You wouldn’t expect everyone in a book group to enjoy exactly the same thing, so it’s no surprise that First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston triggered a lively discussion at Oundle Crime’s last meeting. There were three in our group of eight who hadn’t liked the book, and five who thought it was great and gave it a thumb’s up. So why were we so split?
It’s rare for everyone in Oundle Crime to be able to read the same book, so we felt lucky to be chosen by Hachette to receive copies of First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston to read and review. Previously, Elston has written Young Adult fiction, and this is her first novel for adults. Perhaps not surprisingly, none of us had read anything by her before, but this has been described as “smart and sharp, fast-paced and twisty” by bestselling author Megan Miranda, and that was a good enough recommendation for us!
The protagonist is Evie Porter, a young woman who lives with her boyfriend Ryan in a small town in North Louisiana and seems to be enjoying a very happy life. But the reader knows something isn’t right, because in the opening chapters Evie relates how she met Ryan and how quickly their relationship developed. It sounded contrived, because it was.
As Evie is beginning to settle into her new life, she meets one of Ryan’s childhood friends, James Bernard and his new girlfriend, Lucca Marino. And that’s when the shocks start coming, because Lucca Marino is Evie Porter’s real name and the woman she meets is a complete stranger. All this happens in the first fifty pages and you quickly learn the essential whys and wherefores – that Evie is in town at the behest of her boss, Mr Smith, with the aim of bringing down Ryan.
From this point the story is told in two timelines – present day, and ten years earlier when the real Lucca (Evie) begins to work for Mr Smith. Back then Lucca was a reasonably successful small-time thief, but a run-in with Smith changed all that. Now she works when and where he tells her and too much water has gone under the bridge for her to walk away, even though she’d like to, now that she’s met and fallen in love with Ryan.
How Evie extricates herself from all this is a twisty, enjoyable story that keeps you on your toes.
Our verdict
Okay, let’s start by saying one of our number didn’t read past page 97 and really disliked this book. Two more read it, but didn’t enjoy it. The rest of us, however, thought it was great and even a little surprising.
The story is cleverly plotted, giving you enough information to keep you on your toes and wanting more. In the early part of the book, you have to take a few leaps of faith in relation to Evie being quite so clever, but as you read, it seems logical that she is. She’s a likeable anti-heroine. A thief, but someone who knows the difference between right and wrong, can think on her feet and understands the value of meticulous planning. It’s an interesting mix.
All the characters are lightly drawn, so they are difficult to visualise (even Evie), but in the end we decided this wasn’t an essential requirement for this sort of book. That was partly because the plot is really driven by the looming presence of the mysterious Mr Smith … the man who pulls all the strings and has Evie well under his thumb. He is almost a caricature of evil, completely ruthless and not someone you’d want to cross – exactly what this story called for.
Evie has never met her boss, Mr Smith, but has to find out who he is if she’s ever to escape. Over the years she’s come to know another of Smith’s employees, an IT specialist called Devon (who becomes more important as the story progresses) but otherwise Smith has done a remarkable job of keeping everyone apart. The final unmasking of Mr Smith is handled well, with a few measured clues dropped into the story at just the right moments.
As the story goes back and forth the pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed. You learn more about Ryan, and why he was being targeted by Smith; and more about Evie and how she got enmeshed in Smith’s business operation. It’s not long before you are as keen to see Smith destroyed as Evie is, which is one of the reasons you keep turning the pages.
At the end of the day, we thought First Lie Wins was a really enjoyable, twisty thriller. There’s lots going on and the story pulls you in quickly and doesn’t let you go. Our majority view was that it was really good fun to read and we’re happy to give it 4 Stars.
Review by: Oundle Crime
For Oundle Crime 4 Stars = A good book with an interesting, layered story that you will still remember after a month
Oundle Crime thanks the publishers, Hachette, for the opportunity to read First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. We are voluntarily giving an honest review.
If you’d like to meet other crime fiction fans and chat about the books and authors you enjoy, why not come along to an Oundle Crime meeting? It’s relaxed and friendly, and anyone can drop in. Email join@friendsofoundlelibrary.org.uk and we’ll send you the details.