept me on the edge of my seats, says Megan Miranda

The best cat-and-mouse suspense I've read in years, says Lisa Gardner about FIRST LIE WINS

[A] high-stakes, now-you-see-me-now-you-don't thriller, says A.J Finn about FIRST LIE WINS

This fast-paced read has everything you could want in a thriller, says Reese Witherspoon

Top reviews from the United States

Yakov Bronsteyn

it doesn’t have to be a lie

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2024

Lucca’s character was well developed exhibiting behavior consistent with her traits, predilections, and thought processes.

Her sharp street-smarts were astute to point where her machinations superseded my anticipations.

Aside from that her self-confidence was so acute that no courage was needed even though she thought otherwise. Her attitude was a clear result of her strong relationship with her mother. She knew that she was loved. That love superseded any feral fear that would’ve been healthy in such a situation not knowing what she was up against.

With aplomb her attitude didn’t allow concession in thinking that Mr. Smith was beyond her reach. On the contrary she assumed herself to be an equal knowing that all she had to do to escape was to figure out how to do it. There’s always time to make a decision before acting no matter how small. She always took that time.

I must admit that I didn’t figure out who Mr. Smith was and was definitely duped by her, Amy, and Devon’s deception. That was a surprise.

As the reader will find out the title of the book is to inform one that the only way to success is preparation preemptive establishment.

Having said all of this Lucca isn’t really a hero. She is a faulty character because she is a criminal engaged in wrongful behavior. But, as always people are complex and the reader eventually identifies with her plight and sentiments.

In a lot of our culture including literature, bemoaning pain of broken relationships, hardship, and most of all our own failures is very common. But, it doesn’t have to be that we way. We can live a life of principle and light. If we study such works as Proverbs and take them to heart it is possible to have happiness, satisfaction, and purpose.

A slight criticism that I have is that the book ends like a TV episode. I can almost hear the cheesy music playing in the background when everything is wrapped up in a neat bow and all the characters are chumming around together as the villain is carted away getting what he deserves in the end.

Even germination of the complex relationship between her and Ryan blooms at the end is wrapped up in the most simple manner as if the author was tying up a loose end in the story after it was such a central pivotal point at the beginning and throughout the story. But, it was so much more than that. It was the catalyst that inspired her to strive for something better and more meaningful.

Nevertheless, it was a page turner in the way it written. For that it gets five stars.

claire

Pretty fun & quick read

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2024

Engaging plot, nice surprises and twists, interesting characters. Not super dark, but there were enough thrills to keep me reading.

Charles Scott

Walk a crooked mile. Greet a wicked smile.

Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 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.

Fun read

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2024

I'd give 4 stars to the book iteslf. Is it a book spending money on? I'd give that a 1/2. So 3 it is.

I wanted to check this out from the library, but my situation was time sensitive and there was a very long wait. It was a fun book. Worth the read, but definitely not worth buying and owning a copy. I'm picky about books that are worth spending actual money on though. If buying books is your thing.....

This is a rather entertaining book. You do need a suspension of disbelief, but if you can get to that it's a really fun read. There are so many improbable/questionable things, but somehow the aurhor made me not care about them and want to take the ride.

Characters are developed nicely enough. There are lots of twists, some cleverly moving the story in an interesting direction. Beyond plot, there is just something about the way this book is layed out that makes it fun. I love the timing of this book. The author managed to give me exactly the right information at exactly the right time. I figured things out just before I read it. So it was fun figuring it out but not so early that it became tiring and dull. This happened at several points throughout the book. It was actually pretty impressive how the author was able to work everything through the plot in the way she did.

Diane English

Author is a genius!

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2024

Terrific book with well developed characters and lots of twists! I couldn’t put it down….and I kept thinking how in the world can a writer think of all this? I cannot wait for her next book!

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