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lvfrks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Car accident, and Alcohol
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Addiction
soobooksalot's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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
First Lie Wins has been EVERYWHERE on here.
And I'm now in the appreciation club.
This is a fun, smart, and exciting story. I read it well into the wee hours, and very reluctantly put it down to get some actual sleep.
To sum up - believe the hype on this one! Go in blind and enjoy the journey.
This is author Ashley Elston's first adult book, and would be fantastic on screen.
Highly recommended!
And I'm now in the appreciation club.
This is a fun, smart, and exciting story. I read it well into the wee hours, and very reluctantly put it down to get some actual sleep.
To sum up - believe the hype on this one! Go in blind and enjoy the journey.
This is author Ashley Elston's first adult book, and would be fantastic on screen.
Highly recommended!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
lindaahogannxo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really enjoyed this book, was fast paced was a quick read and it kept me guessing until the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident 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
itsheyfay's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
daydaybookbay's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.5
I rated this book a 7 out of 10. I was pulled into this thriller, and I love the idea of undercover work. Evie shows her cleverness over the years and pulls ahead in work. Some sections felt repetitive, but I liked how everything was revealed for a reason. I wish there had been some character development; the characters themselves were a bit flat.
This story is a quick read, but slow paced (if that makes any sense) game of cat-and-mouse. We watch the back and forth of Evie's work and personal life while she tries to keep it from crumbling.
The major plot of the story is introduced in chapters 1 and 2. We follow Evie in her undercover scheme for the first half of the book. In the second half, we have an altered plot and follow Evie in her con artist scheme. It is a bit basic at times, but the plot keeps pushing forward.
The flashbacks to Evie's previous jobs threw me through a loop a few times. It wasn't always clear why any of those moments were important. Eventually, it all comes full circle, and we understand, but I think they were more randomly distributed rather than strategically placed.
I'1l say it again here: there is next to zero character development. Here's a character at face value, and there is nothing added. I wish there would have been more there (maybe in the flashbacks) where we could understand more about the characters.
This story is a quick read, but slow paced (if that makes any sense) game of cat-and-mouse. We watch the back and forth of Evie's work and personal life while she tries to keep it from crumbling.
The major plot of the story is introduced in chapters 1 and 2. We follow Evie in her undercover scheme for the first half of the book. In the second half, we have an altered plot and follow Evie in her con artist scheme. It is a bit basic at times, but the plot keeps pushing forward.
The flashbacks to Evie's previous jobs threw me through a loop a few times. It wasn't always clear why any of those moments were important. Eventually, it all comes full circle, and we understand, but I think they were more randomly distributed rather than strategically placed.
I'1l say it again here: there is next to zero character development. Here's a character at face value, and there is nothing added. I wish there would have been more there (maybe in the flashbacks) where we could understand more about the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
jamie_rich's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
amandab0514's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is a well-written and constructed story about a con woman whose motivations the reader learns only over the course of the story. I like that the main character, Evie Porter, is an intelligent and cunning woman who, although her livelihood may be unsavory, is admirable as a grounded woman who can think on her feet and is able to cultivate strong relationships.
This is a story where it's known right away that not everything is as it seems, and clues of what's really happening are revealed leisurely as the story unfolds. It seems that all the primary characters have secrets and a lot of them are out to get the other. Although the characters are interesting and fit the story well, I never warmed to any of them so I wasn't as invested in reading the book as much as I would've liked.
All this said, I think this is a good story and has enough reveals to keep the reader turning the pages to find out what comes next or get a better understanding of what the heck is going on!
I listened to the audiobook and feel the narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, did an excellent job voicing both the primary and peripheral characters, especially the females.
This is a story where it's known right away that not everything is as it seems, and clues of what's really happening are revealed leisurely as the story unfolds. It seems that all the primary characters have secrets and a lot of them are out to get the other. Although the characters are interesting and fit the story well, I never warmed to any of them so I wasn't as invested in reading the book as much as I would've liked.
All this said, I think this is a good story and has enough reveals to keep the reader turning the pages to find out what comes next or get a better understanding of what the heck is going on!
I listened to the audiobook and feel the narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, did an excellent job voicing both the primary and peripheral characters, especially the females.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Racial slurs, Blood, and Car accident
hesticht's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol