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celina246's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
got a little confusing because it's very detail-oriented (don't read it when you're tired), but the nice thing is the book catches you up. a pretty interesting thriller.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
tayreads10's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I flew through this book! I was so sucked into the plot of her shady employment dilemmas and how that played out. Thoroughly enjoyed and hoping there is a sequel to continue where it leaves off!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Finished reading: August 23rd 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.”
Part of me was a bit hesitant to read First Lie Wins, as we all know how hyped books and me tend to get along... But there was something about the premise I wasn't able to resist, and I ended up giving in. I'm so glad I did now, because I ended up having SUCH a great time reading book! Things can be said about the credibility, but I personally didn't care as the entertainment level was through the roof. First Lie Wins reads like a Hollywood action movie with a similar vibe as Mr. And Mrs. Smith, and the premise had me fully hooked. The story is told through Evie Porter's POV, and switches back between different time in her past and the present. There was something about Evie that made it easy to start rooting for her despite her flaws, and the flashbacks worked perfectly to start revealing certain information and twists. The building up of tension and suspense was really well done, and it had me turning page after page as I HAD to know how it would all end. And while I guessed some of the twists, others came as a total surprise. The writing itself is extremely engaging and the heist/spy elements really made this story stand out. The ending itself was perfect for this story, and the journey itself was a blast as well. If you enjoyed fast-paced, engaging and cleverly plotted thrillers with a spy/heist vibe and don't mind suspending your disbelief, I can highly recommend First Lie Wins.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
macint0046's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Great storytelling, a constant weaving of strands that come together beautifully at the end. I typically do not get caught off guard, but the ending was a surprise. Thrilling and engaging with a satisfying ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
rochelleisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Classism
fkshg8465's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Very fun book. Needed that after the heaviness of ur last one I’d read. Clever, but I have to say I had most of it figured out early on - that was a first for me, and yet, it was still an engaging read. Could be a fun TV show someday.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
katiejohns's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
shesflippinpages's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Review:
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston serves as an adequately diverting thriller that holds up as long as one doesn’t think too hard about it. Which, to be fair, is more than can be said about a lot of entries in the thriller genre. This book delivers twists and turns that make logical sense in context of the narrative, even if their mechanics are a bit fuzzy. The story avoids gaping plot holes, although it frequently leans on some dubious plot conveniences.
Elston’s clear, straightforward writing style works in this thriller’s favor. She demonstrates an instinct for balancing technical details with an entertaining storyline, letting the reader indulge in the fun of the main character’s espionage. The main character (who goes by multiple aliases throughout the novel), is not nearly as intelligent, sympathetic, or competent as her partner-in-crime, Devon. Devon gets little character development beyond being the token Black person who helps the main character, which is a shame because one gets the sense he would be a much more interesting protagonist.
The falling action of First Lie Wins hinges on the assumption that the reader is rooting for the main character. While she’s not an awful human being—her actions demonstrate that she has a moral compass—her motivations for crime aren’t particularly altruistic. More eyebrow-raising is the apparent happily-ever-after ending between her and Ryan, a bland and doting boyfriend who also uses violence to keep people in line at his smuggling operation. It’s supposed to be a cute ending because they’re both “morally gray,” but it ends up feeling more distasteful. If one wanted to take a more critical lens to this ending, perhaps they would question the decision to celebrate two white, financially well-off people’s choice to continue a life of crime without consequences when in reality, innocent Black and brown people are regularly murdered by law enforcement on the street in the United States. But that is more a critique aimed at the spy/thriller genre more generally, and not necessarily a reason to condemn First Lie Wins in particular.
TL;DR:
First Lie Wins manages to avoid some of the worst pitfalls of its genre and provide a somewhat entertaining story in the process. That said, the narrative and characters fail to be particularly memorable or believable.
The Run-Down:
You will might like First Lie Wins if . . .
· You enjoy cat-and-mouse spy thrillers
· You’re looking for a break from domestic thrillers
· You want a story with a splash of romance
· You like stories that take place in the American South
You might not like First Lie Wins if . . .
· You don’t typically enjoy thrillers
· You hate convenient plot points
· You don’t like stories with frequent flashback sequences
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction and Cancer
carissa230's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Evie Porter isn't her real name. She was born into a different life, but is now working with Mr. Smith to get whatever he needs from anyone he needs it from. She has discovered secrets, created blackmail, and stolen things. She has lived by many names, but Evie Porter is in danger.
Mr. Smith created Evie to get information on Ryan. A gorgeous man with secrets of his own. When she finds herself falling for Ryan things get difficult. Mr. Smith already doesn't trust her after her failure on the last job. Can she earn back his trust? Does she even want to?
This is a fast-paced page-turner. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and a lot going on considering it's not a long book. Could have been slowed down a little to build more connection to some of the characters.
Mr. Smith created Evie to get information on Ryan. A gorgeous man with secrets of his own. When she finds herself falling for Ryan things get difficult. Mr. Smith already doesn't trust her after her failure on the last job. Can she earn back his trust? Does she even want to?
This is a fast-paced page-turner. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and a lot going on considering it's not a long book. Could have been slowed down a little to build more connection to some of the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief