This may be the first thriller this year that I have enjoyed! The twist were awesome and there were a lot of them! This follows the POV of three characters that are seemingly unconnected but you know they are. I love reading thrillers with multiple perspectives. This book was unputdownable!

Twists and turns, deception and lies. What is the real truth? And whose truth? Enjoyed this book a great deal.

What if there's a big Pharma company marketing a drug for off label purposes? In this case, the drug is supposed to help women have babies. But, there is a terrible side effect in some cases that makes the women unable to conceive.

What if there's is an investigative reporter who wants to bring the company down? Assisted by her slightly strange coworker, Meg, Ellie sets out to do just that. Quickly she finds she is in over her head. Not everyone is who they seem to be, nor everything either. Who told the first lie and what was it?

The book is told from varying points of view. For a minimum, there is Ellie and Nora with flashbacks told by Brooke and Lindsey. I found this a little hard to follow especially in the beginning. I had some trouble getting into the book and staying interested, but things got better.

A good bit of the book seemed to move slowly. Then near the end, there were a lot of revelations and action increased. It did keep me guessing though up until then. And there were plenty of twists.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. Mainly this was because of the number of points of view and how slowly the book moved for me at times. The resolution was really the best part for me. It's worth a read. Just don't expect lots of action. It moves at a more sedate pace. It is a standalone novel.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This didn't affect my review in any way.

Sigh. I’m all for a thriller with a good twist that I don’t see coming but it can also be taken too far. And unfortunately, for me that was the case in The First To Lie.

At the start we are following two characters - Nora who works at a pharmaceutical company and Ellie who is an investigative journalist trying to expose the company for knowingly selling a drug with harmful side effects. Great premise! However it quickly started to go downhill for me - spoilers ahead.

It turns out Ellie and Nora are the same person. Okay! But then it also turns out the men they are each talking to - Gabe and Guy - also the same person. At this point it starts to feel like the author is just messing with us (the reader) because obviously they all know that. It’s getting fairly convoluted but fine.

Then we have Ellie/Nora’s neighbor/assistant Meg and her source Abigail. Guess what??? Same person!

We are also learning about the Vanderwalds - the family behind the pharmaceutical company, particularly Lacey (the daughter in law) and Brooke (the daughter). Guess what? You’ll never guess this time. Meg/Abigail is ALSO Lacey AND Ellie/Nora is ALSO Brooke! AND Gabe/Guy is ALSO Liam - Brooke’s boyfriend when she was 15. This didn’t work for me. Too much. And pretty early on I realized everyone were overlapping I just wasn’t sure exactly who was who and I was hoping Gabe might turn out to be Trevor - the son who died but his body was never recovered. Figured either that or Liam.

Anyway - if you like your twists with some unbelievable twists on top - this might be more for you. It was a miss for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

I love Hank she’s a wonderful writer with her own charm she brings in her books. I had the hardest time with this one because the alternating POVs became confusing. They all fused together, but it was a bit overwhelming for me to get into this book. I hope I connect with her future books still!

Thank you so much to @forgereads @hankpryan @netgalley for sending me this awesome #gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review. (I also received the ebook before I got the physical copy) this one had me fooled you guys! I really thought I knew what was going on, then the end came & BAM threw me for a complete loop. I enjoyed the multiple POVs, how it took place in the medical world (side bar Pharminex you’re a giant asshole) & the giant twist at the end. 4⭐️

What do Nora, Ellie, Lacey & Brooke all have in common? Pharminex screwed them hard in one way or another. But who did they hurt enough for them to commit murder? Ellie will stop at nothing to write a killer expose on the medical giant even if she has to do it in an unorthodox way. Because not disclosing all the “side effects” of a medication is bad news, especially if that means death or infertility. Will the pharm giant collapse? Will we ever find out what happened to Trevor? And will a murderer walk free?

Like I said you guys I thought I had this one all figured out, I was really confident going into the end only to have the rug pulled out from under me. If you like a twisty turny suspense that will literally have you guessing until the very end, pick this baby up!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge. This book was a really good thriller, and kept you guessing all the way to the last page. If you enjoy family drama and big conspiracy theories, then this is the book for you. Ellie is an investigative reporter for an up and coming new channel. She is given a case about a medication that is supposed to be used to help women get pregnant, but the drug company fails to mention that it can also cause infertility. She searches for women to interview for her case, but each person she comes in to contact with ends up died. All the way to the last page you don't know who's being honest and who the first to lie was. I really recommend this book to any thriller fans, its like a mixture of Gone Girl and the Girl on the Train. I really enjoyed it and want to thank the publisher and Hank Phillippi Ryan for allowing me to read this!

You can also find my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3531167792
and
https://www.instagram.com/p/CE2c3fFgm8O/

I really enjoyed the first 75% of this book, but I felt like the last 25% went off the rails. There were just too many coincidences for it to feel at all plausible. I felt like saying “why, what the heck?” instead of the normal “what, tell me more?!” I feel in reading thrillers. Overall the ending made this book a disappointment to me. I am big on character development and so many things didn’t make sense for a character’s motives to me and in the end I didn’t think that the characters as they were revealed fit the characters the rest of the story was leading up to. Also I called the first twist at the beginning as it was a little too obvious to me.

One shining star is the narration by the excellent Cassandra Campbell. She is my favorite audiobook narrator and could read you the want ads and have you interested.

Trigger warnings for infertility, which the plot revolves around. Also murder, stalking, and manipulation.

I have heard only good reviews about Hank Phillippi Ryan and so when this book popped up on my dashboard, I requested it immediately. I was totally overjoyed when Macmillan-Tor/Forge accepted my request!

So to the story without the spoilers.

There are four POVs in this book:
Present:
1. Nora - Redhead, confident, stylish. Works as a med rep of medical giant Pharminex. Visits gynaecologists ostensibly to promote P-X's breakthrough infertility drug, Monifan, but has a secret agenda that involves befriending other patients in those clinics.

2. Ellie - Ambitious and hardworking reporter at an upcoming TV channel. Working on a huge story involving Pharminex.

Past (15 years prior):
3. Brooke Vanderwald - 15-year-old sullen teenager. Loves her brother, Trevor and her boyfriend, Liam. Hates everyone else, especially her mother and her brother's wife.

4. Lacey Vanderwald - Young, confident and cunning. Loves Trevor but loves his family riches more. Marries into the Vanderwald family only because they own Pharminex and Trevor is the heir apparent.

We also meet Meg, overeager assistant to Ellie and Gabe, friend and co-conspirator.

So who are all these people? Are they all related to each other? Why do they behave as they do? The answers are all there in the book!

It is my belief that it is very difficult to write using multiple POVs. Hank has done it beautifully. All characters are developed gradually and we see how they are actually, when no one's watching.
The twists are amazing. THough I guessed the first twist easily, the next ones (yes, there are multiple twists!) left me gasping. I was left wondering about every person's intention right till the end.

However, so many POVs also proved to be a hurdle. To keep track of each character and what they said or did became exhausting after some time.

WIll definitely look forward to other books by Hank Phillippi Ryan!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and the Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Okay let me start by saying, I started this book a few times and couldn't get into it, but once I got past the first few chapters, OMG I could not put it down and actually finished it in one day.
So many twists and turns, ups and downs that I felt like I was on a never ending rollercoaster.
One of the best Psychological thrillers that I've read this year.
I absolutely can't wait to read more by Hank.

I had the opportunity to meet Hank at an author interview and I was captivated by her. I had yet to read one of her novels when I met her but was eager to after meeting her. She is brilliant, composed, and extremely intelligent. I loved listening to her talk and hearing about the behind the scenes background about her novels. Her talent shines in The First to Lie, as does her investigative reporter experience. The First to Lie is one of those novels full of unexpected and complex twists that leave you feeling thrown off and puzzled, yet curious enough to continue reading to see what will be thrown your way next.

Wow! Wow! Wow! This is my first book by Hank Philippi Ryan. So many twists and turns..so many lies and deceptions. At times, the story line seems a little far fetched, but it completely held my attention> I look forward to reading another one of his books soon!

The First to Lie is a suspenseful thriller about a cat-and-mouse game that will keep readers guessing. This is a story involving an investigative reporter who just needs her first big break and a whistleblower. Sometimes it is hard to tell who is the cat and who is the mouse. The story is filled with plenty of secrets, betrayal, and revenge. If you're looking for a twisty thriller, The First to Lie is a great one to check out. Highly recommended!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio, NetGalley, and Tor/Forge books for the ALC and e-ARCs of this book, which I read in conjunction with each other.

Trigger warnings for infertility, which is a major part of the plot, as well as manipulation, murder, and stalking.

This is a solidly plotted thriller! I went in semi-blind, as the book's description doesn't tell you much, and I think I preferred it that way. This is the story of a reporter trying for her first big break, a drug-company whistle-blower, and a family with many dark secrets. With interwoven points of view and dual timelines, it was hard to tell where this one was going, which kept me listening and turning the pages throughout. The audiobook is narrated by the wonderful Cassandra Campbell, and as usual, she makes what could have been a mediocre thriller really stand out.

It all ends up a bit pat, but I really enjoyed the twists and surprises throughout. This was my first book by this author but will not be my last. PICK.

This was a quick, entertaining read. There was suspense and mystery, to keep the pace moving, but what the book lacked was plausibility. Even though its fiction and I understand that, some of the events and how they happened made no sense and actually took away from the punch of the twists and turns.

Wer ist hier wer? Wer spielt gerade welche Rolle? Wer sagt die Wahrheit und wer lügt? Mit gutem Recht heißt der Buchtitel „The First to Lie“... Wer hat die erste Lüge erzählt? Wer hat damit angefangen. Bald weiß man nicht mehr, wo man dran ist, die Autorin spielt geschickt mit den verschiedenen Rollen, Perspektiven und der daraus entstehenden Verwirrung. Es erwartet einen manche Überraschung. Es scheint, dass die Charaktere schon Schwierigkeiten bekommen ihre jeweilige Personifizierung zu sortieren.

Für mich ein ganz frischer Wind in der Thriller Branche, ganz ohne Brutalität und viel Blut, mal kein Serienkiller.
Sehr unterhaltend und kruzweilig.

No one is as they appear as everyone has a secret and will lie to protect it. What a great twisty book. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll leave it as this is a must read book if you love twisty thrillers.

Elle Berenson is an investigative reporter in Boston working on a story about a drug called Monifan. Rumors are circulating that the drug increases the chances of pregnancy but with a possible side effect of infertility. If Elle can break this story, it will propel her career as a reporter. Her research must be above board but that is challenged by her over-eager assistant Meg who lacks procedural ethics.

Nora Quinn is a representative for Monifan who spends her time meeting with patients who have had unfavorable experiences with the drug. Nora doesn’t like some of the things that she is hearing. She becomes increasingly uncomfortable with her job while her company continues to claim their product is safe.

The First To Lie by Hank Phillipi Ryan is a compelling and satisfying multi-layered book. The novel is filled with family secrets, deception, and revenge. The book made me think of this quote, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!"

EXCERPT: She looked at him as she gathered her tote bag and new Pharminex briefcase. He seemed thoughtful, his eyes softening as he watched her. 'Affectionate', the word came to mind. Or maybe it was more tactics. She thought she'd been the first to lie in this relationship. But maybe he'd been the first. Maybe the first lie was only the beginning.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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?

MY THOUGHTS: Talk about twisty - I was tied up in knots like a pretzel reading The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan! She bashed my brain around like it was a squash ball in a world championship game. I have no idea how the author managed to keep everything straight in her head as she was writing. Don't go looking for any rest breaks while you are reading this, because there aren't any. It's full steam ahead the whole way!

Told from multiple points of view by Nora, a Pharminex sales rep; Ellie, an investigative journalist; Brooke, the daughter of the Vanderwald family, owners of Pharminex; and Lacey, married to Trevor the Vanderwald son and heir to the Pharminex empire, The First to Lie focuses on pharmaceutical ethics, - or should that be the lack of them? - the lack of culpability of medical and corporate professionals, betrayal, and revenge - the dish best eaten cold.

This is very much a cat and mouse game, but with a different twist. It is often difficult to tell who is the cat, and who is the mouse, and there's no guarantee that the mouse is the mouse. It may well be another cat. Everyone lies. You cannot trust anyone. You definitely cannot take anyone at face value except, maybe, the detective. And then that's only a 'maybe'. 'I know who I was when I got up this morning, Alice had told the Caterpillar, but I think I must have been changed several times since then. I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, because I'm not myself, you see.'

Exciting. Compelling. Incredibly clever.

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

#TheFirsttoLie #NetGalley

FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER: The First to Lie is set in Boston, Massachusetts.

THE AUTHOR: Hank Phillippi Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of eleven award winning novels of suspense. National reviews have called her a "master at crafting suspenseful mysteries" and "a superb and gifted storyteller."

Hank is also an award-winning investigative reporter at Boston's WHDH-TV. In addition to 37 EMMYs and 14 Edward R. Murrow awards, Hank's won dozens of other honors for her ground-breaking journalism.

Her work has resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in refunds and restitution for victims and consumers. She's been a radio reporter, a legislative aide in the United States Senate and an editorial assistant at Rolling Stone Magazine, working with Hunter S. Thompson, Richard Avedon and Richard Goodwin.

Hank is a founding teacher at Mystery Writers of America University and served as president of national Sisters in Crime. She blogs at Jungle Red Writers and Career Authors.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The First to Lie by Hank Phillipi Ryan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

The First To Lie is another winner from Hank Phillippe Ryan. Twists and turns and unreliable characters are a trademark of her books. Can’t say much more than that without giving things away! Her characters are so well-written, we feel we know them and their motivations which makes guessing who’s who in this book so much fun! Now I have to wait another year for the next book by HPR.