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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A masterful page-turning thriller from one of my favorite authors! In THE FIRST TO LIE, Hank Phillippi Ryan asks which lines we are willing to cross to get the story, get justice, or get revenge. A twisting, turning, stunning new novel!
The First to Lie is a riveting twisty novel of lies, deception, and revenge! This book takes us in to the world of a pharmaceutical company who becomes the target of an investigation of an intrepid reporter. It was fascinating to read about all the ins and outs of investigative reporting, as well as the inner-workings of big pharma. At the heart, this book is about women who yearn for just one thing–to be able to have a family of their own–women who are desperate enough to do whatever it takes to make that happen–and a company that promises to do that for them. My head was spinning with all the subterfuge that wove through this finely crafted story!
Superb! Wow, this novel has the twists and turns of a carnival ride! I loved it! The author has created fantastically deep and intriguing characters. Readers will be blown away!
Like a circle in a spiral . . ., like a series of fun house mirrors, or perhaps like those Russian nesting dolls, Hank Phillippi Ryan’s THE FIRST TO LIE spun through layers of truth in a mystifying kaleidoscope of “what if” possibilities. I suspected many of the tricksters, and many more that weren’t, and was ambushed by some I never saw coming. Disguises rival Shakespeare’s plays, and moral dilemmas hark back to ethics discussions . . . is it ever moral to lie? Do ends justify means? It’s rare for a book to be both an escape from reality and an illumination of truth, but this one qualifies. “Lies have a complicated half-life.”
Don’t we all play roles in life? Teacher self, party-goer self, church self, date self . . . but how far do we take it? Can one lose oneself in the pretense? I found myself thinking of those flip books with the pages cut in thirds, to switch heads, bodies, feet. I used various-colored post-its to highlight significant passages and distinguish characters. My book is now a rainbow porcupine.
I believe this book will speak to many people, on a deep and intimate level, exploring issues that affect us all. I don’t want to “spoil” with too many details, but this story mirrored friends’ experiences with fertility clinics, false promises given to the hopeful. Boston’s snowy spring and car crashes awakened memories of a trip one spring break, surprised by the snow still on the ground and carrying the weight of a student’s fatal crash just a week before . . . so many links to real lives, so many details magnifying the theme of mirrors and deception. I want to be in a book club to discuss every nuance, and I’ll be re-reading in August when the book comes out because, as a favorite professor said, “Any book worth reading is worth reading twice.”