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A review by natalie_and_company
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
4.5
This book is just so fun. It is not the usual, "ah there' a murder we gotta go solve it" mystery. There is so much dimension to the suspense here. The plot is so enthralling because it goes outside the usual mystery/thriller stereotypes. The main character here is genuinely smart, we are not just told that she is, we see her actively being brilliant throughout the book and I really enjoyed that. The book has so many ups and downs it really takes you for a ride. There is not just one climax but a series of progressively intense reveals that bring you to the end or the mystery. The way the layers and events are built on top of each other is very well done and the meshing of the past and the present does great at building the main character's personality, story, and history. That was why I was so bummed when the book ended with the main character doing what I felt was out of character.
The reason this was not a five was because [this main character spent the entire book talking about the downsides of the work that she does, and how much harm that the industry she has worked for has done, only to submit to working in that industry at the end of the book. (view spoiler) To me it was very much like she girlbossed too close to the sun. She was really powerful and strong and surprisingly kind and clever and then at the end she's like, yeah but I'm not going to do anything differently for the greater good.
The reason this was not a five was because [this main character spent the entire book talking about the downsides of the work that she does, and how much harm that the industry she has worked for has done, only to submit to working in that industry at the end of the book. (view spoiler) To me it was very much like she girlbossed too close to the sun. She was really powerful and strong and surprisingly kind and clever and then at the end she's like, yeah but I'm not going to do anything differently for the greater good.