The lies abound, the fingers point to one and then another, ones head spins with all the twists and turns in this excellent read.

Up front, I will say this NetGalley download was a gift from the author, Hank Phillippi Ryan. Thank you.

Drug maker Pharminex is under attack. Reporter Ellie Berenson is out to nail them for deceptive practices – like encouraging the off-label use of a drug that can have dire side effects on the people who take it. The story is much more complex than that with layer atop lay, lies hiding lies, false truths shielding real truths.

There is a steady level of tension throughout the story. You always wonder what’s going to happen next. And it builds and builds toward the end where more twist that the double helix of DNA come to light.

This was a very engaging story that kept me guessing right up to the end. I thought I had things figured out a dozen times then something would come along that had me thinking maybe I didn’t. In the end, my suspicions were right but I’d cast the roles wrong.

This download had the usual number of errors for an e-book.

If you’ve never read a Hank Phillippi Ryan book, pick one up. I guarantee you’ll be back for more when you're done. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3041353913

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

A drug company, hiding serious side-effects of their product, was the all too believable background to the story.

The novel was interesting and had many twists and turns. I did not figure out what was coming until it was unveiled at the end. There were several different "main" characters and each had lies to explain their particular connections to the action. At times, it felt that I was on a merry-go-round trying to keep everyone's role organized in my mind. That being said, each person played a significant part in the development of the story.

This book did not disappoint me after being drawn in by the description. Another hit by Hank Phillippi Ryan! I will always pick up a book by this author.

This book is a maze to find the truth. I’ve never read a book that had so many lies and identities that didn’t confuse me in some way, but not this book. Ryan writes in a clear and precise way that I was able to easily follow all the twists and turns. The storyline pulls at the heartstrings. The character development is well thought out. I’ve been to Boston many times and through the author’s detailed descriptions I was able to picture exactly where the characters were often throughout the book. This was an enjoyable and thought provoking book! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Intricately and cleverly plotted with a satisfying denouement. Requires a somewhat suspension of disbelief in that the younger sister did not recognize the older "sister-in-law." My 4.5-star rating is because this book suffers slightly from my comparison to the The Murder List which was my highest rated book last year! I have loved every one of her books and eagerly await the next one!
Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC of this thriller. Although at times confusing, it was an entertaining, engrossing story.
Pharminex is a mega-pharmaceutical company owned and founded by the wealthy Vanderwald family. Unfortunately, one of its most popular miracle fertility drugs doesn't always work, and it can leave some women permanently barren. Rather than disclose this potential side effect, the company just settles with and silences its victims.
Ellie is an investigative reporter for Channel 11 who is determined to take Pharminex down. Preferably, in conjunction with an upcoming gala fundraiser for a foundation established in the name of the Vanderwalds' only son Trevor, who died in a tragic sailing accident seven years earlier.
Nora is a sales representative for Pharminex. Fishing for information on the inside, she's also trying to bring the company down.
There's a lawyer involved, and he connects with both women. Under different identities.
Then there's Meg, the annoying neighbor who moved into Ellie's apartment building and then just happens to start working at Channel 11--as Ellie's research assistant on her story. Except Meg occasionally goes rogue.
In the course of the investigation, two women who are potential witnesses die in mysterious car crashes.
We get two more points of view via flashback..Trevor's younger sister Brooke and Lacey, his widow, were also harmed by Pharminex products. Both have been out of the public eye since the sailing accident.
Just when you think there are too many characters to keep track of... all is not what it seems.
There were a few loose ends and parts of the story seemed implausible, but I kept turning the pages and enjoyed the read.

What a superbly crafted book! The story revolves around Big Pharma, a drug that causes more problems than it solves and the family that owns it. A TV reporter trying to find a way to bring the story to the air; a researcher who may not be who or what he says and all manner of twists and turns. I could not put this book down! Just when you think you have it all figured out, wrong! Yet another twist! This rivals any true life story of Big Pharma. It will keep you up till all hours of the night just because you can’t put it down! Hank Phillippi Ryan has written another prize-worthy book!

THE FIRST TO LIE by Hank Phillippi Ryan is a gripping and twisty thriller that took me on a wild ride from beginning to end. It is a story filled with secrets, lies, revenge and the search for justice that kept me guessing with each page I turned. The book takes the reader inside the world of investigative reporting and the inner workings of a ruthless pharmaceutical company. The characters were complex and expertly developed and I enjoyed how the author deftly presented their backstories. Are any of them telling the truth? Who can be trusted? Who was the first to lie? Each time I thought I had untangled the web of deception, I was proven wrong and I never guessed the shocking finale. This might just be my new favorite from Hank Phillippi Ryan and I highly recommend it! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

This was a page turner, but it was also incredibly silly. I could see the twists coming from a mile away and all the secret identify stuff was just goofy and incredibly unrealistic. The ending was schmaltzy, with two characters reuniting in an implausible relationship. This book is for you if you’re looking for a quick read to get lost in, but you don’t really care too much about believable plot turns.

Wow!!! Hank has done it again! This suspenseful tale is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end! Craftily plotted, oozing with suspense, and with just a touch of sinister intentions, this book will have you asking yourself - "Who isn't lying?"

Great subject matter with a plausible storyline that kept me engaged and enthralled.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing! The twists and turns in this book kept on coming, right until the end. What I suspected was going on with these characters investigating a drug company was a far cry from what really happened. Everyone lies. A must read.

Interesting thriller with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. I didn't want to set this book down until I was done.

THE FIRST TO LIE is my first book by the esteemed Hank Phillippi Ryan who has expertly fused all the essential ingredients into this dark and devilish thriller.
The story centers around a pharmaceutical company, whose mission is supposedly to offer various medical services in order to fulfill patients’ needs, that evolves into something more complicated and sinister entwined with layers upon layers of lies, lies and more lies, that keep you guessing until the last page!
I enjoyed tremendously THE FIRST TO LIE and my curiosity satiated, but I want MORE!
I would like to thank Hank Phillippi Ryan, Netgalley, and Forge Books for giving me this wonderful opportunity to read the book.
#NetGalley
#TheFirstToLie

This is story full of lies. There is Ellie, who is a newly hired report hired for a TV station, Nora, a sales rep for Pharminex, Meg, who moves in next door to Ellie and gets a job at the same TV station as Ellie, and Gabe, who is a lawyer/investigator. No one in the story is what they appear to be and you won't know who is telling the truth. They all want to bring down the pharmaceutical company Pharminex and the company owners.

The First to Lie is full of plot twists and suspense. Whenever you think you know what is happening a twist will happen. You won't know who to trust. In reading you will always be thinking what did I miss. I would rate this book a 4.5 and would recommend it for anyone who likes to be surprised by a book.

Hold on tight – this book isn’t a roller coaster ride, it’s the Wild Mouse! Starts out slow and easy, but then don’t think you’re just going to go down – you're going for a ride!
It’s almost too many lies to take in. My head was in a whirl for the first half, trying to follow who was who, even when I thought I knew (I never did). Three-fourths of the way in, it all starts to come together, but just wait! There’s one last dizzying reveal (or would that be two?).

We all lie a little, but Ryan's characters elevate the lie to an art form. Plumb the depths of deceit and dive into the challenges of this twisty, devious tale!

Another phenomenal book by Hank Phillippi Ryan! The First to Lie had so many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. I love how no one was who they seemed, and I didn't know who was who which was a great thing, because it kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another scenario happened that blew my theory out the window. I absolutely loved this book, and I highly recommend it!

The First to Lie is a book that will keep you guessing until the very last page. When you think you have it figured out, you’ll turn the page and question everything you thought you knew.

You’ll follow a strong cast of characters that you’ll grow to both love and hate. The story centers around the pharmaceutical company Pharminex, and the miracle drug, Monifan, they’ve recently developed. This is a story of deception, jealousy, and justice- it is a must read!

I highly suggest this book for anyone looking for a fast-paced suspense that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Holy twists, turns, flips, and spins! My mind is still reeling! And not just from all the different directions that this book pulled me in, and believe me, there were many; But also from all of the different POVs and characters that were in this book. Who even am I? Who even were they? I’m not even sure about anything or anyone right now.

Okay actually, I am sure of one thing-a person a in particular, right now, and that is Hank Phillippi Ryan. Before reading this book, I had heard of her name, and was familiar with the title of this book (as I had seen it on Netgalley of course), and I also have one of her older novels sitting on my iPad, just waiting to be read (and read it shall be, and soon) but I hadn’t actually read anything of hers until receiving this arc. And Hank Phillippi Ryan, now that I am familiar with you, I just have to ask: what have you done to me?! I am warped! Seriously, there were so many characters in this story, and so much going on, that I’m not sure who I am (am I still me? who even knows anymore). Between this book, and everything that’s happening in the batshit crazy year that is 2020, nothing is right and I am not sure what is even happening anymore.

Okay but in all seriousness, this book. THIS BOOK. I don’t want to say too much because, spoilers, so i’m going to keep this kind of vague, and I feel that you will get all you need to know from the synopsis. Other than that, its best to go in blind for the best reading experience possible.

BUT.

Wow.

You are going to be blown away.

You never see this coming. You’ll be riveted, on the edge of your seat, flipping through the pages in anticipation of what’s going to come next because you just have to know. You’ll be tossed around in every direction possible, and before you can even recover from the whiplash of the last twist thrown your way, another one will come at you, and when the final revelation comes, you. Will. Be. Shocked. You may think that you had it figured out but. NOPE.

Are you intrigued yet?

This was a flawlessly written, addictive novel centered around the devastation wrought by a large pharmaceutical company and the family that owns it. It’s about justice, deceit, and revenge, and it’s utterly compelling.

Hank Phillippa Ryan excellently crafted a story with a well woven plot that is excellently executed and keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Highly recommend!