Hank Phillippi Ryan's best yet. There is so much to love in this book. The description of place that made me feel like I could see and feel it. The ramping up of tension that made me turn the page. Little twists. Big twists. I did not see that coming!

A very interesting and intelligent story about revenge and long buried secrets. Fantastic story. Highly recommended xxx

Nora Quinn is the epitome of a successful sales rep for Pharminex. She visits doctors' offices and sells them Monifan, designed to help stabilize women's moods, but being pushed for off-label use as a way to promote fertility in women who are having difficulties conceiving. Only problem? It will ruin any chance you have of getting pregnant in some women who are allergic. Ellie Berenson has been hired to be an investigative reporter for a new news station in Boston. She arrives at her new apartment, owned by the news station, only to be confronted by Meg Weest, who is also a new hire for the station. Meg gets assigned to help Ellie, which becomes more and more difficult for Ellie to bear.
A long time ago, a woman married her true love and only wanted to have children with him, but her dreams were destroyed when Monifan destroys her future. And then her husband is killed in a yachting accident. Who she becomes will surprise the reader.
Another young woman hates her family and only wants to leave them behind. She changes her name and moves far away and begins a new life. Until she decides to uncover the truth behind her parents' company.
Deception and lies will destroy lives when these women clash and only one will remain. Great intrigue as only Ryan can write.

I received this e-ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first of Hank Phillippi Ryan's books that I have read. I enjoyed the story. It was well=paced, and had a number of twists and turns. I'd look for another book by this author.

Wow!!! What a ride that was! I am at a complete loss of words right now. Twists like you wouldn't believe and even when you think you've guessed it, you're wrong.

What starts out as a young reporter trying to uncover a huge pharmaceutical error that was rendering women sterile and unable to have children, turns into a game of cat and mouse where people are actually dying. Now it's up to Ellie to figure out what's going on before she ends up dead.

But remember, no one is who you think they are. Trust no one.

This is a wonderful book. At first, I didn't know who was lying. Then I thought one person was, but then I thought maybe two people were untruthful. Oh, yeah, I got it figured out. What? No way. I was wrong! You must read this book. So many twists and red herrings. You'll love every page.

So entertaining and twisty. I just thought I had the story worked out and Wham! another twist! A large pharmaceutical company makes fertility drugs that actually cause infertility. A reporter wants to make this public. Thrilling and chilling!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The First To LIe
Hank Phillippi Ryan
August 4, 2020

Many people suffered the problems due to the million dollar drug company, Pharminex. Their slogan was Pharminex Loves Women. Their product was Monifan. The claim was it helped to women to get pregnant and/or keep them from miscarriage. Desperate people spend so much money and risk their lives to have the child their bodies never allowed them to have.
Nora Quinn managed to get into Pharminex as a salesman dispensing the drug to obstetricians. Her first visit was with Dr. Douglas Hawkins. She sat in the waiting room patiently observing the women who hope for a miracle from Dr. Hawkins. Although company rules prohibited her from speaking with patients she felt that perhaps a casual conversation with the woman in the seat across from her. Nora felt this woman might help to provide a start in her quest for information about what Monifan.
Ellie Berensen was a reporter for News Channel 11. Her producer assigned her to a major story on Pharminex and the cruel side effects women were prone to have from Monifan. In many cases in the quest to remain pregnant, the drug caused damage to the reproductive system and left them sterile. This investigation needed top security as the family that owned Pharminex, Winton and Brinn Vanderwaldt would stop at nothing to continue marketing the drug.
As I read, discovering more characters and the role they played on either side of the Pharminex history, I wondered who was The First To LIe. Phillippi Ryan’s story continued to introduce us to many characters that could easily confuse the reader if they did not pay attention to the plot and the family history. I very much enjoyed this mystery, my first novel from Hank Phillippi Ryan. She is well known on the bestseller lists and after completing the book I understand why.
The First To Lie will be published on August 4, 2020 by FORGE, A Tom Doherty Associates Book from New York. I appreciate the publisher sending me a copy of The First To Lie to read and review via NetGalley, truly an excellent novel. This is one mystery lovers should not miss.

The build up in this suspense read was excellent. While I had some inkling who was lying, I didn't guess most of the characters' true identities. It was an engrossing, page-turner from start to finish. Entertaining read. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader's copy.

I could not put this book down. Though there are plenty of characters to keep track of in this story, it was not overwhelming and held my attention until the end.

The story seamlessly shifts back and forth during two time periods revealing the stories of several characters.. Even though I had some strong ideas of what was going on, it still had me guessing until everyone and everything was revealed, and still managed a couple of twists that took me by surprise.

I really appreciate that Hank Phillippi Ryan is able to write a wonderful book without loads of profanity, violence, or sex. It is a book that I am comfortable recommending to anyone.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheFirsttoLie in exchange for an honest review.

This book started so well with possible conspiracy theories linked to a huge pharmaceutical company.

However, I found the story and the Boston background well written but so confusing. Each central character changed identities and then their individual POV's making it more so.

In all, too many flashbacks and too ambitious for me. Why couldn't Nora just investigate on her own?

Thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge Books for the chance to read and review.

I will definitely be purchasing a hard copy of this at publishing or the kindle version, it was that good. Obsession, lies, revenge, deceit and all revolves around the Big Pharma ? Yes, please. I didn't have high hopes for this because I have read so many predictable thrillers this year, but THIS NOT ONE OF THEM! Are secrets the same as lies is a recurring question i had throughout this book, I let other readers figure that one out. You think you know how this will end, but you really have no idea.

I highly recommend this as one of the must read thrillers, you won't be sorry and do not listen to the naysayer, they are completely wrong,

Thanks to Netgalley, Hank Phillippi Ryan and MacMillian-Tor Forge Forge Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 8/4/20

Thank you Netgalley and Forge books for the ARC of this book. The comments and review are my honest opinion 4.5 stars

Are secrets lies? In this book they are.
A family owned pharmaceutical company has a miracle drug that can help with fertility issues until they don’t..
The company has lied and hid their disastrous failures.

Tragedy, deceit, characters who are not whom they seem and obsessive, twisted revenge comes to a climatic end in this another excellent book by Hank Phillippi Ryan not to be missed .

I received an Advance Readers copy of this book by Hank Philippi Ryan from Netgalley. In exchange for my honest opinion.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat through the entire story and you will not see what’s coming. This book kept me up until all hours of the night as I had to see how it ended I highly recommend that you pre order this book ASAP so you can read it when it releases on August 4.

I did read a few reviews before starting this novel. Most stated that the cast of characters got to be very confusing; I knew I had to keep my mind clear and take notes as to who is who.
Typically I curl up in the evening in my favorite reading chair with a nice glass of wine to read. However, with this novel I knew I had to keep focused.

Story is told from the POV of Ellie and Nora but additionally Brooke and Lacey
I can assure you a diverse cast of characters are in and out! Hmm who is the first to lie? Additionally who is who?

Nora ~ Pharmaceutical rep for a big pharma company
Ellie ~ is an investigative reporter, trying to take down big pharma
Brooke Vanderwald ~ 15 yr. old daughter of privilege in big pharma
Lacey Vanderwald ~ wife of Travis, Brooke’s brother and super ambitious

I hung in there as I was super curious.
Truly the most confusing story I have ever read!
On a side note I love the lack of nasty language and will definitely read another of Ms. Ryan’s novels!! My first Hank Phillipi Ryan novel and it was a wild crazy ride!

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan–Tor/Forge for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 4, 2020

Wow, just wow! Another great book by Hank Philippi Ryan! Brooke, Lacey, Ellie, Nora, Meg, Gabe, Guy???? Who is really who? I don’t want to spoil anything but this book will keep you thinking about whether or not you really know who someone is. I totally didn’t see the ending happening the way it did. I most definitely recommend this book! I did receive an advance reader copy of this book but believe me when I say that had no effect whatsoever on my review. Just read it!

A fast paced page turner that you won't want to put down! Its a tale of deciept and revenge centered around a pharmaceutical company and the family that runs it. A big time company delivering promises to desperate women, but can they deliver? At what cost? Plenty of twists and a less than predictable conclusion. Two thumbs up. Thank you for allowing me to review this NetGalley

First off, I spent most of this book confused, because it was SO WELL TOLD. Like, I couldn't figure out which way was up and which way was down. Hank Phillippi Ryan seriously has a way of burying every lead so you have no idea what's going on for most of the book, up until the very bitter end!. I felt the same way about her other book, The Murder List. She has a way of writing about journalism and pharmaceuticals without making it seem boring or making you wonder why you are reading this.

You get a few different POV's in this book - Ellie, a journalist trying to undercover the secrets of Pharminex, Nora, a sales rep for Pharminex, Brooke, the youngest Vanderwald, and Lacey, a member of the Vanderwald family by marriage. The story sets up Pharminex as a drug company pushing an off market use for a drug called Monifan. It apparently helps increase fertility in women for the most part, except in rare cases where it makes them completely barren. The company is also not telling them of this this chance before administering the drug, so obviously illegal. Nora is selling the drugs and Ellie is trying to break the story. But when people associated with the company start turning up dead, they all realize there is more to the story...

The POV's at some points were pretty distracting, because Brooke and Lacey's POVs are told in flashbacks. It happens so randomly that it can be hard to keep track of what time period it is in. But that's basically my only gripe with this book, because the twists and turns were just so outstanding. Even as you start to suspect what is happening, there is one final OMG moment at the end.

Mystery and Thriller fans, go read Hank Phillippi Ryan if you haven't already, you won't be sorry!

**Thank you to Netgalley and Forge Books for an early copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

Thanks to NetGalley and Forge Books for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of the book was so interesting, a big pharma company which is selling drugs to overcome fertility issues. The side effects are shady and hidden from the public.

Nora has just started a new job at that Pharma company, but her real motive is hidden.

Ellie, a news reporter who is working hard to expose this pharma company.

There were so many POV in this book which made it really hard to keep tabs. The storyline was interesting, the pace of the story was kinda average, characters were developed cleverly. But the story, it wasn't what I expected. There were a lot of twins and turns, more than necessary. As the story moves towards the climax, so many coincidences have occurred which felt forced, which made me feel that characters were kinda dumb. The ending also didn't make sense for me. 

After seeing so many 4 or 5 stars review, I am clearly not from the majority.

I am a fan of Hank Phillippi Ryan and I did enjoy her new whodunit mystery. I think this could be subtitled ‘Is she who she says she is?’ This book, like Hank’s others, keeps you guessing. Each character is a mystery and it is a challenge to keep them straight. Just when you think you know who someone is, they act in a way that makes you question what you know about them. You keep asking yourself ‘who is this person and what game are they playing?’

The main character, Ellie, is an investigative reporter who is undercover in order to get a major story about a coverup at a major pharmaceutical company. The problem is, she is not the only one. There are several stories interwoven and it is not till much later in the book that the reader can see how their lives are interconnected. Hank skillfully weaves each character’s story so we slowly learn how they are interrelated. It was fascinating to see all the work and skill that goes into an undercover role.

It was a relief when the police got involved but the phony credentials, the accidents, and the repeated twists and coverups kept the police guessing.
The plot makes this a book you cannot put down. Kudos to Hank for another excellent read.

***I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my independent review.