Title: First Lie Wins
Author: Ashley Elston
ISBN: 978 1472 2953 30
Publisher: Headline
Pages: 376
Source: Jonathan Ball Publishers
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.
Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. 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…
Official Summary
09 February 2024
I am aiming to read all the Reece’s Book Club “Book of the Month” selections this year, and this is the January book. I was hunting for a copy of this one – which was not yet available locally – when I received a copy from Jonathan Ball Publisher. A huge thank you to them for sending me a copy.
This book is a thrilling dive into the world of deception and mystery, where the protagonist, Evie Porter, navigates the complex web of lies that constitute her fabricated existence. In this gripping tale, the author weaves a narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat, blending elements of suspense, romance and self-discovery.
The story introduces Evie Porter, a character who seemingly has it all – a perfect boyfriend, an idyllic home and a circle of affluent friends. However, there’s a twist; Evie herself is a facade, a creation of a mysterious boss known only as Mr Smith. The author immediately captivates you with the enigma surrounding Evie’s existence setting the stage for a plot filler with unexpected turns and revelations.
Evie’s character is brilliantly crafted, making her relatable despite the extraordinary circumstances. As Evie delves into her last assignment involving Ryan Sumner, the narrative takes on an added layer of complexity. Elston explores the internal conflict that arises as Evie becomes emotionally entangled with her target, making you question the boundaries between duty and personal desires. The small-town setting adds richness to the story with the author providing vivid descriptions that bring the community to life. The tension builds steadily as Evie races time, trying to complete her mission while struggling with the unexpected reappearance of her real identity in town. The stakes are high, and the author keeps you guessing until the final page.
I enjoyed how this book explores themes of identity and self-discovery. Evie’s journey prompts reflection on the nature of truth and the lengths people go to create and maintain their own narratives. The subtle exploration of her character adds depth to the storyline, making you emotionally invested in her struggles and triumphs.
This book is engaging and fast-paced, with well-crafted dialogue that adds authenticity to the characters. The novel successfully balances moments of tension with lighter, more introspective scenes, creating a dynamic reading experience. The story is driven by a sense of urgency, ensuring that you are eager to uncover the next layer of the mystery. This story is a captivating read that combines elements of mystery, romance and self-discovery while taking you on an emotional rollercoaster, keeping you hooked from the first line to the last. This book will keep you guessing right to the end.
Also by Ashley Elston
The Lying Woods
Owen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money. After using the family business, the single largest employer in his small Louisiana town, to embezzle millions and drain the employees’ retirement accounts, Owen’s father vanished without a trace, leaving Owen and his mother to deal with the fallout.
Owen returns to Lake Cane to finish his senior year, where people he can barely remember despise him for his father’s crimes. It’s bad enough dealing with muttered insults and glares, but when Owen and his mother receive increasingly frightening threats from someone out for revenge, he knows he must get to the bottom of what really happened at Louisiana Frac—and the cryptic note his father sent him at his boarding school days before disappearing.
Owen’s only refuge is the sprawling, isolated pecan orchard he works at after school, owned by a man named Gus who has his own secrets—and in some ways seems to know Owen better than he knows himself. As Owen uncovers a terrible injustice that looms over the same Preacher Woods he’s claimed as his own, he must face a shocking truth about his own past–and write a better future.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Ashley Elston lives in North Louisiana with her husband and three sons. She worked as a wedding and portrait photographer for ten years until she decided to pursue writing full-time. Ashley is also a certified landscape horticulturist and loves digging in the dirt. Her debut novel, THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING was published by Disney Hyperion in 2013 and was a finalist in the Best Young Adult category of the International Thriller Writers Awards.
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