First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston is a twisty mystery involving fake identities and so very many secrets. This soon-to-be-released title made me think of Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me. Something is clearly “off” but readers are not sure what that is or whom to trust. In FIRST LIE WINS, the main character is Evie Porter (born Lucca Marino) and she is living in Louisiana with her current “mark,” Ryan Sumner. Evie’s boss, Mr. Smith, employs her and others to steal items like paintings or corporate records. He creates those alternative identities and the author weaves in several past stories of “cons” which Evie has completed. This time, though, it appears that she may be in real danger. Readers will enjoy the fast-pace of this puzzling thriller and very likely end up rooting for Evie/Lucca whom Booklist describes as “a delightfully morally ambiguous antiheroine.”
A LibraryReads selection for January 2024.