Fascinating, suspenseful and emotional –are the three words that describe Hank Phillipi Ryan’s First to Lie. The novel is filled with interesting, multi-faceted characters and the plot is teeming with suspense, deception and retribution.
TV news reporter Ellie Berensen’s investigation of Pharminex drew me into the story. Health care is a touchstone topic for everyone. People think drugs will help them, not harm them. Ellie’s determination to pursue the truth about the Pharminex drug Monifan kept me reading. The cast of characters including Nora, the pharmaceutical rep, Meg, Ellie’s assistant, attorney Gabe and police lieutenant Rafel Monterio added to the suspense filled storyline. The characters lie to each other throughout the novel. I loved trying to sort through the lies to see if there was a hint of honesty behind the deception.
Hank Phillipi Ryan’s blends the perfect amount of conflict and drama in this book to create a nail biting, intriguing story. There were lots of plot twists and turns. I felt like the characters were playing chess as each character waited for the other to make a move. I was focused on Ellie’s sorting through the facts and clues that I fell for a few of the strategically placed red herrings. First to Lie kept me on the edge of my chair as it was filled with suspense until the very last page.
First to Lie is engaging and well written—I found it hard to put down. I recommend it to all mystery and thriller readers.

Wow! Great twisty book taking on big pharma! This was a very different read. At times, it was hard to keep up/follow all the identities and twists. It almost seemed too much at times and I spent too much time dissecting who is who taking me away from the story itself. However, I really enjoyed the twists, turns, and surprises in this novel. I have not read anything by this author before, but will now! Thankful for the ARC!

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 could not put The First to Lie Down! This is a great thriller if you're looking for an escape. Love Hank Phillippi Ryan's writing and all the twists in this plot!

This was not my favourite Hank Phillippi Ryan book, for sure.

What happens when an undercover reporter gets in too deep? And when a practiced liar has to face off with her own truth—how does she choose her true reality?

Who will be the first to lie?

The blurb has everything going for it and yet for me the story fell flat. The characters also just did not appeal to me and I just found the whole story far fetched. I just could not buy into the world.

A big pharmaceutical company, Pharminex has developed a drug to help women get pregnant, but what if it is not all that it touts to be? What if it actually causes more harm than good?
The company is owned by the wealthy Vanderwalds. Ellie is a reporter who is digging up dirt to expose the company and she is all set to do whatever it takes for the same. She is aided in this by her assistant, Meg, who acts suspicious and Ellie is always wary of her.
Then we have another character, Nora, who is a sales rep for Pharminex. We have POVs of all the characters mentioned and to me it just gets jumbled for no good reason.

There are some interesting twists and turns and the story is interesting but it just did not engage me. I guessed the main twist quite early as well.

This might work for others so give t a read and decide.

I will definitely be reading more of the author's work because I've enjoyed her previous books.

So many twists and turns keep you so totally enthralled in this book.

I couldn't put it down.

Family secrets, lies, betrayals, money, power. It's all there and so much more.

It will keep you on the edge of your seat to find out what happens.

A fantastic read, a winner. Abundant with twists and turns, it was very hard to put down.
Many thanks to MacMillan-Tor/Forge and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow, what did I just read?!! This is one of the craziest, feistiest books I have read in a while. It took me a moment to get it into, the story goes between present and past with different characters. Lacey and Trevor are the perfect socialite pair. He is the son of a top pharmaceutical company. Unfortunately, the company is not above board and makes money off of medications it knows can cause permanent damage. Ellie and Meg are reporters looking into the story and trying to bring the company down for its wrong doings. Paths collide in ways unimaginable. I don’t want to give anything away with the story. It is another must read by Hank Ryan.

Thank you Hank Ryan and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie is a reporter for a brand-new television station in Boston and she’s investigating a company that knowingly produces a medicine that has harmful side-effects.

This suspense/thriller had so many twists and turns and left my jaw on the floor more than once! I love how Hank Phillippi Ryan incorporates her own journalism experience to give a sense of exigency and realism to the story.

Could not put this book down!

Finished this bleary eyed this morning. It is so good. The book just takes off from page one and, WOW, the twists just kept on coming. Just when I thought I had it figured out, then I'd have to change my mind again. Plenty of red herrings, the hallmark of a great mystery, to lead the reader astray. I love a setting in Boston, because I lived there for 12 years, so I could truly picture these scenes. This is a really well-written story. So many pieces to grab you, a dishonest pharmaceutical company, women with fertility issues, a tenacious investigative reporter, and even a little light romance. Who can you trust? I'll leave you, dear reader to figure it out and see who is the first to lie.

Sort of enjoyed the story overall, but it was wayyyy to unrealistic for my liking. The writing style was great (LOVE multiple POVs), and it definitely made sense in the end, but sometimes it was hard to keep track of who was who (which, again, makes sense in the end... but still). This book was literally like the written version of Inception. Interesting, but just too... much.

What a ride! I'm still reeling from the twists and turns this book took me on. The topics this book covered really intrigued me- big pharm cover ups, medical malpractice, deception, and revenge. It was truly unique from the many other thriller books I have read. I have to say I was a little confused the first part of the book and wondered if my questions would ever be answered. It really makes you wonder if ANYONE is who they say they are. The author had excellent character development and impeccable pacing. Looking forward to reading more by this author. Thank you Forge Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 4.5

The First to Lie was my first book by Hank Phillippi Ryan and let me tell ya...I am a fan. When I first started, I was wondering how is all this related and how is it going to end. Definitely a page turner of the best kind. Full of twists, turns and deception, Hank weaves a wonderful story and shows she is a master of her craft.

Thank you to Hank, Forge Books and NetGalley for my copy of The First to Lie in exchange for my review.

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Hank Ryan is a crime fiction master! And she has crafted the ultimate of evil villains in this one… the corrupt and unethical Big Pharma.⁣⁣
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Ellie is an investigative reporter determined to take down the pharmaceutical company Pharminex, who is using one of their medications to treat infertility… when she finds it might actually be making some permanently unable to conceive.⁣⁣
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Nora has just been hired as a rep by the shady company and has plans of her own in exposing Pharminex and the family behind it. Can these two work together to bring them down?⁣⁣
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The stories intertwine with the company and it's history, and it is clear that there are agendas, there are secrets, and that some might do the unthinkable to expose it all.⁣⁣
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A fun, twisty, page turner that you definitely are going to want to cancel plans for!⁣⁣

Liar, Liar, Pants on fire....

I am not going to lie; this was not my favorite book by Hank Phillippi Ryan. I usually love and devour her books, but this one took a long time for me to get into. What I can give her high marks for is writing a relevant book. A big pharmaceutical company (Pharminex) has developed a drug to help women get pregnant, but what if it causes more harm than good?

Pharminex is owned by the wealthy, Vanderwald family. Ellie is a reporter who is trying to dig up dirt on the company and is aided by her assistant, Meg. Then there is Nora, a sales rep for Pharminex who visits doctors’ offices to get them to give the medication to the hopeful patients.
Then there is.... you get it, there are a lot of characters with many POV chapters. Why so many???? And why, while reading this, can't I get the Who's song "Who are you out of my head?"

As with Ryan's previous books, this book has some interesting twists and turns. Some revelations I did not see coming and a nice story on revenge, secrets, justice, lies, and the truth.

Overall, an enjoyable read but I struggled initially with getting into this book. She did suck me in but this one I did not love as I have her other books. Oh well, we cannot love them all. But I will still be looking out for more books from her in the future!

Thank you to Macmillan Tor/ Forge an d NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

O! M! G! My head is spinning like Regan in The Exorcist!!!

Investigative reporter, Ellie Berensen goes undercover at a big and powerful pharmaceutical company, Pharminex, to expose them that they are prescribing a drug that does irreparable side effects for women wanting to start a family. They know this but feel those that do have the side effects they can pay off since they are making major money due to those that don't.

During Ellie's undercover persona, one of the victims ends up dead. And then an employee at Pharminex does too in the same manner. Is Pharminex behind these murders? Or is there something more nefarious happening?

This book takes the reader on a thrilling roller coaster ride with so many loops, turns, drops, and just as you are pulling in to the station, it takes off again. A white knuckle read that the author slowly pulls off the layers of an onion until the very last word.

I would love to know the author's process of writing this book because it was brilliant!!!! Just BRILLIANT!!!!

I promise you, this book will pull you in and not let go. Don't even try to figure it out, because you won't be able to, just enjoy the ride!!!

Posted to GR 08/18/20 To be posted to blog 08/25/20

Enjoyed this book. It was a little confusing at first, keeping track of the various characters, but as I got further into the book, couldn't wait for the next surprise.

Before I start the review I just want to dedicate a song to this story , “YOU SPIN MY HEAD RIGHT ROUND RIGHT ROUND”. ( head still spinning as i write all this)

This is my first read by Hank Philippi Ryan.

It is a story full of twists and turns but one too many that it wants to make you throw up just like travel sickness or after a rollercoaster ride.

There is a side effect of reading this book and that is you don’t really know who you are or who people are really, makes you cynical and double think EVERYTHING.

This story contains almost 6 POVs 10 POVs or not, I don’t know I can’t think straight anymore, read the book to find out. It’s a story around exposing a big pharmaceutical company business PHARMINEX for selling a “miracle drug” helping women with infertility issues. The plot circles around deception, prevarications, revenge and the sensitive issue of infertility that many women face.

I always like a story where you can’t trust the narrator or anyone for that matter!

The story was a slow burn but once it took off it was nice. Some parts were quite predictable and it kind of dulled my edge of the seat excitement but overall it was a crazy read.

I like the reference to my fav show “F.R.I.E.N.D.S” when One of the characters was thinking about naming her unborn child Rachel, Monika or Phoebe. That was cute!

The challenge after you read the book is to guess and name ,
who is ACTUALLY THE FIRST ONE TO LIE?

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e Arc in exchange of an honest review.

3.5 STARS (rounded up)

We all have our reasons for being who we are—but what if being someone else could get you what you want?

What happens when an undercover reporter gets in too deep? And when a practised liar has to face off with her own truth—how does she choose her true reality? Who will be the first to lie?

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After seeing all the rave reviews for THE FIRST TO LIE, I knew that it was a book that I NEEDED to read. I am always on the hunt for super twisty, juicy thrillers and this definitely fit the bill!

THE FIRST TO LIE is basically a book of liars - no one is who they say they are and you are constantly questioning everyone and everything. It was almost like riding a roller coaster blindfolded - you had no idea what was going to happen next! I liked that the chapters were short and usually ended on enough of a cliffhanger to keep me frantically turning the pages.

Although I enjoyed many aspects of THE FIRST TO LIE, I never felt super invested in the medical/reporter plot (which is kind of the whole premise. Oops) I found myself skimming those aspects to get back to the juicer (character reveal) bits. I also really struggled with the latter half of the book because I found that the twists / reveals became a bit far-fetched. It's never good when you end a book with an eye-roll! However, I do recommend it to anyone looking for a quick "summer beach read" thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC. THE FIRST TO LIE is out now!

From the depths of Nicole’s Book Cellar (Instagram.com/nicoles_bookcellar):

Book: The First to Lie (Release Date: August 4, 2020)

Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

Rating: 3⭐⭐⭐!!!!!!!!!

Trigger ⚠️ Infertility and barren woman content

Plot: After a horrible incident, a woman becomes obsessive in making the guilty party pay. Only problem is, there are many other people who too want to make them pay.

Thoughts: The story is told through a few narrators plus flashbacks. I love a book with both these things as long as it isn’t overdone or too confusing. I think Ryan does it just right. I was able to follow along and keep the character separate without feeling like I need to make a character map.

Final drinking thoughts: I was really into the book and the mystery. I went back and forth who was whom and what part they played. Ryan mixed it up so much I just couldn’t tie down a final guess and I loved that! The story did carry on a bit too long. I loved the beginning and the end, some of the middle was okay while a little went on too long. I would recommend this to those that like mysteries.
Thank you to @NetGalley @MacMillan and @ryanhankphillippi for an advanced copy of @TheFirstToLie

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