First Lie Wins: 20-Question Quiz

Test your knowledge of Ashley Elston’s psychological thriller First Lie Wins. This quiz covers the entire novel—plot, character motivations, themes, and synthesis questions. Some questions are multiple choice, others are short answer. After you finish, check the answer key to see how you did.

For more context, visit the book overview, explore questions and answers, or read the ending explained.

Quiz Questions

1. How does Evie first engineer her meeting with Ryan?

   • A) She stages a flat tire on his car.
   • B) She works as his waitress.
   • C) He hires her as a nanny.
   • D) They meet at a party.

2. What item does Evie place in her rental apartment specifically because Ryan once gave his mother a similar one?
   (Short answer)

3. What lie does Evie tell Ryan’s friends about her parents?

   • A) They died in a car accident.
   • B) They are in prison.
   • C) She never knew them.
   • D) They abandoned her.

4. Who appears at the Kentucky Derby party and threatens Evie’s cover?
   (Short answer)

5. What illegal business does Ryan secretly operate?

   • A) A black-market trucking company.
   • B) A stolen jewelry ring.
   • C) A gambling den.
   • D) A drug trafficking network.

6. How does Evie confirm that the woman claiming to be “Lucca Marino” is an impostor sent by Mr. Smith?
   (Short answer)

7. What does Evie find inside the safe deposit box when she opens it with George?

   • A) An origami swan.
   • B) A stack of cash.
   • C) A gun.
   • D) A flash drive.

8. What happens to Mr. Smith (George) at the end of the novel?

   • A) He is taken away by Victor Connolly’s men.
   • B) He escapes to a new identity.
   • C) He becomes Evie’s partner.
   • D) He is shot by Evie.

9. Why does Evie initially agree to work for Mr. Smith after her arrest?
   (Short answer)

10. Why does Rachel distrust Evie from the beginning?

    • A) She thinks Evie is after Ryan’s money.
    • B) She recognized Evie from a previous alias.
    • C) Evie once stole from her.
    • D) She is jealous of Evie’s looks.

11. Why does Mr. Smith send the doppelgänger woman to threaten Evie?
    (Short answer)

12. Why does Evie fake Amy Holder’s death?
    (Short answer)

13. What is Evie’s primary motivation for ultimately betraying Mr. Smith?

    • A) Self-preservation and protecting Ryan.
    • B) She fell in love with Devon.
    • C) She was offered a larger payment.
    • D) She was forced by the police.

14. What does the origami swan symbolize in the novel?
    (Short answer)

15. What does the phrase “the first lie wins” mean in the context of the story?
    (Short answer)

16. How does the author use the motif of surveillance throughout the book?
    (Short answer)

17. What does the “empty mailbox” represent for Evie?

    • A) A loss of control.
    • B) A full inbox of instructions.
    • C) A new assignment.
    • D) A symbol of hope.

18. Compare two of Evie’s aliases (e.g., Mia Bianchi and Wendy Wallace). How does she adapt her identity to each assignment?
    (Short answer)

19. How does her relationship with Ryan change Evie by the end of the novel?
    (Short answer)

20. What role does Devon play in Evie’s long con against Mr. Smith?
    (Short answer)

Answer Key

1. A – Evie watched Ryan for weeks and sabotaged his tire to stage the meeting. (Chapter 1)

2. Perfume bottles – She placed antique perfume bottles because Ryan once gave his mother a similar one. (Chapter 2)

3. A – She claims both parents died in a car accident, making her an orphan. (Chapter 5)

4. Lucca Marino – A woman who looks exactly like Evie and uses her real name arrives at the party. (Chapter 7)

5. A – Ryan runs a black-market trucking business called Glenview Trucking. (Chapter 11)

6. She finds an envelope in James’s room with Mr. Smith’s instructions ordering the woman to search Evie’s belongings. (Chapter 14)

7. A – The box contains only a blank origami swan. (Chapter 25)

8. A – Victor Connolly’s men take Mr. Smith (George) away. (Chapter 25)

9. She needed money for her dying mother and the organization offered her a way out of poverty. (Chapter 11: Lucca Marino—Eight Years Ago)

10. A – Rachel accuses Evie of being after Ryan’s money. (Chapter 5)

11. To remind Evie she is replaceable after her failed job with Victor Connolly. (Chapter 10)

12. To free Amy from Mr. Smith’s control and gather the evidence Amy had stolen against him. (Chapter 26)

13. A – Evie realizes she must save herself and protect Ryan from Mr. Smith’s schemes. (Chapters 25–26)

14. **It symbolizes leverage, hidden messages, and the careful construction of lies. Evie uses origami swans to deliver compromising photos. (Chapter 21, Lucca Marino—Six Years Ago)

15. **The most important lie, if told first and confidently, shapes reality and is believed. Evie uses this principle to control narratives. (Chapter 5)

16. **Both Evie and Mr. Smith constantly monitor each other. Evie avoids cameras, uses disguises, and communicates in code. The theme underscores the lack of privacy in her double life. (Multiple chapters)

17. A – The empty mailbox signals a crisis: no instructions and loss of control. (Chapter 9)

18. **As “Mia Bianchi,” she infiltrated a political campaign and learned to build her own network. As “Wendy Wallace,” she surveilled college football recruiting. In each, she adopts a relevant backstory and uses her skills to match the setting. (Chapters 18 and 24)

19. **Her growing feelings for Ryan make her question her loyalty to Mr. Smith, and she ultimately risks everything to protect him, showing her evolution from a cold operative to someone capable of trust. (Chapters 12, 19, 26)

20. **Devon is her tech ally: he provides surveillance equipment, helps fake Amy’s death, assists with coded communication, and becomes a trusted confidant who also helps relocate Amy’s sister. (Chapters 18, 19, 26)