Did Lucy kill her best friend Savvy and she just can’t remember it? That’s the question at the heart of Listen for the Lie, by Amy Tintera.

The novel uses the device of a true-crime podcast to propel the plot, and although this particular trope is getting a workout these days, the book still feels fresh.

Goaded by the podcast’s spotlight on the case (and her grandmother’s birthday party), Lucy returns to the small Texas town where she grew up. Everyone there - including her parents - seems convinced that Lucy murdered her friend Savvy in a drunken fit of anger after a wedding reception. Lucy was found covered in Savvy’s blood, after all. But Lucy suffered a blow to the head that night, and her memories are fragmented. Did she do it? Even she’s not sure.

As the podcaster digs in, Lucy (and his audience) discover that many people haven’t told the truth about where they were that night.

The resolution of the mystery (the who, anyway, if not the how) may not surprise you. But Lucy’s an amusing companion; I didn’t mind that I guessed the twist.

You can while away a couple hours by the pool with this book and be completely entertained. But Tintera is doing more than spinning a “ripped from the headlines” tale. The book raises interesting questions about whose stories we believe and why.

I received an early review copy from NetGalley.

What can I say? This book is your typical podcast whodunit murder mystery.

However, while that’s true, it was done incredibly well. I didn’t want to put this one down. I even considered staying up and reading through the night… (I didn’t only because I’m recovering from illness).

Did Lucy kill her best friend? Even she can’t remember and now a podcaster is going to solve this cold case.

It really was a fun mystery filled with awful people and no one to really root for. Which is for me.

Triggers: domestic violence and sexual assault

Listen for the Lie fulfilled every expectation I had going into the book. It is a cleverly done psychological thriller that you won't be able to set down. It also has a dose of humor and sarcasm woven into it that adds so much to the storyline.

ARC provided via Netgalley and Celadon Books in exchange for a review.

Listen for the Lie is mystery full of unreliable characters. The plot is reminiscent of the classic game Clue to figure out the murderer. I started reading the print version, but switched to the audio after listening to the sample - fantastic narration! Started and finished the same day.

This was SO fun!! I'm obsessed with books and true crime podcasts, so anytime the two come together I know I'm going to love it. This was my first by Amy Tintera and I really enjoyed her writing style. I had many guesses, but really didn't know where this book was going to end up.

4/5 ⭐️

I listened to the audiobook while also reading the ARC. What a FUN audiobook! I loved how there were multiple people in the audiobooks, which really pulled me in. The unique storytelling was refreshing. I was a little sad with the ending, as it did not seem as "closed" as I was hoping, but maybe that's just me. Overall, I really liked this one.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Everyone thinks Lucy murdered her best friend Savvy, but Lucy is completely in the dark about what happened that night.

Listen For The Lie is told by Lucy in first person, which I really enjoyed, I sometimes get tired of thee multi POV trend that is so popular right now, many authors tend to try to push way to many narratives and it gets somewhat confusing trying to keep all the characters straight . Lucy is an unreliable narrator however, due to the head injury she received and her amnesia about the murder. There are chapters between Lucy's that are Ben's podcast LISTEN FOR THE LIE. He was doing research on Savvy's murder. Podcasts in books are very common these days and I am very skeptical about them, but this one worked well in the story and was the perfect addition.

I did love Lucy however, she was funny, sarcastic and best of all snarky, her character alone will keep you reading if nothing else will. I really enjoyed Ben the podcaster, but I think one of my favorite characters in the book is Lucy's grandmother, the narrative between her and Lucy is excellent and well thought out, probably my favorite part of the story.

Along with reading the book, I also listened to the audio, which I highly recommend, the narrators on it were perfection and this as of now is my favorite audio book because of them.

Listen For The Lie is a fast paced read, it is also, suspenseful, exciting, and funny. It is one of those book that will keep you guessing until the end, and even better, it has short chapters, which is always a plus for me!

A great book for any mystery/thriller reader

Lɪsᴛᴇɴ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ Lɪᴇ by 𝐴𝑚𝑦 𝑇𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎
Mystery/Thriller — 350 pgs
★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5


This was literally everything I love:
Darkly hilarious ✅
Simple but golden writing style ✅
Short chapters ✅
Solid podcast element ✅
Unreliable characters ✅
A badass grandma ✅✅✅✅✅

I can’t remember the last time I read a book where I could literally FEEL the characters personalities… all of them! It played out like a movie in my head.
The small town secrets were juicy and typical but wild. Even if parts seemed repetitive, it never felt like it just dragged on.
Also a murder mystery/thriller that made me literally laugh out loud the entire time is almost unheard of. This is a perfect mixture of everything I’ve ever wanted in a book and will 100% be a contender for top book of the year!

Okayyy this one was so good!!! I usually have a hard time reading books with a unique format but the podcast aspect in this book worked out so well and I was hooked immediately. The book had this nice comedic mystery twist with a sarcastic mc which I had fun with and definitely fast paced with short chapters as well. I definitely recommend this book for sure!

I love me a thriller that includes other formats, especially ones with the podcast angle! This book read super quickly that I finished it in one sitting/ night. I found myself engaged with the story the entire time and just wanted to know what happened all those years ago. I enjoyed the investigation aspect of this and how our MC, Lucy, works with the host, Ben, to put the pieces together. There were a couple of interesting twists towards that end that made for quite the showdown and overall I think a lot of people will like this one and how bingeworthy it is!

We meet Lucy as she’s getting fired from her job in LA and her life is in total upheaval thanks to a very popular true crime podcast, ‘Listen for the Lie.’ Five years earlier, Lucy was found in her small central Texas town, covered in her best friend, Savvy’s, blood, with no memory of the night before. She became the number 1 suspect, but there wasn’t any evidence to prove that she was the murderer…or not. Not even Lucy knows if she’s guilty, though in the convening years, she increasingly fantasizes about murder and has an inner voice telling her to kill, kill, kill!

With Lucy’s life on the fritz when her grandmother calls her home to celebrate her 80th birthday, she can’t think of much of a reason not to go. Lucy travels back home and is not only confronted by her past, but also the cute podcaster, Ben Owens, who wants her to partner with him on the podcast. Ben may have questionable ethics, but he also casts doubts on Lucy being the prime suspect, told through Serial-like podcasting.

Entertaining, enthralling, and gripping, Listen for the Lie was un-put-down-able! Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read the ARC!

Binge worthy! The twist in this one I honestly didn’t see it coming. Lucy was not crazy like everyone panned her to be. It’s disappointing learning her parents believed someone else over their own daughter on what did or did not happen. Justice was served.

Whoa. You've been seeing this book all over the socials for a reason. This whodunit with a million morally grey characters is phenomenal. It's a thriller that made me...laugh out loud? The dark humor is fantastic and well-placed throughout all of the secrets, lies, and drama. It adds to the MC, Lucy's, flippant personality, especially regarding the murder everyone thinks she committed.

Did Lucy kill her BFF, Savvy? As Lucy says about the podcast investigating her for this murder, "I'm riveted. Can't wait to find out if I did it." I couldn't wait to find out, too.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

It seems a lot of people really loved this book and to be clear I didn't hate it at all, def worth reading especially for those who enjoy thriller/podcast thrillers, etc. however it wasn't very original in my opinion. I've read this before. Parts I loved: the character development (I was so invested in Lucy and her grandmother, man I wish I had a grandma like that!), I LOVED Lucy's sense of humor and def laughed out loud several times.
Things that weren't terrible but could have been better: No spoilers but the ending... I mean there was ABSOLUTELY nothing that could have pointed to this twist which I am not a fan of... I also felt like the first 3/4's of the book were super drawn out and the then the ending was abrupt and of course tied up in a neat little bow.

Ultimately 3-3.5 stars for me and again absolutely still a book I'd recommend.

Thank you netgalley, Amy Tintera and Celadon books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.75/5*!

This book pulled me out of a month-long reading slump. Fast paced, short chapters that constantly leave you wanting to read more, entertaining format to read (and I imagine to listen) to, witty and a gripping storyline. I did end up guessing part of the reveal, but not until very close to the end. Would be curious to read it again and see if I could pick up more crumbs! A truly entertaining book and I look forward to the authors future works.

Easily the best book I’ve read so far this year. I could not put it down. I was on the edge of my seat wondering who the killer could be. Between the twists and the colorful characters, this was truly a fantastic (adult) debut. I cannot wait to see what Amy comes up with next.

Five star read! I hope this author gets going on another book pronto because her writing is grit to and at times funny and her characters are so tricky! LOVED this book!

This was a good suspenseful thriller. I read it in one sitting. I liked the writing, the characters and the plot. There was dark humor abd a decent pace.

Thanks netgalley

Hello favorite book of January! Listen for the Lie is a fun popcorn podcast thriller with incredibly written characters. I look forward to reading more by Amy Tintera in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to read this e-galley.

Several years ago, Lucy is found after a wedding, wandering around lost, covered in her best friend Savvy's blood. After Savvy's untimely death, Lucy gets a divorce and leaves town, ready for a new life and a new start from her tiny hometown where many believe she is a murderer. As the years go on, Lucy is trying to put the past behind her. However, Ben Owens, the handsome true-crime podcaster, decides to investigate Savvy's death and Lucy is forced to face her past or possibly become a victim of it. Will the real murderer be revealed? Or was it actually Lucy herself?

I know this is a popular book, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. I didn't particularly care for Lucy or Savvy. I thought some of the parts were very repetitive and the book dragged a bit. I'm not sure I understand the title, especially in conjunction with this book. I wouldn't call this a page-turner, but the suspense does build to a satisfying ending.

Special thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.