First Lie Wins: A Novel (Random House Large Print)

Ashley Elston has come up with an original and thrilling whodunnit with so many twists and turns written in a unique and clever timeline using character aliases. Everything is about finding out the identity of the elusive Mr. Smith, the puppet master who assigns “jobs” of crimes engineered with new identities in new places for alleged new clients. Evie Porter designs a plan, told through past personas, to take down the increasingly evil Mr. Smith. Unputdownable…I was scared reading it! One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time.

I was surprised how much I liked this book..it took me a minute to get into the book, but when it took off, Wow! Convoluted, but so impressive..it took a lot of imagination to even come up with this plot.. the brilliance of the main character is to be applauded…She definitely lands in the gray area though..very different and so creative, keeps you on the edge, with a good ending…

When I first started reading I didn't really know that much about the book. I trust Reese Witherspoon selections so I decided this would be good to try. It started out like a typical women's drama. But it doesn't take long before you know this book has way more to offer! In fact, it is not long before you reach the point of not being able to put it down! Wow! Didn't see that coming. You are in for a great ride. The characters are well developed and well defined. The settings are real (I live in the south so I know it well). The plot is new and different and exciting. And spoiler alert - I love the ending. Can't wait until a film version comes out. I hope it will do justice to the deserving book. Will be following this author.

Lucca’s character was well developed exhibiting behavior consistent with her traits, predilections, and thought processes.

Her sharp street-smarts were astute to point where her machinations superseded my anticipations.

Aside from that her self-confidence was so acute that no courage was needed even though she thought otherwise. Her attitude was a clear result of her strong relationship with her mother. She knew that she was loved. That love superseded any feral fear that would’ve been healthy in such a situation not knowing what she was up against.

With aplomb her attitude didn’t allow concession in thinking that Mr. Smith was beyond her reach. On the contrary she assumed herself to be an equal knowing that all she had to do to escape was to figure out how to do it. There’s always time to make a decision before acting no matter how small. She always took that time.

I must admit that I didn’t figure out who Mr. Smith was and was definitely duped by her, Amy, and Devon’s deception. That was a surprise.

As the reader will find out the title of the book is to inform one that the only way to success is preparation preemptive establishment.

Having said all of this Lucca isn’t really a hero. She is a faulty character because she is a criminal engaged in wrongful behavior. But, as always people are complex and the reader eventually identifies with her plight and sentiments.

In a lot of our culture including literature, bemoaning pain of broken relationships, hardship, and most of all our own failures is very common. But, it doesn’t have to be that we way. We can live a life of principle and light. If we study such works as Proverbs and take them to heart it is possible to have happiness, satisfaction, and purpose.

A slight criticism that I have is that the book ends like a TV episode. I can almost hear the cheesy music playing in the background when everything is wrapped up in a neat bow and all the characters are chumming around together as the villain is carted away getting what he deserves in the end.

Even germination of the complex relationship between her and Ryan blooms at the end is wrapped up in the most simple manner as if the author was tying up a loose end in the story after it was such a central pivotal point at the beginning and throughout the story. But, it was so much more than that. It was the catalyst that inspired her to strive for something better and more meaningful.

Nevertheless, it was a page turner in the way it written. For that it gets five stars.

I really enjoyed this novel by Ashley Elston. It was my first novel I have read by her and I will be looking for more of her stories in the future.

The story centers on Evie (short for Evelyn) and her fast moving relationship with her boyfriend Ryan. They both have mysterious pasts. We soon learn that Evie is not who she claims to be, in fact she is far from her birth identity of Lucca Marino. Her life between Lucca and Evie is checkered and intriguing.

When we learn of Evie’s past we also learn of the high stakes. The mysterious Mr. Smith seems to be everywhere and apparently will not stop until he gets what he wants. Something only Evie can give him.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good psychological suspense story.

Evie Porter is a woman of many personas who completes covert tasks for her mysterious employer, Mr. Smith. . Her latest assignment targets Ryan Sumner, a man who is keeping his own secrets. But this job is different for Evie, and her most dangerous one to date because she is being closely watched by her employer and is developing feelings for Ryan. Despite her growing attachment, Evie knows that to stay alive and ultimately have the "normal" life she's been craving, she must stay one step ahead of the devious game that unfolds while keeping her feeling for Ryan at bay. Balancing the demands of her current task with the shadows of her past, Evie must outsmart everyone to stay alive and secure a promising future.

I would have given this a 3 but added a star because the writing is really really good. The author does a great job of brining the action to life and creating a 3-D story for us. This was a fast read; great writing with good characters. I wasn't bored and kept wanting to go back to the book after taking a break (more out of morbid curiosity about what happens than attachment to the characters and plot) , but the plot was a little strange and it took a lot for me to wrap my brain around it. Also the flashbacks were utterly confusing - too many characters and subplots for me to keep track of. Also, there was a lot of explaining that needed to be done at the end to wrap it up neatly.

I'd give 4 stars to the book iteslf. Is it a book spending money on? I'd give that a 1/2. So 3 it is.

I wanted to check this out from the library, but my situation was time sensitive and there was a very long wait. It was a fun book. Worth the read, but definitely not worth buying and owning a copy. I'm picky about books that are worth spending actual money on though. If buying books is your thing.....

This is a rather entertaining book. You do need a suspension of disbelief, but if you can get to that it's a really fun read. There are so many improbable/questionable things, but somehow the aurhor made me not care about them and want to take the ride.

Characters are developed nicely enough. There are lots of twists, some cleverly moving the story in an interesting direction. Beyond plot, there is just something about the way this book is layed out that makes it fun. I love the timing of this book. The author managed to give me exactly the right information at exactly the right time. I figured things out just before I read it. So it was fun figuring it out but not so early that it became tiring and dull. This happened at several points throughout the book. It was actually pretty impressive how the author was able to work everything through the plot in the way she did.