Listen for the Lie was completely enthralling and once I started, I couldn't stop! Our narrator, Lucy, has a captivating demeanor and comedic attitude towards negativity, especially in the beginning, which were some of my favorite moments throughout the story. Convinced by her hilarious grandmother, Lucy travels back to her hometown, the place where years ago she was found wandering the streets covered in her dead best friend Savannah's blood. Despite years of avoidance, Lucy is forced to face the past head on as Savvy's murder becomes the subject of a very popular true crime podcast. Lucy's innocence has been questioned since the night of the incident, and because she also suffered head trauma that night, the memories of what actually happened are locked deep in her psyche. While revisiting the scenes of her past, Lucy begins to recover the details of that fateful night, and the revelations are shocking. The twists and turns kept coming, and each reveal got better and better - I truly had no clue what was going to happen! Usually I have an idea of who's to blame, but this whodunit unraveled slowly and carefully, leaving everyone a suspect without making it obvious, until an unforgettable ending unfolds. The ending had me absolutely shook!

If you like true crime podcasts, small town drama, unreliable narrators and intriguing plots, you’ll like LISTEN FOR THE LIE. The story definitely kept my interest, and the end was unpredictable and satisfying.

Lucy returns to her Texas hometown, where she’s a pariah. Most everyone believes that she murdered her best friend, Savvy, and even Lucy isn’t sure she didn’t - she can’t remember anything about that night. Podcaster Ben Owens has decided to focus on Savvy’s murder for his successful podcast, “Listen for the Lie,” and as Lucy becomes more involved with him, she finds herself remembering more and more of that fateful day.

Tintera’s dialogue is spot on and flows really smoothly. My only gripe is that I had a hard time remembering which character was which, but overall I enjoyed this thriller a lot!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Celadon Books for the early digital ARC of LISTEN FOR THE LIE and the opportunity to give my honest feedback.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭.”

Thanks Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for the advanced reader copies!
Pub date: March 5th

The audiobook for this one is great! I really enjoyed it and there were several moments I laughed out loud. Lucy is sarcastic, not totally reliable, full of dark humor and murderous thoughts, and it’s hard to figure her out initially. I was more interested in the snarky quips than the story itself at times but it easily kept me entertained. Chapters are short, which I felt made the pace decent, and though we’re only given Lucy’s POV in the present and past, and Ben’s just for the podcast sections, there are a ton of side characters that can sometimes be hard to keep track of as it also adds to the confusion of who all was or could have been involved in the murder, and like Lucy, we struggle with putting the pieces together until the whole picture is revealed.

Content and trigger warnings include a lot of profanity, murder (mostly detailed thoughts of how to do it and one intense scene), infidelity, domestic abuse (some pretty detailed), two brief sex scenes, alcoholism, and mental health (mostly tied to trauma). I recommend for all you true crime fanatics who enjoy a refreshingly good, twisty thriller that’s unique from the typical who-dun-it trope.

Lucy left her hometown 5 years ago when she became the prime suspect for the murder of her best friend when she is found covered in blood. She has no memory of what happened. A podcaster has come to town and plans to discover what occurred and whether Lucy is guilty or innocent. Lucy’s grandmother is celebrating a birthday and asked her to return for the party. Her plan is for Lucy and the podcaster to help her remember what actually happened.
This novel has alternating chapters from the past to the present. It is a twisty story with humor, friendships, sarcasm, betrayals, murder and learning that “the truth doesn’t matter”.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books.

Lucy is blamed for killing her best friend Savvy, but there is no proof to be found and she can’t remember what happened that night. Things have been bad enough but when true podcaster Ben decides to do a show five years later on Savvy’s killing, Lucy’s life goes from bad to worse, if that is even possible. Lured back to her hometown by her grandmother’s birthday, Lucy very slowly starts to remember and it’s not at all what she thinks.

This was AMAZING. I did not expect the ending of this at all and I absolutely loved the way the twist was revealed. It wasn’t “BOOM, twist.” with a twist from left field. We slowly figured it out along with Lucy and it was still shocking. I loved the slightly haunting element of Lucy’s intrusive thoughts and think that was good social commentary on how intrusive thoughts are just thoughts

WOW, I'm not even sure I can put into words how much I loved this book! Amy Tintera has a new die-hard fan!! This book was not only the perfect thriller but OMG did I laugh my a$$ off!? I LOVE Lucy and her no-nonsense attitude. Anyone that texts a "Damn, son!" is absolutely someone I want to hang out with!?

Imagine not knowing if you killed your best friend as you have no memory from that night. I can't even imagine what kind of tricks someone's brain would pull on them at that point.. so she stayed away, leaving town and heading for LA and trying to forget what she couldn't remember. Until her grandmother, Beverly, guilts her into coming home for her 80th birthday party and Lucy finds that a podcaster, Ben Owens, is also in town investigating her best friend, Savvy's murder for his true crime podcast, Listen for the Lie. Meanwhile, Lucy is stuck dealing with the whispers and rumors around town from those who simply don't believe her and think she did it.

But how could she? She loved Savvy, she was her only real friend and they were thick as thieves. But she is the only one who knows what happened that night and she still can't remember these 5 years later. All they know is that she is the one who survived, found covered in blood, a weapon in hand, and no memory of what happened. And Ben keeps pushing her to remember, digging for the truth. Or the lie...

HUGE thanks to Celadon for offering me this book as I'm thrilled to have found one of my new favorite authors!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for my e-ARC of Listen for the Lie!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🎧 love listening to true crime podcasts
🪵 have ever been accused of murder
🥵 hate Texas summers
👵🏻 would do anything for your grandma

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life. 

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

The truth is out there, if we just listen.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a fun book with a great premise - a girl is accused of murder but has zero recollection of the incident even though it’s obvious she was there at the time. I didn’t know who to trust. Lucy is a highly unreliable narrator because she doesn’t have the memories to back anything up, and I’ll admit that I did suspect her and a few others that didn’t end up being the killer. Overall, I enjoyed this twisty thriller and the Listen for the Lie podcasts sprinkled between chapters. Preorder your copy today!

It seems like the whole world thinks Lucy killed her best friend 5 years ago. Now there is a new podcast about it and Lucy is called back home for her grandmama’s birthday. Suddenly Lucy is back in the spotlight and had to deal with all that happened in the past. This was a real page-turner and I enjoyed reading it!!

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

I was enjoying this book so much, that I looked up the author halfway through to see what else she has written. This is a different genre for her, and I hope it continues.
The story was good…very good. But the writing was even better. It kept me engrossed from the first page until the very last page. Usually I don’t like the podcast focused mysteries, but this was told so well.
Lucy, who may or may not be a murderer, was someone I wanted to be friends with. I want to see a follow up book with Lucy and Ben investigating another mystery.
Anyways, back to the story. Not going to give anything away. Does Ben solve the mystery of the murder? Does Lucy remember what happens? Run, don’t walk, to read for yourself!

Edited to add: this review will not allow me to post to Goodreads, is telling me ISBN not found…I will keep trying!

This was an absolute, un-put-downable book! I was hooked from the beginning-trying to figure out if our main character, Lucy, was in fact a murderer. Of course there are plenty of suspects and a podcaster trying to get to the truth of a murder from 5 years earlier.

Fantastic story by a new-to-me author! Than you NetGalley, Celedon books and Amy Tintera for the ARC for my honest review.

I read this book right after reading Lisa Jewell's None of This Is True, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This book is written with the same concept, but holy crap does this book blow that one out of the water! This is my first book by this author and definitely won't be my last. The writing, the character development, the plot, and the ending were all top tier! I loved Lucy's personality and found myself laughing multiple times throughout the book. I guess the only thing I would say is that she could have fleshed Savanna out a little better or given her more dedication towards the ending. I wasn't really feeling as emotional as I should have about her I guess. Still 5 star for sure though.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

You may think you've read a book like this before--whodunnits with an amnesia and/or podcast element are flooding the genre.

But I guarantee you've not seen a protagonist like this before. You may say she's "unlikeable" but at least she's "interesting". So interesting that you may want to go ahead and cancel your plans for the next few days!

Armed with dark humor, intrusive thoughts, and a sharp wit, the main character returns to the hometown that branded her a murderer. The author subverts stereotypical beliefs on who becomes involved in domestic violence, and how gaslighting and reactive abuse complicates how people understand and treat survivors.

This novel is a special treat to us Texans--I've met someone like every person in this book. These characters contain a real verisimilitude to people you find here akin to a Linklater movie.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Listen for the lie - Amy Tintera

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Lucy and Savvy were best friends, until Savvy's murder separated them, and as Lucy experienced a health injury when Savvy was killed, she could remember nothing about what happened during the incident.

That doesn't stop the entire town, other than one person, from assuming that Lucy was responsible for her best friend's demise. This belief is upheld for years, as Lucy's missing memory refuses to give up its secrets.

Lucy reluctantly returns to her home town, to celebrate her Grandma's birthday, coincidentally, at the same time Ben, a blogger committed to finding out the truth about who killed Savvy, is visiting and interviewing the various individuals who might know details about the murder.

There are many truths that need to come to light before the killer is finally unmasked, along the way, this story is populated with interesting characters (Lucy's grandma was my favorite, by far) and scintillating secrets.

A home run of a murder mystery, and an interesting story as well as a lesson regarding assumptions quickly made and fiercely held.

Until next time, mystery fans should pick up this novel for an engaging and entertaining read.

Five years ago, in the gleefully gossipy small town of Plumpton, Texas, Lucy Chase wandered out of the woods, covered in blood, unable to recall who killed her best friend Savannah. After first being seen as a victim, Lucy slowly became the town's prime suspect--even her parents seem to think she might be a murderess. There wasn't enough evidence to convict Lucy or, for that matter, anyone, and Savannah's murder remains unsolved. Lucy bolted to Los Angeles, rebooted her identity, and, under a pen name, became a successful romance writer. Now, she's living under the radar with with a stodgy boyfriend when her anonymity suddenly vanishes thanks to a new viral podcast called Listen for the Lie featuring investigative fame seeker Ben Owens. Ben's latest subject? Savanah's unsolved murder.

Even though she thinks it's probably a very bad idea, Lucy returns, reluctantly, to Plumpton to celebrate her grandmother's Beverley's 80th birthday. She's not been back since Savanah's death and now, being there, faced with the fallout of the podcast and the endless Plumpton gossip, she finds herself trying to figure out who really killed Savanah. At the very least, she'd like to be 100% sure it wasn't her. (I'm not a fan of plots that rely on localized amnesia, but Tintera's tale is so fun, I rolled with it.)

It's safe to say, it's not easy being home. The town is sure Lucy's the killer. Plus, now that everyone is tuning into Ben's podcast, Lucy and Savannah are all anyone wants to talk about. Ben too is in town and he really wants Lucy, her parents, her friends, and the cops to tell him their stories. The actual podcasts episodes are part of the narrative--they're excellent-and Tintera uses them to break up Lucy's snarky first person narration and to reveal a series of genuine surprises.

I do love me some will-they-or-won't-they tension and Lucy and Ben have the sexual tension of, oh, Logan and Veronica. (Please tell me you've watched Veronica Mars.) Readers will be wondering about the two until the book's end, wondering if trust is on the table along with possible hot sex. Neither character is especially moral--those who like some grey in their novels will find Listen for the Lie to be their jam--and whether it's watching the two spar over how much Lucy wishes to tell Ben (or vice versa) or watching them flirt in Plumpton's deadbeat diner, the two are always a very good time.

The supporting characters are excellent as well. Dead Savannah is hilarious and helpful. Lucy's saucy grandmother, Lucy's exhusband and his new girlfriend, as well as Lucy's complicated parents, all add to the story in startling ways. Everyone has a story, not one of which is 100% true, and finding out what really happened to Savannah is seemingly impossible. Unless, of course, you, very carefully, listen for the lie....

Listen for the Lie has got it all: a crackling plot, snarky humor, sexy banter, characters you care for, just enough well-placed female power, all combined with a tough to parse crime. This reader--along with Lucy and Ben--didn't figure out what happened five years ago until the novel's last chapters. Listen for the Lie is Tintera's first novel for adults. Here's hoping she writes many many more!

Thanks for the book hangover Amy Tinteras!

This is going to be THE book that everyone is going to be talking about in 2024! I have to shout from the roof tops and into all of my thriller book groups that I absolutely LOVED this book. I read Listen For The Lie well into the hours of the night. I COULD NOT put this book down and when I had to do those pesky adulting duties I was counting down the hours until I could pick it back up.

This book has it ALL- A murder mystery, Humor, An unreliable narrator who cannot remember the past, an abusive ex-husband, characters that cannot be trusted, friendship, romance, an awesome grandma that doesn’t give up on her grand daughter and Ben, who’s podcast is going to prove whether Lucy is a killer.

I was hooked from the very first page of this one and couldn’t wait to find out what really happened that night.

I absolutely loved Lucy’s character and how direct she is and how Ben finally helped her get to the truth by facing the past. I was VERY surprised at the ending but it was SO GOOD.

Definitely add this one to your TBR because this is going to be THE book of 2024. This was Amy Tinteras debut adult novel and I can’t wait to read more from her.


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

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

Lucy has left small town Texas for LA, trying to escape her past. Her best friend Savvy was murdered 5 years ago, and everyone thinks Lucy did it. When a true crime podcaster decides to cover her as his next project, Lucy will be forced to return to Texas and confront the secrets and lies of the past.

I enjoyed this much more than your usual novel in the mystery genre. Firstly, Lucy is a unique, complicated and quite funny character. Her sarcasm and deadpan humor made me laugh out loud at times and her family in Texas was quirky and messed up in the best way. She makes very questionable decisions and is not always likable, but I did think her actions fit in with her general character (don’t want to say too much due to possible spoilers). The dark humor in this book was so well done.

Secondly, as a podcast addict, I am really enjoying all the books that include this element as an important plot point, but I don’t think I’ve encountered one that does it as well as this one does. (As soon as I discovered that podcast episodes were a part of the plot, I immediately started listening to the audiobook, which is fabulous).

I do think that if you go in with too high expectations (I mean, for goodness sakes, there is a blurb from Stephen King on the cover!) you might be disappointed. This is not a thriller, but a unique mystery novel with unforgettable characters and a lot of dark humor.

There is a lot to unpack in this book, but to mention all the different elements would be spoilers; this would be great for a book club or buddy read, because you will want to discuss it with someone!

Listen for the Lie
by Amy Tintera

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
Brilliantly written!! I LOVED the podcast, and how well the whole town was played. Filled with twists, humor, and mystery!! I will need to buy the hardcover!!

I was fortunate enough to snag a ARC of Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera. I usually don't like to do a synopsis, because you can read that anywhere! However, this book is about Lucy who, about 5 years prior to the current timeline, was accused of murdering her best friend, Savvy. Problem is, Lucy can't remember what happened due to her getting her own traumatic brain injury on the night of the murder.

A podcast about the murder has started and tries to get to the truth of what happened to Savvy. The author has really wowed me with the insert of the podcast in the story. I thought it was very creative and fun to read the "transcripts" of the episodes.

Now, that was one good aspect for me. The other was that it really was a good mystery with several surprises in the book. So, it was really good in that in kept my interest and that I finished it very quickly. However, the downside was that (AND THIS IS JUST MY OPINION) in some instances it became a man bashing festival. EVERY man portrayed in this book as a bad person. The law of probability says this is impossible. I joke, but really, why make EVERY one look bad? In fact, there were several comments in there that made me feel like the author was trying to jump on a recent bandwagon.

All in all, I really enjoyed the story and I have to add, I just loved the Grandma. She cracked me up. I hope you enjoy this book and would love to hear your thoughts.

Another winning suspense from Celadon books. What an amazing adult debut from Amy Tintera! I was hooked from beginning to end- such a unique narrative voice. I loved the self doubt and self deprecation that Lucy exhibits throughout, and the suspense is riveting until the very end. I’ve always enjoyed a podcast element in suspense books and this one might be one of my favorites of this trope!