First Lie Wins, by Ashley Elston (2024)
This suspense thriller is narrated by a con woman calling herself Evie Porter who works for a mysterious man known only as “Mr. Smith.” She is sent out around the South to find dirt on others. The novel opens when she moves in with her latest mark, Ryan Sumner, who lives in a fictious small town in Southern Louisiana near the Texas border.
Although initially Evie was supposed to investigate Ryan’s mysterious side business, she soon finds herself falling in love with him. One day Evie meets a woman calling herself Lucca Marino, which is Evie actual name. Lucca is impersonating Evie and providing all the details of Evie’s actual life. Soon after their meeting, the fake Lucca is killed in a car accident.
The plot goes back and forth in time as the layers of Evie’s life are slowly peeled back. We learn of other jobs Evie has done for Mr. Smith and how these jobs impacted her life. Evie realizes that some of the jobs she is assigned are actual jobs, but others are test of her loyalty to Mr. Smith.
When Evie is accused of murder and an arrest warrant is issued, she realized that Mr. Smith is testing her, possibly for a final time. She must trust her instincts to take steps to protect herself, all the while considering who she can trust.
I have been reading some rather heavy books over the past few months. This was just the ticket for a light and fast read. Plus, the references to and about Louisiana were fun. The suspense was sufficient to keep my attention. A fun book.
Read: May 11, 2024
4 Stars
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