I couldn’t put this one down and absolutely loved the MC’s sarcasm. It’s been a bit of time since I enjoyed a thriller as much as I did this one. Run to read it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon for an ARC in return for my honest review.

Solid 4 star read! This book was fun and did a great job at luring you in. I don't think this book was a masterpiece but it was a great way to spend an afternoon.


Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy returns home for her grandmothers birthday after being away from her hometown for years following the murder of her close friend. However her return isn’t exactly welcome since seemingly the entire town has always blamed her for the murder, even though she has no recollection of that night.

Not only is she back to the town that tried so hard to get away from, she’s also the subject of a true crime podcast investigating her case. As the podcast starts to unearth all that had previously been buried, will she clear her name? Or will she find that she is guilty after all?

I really enjoyed this book. It reeled me in from the beginning and the memory loss and unreliable narrator had me excited to discover where the story was going and how all the pieces would fit together. The characters each surprised me in wildly different ways and I liked the incorporation of story and podcast theme. Great thriller read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I had seen such good reviews of this book so I had high expectations. Fortunately, it did not disappoint.

It did take me a bit to get used to the writing style. I have not read a book that has been able to pull off both humor and mystery successfully, but somehow it worked.

Lucy was previously accused of murdering her best friend, Savvy. However, there was never enough evidence to convict her and she could not remember what happened the night of her the murder. She left her small town and started a new life in California. Years later, a podcaster tries to re-open the case and finally pin down the murderer. Lucy decides to revisit friends, family, and the rest of her small town that still believe she murdered her best friend. She is finally ready to find out what really happened that night.

This book really held my interest from page 1. Lucy is an unapologetic character and it was difficult to feel sympathetic to her in any way. However, the humor and storyline was very solid and kept me guessing until the end.

This book is SO good. A bingeworthy mystery that keeps you turning the pages.
I loved the MC Lucy and how sarcastic she was. I also really enjoyed Ben, his podcast was such a good part of the story.
The audio of this makes it even better. Highly recommend!

Net galley keeps saying it can not find book with this isbn when trying to review. Please see linked Goodreads review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6304671150

Listen For The Lie is a new release from Amy Tintera. In this one we are following Lucy who has been accused of killing her best friend but was never convicted. Years later Lucy is back in her home town because a popular podcast decided her life was his next series. I loved this book from page one and could not put it down. Very funny and fast paced! Thank you @celadonbooks for my #gifted copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this one!
Such a unique way to do a thriller, lots of twists and I wasn’t able to predict it!
I love the podcast style, and actually think doing audible is best for this one! It would have made this probably a 5 for me if I had! I just didn’t love reading it podcast style.
This story follows Lucy who was accused of murdering her best friend but can’t remember anything that happened the night of the crime.
Ben runs a crime podcast and starts doing interviews with everyone that night and helps Lucy uncover the truth that no one was able to figure out.

Excellent book!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

So far, this is one of my favorites for the year! I absolutely LOVED the character of Lucy. Lucy is a mess. She may or may not have murdered her best friend a few years back. The story is told from her POV, and she is hilarious! Her thoughts are all conveyed in one form of sarcastic comment or other. Lucy also has a scene-stealing Grandma who is equally hilarious. But back to the murder. Lucy was found wandering the streets in a bloody gown after attending a wedding with Savvy, her best friend. Then Savvy's bloody body is found, and the entire small town tries and convicts Lucy even though there is not any actual trial and very little police action in the case. Lucy leaves town and is forced to return 5 years later by Grandma. Oh yeah, and there is also Ben, a podcaster who is in town to investigate the cold case. Podcast segments are thrown in which helps fill in the past. Lots of fun, suspense and twists and turn await! The secondary characters are well drawn and there are a lot of suspects and red herrings, and I had no idea how it would end. Run to get this book!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Amy Tintera and Celadon Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

If there is a podcast angle in a book, I'll pick it up and read it regardless of reviews, but the high reviews I've been seeing on this one were spot on. This was such an enjoyable thriller filled with dark humor, sarcasm, and mystery and the hype is totally real. I love a good unreliable, but likeable, narrator and Lucy absolutely fit the bill for that. Matched with the (also likeable imo) podcaster, Ben, the cast of characters were right up my alley and the mystery around who killed Savvy kept me guessing.
Murdered hometown girl + podcaster books can feel tired and basic if not done right, but the author gave the right spins to the storyline that it felt fresh and new.
Highly recommend picking up LISTEN FOR THE LIE if you're looking for an enjoyable, yet twisty, thriller.

Thanks to Celadon Books & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really loved this! It was a quick and easy read that was seriously enjoyable. There was so much misdirection in the mystery that I kept thinking I had it all figured out, and of course, I didn't.

This was a thriller that also has a lot of dark humor and sarcasm, and I love that in a book. The ending was great, and overall, this was a fantastic thriller!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review — “Listen For the Lie” by Amy Tintera (2024)

Categories — Thriller/Suspense, True Crime, Podcast, Mystery Investigation, Contemporary, US — LA & Texas, First Person POV

Pub Info — @celadonbooks March 5, 2024. Has 4.25 average & 18,500 reviews on Goodreads. This is the author’s first Adult Fiction novel, having written a handful of YA before this one.

Quick Summary — A woman suspected of 💀 her best friend returns to the small town where it all happened. A true crime podcast unravels the mystery and attempts to patch together the fateful night.

More Info, Thoughts, No Spoilers ⤵️

💿 This story follows Lucy. Suspected by most to have 💀 her BFF, she can’t remember anything. Has to go back to her small Texas hometown for aging grandma’s birthday & deal with a popular podcaster who tries to unravel the mystery & a town full of people who think she did it

💿 The story is told in first person through Lucy’s POV, with a page or two between chapters being podcast transcript, so the others involved can tell their side. The pace is medium. The suspense is minimal, until at one point toward the very end when it explodes into action.

💿 I never knew who or what was going to be the big reveal. I was surprised! I liked how the MC came across sketchy & unreliable. The story kept me guessing til the very end.

💿 There are a lot of adult things like cursing, cheating, intimacy, domestic issues, divorce, etc. Themes also include trauma, abuse, secrets, and toxic relationships.

💿 Admittedly, I didn’t really like a single character in this story. Weird decisions were made. Chaos abounded. A little too convenient ending. But along the way, I enjoyed wondering what happened. The MC’s constant intrusive thoughts made me wonder if she was an unreliable narrator. I liked the way the podcast was not overly relied upon. I enjoyed the ride.

💿 There is also a sassy grandmother character who many people have found funny. She really is something 😂

💿 Try this book if you liked Don’t Forget the Girl, Rabbit Hole, Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead. If you like suspense/mysteries that involve true crime podcasts, if you like small town dramas.

This was probably the most aggravating book I've read in like forever. It was interesting but a bit on the dramatic side and repetitive in many places. It's hard for me to say exactly how I feel about this one. It was ok and the thing that saved it for me was the ending. I loved the last two chapters of this book so much. I also still think Lucy was guilty.... Maybe.

The "Let's Kill" drove me nuts. A few times would have been enough to get the picture. But I guess a ghost can overdo anything. Or a figment of one's imagination if you will. Voices in a person's head or a ghost, whichever it was it was a bit much at times. Savvy seemed to live in Lucy's head a lot. In many ways I can understand that. They were best friends after all.

There were parts of this book that drove me to exasperation. How Lucy's ex didn't believe her. How her parents could think the worst of her. How everyone in this town thought she was a killer yet she never went to jail. I just didn't buy that part. From how she was described I think she would have been put away for life. But that made it interesting.

Then we have Ben the podcaster. He's going to solve this murder and see that whoever killed Savvy is found out. He was somewhat likable but he was also to easy. There were things he did that I don't believe he would have really done had he been doing exactly what he said he was doing. (You'll have to read it to know what I mean I think)

I almost liked Ben. I almost liked Lucy. I detested Alex, Lucy's ex-husband. I don't buy that he changed either. I did not like her parents either. No wonder she moved so far away and refused to visit. I loved her grandmother for the most part. Yes she was a nut, but in a good way. She wanted to get to the bottom of things and clear Lucy so she cooperated with Ben in many ways. The way she talked and things she did with her own daughter, Lucy's mother, had me rolling in laughter. She was definitely a hoot.

Overall this book was ok. It was not as good as I had hoped but still it was ok. It kept me wanting to read to find out who the killer was. I suspected the one they arrested but just couldn't stop thinking there was something missing. I guess I will have to except the ending as it was and say that Lucy was innocent... But I have a few doubts.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AmyTintera, #CeladonBooks, for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

3.5 stars. Read and decide for yourself. Seems I am in the minority about my rating but it is what it is. Enjoy!!

GUYS! This thriller is a MUST READ. OMG, this thriller took me by surprise and I am so obsessed with it.
First of all, the FMC, Lucy has the most hilarious inner monologue and made this book so enjoyable. I am so obsessed with this character, I want this book to be made into a movie just so I can see more from her! I seriously could hardly care if she was a murderer or not, because I just loved to see how her mind worked.

True crime podcast thrillers are completely hit or miss for me but this was such a hit. I think Ben Owens was the perfect character. He was tough and ruthless when he needed to be but also could add a lot of empathy to his character and somehow the author made us root for Lucy and Ben even though they were on opposite sides.

The twists and turns were insane but still so believable, I loved the side drama and side characters, and the ending was CHEFS KISS.

Overall, EVERYONE needs to read this book!! I can’t wait to see what y’all think and I can’t wait to read more from this author! 🎧

Listen for the Lie was so good!! It was everything I look for in a thriller. I couldn’t put it down! I loved how it went back and forth between Lucy’s POV and the podcast. This story kept me guessing the whole time. The ending was very satisfying and didn’t leave any loose ends. Everything was plausible and believable. The dialogue was well written, the characters were solid. 5 stars!

Quick and easy read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s well-written and I could’ve easily devoured this in one day if I didn’t have children. One chapter leaves you thinking you know who did it, and the next will lead you in a different direction entirely. I’m usually pretty good at predicting murder mysteries but this one left me guessing until about 75% in, when I pieced it all together.

Great story! Lucy’s best friend Savvy is found murdered and Lucy is found wandering with Savvy’s blood all over her. And no memory of what happened. 5 years later Lucy goes back to her home town for her grammas birthday. A true crime podcaster is in town to delve into the old murder of Savvy. Did Lucy kill her? Well this book takes you on a rollercoaster ride. It’s so good and keeps you guessing to the end!.

Five years ago, Lucy’s best friend Savvy was murdered, and Lucy is found wandering the streets dazed and covered in Savvy’s blood. Lucy swears she cannot remember what happened, and because Savvy was so beloved in the community and Lucy not so much, everyone assumes Lucy murdered Savvy, even if the police could never prove it.

When we meet Lucy, she is living in L.A. trying to make a fresh start for herself, but when she learns that Ben, the host of the popular true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” has decided to investigate Savvy’s murder again, Lucy knows she has to return to Texas and help him find the killer, even if the killer turns out to be her.

The premise for this book grabbed my attention right away! I was fascinated by Lucy’s determination to find out what really happened even if it meant incriminating herself. I also loved that even though we’re supposed to be on Lucy’s side, she wasn’t the most reliable narrator so I could never fully trust what she was saying. Her internal monologue was fantastic too. I loved her dark sense of humor!

Another element I really enjoyed were the podcast episodes. It was interesting to follow the investigation this way and I liked how the episodes were interspersed throughout the story. Those episodes, combined with the twisty plot, and the short, fast-paced chapters made this a very bingeable read. I flew through it in just a few hours.

I have to admit I was a little nervous going into Listen for the Lie because there is so much hype surrounding this book. I’m so glad I gave into the hype though because this book is such a fantastic read, definitely one of my favorite thrillers of the year so far.

I really enjoyed this one! This was one of the most interesting and well-written thrillers I have read in years. It doesn't feel basic or tired whatsoever, and it used the podcast aspect really well. I liked the small-town Texas setting and did not figure out how everything fit together. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers as this one is absolutely worth your time.

I really enjoyed this one! I listened to the audiobook, and I was fully immersed in this mixed media thriller. The suspense and tension was on another level, and I found myself on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen. I was all in! A whodunit mystery thriller, this story was an easy binge for me. I flew through the audio, fully invested in finding out what really happened to Lucy's best friend, Savvy.

Not only was the story gripping and thrilling, but it was funny! I love funny thrillers, and the author wrote Lucy to be witty and sarcastic. I loved the dark humor components of this book. Lucy was extremely well developed, as we got to know her in present day, as well as flashbacks to when she was a teenager. We also got to see her dysfunctional family dynamic play out as well. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.