First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston follows a woman known as Evie Porter, who is sent on a mysterious assignment by her boss, Mr. Smith, but nothing goes according to plan. On the surface, Evie appears to be living the perfect life: she has a loving boyfriend, a charming home with a white picket fence, and a close-knit group of friends. However, Evie Porter isn’t real.
Each time Evie receives a new assignment, she’s given a new identity. Along with an alias, she receives the name and location of her target. From there, it’s her job to learn everything she can about the person, the town, and the people around them. While she’s given basic details, she’s rarely told why the target has been chosen, leaving her to piece together her boss’s motives as she gathers information.
Evie knows very little about Mr. Smith. She doesn’t even know his real name or the full extent of his organization. The only thing she’s certain of is that this latest assignment feels different. Her new target, Ryan Sumner, makes her imagine a life beyond the job, a chance to settle down and start over. But Mr. Smith isn’t willing to let one of his most valuable assets walk away, especially after she made a costly mistake on her previous assignment. As Evie struggles to secure a future for herself, one wrong move could cost her everything.
I thought the book was an interesting read with several twists and surprises. It was easy to get into, and the writing style made it a quick, engaging read. The pacing was fast, with plenty of suspenseful moments that kept me turning the pages. At first, I found the shifts between past and present a bit frustrating, but by the end, everything came together in a satisfying way. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would be open to reading more from this author.
