First Lie Wins

The protagonist Evie carries out missions by assuming others' identities under a mysterious boss known as Mr. Smith.
A new city, a new name, a new life. The premise that everything begins with the first lie fits the title perfectly.
The more lies are piled upon lies, the more inevitably you must return to that first lie.
That the first choice determines everything that follows is the core theme of this novel.

There are already plenty of thrillers built around identity fraud, but centering on Evie's unique profession and weaving back and forth between past and present felt quite fresh.
The relationship with Luca, the man she meets at her new assignment, also holds tight tension in the early chapters.

That said, the back half felt increasingly like over-explanation.
The author is perhaps a bit too generous in denying readers the fun of piecing the puzzle together themselves.
The twist was also disappointing. The outline became fairly visible from the midpoint, so when the ending arrived, there was no real shock.

When it comes to solving the hard parts, they're resolved far too easily through all-purpose hacking. It feels too detached from reality.

While Western thrillers build tension through action and technology, Eastern thrillers build it through fractures in human psychology and social relationships.
The sensibility unique to Western thrillers just doesn't quite resonate with me.