First Lie Wins

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REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK | #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“This fast-paced read has everything you could want in a thriller: secret identities, a mysterious boss and a cat & mouse game that kept me guessing the whole way through.”—Reese Witherspoon

Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes–especially after what happened last time.

Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher–but then, Evie has always liked a challenge…Praise for First Lie Wins:

“This fast-paced read has everything you could want in a thriller: secret identities, a mysterious boss and a cat & mouse game that kept me guessing the whole way through.”
—Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club January ’24 Pick)

“The cleverly crafted plot and whip-smart protagonist mean you won’t know who to trust in this edge-of-your-seat thriller. . . Riveting.”
—Reader’s Digest

“Elston raises the stakes.”
—The New York Times

“You’re in for a thrill ride of twists in this fast-paced novel that kept me on my toes from start to finish.”
—New York Post

“First Lie Wins delivers a fun and unpredictable suspense ride that keeps the guessing going until the end.”
—Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Ashley Elston handles a highly complicated plot with the assurance of someone who has been writing psychological suspense all her life. . . No wonder Reese Witherspoon has made First Lie Wins her book club choice for this month.”
—Sunday Times (London)

“One of the best thrillers I’ve ever read. . . Amazing.”
—Jesse Watters

“Riveting!”
—Lucy Foley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Apartment 

“Buckle up. First Lie Wins features some of the best cat and mouse suspense I’ve read in years, while serving up plenty of heart along this wild ride. I’m still breathless.”
—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Step Too Far

“What a box of tricks! First Lie Wins flickers past like a shadow-play: just when you think you’ve worked out what you’re seeing, the shapes shift, the scene transforms, and — hold on — maybe you had it wrong a moment ago? Cool and clever and full-on fun, the sort of slippery high-stakes now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t thriller that few novelists are bold enough to attempt these days. Pick it up, please. This is a good one.”
—A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window and End of Story

“First Lie Wins is a high-stakes thriller that brilliantly explores identity and love, truth and deception. Smart and sharp, fast-paced and twisty, this book kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the very last. Ashley Elston has crafted a truly unpredictable, unforgettable story. I loved it!”
—Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Survivors

“Wildly inventive, diabolically clever….Filled with meticulously plotted details and stakes that will wholly consume you, Ashley Elston also delivers one of the most likeable, morally gray characters I’ve ever encountered. I devoured First Lie Wins and am now an Ashley Elston fan for life.”
—Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Lies I Tell

“First Lie Wins is the most suspenseful game of deception I’ve ever read…. Ashley Elston peeled back layer upon layer of a carefully crafted plot, revealing a series of twists and reveals I never saw coming. Brilliant!”
—Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

“You don’t know who to trust in this taut and expertly plotted thriller from Ashley Elston. First Lie Wins is an edge-of-your-seat read that’s as emotionally moving as it is gripping. I loved every minute of it!”
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing

“A suspenseful and taut page-turner that is impossible to put down! First Lie Wins captivated me with its twisty premise and left me spellbound by the memory of its richly-drawn characters.”
—Megan Shepherd, New York Times bestselling author of Malice House

“Who is the cat and who is the mouse? It’s hard to tell when even the bad guys are so likable that you can’t help but root for them. Clever, twisty, and suspenseful, First Lie Wins kept me on my toes right up to the satisfying conclusion.”
—Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of The Last House on the Street

“Sharp, engaging, and unputdownable. Elston executes hair-pin turns masterfully, leaving readers gasping in surprise but firmly in their seats and ready for more. A smart suspense with romantic elements that keeps the thrills coming and the reader thinking of the story long after the book is done.”
—Alyssa Cole, New York Times bestselling author of When No One is Watching

“Outstanding! The deeply woven characters in First Lie Wins pulled me in from the first page, then took me on a spellbinding ride. Ashley Elston has crafted an ingenious, unforgettable cat and mouse thriller!”
—Wendy Walker, bestselling author of What Remains

“A whip-smart, twisty thriller with a surprisingly big heart. First Lie Wins is the type of book that begs to be read in one sitting.”
—Kara Thomas, author of Out of the Ashes

“Prepare to trust no one on this high-speed thrill ride through timelines, identities, and motives as you work to piece together Elston’s expertly crafted puzzle. First Lie Wins is a fun, clever spin on the con artist novel, perfect for fans of The Lies I Tell and The Lady Upstairs.”
—Ashley Winstead, author of Midnight is the Darkest Hour

“Ingeniously plotted. . . Elston whips up plenty of suspense and delivers a satisfyingly serpentine finale. This promises more good things from Elston to come.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A savvy thriller with intrigue and momentum. . . from the first twist of Lucca’s arrival right up until the final showdowns. Evie is a smart and engaging protagonist, and her time on the run is anything but predictable.”
—Kirkus

“I really enjoyed this – very unexpected and pacy with a brilliant central character.” 
—Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of Blood Orange and The Lies You Told

“Absolutely brilliant. I devoured it.” 
—Heidi Perks, bestselling author of The Whispers

“An absolute CRACKER of a book—clever, original and compelling.”
—Rachel Abbott, bestselling author of Don’t Look AwayAshley Elston worked for many years as a wedding photographer before turning her hand to writing. She lives in Louisiana with her husband and three sons. Elston has written six young adult novels; First Lie Wins is her adult debut.

1. Identity plays a significant role in First Lie Wins. Evie assumes various aliases for her jobs and ultimately allows her Lucca Marino identity to take the fall for crimes she didn’t commit in order to protect her future. Why is the name Lucca Marino so important to her? Do you think your name is essential to your identity? Why or why not? And will she be happy as Evie Porter?

2. Evie and Ryan are both morally gray characters. Despite her life of crime, there were lines Evie wouldn’t cross: not leaving Miles unattended after his mother was injured, giving financial advice to Tyron, changing critical information about Ryan’s business so Mr. Smith wouldn’t be able to take it from him. Do you think this behavior redeems Evie in some way? Why or why not?

3. Evie’s path to crime began as a way to pay for the medicine and medical treatment her mother needed. In today’s world of high health-care costs, Evie believed she had no other option. Do you sympathize with Evie or think she was wrong to turn to a life of crime? Should she have continued in that line of work after her mother died? Discuss.

4. What are your thoughts on the author’s use of flashbacks? Did each flashback give you further insights into Evie’s actions or thought processes in the present? How so?

5. Evie’s mother dies when Evie is still quite young, yet rather than seek out community, she takes on a job that is inherently isolating. Why do you think it was so important for Evie to find the others who worked for Mr. Smith? Do you think Evie finally found her family with Devon, Amy, and Ryan? By the end of the book, do you think Evie has achieved what she originally hoped she might? What is the significance of her garden?

6. Evie leaves an origami swan behind when each job is complete. What do you think this specific calling card means? Do you think Evie enjoys the chase? Or is there a part of her that wants to be found out? Is it possible for both to be true?

7. Evie says, “There are the short cons and there are long cons and I’ve just finished the longest one of my life.” Did you know Evie was one step ahead of Mr. Smith the whole time? When did you realize who George was? Did you expect any of the reveals throughout the book?

8. Mr. Smith suggests that he and Evie are more alike than she might wish: they both con and manipulate others. Do you think Evie is aware of how much they actually resemble each other? At the end, it looks like Evie will take over Mr. Smith’s business—do you think that’s really what she wants? Can she do that job and also live happily ever after with Ryan?

Chapter 1

It starts with the little things: an extra toothbrush in the glass holder next to the sink, a few articles of clothing in the smallest drawer, phone chargers on both sides of the bed. Then the little things turn to slightly bigger things: razors and mouthwash and birth control pills all fighting for space in the medicine cabinet, the question changing from “Are you coming over?” to “What should we cook for dinner?”

And as much as I’ve been dreading it, this next step was inevitable.

It may be the first time I’m meeting the people gathered around the table, people who Ryan has known since childhood, but it hasn’t escaped anyone’s attention that I’m already fully embedded in his life. It’s the small touches a woman brings to a man’s home, like the matching throw pillows on the couch or the faint whiff of jasmine from the diffuser on the bookshelf, that every other woman notices the second she walks through the front door.

A voice floats across the candlelit table, dodges the centerpiece that I was assured was “delicate yet confident,” and hovers in the air in front of me. “Evie, that’s an unusual name.”

I turn to Beth, debating whether to answer her question that’s not really a question.

“It’s short for Evelyn. I was named after my grandmother.”

The women sneak glances at one another, silently communicating across the table. Every answer I give is weighed and cataloged for a later discussion.

“Oh, I love that!” Allison squeals. “I was named after my grandmother too. Where did you say you were from again?”

I didn’t say, and they know this. Like birds of prey, they will pick, pick, pick all night until they get the answers they want.

“A small town in Alabama,” I answer.

Before they can ask which small town in Alabama, Ryan changes the subject. “Allison, I saw your grandmother last week at the grocery store. How’s she holding up?”

He’s bought me a few precious moments of relief while Allison relays how her grandmother is faring following the death of her grandfather. But it won’t be long until I’m the focus once again.

I don’t have to know these people to know everything about them. They are the ones who started kindergarten together, their circle remaining small until high school graduation. They fled town in groups of twos and threes to attend a handful of colleges all within driving distance of here. They all joined sororities and fraternities with other groups of twos and threes with similar backgrounds, only to gravitate back to this small Louisiana town, the circle closing once again. Greek letters have been traded out for Junior League memberships and dinner parties and golf on Saturday afternoon, as long as it doesn’t interfere with SEC football.

I don’t fault them for the way they are; I envy them. I envy the ease they feel in these situations, for knowing exactly what to expect and what is expected of them. I envy the gracefulness that comes with knowing that everyone in this town has seen them at their worst and still accepts them.

“How did you two meet?” Sara asks, the attention once again back on me.

It’s an innocent enough question, but one that unnerves me all the same.

The smile on Ryan’s face tells me he knows how I feel about being asked this and he’ll step in again to answer for me, but I shake him off.

Wiping my mouth gently with one of the white cloth napkins I bought specifically for this occasion, I say, “He helped change my flat tire.”

Ryan would have given them more than they deserve, and that’s why I stopped him. I don’t mention it was at the truck stop on the outskirts of town where I worked in the small restaurant bar making sure no drink went empty. And I don’t mention that while they are familiar with lots of acronyms from MBA to MRS, the only one I’m acquainted with is GED.

These people, his friends, wouldn’t mean to, but they would hold such basic things against me. They might not even be aware they were doing it.

I told Ryan I was afraid of how they would judge me once they found out my background was so different from theirs. He assured me he didn’t care what they thought, but he does. The fact that he caved and invited them all here and spent the week helping me get the menu just right tells me more than the whispers in the dark that he likes how different I am, different from the girls he grew up with.

Allison turns to Ryan, and says, “Well, aren’t you handy to have around.”

I watch Ryan. I’ve whittled down our entire meeting to one sentence, and so far, he’s let me get away with it.

As he watches me, a small smile plays on his face that lets me know this is my show-for now-and he’s happy to go along.

Allison’s husband, Cole, adds, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he flattened your tire just so he could be there to help you fix it.”

Laughs around the table and probably an elbow to the ribs from his wife given how Cole is holding his side. Ryan shakes his head, still watching me.

I smile and laugh, not too loud and not too long, to show that I, too, am amused at the thought that Ryan would go to such extremes to meet me.

Amused that any person would have watched another long enough to know that he always filled up at that truck stop for gas on Thursday evenings after spending the day in his East Texas office. That someone knew he favored the pumps on the west side of the building, and that his eyes almost always lingered a little too long on any female who crossed his path, especially those dressed in short skirts. And that same someone would pick up on little things, like the LSU baseball cap in the back seat or the frat tee showing through his white dress shirt or the country club sticker in the bottom left corner of his windshield, to ensure when they did meet there would be things to talk about. That someone would hold a nail just so in a valve while the air whistled away.

I mean, it’s amusing to believe one person would go to those lengths just to meet another.

.

“I totally nailed it,” I say, as I dip the last dinner plate into the sink full of soapy water. Ryan moves in behind me, his arms skimming my hips until they are wrapped around my waist. His chin settles on my shoulder, and his lips press against that spot on my neck in a way he knows I adore.

“They loved you,” he whispers.

They don’t love me. At most, I satisfied the first wave of curiosity. And I imagine before the first car left the driveway, every woman was in the passenger seat swiping between the group text message picking apart every aspect of the night and the search bar on every social media site trying to track down exactly who I am and what small town in Alabama I came from.

“Ray just sent me a text. Sara wants your number so she can invite you to lunch next week.”

That was faster than I anticipated. I guess the second wave of curiosity is barreling toward me, fueled by the discovery that all searches turned up just the bare minimum of information, and they are hungry for more.

“I sent it to him. Hope that’s okay,” he says.

I twist around until I’m facing him, my hands crawling up his chest until they’re framing his face. “Of course. They’re your friends. And I hope they’ll be my friends too.”

So now there will be a lunch where the questions will be more direct, because Ryan won’t be there to make sure they aren’t.

Standing on my tiptoes, I pull him closer, until my mouth is mere inches from his. We both love this part, the anticipation, when breaths mingle and my brown eyes stare into his blue ones. We’re close but not close enough. His hands slip under the hem on my shirt, his fingers digging into the soft skin at my waist while mine slide up the back of his neck, my fingers curling into his dark hair. Ryan’s hair is longer than it was when we first met, when I first started watching him. I told him I liked it like this. That I liked having something to hold on to, so he stopped cutting it. I could tell his friends were surprised when they saw him, because from my own social media research, his hair has never touched his collar. And then they looked to me, and I could see their questions. Why has Ryan changed? And is it because of this girl?

He drags his hands lower, gripping my thighs under my short skirt and pulling me up so my legs can wrap around him.

“Will you stay?” he whispers, even though we’re the only two people in the house. He asks me this question every night.

“Yes,” I whisper back. My answer is always the same.

Ryan’s mouth hovers over mine but still maintains a sliver of space between us. I lose focus on his face. Even though he’s killing me, I wait for him to close the distance between us.

“I don’t want to ask anymore. I want to know you’ll be here every night because it’s your home too. Will you do that? Make this your home?”

I dig my fingers deeper into his hair and lock my legs tighter around him. “I thought you’d never ask.”

I feel his smile against my lips, and he’s kissing me then carrying me through the kitchen, down the hall to the bedroom.

Our bedroom.

Chapter 2

Ever since Ryan asked me to move in with him five days ago and I said yes, he’s been impatient for it to happen. I woke up the morning after the dinner party to him on the phone with a moving company, scheduling their services for later that day, thanks to a last-minute cancellation.

I convinced him to wait, even if it was just for a week, to make sure this was really what he wanted and not just something he said after an evening of expensive wine and perfectly cooked beef tenderloin. Plus, I mentioned he was getting a little ahead of himself by calling the movers when I haven’t packed anything yet.

“If you didn’t really want to move in with me, you’d tell me, right?” Ryan is standing in front of the bathroom mirror, knotting a dark blue and gray striped tie, and trying to act like he’s asked me some insignificant thing. He’s pouting. Something I’ve seen before when he doesn’t get his way.

I hop up on the counter and scoot down the white marble surface until I’m sitting right in front of him. He looks over my shoulder as if he can still watch his progress in the mirror behind me. He’s being a little bit of a baby this morning.

I’ve memorized his face, but I still study it every chance I get, looking for any small piece I may have missed. He’s attractive in a classic way. His dark hair is thick and tends to curl at the edges when it gets too long, as it is now. His blue eyes are striking, and even though he just shaved I know by the time I see him tonight his jaw will be shadowed and I’ll get goose bumps when it grazes my neck.

Brushing his hands away, I finish tying the tie for him. “Of course I want to move in here. Where’s this coming from?”

Ryan looks down at the tie, straightening it even though it’s already straight but needing something to do. He hasn’t touched me this morning and barely looked at me. Yep, total baby.

Since he hasn’t answered me, I add, “Have you changed your mind about me being here? I know you think I’ve been avoiding packing, but I’ve set aside the entire day today to get it done, and Goodwill is coming by to pick up everything I don’t need anymore. But I can call them and cancel . . .”

His eyes and hands are finally on me. “Yes, I still want you here. I didn’t know that’s what you were planning to do today. But you’ve picked the one day I can’t help you. I’m swamped today.”

Today is Thursday, and he’ll be fifty miles away from here at his East Texas office for the day. Just like he is every Thursday.

“I know, the timing sucks. But today was the only day I could get off work and the only afternoon Goodwill could send a truck over. I don’t have much, so even by myself, it shouldn’t take long.”

His hands squeeze my sides while he leans forward to kiss me on the lips. His pout long gone, I hook my feet around the back of his legs and pull him close.

“Maybe I can call in sick. I am the boss, after all, and it’s high time I abuse my position of power,” he says with a laugh.

I giggle between kisses. “Save your sick day for something better than packing. And really, there won’t be that much to pack since I’m giving almost everything away.” I glance through the door to the bedroom. “My stuff isn’t as nice as yours, so there’s no reason to keep it.”

His hands go to my face. “I told you, anything you want to bring here, we’ll make room for it. You don’t have to get rid of your stuff.”

Biting my bottom lip, I say, “I promise you, you don’t want my ugly secondhand couch in your living room.”

“How would I know if I didn’t want your ugly secondhand couch in my living room? You’ve never let me see it.” I try to sidestep this landmine of a conversation by looking away, but his finger pulls my chin back so we’re eye to eye. “You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

“Yes, I do,” I say, matching his stare. Then I lean in and kiss him quickly to avoid another pout. “You’ll see it on Saturday when we meet the movers there. I scheduled them yesterday. And Sunday will be spent finding space for my stuff here. Save your sick day for Monday. By Monday, we’ll both be exhausted and I’m sure we’ll need a pajama day. Pajamas optional.”

He leans his forehead against mine, his smile infectious. “It’s a date.” With a last quick kiss, he pushes away from me and strolls out of the bathroom.

Twenty minutes after Ryan’s Tahoe pulls out of the driveway, I’m doing the same in my ten-year-old 4Runner. Lake Forbing is a medium-size town in north Louisiana that is known for its fertile farmlands and deep pockets of natural gas. There is a lot of money in this area, but it’s the quiet kind. It takes fifteen minutes to get to Lake View Apartments from Ryan’s house, and from what I can tell it’s nowhere near the lake this town was named after.US

Additional information

Weight	19.8 oz
Dimensions	1.1700 × 6.3000 × 9.3000 in
Imprint	Pamela Dorman Books
ISBN-13	09780593492918
ISBN-10	0593492919
Author	Ashley Elston
Audience	General / adult
BISAC	FIC044000, FIC031080
Subjects	Reese Witherspoon, e-books, best sellers books 2024, best sellers 2024, reese's book club picks, reese witherspoon book club picks, reese witherspoon book club picks 2024, bestselling books, ebooks, reese witherspoon book club, psychological thrillers, psychological thriller books, best selling books, new york times best sellers, e books, Books, Reese's Book Club, books best sellers, gifts for her, thriller books, books for women, gifts for women, best sellers, thrillers, beach reads, FIC044000, book club books, FIC031080, suspense, thriller
Format	General Trade