Evie Porter is going to elaborate lengths to try to convince her boyfriend Ryan Sumner that she is who she says she is. However, it becomes apparent early into First Lie Wins that Evie is existing under a false identity in their small Louisiana town. Evie's alias is only part of the intrigue as we learn she was sent there by a shadowy boss in connection to Ryan's shady business dealings.
When another woman shows up at a local party with an old friend of Ryan's who introduces herself as Lucca Marino (Evie's true, real identity) it throws Evie for a loop. The fact that the woman looks eerily similar to Evie opens up a labyrinth of a plot. It also becomes clear that the woman's timely, suspicious death is a message meant for Evie.
However good her goals were that initially lead young Evie down a path of crime, she is now wrapped up in a perilous business. Evie finds herself with her feet to the fire as she is wanted for questioning as a material witness to a death in Atlanta. She simultaneously comes to the realization that her life depends on being able to expose her dangerous and powerful boss who is quite possibly setting her up for a fall.
Evie is a master of subterfuge. As she explains early in the novel, "the first lie has to be the strongest. The one that changes the game and sets the stage for everything that comes after it." This idea is illustrated time and time again through flashbacks of Evie's various "jobs" and as Evie jumps through hoops to save herself from the deadly situation her boss has put her in.
This is an action-packed novel with plenty of twists. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston is heavy on plot, and light on character-development. It's exciting and if that's what you're after, then this thriller fits the bill. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
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