We all have our reasons for being who we are―but what if being someone else could get you what you want?After a devastating betrayal, a young woman sets off on an obsessive path to justice, no matter what dark family secrets are revealed. What she doesn’t know―she isn’t the only one plotting revenge.An affluent daughter of privilege. A glamorous manipulative wannabe. A determined reporter, in too … determined reporter, in too deep. A grieving widow who has to choose her new reality. Who will be the first to lie? And when the stakes are life and death, do a few lies really matter?
Bestselling and award-winning author and investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan delivers another twisty, thrilling cat and mouse novel of suspense that will have you guessing, and second-guessing, and then gasping with surprise.
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Pls don’t kill me but I couldn’t help boasting abt the author first!
USA Today BESTSELLING AUTHOR @hank has Won FIVE AGATHA AWARDS in addition to Anthony, Macavity, Daphne du Maurier, and Mary Higgins Clark Awards.
As ON-AIR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER for Boston’s WHDH-TV, she’s won 36 EMMYS and many more Journalism Honors, and her work has resulted in new laws, criminals sent to prison, homes saved from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in restitution for victims and consumers.
Ryan lives in Boston with her husband, a Nationally Renowned civil rights and criminal defense attorney.
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“Intricate, complex, and devilishly clever… like reading a burning stick of dynamite.”
This book, is fast paced & a quick (352 pg) exciting read!
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MIRRORS MAKE SUCH FALSE PROMISES. THEY TELL YOU: LOOK HERE, AND YOU’LL SEE YOURSELF. BUT THAT’S THE FIRST LIE.
I am so amazed at myself & at the author’s writing style, so simple yet so enticing.
Tbh I have never read murder mysteries or thrillers of any sort more than Nancy Drew & Famous Five in middle grade. I don’t know, I somehow lost interest in this genre.
But reading this one, got me up & alert, as if I am the one responsible to unearth this mystery!
I read mixed takes on this book but for me it was not at all twisted or confusing or with too many POVs. There was nothing too much, that I did not love.
There was a reality check, money-power-dupe, emotions, resentment-regret- revenge & call for justice & retribution.
So the STORY is pretty simple, wherein a pharmaceutical co. markets it’s drug as a miracle drug for ppl who have infertility issues & crave a biological child. The company never reveals the side effects of the drug & plays with the fears & emotions of it’s patients.
The whole gig is to bring the truth out in the open.
All said, it’s the EXECUTION of the story, the main characters: Nora( Brooke) & Gabe(Liam) & also the supporting characters that make this read awesome.
It also talks abt various life lessons, briefly, throughout..like..
We all have our reasons for being who we are.
Speaking lies, enacting various role, changing enactments- that’s how I have survived.
I also liked the mention again n again, wherein Nora/ Brooke is influenced by her mother’s words throughout her life until she finds out…
Loved it!
P. S. Remember the author has already won 5 Agatha Awards!
#noorthebookwormreviews
#thefirsttolie
Clever, deceiving, fast paced book of who done it. Money and greed vs family and love. The author kept my interest throughout with the need to find out who was lying to who. The end surprised me and gave a moment of ok, that’s perfect and justice for all.
Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and the Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Okay let me start by saying, I started this book a few times and couldn’t get into it, but once I got past the first few chapters, OMG I could not put it down and actually finished it in one day.
So many twists and turns, ups and downs that I felt like I was on a never ending rollercoaster.
One of the best Psychological thrillers that I’ve read this year.
I absolutely can’t wait to read more by Hank.
In a word? Twisty. Bestselling and award-winning author Hank Phillippi Ryan keeps readers guessing until the final pages in this tale of lies and greater truths. But don’t let the stellar plot make you overlook the lyricism she brings to her prose. Ryan keeps getting better and better.
This thriller is an endless flow of elaborate lies and deception that will overwhelm your mind.
I was intrigued after reading the latest newsletter from Christina McDonald, which included a review of the book and interview with the author. So I bumped it up on my TBR list!
I was drawn in immediately, but it took a bit to get my bearings and sketch out what was going on.
The writing was terrific, but the middle of the book was a little wordy and slow. Yes, it was far-fetched. The details felt overdone….but I still couldn’t put it down! I loved the storyline and interwoven mysteries.
There is so much going on in this book, I don’t know where to start without giving something away. So I won’t!
Thank you to Edelweiss, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Forge Books, for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
My Rating: 4 ’s
Published: August 4th 2020 by Forge Books
Pages: 352
Recommend: Yes
@HankPRyan @ForgeReads @weiss_squad
#psychologicalthriller #NoRulesJustThrills #MustRead @Christinamac79 #InExchangeForReview
… everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story. PATRICK ROTHFUSS, THE NAME OF THE WIND
Without any sneaky fine print and knowing everything you know, if you could start your adult life over as someone else, would you do it?
Mirrors make such false promises. They tell you: Look here, and you’ll see yourself.
But that’s the first lie. You see a face and a boy, sure. But a mirror doesn’t show your TRUE self.
This book will definitely keep you on edge. Guessing. Wanting to know who did what to whom and why. It’s told primarily from three perspectives. Nora, who works for a pharmaceutical company, Pharminex. Ellie, who is a new to the area news reporter working on a story involving Pharminex. And Meg, Ellie’s assistant who has some pretty crazy ways of getting info. Then there are side stories that go back to an earlier time. Lacey who marries into the Vanderwald family and Brooke who is the daughter to the Vanderwalds. The Vanderwalds own Pharminex.
This book started out a bit slow for me but it did pick up and take off with a bang. It’s a definite page turner and will keep you guessing. Until a certain point. I did figure out who was who and why they were doing the things they did. But that didn’t deter from the story at all. It’s a story about a pharmaceutical company who does some pretty unethical things. Like most in real life do daily. The main plot in this story is centered around Pharminex and a drug called, Monifan. Monifan is suppose to help women who can’t get or stay pregnant. But it has some side affects that are horrible. It can make a woman not be able to conceive or carry a baby at all. It ruined several women’s lives and thus the story Ellie is working on comes to light.
This book has several characters and if you keep them straight that is great. It’s done well. In a way that you should find easy to follow. The beginning, Epigraph, will pull you right in. Then it will alternate between some of the characters. It really is a great story that will keep you wanting more. You will want to know how Nora, Ellie and Meg are woven together. You will want to know if or how Lacey and Brooke are going to play out. Even the characters, Guy, Gabe, Liam and Trevor, all play very important roles in this story. It’s well written, well developed and the plot is spot on. The intense scenes will keep you holding your breath and wanting more. It’s really a good, very good story. You will feel like you are right in the middle of things and can’t escape. In the lives of a very rich and powerful family. In the heart of a young girl on the brink of becoming a woman, who’s life is turned upside down. In the mind of a mother who thinks she knows what is best for her daughter. For a wife who only wants to become a mother.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #HankPhillippiRyan, #Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this arc. This is my review.
I gave it 4/5 stars and a high recommendation.. A must read.
Oh wow! So many lies, secrets, deceit, and revenge all wrapped up in this amazing story. The plot and characters were so twisted, it was sometimes hard to know who was who and what their agenda was. This is not by any means a negative about this book, it’s what drove me to keep reading.
I knew it would all make sense in the end—I just had to be patient—but my jaw dropped whenever one of the characters swerved in a new direction. After all the twists and turns, the author wraps up the story with an unexpected but satisfying ending.
I’m not sure why I haven’t read anything by this author until now but this book will definitely not be my last. I am impressed with the depth of her writing and the intense intrigue of this story. Hank Phillippi Ryan has just been added my list of must-read authors.
I highly recommend The First to Lie for an edge-of-your seat thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end.
Hank writes delicious twists and turns in a book that will keep you guessing until the end!
What a tangled web of characters in this book.
You won’t know who to trust or who is who in this twisty book that takes us into what power and money can do and what being an undercover reporter involves.
We get a glimpse into what people will do to save themselves, make money, reveal the truth, and keep the truth a secret.
A few of the characters were quite unlikable….well quite a few were.
Ms. Ryan did another marvelous job of keeping you guessing and wondering what is going to happen next.
Be prepared to stay up late as you near the end…it is GOOD is all I can say, and VERY clever.
Great story line once you have all the characters and their names straightened out. 🙂
Be sure to make THE FIRST TO LIE part of your summer reading plans. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Nail biting GREATNESS!
Hold On Tight…. because you are in for one heck of a ride! Hank Phillippi Ryan had me on the edge of seat. I could not stop turning pages. I was completely hooked. Completely consumed. Completely addicted.
The First to Lie is intense and full of suspense! An action packed read that will leave you gasping out loud. I definitely recommend this one to my reader friends! Maybe grab a glass of wine too, because you are in for a shock!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest, voluntary review. If you want twists and turns in a book then you have come to the right place with a Hank Phillippi Ryan book! She will take you on a ride of your life. All of her books are superbly written and her characters are exceptional and her plots will keep you up at night. You need to go buy this book today and sit down and open it and ENJOY!!!
Hank Philippi Ryan dazzles in First To Lie, an intricately plotted bag of tricks starring Ellie, Meg, and Nora, three women focused on a new fertility drug. Wealth and power, deceit and betrayal, greed…Philippi Ryan handles the big issues with a deft hand, tangling and then untangling the threads all the way to the flawless conclusion. A smart, relevant page-turner.
Good luck figuring out whose who in this one!!! Do unto others that went just a little to far.
Lost of twists, turns, guessing, aha moments, and please you can’t be that dumb. If you love trying to figure out what’s gonna happen by whom next, than this is the book for you.
#FirstToLie #Netgalley #Brooke #Lacy #Nora #Meg #Liars #
Wow, just wow! Another twisty and fun suspense from Hank Phillippi Ryan, that I raced through on my first vacation day. A book in which no-one is who they seem or claim to be, and every twisty turn is delicious to read.
The book has a strong sense of place – almost mesmerizing. I read this hanging in a hammock overlooking the ocean and felt transported into her scene-making. Hank’s language and descriptions are so strong that Boston almost becomes a character.
Such a fun read, where no-one is who they seem at first to be. If you’re a lover of domestic thrillers you can’t go wrong with this one.
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: 08/04/2020
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This is the third book I have read from Hank. This book has a creepy cover depicting two windows with different colored shades. This was a buddy read I did with my good friend Nicole @yaaas_or_nahs_books .
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: Whoa this was one hell of a book. We follow a young woman who sets off on an obsessive path to Justice not caring what family secrets are revealed. There are alot of povs in this book, so you have to keep track of everything so you don’t miss out on anything. This book is very detail oriented, which fits the premise of this book perfectly. I had a blast reading this book. This book was a little slow from the start, but ramped up quickly with plenty of twists and turns, including a couple at the end that I did not see coming. The writing in this book was fantastic. Hank has a unique way of making you believe one thing is going to happen, then turns you upside down and baffles you with a wild twist. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a fantastic crime Thriller. This book comes out on 08/04/2020 so make sure to pre-order a copy today!!!!!!!
This mystery by Hank Phillippi Ryan will have you on the edge of your seat from the first page. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t read it fast enough. The characters and the plot are compelling and just when I thought I had figured it out there was another twist making me question what I had thought was going to happen. What was truth and what was a lie? And the ending I did not see coming. Another great book by a great author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Revenge, secrets, betrayals…this one has it all and will take you for one thrilling and twisted ride!
I loved this book. It hooked me from the first page. She has wonderful characters and it is action packed
THE FIRST TO LIE is a perfect roller coaster of a suspense novel where almost no one is who they pretend to be and secrets swirl around a drug company and its blockbuster infertility drug. Author Hank Philippi Ryan weaves each character’s story together until they converge in an explosive ending. I’ll just say that I didn’t see it coming!
I received this book as a ARC, just like the murder list, it took me a couple of chapters to see where the story was going. When you get going on this story you don’t want to put it down. The characters are interesting and there are so many twists that you don’t know who is who. I never figure out the finally ending in hank phillippi Ryan’s novels,she is a wonderful writing. So make sure you read the whole novel you don’t want to miss this story.