Thank you Amy Tintera and NetGalley for the ARC of Listen for the Lie. I throughly enjoyed this book and it kept my interest the entire time. Though it took me longer than average to finish due to personal reasons I never stopped thinking about it and would 100% recommend it!

Woo!! This one was a page turner. It has some plot points that have been really popular with thrillers lately. We have our main character, Lucy, accused of her best friend’s murder. Everyone loved Savvy and the small town they live in is convinced Lucy is to blame.

Enter true crime podcaster, Ben, who is determined to find the truth. The story is told through then and now timelines and “Listen for the Lie” podcast interviews of town residents. Someone is lying, and it’s not who you think it is!

I couldn’t put this book down! It will definitely be one you won’t want to miss come March!

Listen for the Lie
Amy Tintera
Pub Date Mar 5
Henry Holt
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. A true crime podcast has ruined Lucy Chases life. Well ruined it for the second time.
Fun, ironic, dark humor with podcast interviews thrown in, this is a thrilling mystery that will keep you guessing. I recommend this for anyone who likes riveting thrillers. I loved Grandma Beverly!
4 stars

Wow! I loved this book - it really kept me guessing until the very end. All of the characters were very likable which made it hard to see that anyone could have done it!

I can not express how much I loved this book - Cold Case with tons of questions - check. Podcast that picks at the underbelly of a small town trying to answer those questions - check. Sassy main character that might have been the perpetrator of the Cold Case - check. Funny secrets uncovered - check. Light hearted Rom-Com storyline embedded in all of this - check. This was just a fun and fast read - a perfect chef's kiss book

This was an enjoyable book that kept me interested to the end. It was sarcastically funny and quirky. It wasn’t exactly suspenseful, but definitely a good mystery.

Devoured in one day!

I could NOT put this book down. Between the dark humor and the suspense of figuring out the truth, I was stuck.

Lucy is our main character, and murderer, or is she? A podcaster has taken this unsolved murder case from 5 years ago and ripped it wide open. Lucy was found bloody and confused right after her best friend Savvy was found murdered in the woods after a wedding they attended together. Lucy claims amnesia, but the town is more than skeptical.

There is a no-nonsense grandmother, parents who are completely convinced Lucy did it, and ex's covering for more than you think.

Ben, the podcaster, starts interviewing and uncovers secrets and surprises within this small town that has them questioning their friendships and relationships.

I swore I figured out who it was twice, only to be proven wrong in the last few pages of this incredibly well written story. I have seen a review stating there is "a lot of sex" but I disagree. There are a couple of those instances but there is no detail and you aren't left with wide eyes (in that manner at least).

Between Lucy's humor, coping mechanisms, and the personalities of the town members you are going to laugh and scoff through most of the book.

The story is well written and captivating, and I cannot wait to see another book from this author!

Lucy can't remember what happened the night her bestfriend Savvy was murdered. The whole town of Plumpton, TX believes Lucy did it. Because she can't remember, she might believe it too.

After Savvy's death, Lucy moves as far away from Plumpton as she can, in hopes of getting away from the town she grew up in and the town that has turned against her. 5 years later a podcast Lucy hates digs up Saavy's case to find out what really happened that night she was murdered. Now a night that Lucy is thankful to forget, becomes the main topic in Plumpton again.

I love Lucy and her grandmother's relationship, their sarcasm and love for one another was super refreshing to read in a thriller. I really enjoyed the pacing in Listen for the Lie and how the podcast episodes are added at the end of the chapters. There were lots of red herrings but I never was able to guess who killed Savvy until it was revealed in the last few chapters. I'll definitely be buying a physical copy when this book drops on March 5, 2024 and telling all my book friends to read it too.

Thank you NetGalley and Holt Books for the ARC ebook approval in return for my honest opinion.

I loved the pace of this book, the back and forth of the podcast sections and Lucy narrating definitely kept my attention. I did not know who was going to end up being the killer, I thought it was several different people at different points of the book. I enjoyed Lucy’s character and felt she was a very relatable character, I LOVED her sarcasm! This is definitely a 5-star from me. SO VERY GOOD!

Oh how I love a thriller heroine who just DGAF about what the people around her think and Lucy is an expert at the sarcastic comment that just stops people in their tracks. I have to be honest - I wasn’t overly excited about another thriller involving a podcast but I loved how Tintera used the podcast interview scripts to convey critical information to the reader. It was seamless and necessary and not just a gimmick. The characters were nuanced and complex as were the relationships, which really added to the authenticity of the novel. The pacing was awesome and the twists and turns kept coming (but never in an over the top manner) which kept me engaged and glued to the pages! I didn’t want to put this thriller down and I couldn’t wait to get back to Lucy, Beverly (her badass grandmother), Ben, and the rest of Plumpton. The writing was sharp, the plot like complex and enthralling, and the characters developed. Great read!

There's a lot of lies to listen to here. Lucy can't remember what happened the night her BFF was killed, and I went round and round on who I thought dunnit.

In the end, it all made sense and I feel like I got a well-rounded view of this entire town and the people in it. I really liked the varying perspectives, voices, and angles we get to experience here. Especially grandma. I would read her spinoff, tbh. Lucy's inner monologue was (and still is) a big question mark for me, but maybe that's a good thing.

This one sucked me in and the double-punch of mixed media and a pithy writing style really propelled this story. When I first started this, I knew nothing other than Stephen King blurbed it. Seriously, I didn't even see the cover. Glad I went for it and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Any Tintera title.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I debated between 4 stars or 5 stars - This book was so enjoyable. Kept me on the edge of my seat! From Lucy’s POV, the pieces from the podcast including the towns thoughts, and Savvy appearing frequently in Lucy’s thoughts. It was almost like at times she was guiding Lucy to the truth while also, picking at her for her sometimes rather bad decisions. The best part was Lucy’s sarcasm throughout the book. So relatable. This book kept me guessing and at the end, I was pleasantly surprised! I literally could not stand Lucy’s ex husband and her parents. They should have protected her more and not jumped to conclusions.

The build up of this book was A-1! I wish the ending had a bit more regarding Lucy and Ben but it still pretty great. Grandma was the best character. I was to be her when I grow up.

Thanks NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company got the ARC!

Five glowing stars for this book. I especially loved Lucy's dark humor. The book is told from her point of view, and she spends a large part of the book imagining ways that she could kill various people. She has an excellent imagination.

The book opens with Lucy's life going down the drain for the second time in ten years, all due to her past being exposed on a popular true crime podcast, "Listen for the Lie". As a result, she was fired from her job and escorted from the building. She had been living with her boyfriend, and he asked her to move out, leaving her homeless as well as unemployed. The boyfriend was hilarious - he was terrified of her, and flinched when she made a sudden move. She moved back home to stay with her parents while she looked for another job (somewhere far away).

Ten years earlier, Lucy was married and had her own home in the same town she had grown up in. Then everything fell apart after a party one night when her best friend Savvy was murdered, and Lucy was found wandering down the street covered in blood, with a head injury, and no memory of what had happened. I suspected so many people as being the killer while reading this book, even Lucy. Lucy herself wasn't sure she hadn't.

I highly recommend this unique mystery and hope to read more written by this author. My thanks to the author, publisher Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the e-ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

I really struggled to decide between 4 stars or 5 stars here but ultimately settled on 4. This was a very enjoyable book and kept me guessing the entire time. I liked the added element of getting snippets of the podcast between chapters especially because it allowed the book to be primarily Lucy’s POV while still getting everyone’s story told.

At the end of the day I landed on 4 star because it felt like the ending wrapped up so suddenly and perfectly and that was almost disappointing after all of the build up. This is a book I will definitely be recommending though!!

"Listen for the Lie" is a true crime podcast in which Ben, the caster investigates unsolved murders. His latest case is the murder of a girl called Savvy ten years prior. The main suspect, the one the entire town thinks is responsible including her ex-husband and her own parents, is Savvy's best friend, Lucy. When the podcast starts making traction Lucy loses her job, boyfriend, and home in a matter of days. At the request of her grandmother, Lucy returns to the hometown that openly scorns her and agrees to talk to and work with Ben as he tries to determine who killed Savvy. Does Lucy truly not remember what happened or is she covering up a nasty truth.... or is it both?

I enjoyed the book, and was surprised by the ending, but was puzzled by a the inner dialogue Lucy has with dead, blood dripping Savvy. I was also perplexed by the glance into Savvy's own psychopathic tendencies.. I would have liked for that component to be developed more fully.

The compelling premise drew me in and the plot really delivered. All the characters were cleverly written, with distinct voices. But it was the two main characters, Lucy and Savvy, who really shone. The author pulls off the clever trick of presenting us with two women who, throughout the novel, evolve from their public persona into the women they truly are (or were)—all while unraveling a satisfying mystery with a side of snark and humor. It had a bit of everything I look for in a book.

I really liked this one! I found the characterizations and format to work really well together, and to support the plot in ways that kept me engaged and curious throughout. I did figure out who the murderer was rather earlier than I expected to, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the big reveal at all. I liked this one, and will definitely look for more from Tintera.

Arc from netgalley

4 stars! Very much in the vein of fans of Gillian Flynn. I was hooked the entire time reading it. Trying to piece together what really happened the night of the murder was fun. Some characters you like in the beginning only to end up hating in the middle. Loved it! Highly recommend!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I seriously couldn’t put it down.
Amy Tintera happened to write the most casual, easy going mystery set in present day. I loved the true crime podcast aspect of this book. I loved getting Lucy’s perspective but also feeling like I got the full episodes of the podcasts too. I cannot wait for this book to be released because I will be recommending it to everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Listen for the Lie.

The current trend for thrillers features a podcaster investigating a decades old crime, unearthing new revelations for the main character, the one usually suspected of the murder.

The premise is the same for Listen for the Lie, except you know this is a book because Ben, the podcaster, is a hotter version of Chris Evans, and Lucy Chase, the woman accused of murdering her BFF Savvy a few years ago, is also hot, too.

As Ben uncovers lies and untruths, Lucy must probe her shattered memory for the truth of that night, and what really happened to Savvy.

I liked Lucy, but on the other hand, I didn't.

I liked her self deprecating humor, her I-don't-care-about-anyone attitude, but she also seemed flighty, with terrible choices in men (a common trait among many of us).

Everyone was unlikable, except her amazing grandmother, Beverly, who I loved.

I didn't mind the swearing as much as some reviewers did, a lot of people do cuss a lot, but I thought all the gratuitous sex scenes was unnecessary, and adultering and bed hopping.

This is a small town, let's keep this in mind, and apparently everyone is hopping in and out of everyone else's bed,.

Ewww....and gross.

Also, two of the main suspects are physically abusive, so readers should be aware of these potential triggers.

Lucys constant internal monologuing about how to kill someone grew tedious fast. I guess the author wanted to keep the readers guessing that Lucy could be a killer due to her dark thoughts.

Let me tell you; nearly everyone has dark thoughts about killing someone. Thinking about killing someone isn't the same as doing the deed. Then, most of the population would be locked up behind bars.

The reason behind the murder was just okay, as was the identity of the killer.

Nothing earth shattering, you just had to run down the suspect list, and keep in mind everyone is keeping secrets and lying to each other.

Once again, there's a soppy romance angle in the narrative, which is not necessary because as I always say, it's not a requirement for characters to couple up in a book.

This was an okay read, not original or suspenseful as I had hoped, but I appreciate the opportunity to read it early.