Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan
Publisher: Forge Books
Released: August 4^th, 2020
Received: NetGalley
Warnings: Infertility
Rating:

I received a copy of The First to Lie in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The First to Lie is another novel from the mind of Hank Phillippi Ryan, and it is a suspense novel full of deception and intrigue.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Or a woman betrayed. Two women set out on a path for justice – or vengeance – in this latest thriller. Ellie Berensen, an investigative journalist, and her assistant Meg have a story that might just blow a drug company out of the water. If they can get the proof to back up their claims.

Naturally, it’s quite a bit more complicated than that. After all, this is a huge pharmaceutical company with the lawyers to back them up. Any evidence levied against them will have to be airtight. Which makes it all the more difficult to gather.

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”

Warning: The First to Lie follows the investigation into a pharmaceutical company that is selling a drug meant to help fertility, but instead causes infertility. I know that this can be an extremely sensitive subject to some, so please consider yourself warned.

The First to Lie is a suspenseful read, from the very first page down to the last. It is absolutely full of shocking twists and revelations. So many that you’ll probably feel like you need a nap once it’s all said and done.

I was immediately drawn into The First to Lie thanks to the description. A few women stubbornly taking on Big Pharma? Sign me up, please. I’ll admit that it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but that might just as well have been my fault.

This is an incredibly complex tale to unravel, and it literally takes the whole book to get you to that dramatic revelation. Yet, right off the bat, you can get the sense that there’s something more going on here. Something being intentionally obfuscated. You’d be right, and that revelation will probably blow your mind, when you finally get to it.

The whole Pharminex plot was enough to get my blood boiling, which I’m sure was the intent. Likewise, I’m sure I won’t be the only one that got roped in via that emotional road. It does make for a heavy read at times though, so consider yourself forewarned

All things considered, I found The First to Lie to be a quick and intense read. The sheer number of twists in this book are out of this world, and that alone should help to hold your attention. Though it might not hurt to keep a little stack of notes by your side, to help you keep up with it all!