Easily readable thriller with a snarky anti-heroine and a dash of sexual tension with a podcaster guy investigating her best friend's murder. Did Lucy really murder Savvy five years ago? Everyone thinks it's true and now she's back in tiny Plumpton, Texas while a true-crime podcast tries to solve the murder once and for all. This mystery moved quickly, with podcast episodes interspersed, but it certainly wasn't a "world-class whodunit" as Stephen King blurbed. I liked Lucy and her grandmother and even the voice of Savvy, but it seemed like a stretch with all the moving pieces of who was sleeping with whom, along with flashbacks and interviews. If only all unsolved mysteries could be solved as quickly as this-like a Dateline episode!

Listen for the Lie is a fast pace, hilarious “who dun it” that you can read in one sitting and will have you questioning who did it up until the last page.

Lucy and Savvy were best friends - until Savvy is found dead and Lucy is found covered in her blood. Their small Texas town is convinced she killed her, yet the police can’t find enough evidence to convict. Five years later, a popular podcast reopens the case and Lucy - who has amnesia and cannot remember that night at all - finally learns if she did, well…kill her friend.

This book is absolutely incredible - I could not put it down. It was immediate from the first page, I was pulled into the story by the jumps between Lucy’s POV and the podcast chapters, and by Lucy in general. She’s hilarious, snarky, and extremely interesting as a main character - and not knowing whether or not she did it allowed me to determine whether or not I liked (and believed) her for myself.

The supporting cast of characters that help play out this story are also amazing - and normally in these types of books there’s only one or two side characters that really hold weight, but I can honestly say just about everyone you meet holds value to the plot. Also, her grandmother is hilarious. You’ll love her.

I cannot wait to see what this author produces next - I eagerly await her next novel and in the meantime might snatch a copy of the audiobook to relive this one. Five stars all around, cannot recommend enough!

For some reason I really enjoy a book that deals with podcasts. The story was interesting and was fun to see it unfold.

With her first novel for adults, Amy Tintera doesn't pull any punches. This storytelling is funny, witty, and a real who-dun-it. Lucy and her best friend Savvy were inseparable until 5 years ago, when Savvy was found dead, and the little Texas town they lived in turned on Lucy because they convinced themselves she murdered her best friend. And even though she was very obviously there when her friend was murdered, based on the blood she was covered in when she was found not far from the scene of the crime, Lucy can't remember a thing, and there's not a shred of evidence to support her guilt. Lucy leaves town determined to start a new life and put the past behind her, but that's not working out so well. At the request of her grandmother, who is celebrating a birthday, Lucy returns to her hometown to face the rumors & innuendo all over again. Coincidentally, the Listen for the Lie Podcaster is in town exploring the cold case of Savvy's murder. It's the perfect storm for the unraveling of the past and the perfect time for Lucy's memory to return for the gripping ending to a 5 year old mystery. Thanks for the read, Celadon Books!

I overall really enjoyed this book. Loved the podcast element, and the twists were great. I can’t wait to read the next one by Amy!

This thriller was an absolute delight. I loved the unreliable narrative, since she didn’t have memory of the night in question.

The back and forth between current, past and the Podcast episodes kept the pace fast and riveting. It was hard to put down, I wanted more perspectives and to really unearth what happened to Savi that fateful night.

The twists, turns and pieces unveiled as the story progresses were an incredible experience and I truly enjoyed so much.

Did the end completely turn my world upside down? No but the book was a delight nonetheless! Definitely recommend.

I think this was too overhyped for me. I enjoyed it but it definitely wasn’t my favorite thriller. I loved the podcast feature but the ending wasn’t my favorite.

Tintera has crafted an unusual mystery, in which a true crime podcaster investigates an unsolved crime in a small town. Lucy Chase suffered a head injury on the same night that her best friend Savvy was murdered. Eventually, everyone in town decided that Lucy killed Savvy, even though the police don’t have any evidence with which to charge her. Lucy can’t remember anything of that night. She relocates to LA.
But Lucy's grandma insists that she's innocent, and throws herself a birthday party so that Lucy will return to her home town, along with Ben, the podcaster, who’s trying to solve the case. Lucy begins to revisit the crime scene, and starts to remember the night Savvy died. But does the truth matter, when everyone has already decided that she's guilty?
There's too much gratuitous sex—every single character seems to have multiple partners, and the small town resembles Peyton Place!—but the plot is an absorbing one.

A thriller that totally lives up to the hype! I loved the podcast element and the ending completely surprised me.

4.5 stars

Thanks to Celadon books for the copy to review.

This was a fun and fast paced read for me. I enjoyed the way a true crime podcast was worked into the story. The main character was very realistic and quirky. The small town setting was authentic, especially the way people gossip and behave. This is one of my top reads so far this year. Listen For the Lie has everything I like in a good book. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a great story with so many twists that I just wasn't expecting. I loved the splices of the podcast weaved throughout and the fact that I did not guess the ending!

4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

Listen for the Lie is a gripping unputdownable thriller, and a fantastic adult debut.

Lucy is thought to have killed her best friend Savvy five years ago, except Lucy has no memory of it. She builds a new life for herself in Los Angeles, far away from her Texas hometown.

Unfortunately for Lucy, a true crime podcaster has decided to revisit the crime in the hopes of revealing the truth.

This story is full of many unlikeable characters, characters who made bad choices both then and now.

Thr story is told in present day, with sections of the podcast imbedded throughout the book along with brief flashbacks to 5 years ago. I really enjoyed this format of storytelling, as it kept me engaged and flying through the pages.

I loved this fast-paced, quirky thriller. The MC was delightfully snarky and jaded. Her relationships were believable and shown well. And for a thriller, the characterizations were very good. The podcast episodes made this read especially quickly.

Beverly was my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and LibroFM for the ARC! I purchased a copy for my library.

A modern take on the classic twist of a whodunit - five years ago, Lucy is suspected of killing her best friend, but there has never been enough evidence to convict her and she has no memory of the night due to a traumatic brain injury. A new podcast investigating the murder brings Lucy back to her hometown, as she tries to figure out if she actually committed the murder or not.

This one had a lot of twists and turns, and I enjoyed the insertion of podcast transcripts. It felt like I was listening to the podcast in real time, and I like how it doled out pieces of evidence throughout. I will admit that I figured out the mystery towards the end, but it did not diminish my interest, and I didn't figure out how the whole story played out. I also suspected multiple people before that! 4

Lucy herself is a prickly, difficult narrator who I was completely charmed by. She is not what I would call a good person, but she also doesn't pretend to be, and she is very blunt in a refreshing way. I also think her grandma is a hoot, but she could probably use better parents.

Overall, if you like twisty mysteries, this one is for you!

Thank you @netgalley for this book.
Lucy has been accused of murdering her best friend but she doesn't remember that night. Did she really do it, can the Podcaster found out the truth? Thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced, snarky & yes, at times, humorous thriller.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and their arcs, and found the plot interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I think this was a face paced thriller and i enjoyed the quick pace nature of it. I liked the podcast elements and thought the twists and turns were fun but like most thrilelr it is really hard to feel that conneced to the characters!!

Review: Listen for the Lie 4.5

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

Listen for the Lie has been all over bookstagram lately and with good reason. True crime murder mysteries are a dime a dozen nowadays but this one felt fresh. Between the amnesia aspect, the super sarcastic narrator who makes bad decisions, and a whole slew of small town unlikeable characters it kept me entertained throughout. And it had me guessing until the very end! Even with all the drama and shock factor, the ending felt realistic.

LISTEN FOR THE LIE by Amy Tintera ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don’t start this book unless you have time to binge it! This is a perfect thriller for those who don’t want it too scary or gory. It’s not too dark but still so entertaining! The characters in this book also are so fun and hilarious. The grandma was my favorite and Ben was so likable. It reminds me of, “None of this is True,” with the podcast format, which I love. Highly recommend this one!

Lucy’s best friend Savvy was murdered 5 years ago and despite having no memories of the night, everyone assumes Lucy killed her. Now, 5 years later, a true crime podcast is determined to solve the case, and Lucy decides to help.

Perfect if you like:
•Podcast format.
•A thriller that’s not too scary.
•Whodunnit.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Mood: 🍿🫗🫗

🚪: Skip chapter 41 for explicit intimacy details (very brief).
⚠️: explicit language

DNF @17%.

I enjoyed the podcast element, however, the main character was extremely irritating. Her snark and inner thoughts did not work for me. I rolled my eyes too many times within the first couple chapters. Not for me!