I know this is getting a bunch of hype, and at least it’s not actually offensive like some of the thrillers I’ve read recently. It’s still not good, though, and I’m kind of annoyed at the blurbs from good authors in the marketing materials. Guess it helps knowing the right people; that’s what sells books, I suppose.

The narrator is supposed to be 29, and she acts like she’s 16. She’s constantly horny, and despite dealing with literally the worst kind of trauma (her best friend was murdered AND everyone is sure she did it), she’s too busy trying to bang every dude in the book. Including her abusive ex? Ridiculous.

The voice was snarky but not in a fun way. She’s super annoying, and it’s really obvious the author writes YA. This is basically a YA novel where she added like 12 years to the characters and called it a day.

The pop culture references were random and irritating.

Mystery-wise, this plot has been done like 1000 times before. I’m also sick of podcasts; unless you’re using that in a way that impacts the story, it’s just a lazy way not to write a third person book.

I don’t know. It’s just mediocre, and I’m irritated by the hype.

unfortunately, this book was archived way before the pub date so i was not able to download or read it. i look forward to seeing it on shelves and getting my hands on it!

This is my first Amy Tintera book, and apparently it’s HER first adult thriller. (In the acknowledgments I learned she has previously authored Young Adult titles.) I really enjoyed reading it! Even though I don’t follow true crime podcasts, that focus in the book was a great method of introducing characters and moving the story forward. And what a story! While I enjoyed Lucy’s character and her interactions with podcaster Ben, there were a large cast of characters to keep track of— and to consider as suspects. A heads-up for parents of interested teen readers: With much discussion of graphic murder methods, along with adultery, sex, and domestic abuse- this title is definitely adult content.

First book I’ve read by this author and enjoyed from first to last page.The true crime podcasts that were interspersed were really entertaining and Lucy with her snarky sarcastic personality was my favorite,Will be reading more by this author.#netgalley #listenforthelie

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I was blown away. I love the podcast episodes within the book. I’m usually a fan of mixed media, so that was no surprise to me.

Lucy was such an unreliable narrator it was fun to question her and her motives. I was very interested in her relationship with her family members. Her intrusive thoughts were interesting to say the least.

This book had more twists and turns than I was expecting. The ending was jaw dropping to say the least.

What a fun read and light mystery. Plenty of twists and a sassy lead character kept things interesting. Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company, Celadon Books for allowing me the opportunity to read an eARC in exchange for my review. 4/5 stars.

This book was such a compulsive read…like I could truly not put this book down!

It truly has everything…
✨a murdered “girl next door” who everyone loved
✨a homicidal day dreaming main character, who is the main suspect in her bffs murder that happened years ago according to the small town of Plumpton, TX
✨a true crime podcast/podcaster who’s here for the truth
✨an eccentric family of the main character, who she thought she escaped when leaving her home town
✨Small town drama
✨Lots of tea being spilled☕️☕️☕️
✨and much much more….

I think the only thing that could make this book better would be listening to it via audio!!! I think that would really bring more life into the writing so I’ll definitely be listening to that on pub day!

4.5⭐️

⭐️LISTEN FOR THE LIE, comes out MARCH 5TH⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley @henryholtbooks and @celadonbooks for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

#listenforthelie #amytintera #celadonbooks #henryholtbooks

One night Lucy is found wandering the streets with her best friend Savvy's blood on her. After Savvy's body is discovered, everyone blamed Lucy but no one could prove anything. Years later, Lucy returns to her home town, running into true crime podcaster Ben Owens who is determined to solve Savvy's murder.

This was definitely my favorite thriller I've read this year! Here's what I loved:

The humor. This book was hilarious at times. Lucy has perfect sarcasm. I loved her inner dialogue and quick one liners with her family and friends. I was so engrossed in this story and Lucy was the number one reason why.

Romance. I love thrillers that give me a little romance and this one did just that. There are many men around Lucy and you can see a relationship with them (some very unhealthy). This added romance gave the book even more depth.

The mystery. I really wanted to know what happened to Savvy and there were so many different ways it could have played out. I will say that I was satisfied with the ending.

The podcast. Loved the way this book was structured. You get chapters from Lucy's POV and chapters of the podcast that Ben is recording. They are perfectly cut together.
All in all, this was such a good thriller.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

This book busted my book slump! Pulled me right in at the beginning of the novel. The main character of this book is snarky and sarcastic, which is entertaining. The ending was surprising but looking back I could see hints to what happened. Part of the novel takes place in podcast format, which I LOVED! If you like true crime podcasts you’ll like this novel!

This is a book about how easy it is for men to be believed and how hard it is for women to be. Everyone in this book was terrible except for the main character, her grandma, the podcast guy and her dead best friend. I liked the podcast element, but I almost always love any form of mixed media.

4.5 stars for this superb thriller! Lucy Chase is a woman with a deadly secret...that she can't even remember. She has spent years away from her hometown of Plumpton, TX, where one night her best friend Savannah "Savvy" Harper, was found murdered in the woods. Lucy was found on the side of the road, covered in blood and bruises, Savvy's skin under her nails. Everyone thinks Lucy did it but so far no one has been able to prove it, though Ben Owens hopes to find answers with his popular true crime podcast, "Listen for the Lie." After Lucy reluctantly returns to Plumpton to attend her grandmother's 80th birthday party, she's determined to avoid Ben and his probing questions. However, Ben proves rather persuasive and incredibly attractive.
The POV shifts between Lucy and Ben's podcast transcripts. Lucy is a snarky, laugh-out-loud anti-hero that you'll root for from the first line. Even if she may be a murderer.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for this e-arc.*

This is an interesting mystery with a podcast element to add to the intrigue. While I found many of the characters to be quite unlikeable, Grandma was a gem. I’d read a whole book based on her character alone. If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced whodunnit, this is for you. And you’ll likely be surprised by the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy.

Lucy is lured back home for her beloved grandmother's birthday party, supposedly. But at the same time, a true crime podcaster has started looking in to the case of Savvy's murder 5 years prior. The murder that everyone in the small town thinks Lucy committed, the night Lucy can't remember. Lucy is also hearing voices telling her to kill everyone and she spends a whole lot of time thinking of how she would kill each person. (I'll be honest, I think this was my favorite part. I'm not sure whether it was supposed to provide comic relief or not, but frequently I had to chuckle at her internal dialogue.) Is she the murderer? Is she mentally unstable? Despite being resigned to her fate as an unconvicted murderer, Lucy teams up with the podcaster to discover the truth, even if it means finding out she killed her best friend. Stacked full of lies, deceit, and twists, this was a seriously sordid look at the dark side of a small town and the unraveling shocks everyone including Lucy! What a solid page turner!

The story follows Lucy who is living in LA hiding from her past. That past quickly catches up to her as the whole world learns she was accused of murdering her best friend 5 years ago when the case becomes the subject of a true crime podcast. With a cast of characters you can’t (and won’t) trust this book will have you forming countless theories before the end. There’s some GREAT humor (which can be really rare with this genre) and some super relatable moments (someone coming up and hugging me is also my worst nightmare) that really add to the already well thought out mystery that we are trying to solve along with Ben, the podcast host. This is a fast read perfect for anyone who is a fan of true crime podcasts or even just thriller novels. *slight spoiler* I especially appreciated the focus Tintera puts on the reality of being abused by a man that is so well loved by everyone.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is a different sort of book. It is a murder mystery, much of it told from the perspective of the alleged murder, Luc. She supposedly killed her best friend, Savvy, five years ago after they both attended and wedding and left together. Lucy remembers nothing although she is worried she is guilty. She left Texas and moved to LA where she had been living with her boyfriend, until a true crime podcaster opened up the whole mess again. After losing her job, her boyfriend asked her to leave, which was OK with her. She accepted her grandmother’s demand that Lucy return to Texas to celebrate her 80th birthday. Little did Lucy know what would await her there.

This is a very readable book, despite bing littered with memories and transcripts of the podcasts. Lucy believes Ben, the podcaster, when he says he just wants to find the truth. So does she. Savvy has been living in her head so long that she’s about to go mad. There are interesting revelations about almost everyone involved. It is a cleverly plotted book, with the revelations unfolding so casually one almost misses them when we get there. Small towns hold secrets and this one holds a great many. People are not who they seem to be and between that and Savvy’s voice, Lucy’s thinks she’s going mad. Thank god for her grandmother, who has always believed in her. It was an intriguing story, full of innuendo and sexual tension. What a good read, Amy Tintera!

I was invited to read Listen for the Lie by Henry Hold & Co. All thoughts are opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HenryHoldAndCo #AmyTintera #ListenForTheLie

Lucy Chase hasn’t been back to her hometown in years, ever since the town deemed her guilty for the murder of her best friend Savannah. Lucy, now living in LA, has spent years putting her old life behind her but thanks to podcast Ben Owens, her life and Savannah’s murder are about to be brought back into the light.

I love listening to books with podcast angles on audio and Listen for the Lie did not disappoint. January LaVoy and Will Damron were excellent narrators to the story and the sound effects really made this feel like an actual podcast and not an audiobook. I’m honestly sad there isn’t going to be a real podcast now.

Throughout the story we flip between Lucy and the podcast itself. Sometimes I find the transitions to be clumsy, but Tintera has done a great job of seamlessly weaving the two together. Character-wise, I love all the ones and hated all the ones we were supposed to but Lucy’s Grandma was the MVP. I absolutely adored her personality and her need for drama! Combined with Lucy’s snarky attitude, and Ben’s charisma I was all in on this story!

I always enjoy thrillers that keep me guessing until the end. I think I changed my mind about the killer 76 different times, but none of our red herrings ever felt forced. For a debut this was a fast-paced mystery, and I can’t wait to see what else Amy Tintera comes up with! Highly recommend!


Listen for the Lie comes out March 5, 2024. Huge thank you to Celadon and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintura is a psychological thriller written about a true crime podcast. This novel is perfect for true crime podcast fans. I’ve read similar books in the past and never enjoyed them because the plot fell flat and rested too much on telling a podcast story. This book was not like that at all. This book’s twists and turns will keep you guessing throughout and you will not be able to put it down. The podcast is element was fun, but the story did not completely depend on it. This book will keep you thinking long after you are done reading it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Another podcast book and I am not complaining.

Yes, Listen for the Lie is yet another book about a young woman who returns to her small hometown to face a terrible tragedy in her past. Yes, there's a podcast element. Yes, she is a somewhat unreliable narrator who can't really remember what happened. But it all works and is fun to read. It reminded me a bit of A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham, a favorite of mine.

Excited about Amy Tintera's adult debut as I've really enjoyed her YA books and look forward to what she writes next.

Lucy was found wandering and covered in her best friend's blood and doesn't remember what happened. Everyone believes that she killed her best friend, but Lucy herself doesn't know. I absolutely loved this one. Chapters alternate between Lucy's point of view and new episodes of a popular true crime podcast that is investigating the crime. The only thing that's immediately clear is that Lucy really doesn't know if she killed her friend or not and she's a fun character to spend some time with.

Read Completed 1/7/24 | 4.25 - 4.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan audio for the audiobook review copy! I was approved to listen to an early audiobook copy and this did not affect my review in any way.

I was really excited to read a thriller from Amy Tintera! I've loved seeing young adult authors venture into adult thrillers lately, and having enjoyed some of Amy Tintera's YA books, I was really curious to see her adult work, especially a thriller. LISTEN FOR THE LIE was a super fun read for me and it really filled a void in my personal thriller tastes that I've been looking for for years!

LISTEN FOR THE LIE is about main character Lucy who has become the star attraction of a true crime podcast (which shares a name with the book title) after the podcast host speculates that she killed her best friend. Lucy has a huge memory gap of the night her best friend, Savvy, died and can't clear her name. She gets fired from her job and dumped, returns home for her spunky grandma's birthday party, and it just so happens that podcast host Ben is also in town. (Though Grandma knew all along.)

This book has so many elements that I love in a thriller: a podcast, a great audiobook (not full cast but the narrators, especially January LaVoy, do a great job of the different voices that you forget it's not full cast), and it was FUNNY. This book had some great dark humor and I absolutely loved it. Too often, thrillers or horror novels incorporate dark humor and it gets too silly. This was just perfection (I could have even used a little more in the end) and I'm so happy to finally find a funny, dark read. It's nice to have a little change of pace reading a darker mystery/thriller vibe but it kept a lightness about it too.

Was this book perfect? No. But when I finished it, I really didn't want to round down to 4 stars. It's kind of solidly between 4.25 - 4.5 stars just because I really enjoyed. I'm sure people can guess the ending and who the killer is, and I kind of loved that everyone -- including Lucy's family -- basically believe it was her. The ending was enjoyable, I really liked all of the characters, I loved the humor, the podcast was a great element, and the mystery was fun to follow. This was a very "me" book and I really clicked with it, so I want to round up for the enjoyment factor and finding a book that I connected with!

This is definitely one I'll be recommending and I hope Amy Tintera writes more adult thrillers in the future! I'd love to see more with the dark humor in them, but I'd be happy for anything else. I think the levity will really help this one stand out, and an excellent audiobook narration will attract audio listeners too.