The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan is a cat-and-mouse thriller, layered with twists and characters who constantly misdirect each other.
The story follows a young investigative reporter, determined the bring down a Big Pharma company for purposefully lying to and harming patients.
We also get a glimpse into the lives of others: a woman who works as a sales rep for Pharminex, and the glamorous family that owns & runs the company. But which of them is telling the truth? Will each of their true motives finally come to light?
*I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher (Forge Books) in exchange for an honest review.
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The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan: My Thoughts
This book was a thrill ride, filled with a cast of mysterious characters. I found myself questioning everyone’s motive, and constantly changing my mind about who was telling the truth. (I mean, that’s a strong sign of an entertaining thriller, is it not?!)
The writing was very good, and kept me engaged (for the most part). There were a few parts that dragged a little – I think the story could have been tighter if it was a little shorter. But on the whole, it raised a lot of intriguing questions and kept me wanting to follow each twist and turn.
That brings me to what I didn’t love as much. In the end, I think there were one too many twists for me, and a couple of them didn’t quite ring true. It made the ending feel somewhat unrealistic.
With that being said, I’m still glad I read this one. If you can suspend your disbelief for some of the less realistic parts, this can be an enjoyable and entertaining thriller to get lost in!
Rating: 3.5 (out of 5) stars
(Publication date: August 4th, 2020. Thank you to Forge Books for the review copy!)
Looking for more awesome books to read? Check out my list of the best books of summer 2020!
