Books to Borrow Claysburg Area Public Library Recommends

By Jane Knisley

Claysburg Area Public Library

“First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston is a must read for anyone who enjoys thrillers and mysteries!

Evie Porter has a perfect life. A handsome boyfriend, a beautiful home and a great group of friends. It almost seems too good to be true… because it is. The secret? Evie Porter doesn’t actually exist.

The routine is always the same; she is given a portfolio with an identity and location then later comes the mark - all courtesy of Mr. Smith, who she’s never met. Her current target is Ryan Sumner, an all-American boy on the surface but with some deep secrets. Evie is good at her job, is one of Mr. Smith’s top agents and truly enjoys the work that she does, so this assignment should be easy, right? Unfortunately, Evie enjoys her cover too much and begins to visualize a future with Ryan, outside of the job.

Just when she begins to truly enjoy her manufactured life, in walks a woman claiming to be Evie’s true identity. Evie begins to feel that she is now a mark and has to determine who she can really trust and what is real in order to get out of the chaos that ensues. As the story unfolds, Evie must grapple with decisions from her past, protect her secrets and outsmart her enemies.

Elston does a great job of building Evie’s character. Since the story is told via two timelines, alternating between present-day Evie and her past assignments, we really get a sense of how she stays true to herself and how her real character develops from each of her past assignments.

If you enjoy cat and mouse games with twists and turns that you don’t see coming, “First Lie Wins” should definitely be on your To Be Read list.