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First Lie Wins follows Evie Porter, a woman adept at adopting new identities, as she navigates a world filled with deception, betrayal, and danger. The novel alternates between the present day and flashbacks, slowly unraveling Evie’s complex history and the events leading up to a pivotal confrontation with the shadowy figure known as Mr. Smith.
The story begins with Evie meeting Ryan Sumner by faking a flat tire, using charm and carefully placed lies to initiate a relationship with him. From the beginning, it’s clear that Evie is hiding things—not only from Ryan but also from the reader. She creates and performs a persona for Ryan’s friends, subtly steering conversations to avoid revealing too much about herself. As the relationship deepens, Evie becomes more embedded in Ryan’s life while still withholding key parts of her past. Through a series of flashbacks, the layers of her deception unfold, and we learn that she works for Mr. Smith, a shadowy figure who assigns her high-stakes criminal jobs.
As Evie navigates her new relationship with Ryan, she learns more about his world. He appears to be a pillar of the community, but Evie soon discovers that he’s involved in illicit business through his trucking company, compartmentalizing his illegal dealings to protect his public reputation. Their relationship becomes even more complicated when Ryan introduces Evie to his childhood friend James and James’s new girlfriend, who calls herself Lucca Marino. It’s in this moment that the narrative pivots, and readers discover that Evie’s real name is Lucca Marino. The flashbacks gradually reveal her backstory—how she became entangled with Mr. Smith’s operations and the lengths she has gone to erase her past identities.
One of Evie’s most pivotal assignments involves surveilling Amy Holder, a woman holding sensitive information about Victor Connolly, a dangerous crime family leader. She was tasked with retrieving incriminating information that Amy was holding about Victor Connolly, but she failed her mission when Amy died in a fire. Mr. Smith was always suspicious that she did in fact retrieve the information and was holding it back for leverage. As a result, Evie suspects that her current mission is a test, especially after James and the woman calling herself Lucca Marino are killed under suspicious circumstances.
While the flashbacks explore Evie’s dangerous missions, including high-stakes jobs like stealing a painting from an oil tycoon and blackmailing a college football booster, the present-day storyline builds tension between Evie and Ryan. Evie has real feelings for him and considers telling him the truth, especially after she’s arrested as a material witness in the death of Amy Holder. When Ryan accompanies her to speak to the police, Evie realizes that Ryan may have been communicating with Mr. Smith, leaving her questioning whom to trust.
Determined to free herself from Mr. Smith’s grip, Evie confronts him, ultimately revealing his real identity as George, an operative she has worked with throughout her assignments. In a climactic twist, we learn that George has been deceiving the Connolly family for years, exploiting their trust to enrich himself. Further, it’s revealed Amy Holder is still alive; Evie connected with her after discovering that Mr. Smith had killed all the other operatives who participated in the painting heist. With Devon—Evie’s trusted partner and the only person she fully confides in—they devise a plan to fake Amy’s death and find Mr. Smith’s identity so they can use the information against him. In the present day, Evie arranges for the Connollys to confront George, neutralizing Mr. Smith’s influence and finally taking control of her own life.
In the final scenes, Evie reunites with Devon and Amy, who is thriving under her new identity. Although Evie initially resolves to cut ties with Ryan, Amy encourages her to reconsider, noting that both she and Ryan live in morally gray spaces that make them well-matched. The novel closes with Evie getting back together with Ryan and embracing her new role as “Miss Smith,” taking over Mr. Smith’s operations and answering client requests through the same covert channels he once controlled.
