Another fantastic one! I am all about a #podcast theme infused #suspensethriller and this one was a quick, easy well done #thrillerread with a heavy dose of moral ambiguity and both semi and highly unlikable characters.

•

Lucy Chase has escaped her previous level of infamy and lives in complete anonymity currently as she writes cheesy #romancereads under a penned name. Unfortunately, her past - a past that includes being the number one suspect in the brutal murder of her bestfriend years earlier - returns when a hit podcast begins to dig deep into the truth of what really happened in her small Texas hometown.

•

Bonus: Lucy’s grandmother in this one is the gift that keeps on giving. Cannot say the same for her parents. I will leave it at that.

The hype pushed me to pick this one up. I liked it a lot but I didn’t think it was the 5 star jaw dropper that everyone has been saying it is.

I liked the podcast format. I did the audio and it lends to the podcast format even more. The dual narrators were amazing. I thought it was a solid murder mystery and was entertained the whole time.

𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒆 by Amy Tintera
Genre: thriller/ mystery
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚”

This book lived up to the hype!

I started this book in physical format, and was quickly hooked on how entertaining it is. I really like the “unlikeable” main character Lucy, how sarcastic she is.

After a few chapters, I decided to give a try to audio format. Purchased it in Audible and it was even better!!

This book has podcast chapters and I absolutely loved it!! I loved narotores so much and the chapters with podcast episodes are just amazing to listen!!

Highly recommend to listen to it!!

Thank you so much @celadonbooks for the gifted copy of the book❤️.

Who knew that a book about a woman suspected of murdering her best friend could be SO good? What makes the plot even better is that Lucy can’t remember if she did it or not. I really enjoyed how refreshing and new this thriller felt, despite having an unreliable narrator caused by a head injury, because of the humour laced throughout. The humour was dark, I'll admit, but I love how it showed a different side to Lucy that only reader's could see. I also LOVED thre podcast chapters and how they added something new with each epsiode that came out.

Read this if you enjoy:
✔️ small-town settings
✔️ unreliable narrators
✔️ true crime podcasts
✔️ mixed-media elements
✔️ short chapters
✔️ dark humour
✔️ whodunits

I can't wait to see what Amy Tintera has in store for us next.

As someone who reads professionally and has a soft spot for thrillers that runs a mile wide, I have read every thriller worth reading (and several that were frankly skippable) in the past ten years. It is rare that I feel an author brings something entirely new to such a popular and well-covered genre, but Amy Tintera's debut adult novel has done just that. Tintera's take on the true-crime podcast covering an unsolved murder is not unique, but the layered relationship she builds between the host, the subjects of the podcast, and our main character, Lucy, combine to deliver a thriller, unlike anything I have ever read.

Lucy is a bitingly sarcastic, whip-smart main character who genuinely cannot remember the worst night of her entire life, the night her best friend Savvy was murdered, and her inability to remember has ruined her life. Her tiny Texas hometown was ready to declare her guilty of murder before she'd even recovered from the injuries she sustained that night. Her father has never spoken to her about her guilt or innocence, her mother seems to be not-so-patiently waiting for her to confess, and her ex-husband kicked her out of their marital home almost immediately in the aftermath of the crime. This perfect storm of disbelief creates a world where Lucy has wandered into her late twenties convinced that she is a murderer.

When Ben Owens features her story on the second season of his hit podcast Lucy can't even muster up the energy to care that the rest of the world will soon join in her hometown's shared opinion that she is not only the worst person to ever live, but also a liar who doesn't even have the decency to admit to her crimes. Lucy has very carefully avoided responding to Ben's request for an interview, just as she's avoided every request sent her way over the past five years, but when her grandmother, Beverly, guilts her into returning home to Texas while Ben is in town recording the podcast, Lucy does the unexpected and consents to an interview. She could never have imagined the web of lies, deceit, and secrets that that one choice would unravel...

"Listen for the Lie" is in turn laugh-out-loud funny, deeply sad, and surprisingly sexy. It is the must-read thriller of the spring, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Alice Feeny, and Alex Michaledes, and a real contender for best book of 2024. A special thanks to NetGalley and to Celadon Books for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an unbiased review. I have no doubt that "Listen for the Lie" will be flying off the shelves in libraries and bookstores worldwide.

I absolutely devoured this book!

Lucy returns to her hometown for the first time since she was accused of murdering her best friend 5 years ago. Lucy has no memory of the night in question and despite never having been charged, the court of public opinion has found her guilty and so she’s met with a very chilly welcome. After a true crime podcast starts to cover the case, Lucy will finally find out if she’s innocent or guilty.

I’ve read a few thrillers with a podcast element and for the most part I’ve really enjoyed all of them, this one though is a standout! The author created such fun, interesting characters, especially Lucy whose inner dialogue I just adored and made me laugh so much and Beverly who was a total highlight for me, I’d read a book about her alone!

The author expertly weaved the podcast element through the plot and I loved how it all came together. Just the book I needed and I know it will be a standout thriller for me this year!

First off- I LOVED THIS CHARACTER!! I loved her thoughts and personality so it made the book so much better. Really great read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher

Listen for the Lie follows Lucy as she travels home for her grandma's 80th birthday party. She hasn't been back since everyone in her life believed that she killed her best friend. Will she gets the closure she needs to know if she is the killer or not?

Y'all this book was everything. The audio production with the podcast elements was to die for. The Lucy and Savvy relationship was so fun to watch unfold. I was so heartbroken for everyone in the end. The mystery was beautifully laid out and was parceled out to the reader at the perfect intervals. I was invested from the very beginning because Lucy may be one of my favorite book characters ever. Her ability to not care about what people say and think and lean into what makes them uncomfortable was so fun to read. More people need to be less concerned with how people perceive them. Lucy took it a step too far for me in some instances but I still loved her, "They are already thinking it so why not lean into it," persona. Overall, this is the best mystery/ thriller I have read in a long time!

I really enjoyed this book! Listen for the Lie has all the hallmarks of a modern thriller: an unreliable narrator, hometown crime, and a podcast (of course). Years ago, Lucy's best friend was murdered and Lucy was found covered in blood. But she didn't do it...right?

The Good: I loved Lucy's sarcastic personality. I liked that we had a flawed narrator but not an unlikeable one. Her grandma was also great and I enjoyed her championing Lucy being on Ben's podcast.

The Bad: I'm a little over the unreliable narrator trope in thrillers because they're almost always women. How many people are actually walking around with such severe memory loss that they can never remember and event like a murder but can function normally otherwise?

In Conclusion: I would recommend this thriller for anyone who likes a good mystery with a narrator who isn't perfect but is still worth rooting for.

Amy Tintera is phenomenal with her debut adult thriller! The narrative flows flawlessly between the storyline and podcast. I was hooked from the first page anxiously waiting to find out whodunit!

This book was a page turner from beginning to end.. Definitely was action packed towards the end with some twists I didn’t see coming. Would highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

At first I didn’t like Lucy, but I came to like her very much. I couldn’t put it down & I wanted to know who really did it. Plus I love reading a book with a podcast as part of the story.

Excellent thriller that wasn't really on my radar until hearing all the rave reviews. Glad I gave it a chance because it was a page turner and hard to put down. Docking a star simply because the ending wasn't perfect, and didn't love the romance between certain characters. I still love the podcast element that others may be getting sick of, it always draws me in and makes me interested when there is a podcast, tv show/doc element to a story. I'll definitely be reading more from Amy Tintera in the future, can't wait to see what she cooks up next!

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?

A very well-done mystery. I loved the characters and the plot twists.

I got an ARC of this mystery and kept hearing buzz about it, and it was definitely worth all the hype! Lucy returns back to her home town after running from her past only to be forced to confront it when a new podcast delves into the mystery of her best friend’s murder.
The plot of this book was so compelling, I couldn’t put it down. I almost wish I had done audio bc I bet the podcast parts would have been great to listen to. The plot never felt forced or ridiculous and I enjoyed the contrast between Lucy’s own memories, the podcast, and present day.
Thanks to the NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this ARC!

The story is twisty and fun and the perfect little mystery thriller for summer! I liked the unique take on the true crime podcast and thought the audiobook was also very well done! Loved the dark humor sprinkled into the story, it was what hooked me from the start! Will be recomending this book and plan to read more by this author! 4.5/5 stars

This was my first book from Amy Tintera, and I really enjoyed it! I thought it was a fast-paced, engaging thriller that kept me guessing. This has a bit of mixed media with podcast transcripts which I always like (no exception here - these were great). While the story didn't end up going in the direction I expected, I ended up really liking it as a whole and felt sympathetic towards some of the characters.

Lucy was an interesting main character. Everyone is convinced that she murdered her best friend, and I thought the amnesia trope actually worked well here. It was quite rewarding to follow her throughout the book and discover what did in fact happen to Savvy. Lucy is sarcastic and her brand of humor worked pretty well for me overall. I also loved her grandmother! I don't want to say too much about the other characters as to not spoil anything, but it was quite interesting uncovering everyone's true selves.

Having ADHD it takes a lot for a book to keep my attention, and I read this one in 2 days. I couldn't put it down! Lucy is whitty and sarcastic, as her life is unraveling. Coping with a dysfunctional family and amnesia, she struggles to discover the truth of what happened 5 years after being accused of murdering her best friend. Great plot with unexpected truths uncovered throughout. The characters are relatable and well developed.

Thank you @celadonbooks @netgalley for the free review copy!

📖When Lucy is found wandering around covered in blood and her best friend is found murdered, everyone assumes that Lucy is a murderer. Lucy has no recollection of the night and has no idea what happened between her and Savvy. When a popular podcast picks up the story, determined to solve it, Lucy must return to her hometown and search for the truth.

💭I absolutely loved this book. I loved the podcast format. I thought it really helped keep a nice flow to the story and kept my interest. It had me guessing the whole time. I loved Lucy. She was so funny and sarcastic and I wasn’t expecting to laugh as much as I did with this one. My favorite thriller of the year so far!

📚Read this if you like…
Unreliable characters
True crime podcasts
Nonlinear timelines
Whodunnits
Fast paced thrillers

Lucy returns home at the request of her grandmother for her birthday party..what she doesn’t count on is staying nearly a month to figure out if she really did kill her best friend 5 years ago. I went in to this book with high expectations because I have seen nothing but great reviews on it. I. Was. Not. Disappointed. This book was GREAT! Lucy (the FMC) was hilariously cynical and I loved the banter between her and almost anyone she came in to contact with. Don’t even get me started on her grandma! A great spin on the classic “who done it” and will have you running circles trying to put it together yourself!