Member Reviews

I loved the podcast element of this story and the flow between the main character and the podcast flowed seamlessly. I did feel a lot of the twists were predictable, but the book was full of humor and that made this one a must read. Even though I predicted a lot of what was happening, it was so fun to get there and would still highly recommend this book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

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I had mixed feelings about this book in the beginning (the main character Lucy seems a bit immature) but ended up enjoying it. I wasn't a big fan of the voice in Lucy's head (no spoilers!). The grandma was amazing and the best character ever. The ending was satisfying.

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No matter how many stars I give this book it will not to the book justice. This book was that good! From the very first pages the author sucks you in to the mystery of who killed Savannah? Was it her best friend Lucy who doesn't remember anything about that night or is it someone else in the town who has been hiding in plain sight. Love the story flipping between Lucy and Ben's podcast. So much mystery you will not be able to put this book down once you start! I highly recommend !! Loved the writing style of this author this book kept me flipping pages into the night! READ IT!!! You won't be disappointed!

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Lucy and Savvy were best friends in their small Texas town. One day, Lucy is found wandering, covered in blood - and the blood turns out to be Savvy's. Did Lucy kill her? She has no memory of what happened, but everyone in town seems to think she's guilty. Her marriage ends and she leaves for Los Angeles, determined to start over despite feeling jaded and also unsure of her role in her best friend's murder. When her grandmother calls and asks her to come home for her birthday, she begrudgingly agrees, but then realizes that the podcast host of a popular true crime series is also in town - and he's investigating Savvy's murder. Lucy decides to work with him, even though it might mean finding out she's guilty. Tintera's smart, propulsive, and twisty mystery offers readers a lot to like. A rich cast of characters, a strong sense of place, and truly witty dialogue and narration make this a standout amongst the genre. Tintera seamlessly blends podcast transcripts with Lucy's narration, which helps push the plot along at a good clip. Lucy's characterization is smart and funny and flawed, and it's impossible not to root for her, even as readers will wonder if she's really guilty or not. The second half ratchets up the tension and readers will race to find out what really happened. An absolute standout - this one should find fans and is a great option for book groups.

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The world's most humorous and snarky protagonist award goes to Lucy Chase!

Five years ago, Lucy Chase was found wandering along a highway, with a massive head injury and her best friend's blood all over her. At first everyone thought she was a victim, until she became the lead suspect. It was never proven, but everyone in Plumpton, TX knows that she did it. Even Lucy herself, isn't quite sure that she didn't kill her best friend, Savvy. She can't remember anything.

5 years later she's drawn back to her hometown for her grandmother's birthday. Her grandma is a lovable, quirky character that you definitely cheer for in this book. The ONLY person that could bring her back to Plumpton is grandma. But meanwhile, she's back in her hometown for the birthday party AND there's a podcaster in town who is digging up the past and has made her life the subject of his newest season, "Listen for the Lie." Lucy is a well-developed character with a snarky attitude that you can't help but love. She meets Ben, the dreaded podcaster, but he's not what she expected. Hijinks occur and romance blooms as the two team up to solve the case, WHO KILLED SAVVY? AND most importantly, was it LUCY?
The story is told in Lucy's point of view and the podcast interviews. It's really well done, funny and dark with a lot of whodunnit vibes. I loved every minute of reading this and it's getting a lot of buzz, well deserved. 4.5 stars and let's get another book from Amy Tintera soon!

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This book is fantastic! I love a resurrected crime story, about something that happened in the past and was never solved or cleared up. Incredibly well written and perfectly paced, I couldn't put this one down until I knew exactly what was happening. And the surprise ending was the perfect cherry on top of an already fantastic cake. GREAT for mystery lovers!

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This book was SO good! This is the story of Lucy. Her best friend was murdered five years ago and she was there but claims to have no memory of that night. No one has been charged with the crime. Now a podcast is being produced in the hopes of finding the truth. Lucy returns to her small town, where pretty much everyone thinks she's a murderer, for her grandmother's birthday and gets drawn into the podcast in the process.
Lucy was hilarious! She was very sarcastic and had a dry sense of humor that was fun to read. Her grandmother was also really funny and quirky. I enjoyed the tone of the story and the author's voice. I didn't want to put this book down!
My one very minor complaint was that the author used "bark" to describe a laugh numerous times, the overuse of the word became distracting.
Overall I absolutely loved this book and recommend it to anyone! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I read this book in ONE day! it was so well paced + had me hooked from the beginning! I think the twist/solving of the murder was perfect. Our MC was a bit unlikeable at times, but I think that was on purpose. Overall a great thriller/mystery that I will definitely be recommending to people!

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Okay Amy! You did the damn thing. This was soooo good! Super bingeworthy.. I never wanted to stop reading. Easily could’ve read in one sitting if I had the opportunity. I loved the chapter format and the podcast script at the end of some of the chapters.. so clever. Seriously this was a home run. Did not see the ending coming and was always second guessing myself. Everyone should read this and talk about it with a friend!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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Rating 5/5 stars

Lucy, our main character, was the prime suspect in her best friend's murder, but there wasn't any evidence that she did it. Even though she was found after that fateful night covered in Savvy's blood. In fact, Lucy has no clue if she even did it because she can't remember anything from that night. Like at all. Five years later, she's living in LA and hasn't been home since Savvy was killed. But a podcast has made Savvy's murder their subject for the season and Lucy has to go home to see if she can solve the murder. Even if she is the one who did it.

I had an absolute blast reading this! Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera kept my guessing the whole way through. One thing I really enjoyed was that there was some levity and humor sprinkled throughout. It wasn't JUST about the murder - impersonal and grisly. It had depth and the characters developed throughout the book. The transcripts of podcast episodes sprinkled throughout was such a unique addition and I really enjoyed it! It's so cool to see these unusual formats added to books.

I would happily read another book by Tintera! This is going to be my new go-to recommendation for those interested in thrillers/murder mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for providing an ARC! All thoughts and opinions are wholly my own

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Loved this book!!! The podcast format is becoming a favorite of mine! I love how this book kept me guessing until the final twist! Lots of red herrings will have you questioning who is telling the truth until the very end! Such a fun, twisty read!

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Lucy is living in LA with her BF when a true crime podcaster launches an entire season featuring an unsolved murder of her best friend from her small town in Texas. She is the suspected killer but no one has ever proven it and she has amnesia for the entire evening. Lucy’s grandmother is throwing herself a birthday party and has lured Lucy back to town. The podcaster, Ben, just happens to be in town also and is interviewing the people who know Lucy best, or seemingly know her.
This is a page turner, with mixed media between the podcast excerpts and Lucy’s inner dialogue. There are also dual timelines with flashbacks to when Savvy’s murder occurred as Lucy is trying to piece it together.
Highly recommend!
#ListenfortheLie #NetGalley #CeladonBooks

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Arriving back in her small town for her grandma's birthday wouldn't be so bad if Lucy wasn't the prime suspect in her best friend's murder and what is worse, the latest true crime podcast is breaking the case wide open. I loved this book, it gave me a Good Girls' Guide to Murder vibes. The misleading theories, the revealing, scandalous podcast episodes and all of the juicy, small town secrets made for an intriguing novel to solve Savvy's murder and reveal the truth Lucy is looking for.

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Listen for the Lie is a captivating and exhilarating thriller that will keep readers hooked from start to finish. Set in a world where lies are deadly and trust is a rare commodity, Tintera weaves a tale of intrigue, betrayal, and redemption. The protagonist, Lyla, is a compelling and complex character whose journey of self-discovery is both relatable and empowering. As she navigates a web of deceit and danger, readers will find themselves drawn deeper into a world where nothing is as it seems.

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Listen for the Lie follows Lucy five years after her best friend Savannah was murdered. Lucy's small Texas town all believed she did it but the police just couldn't prove it. After the famous podcast Listen for the Lie begins covering Savannah's case, her path crosses with the creator, Ben when she returns to her hometown for her grandmother's birthday. Together, they decide to try to solve her murder together, even if the evidence shows that Lucy did kill her. I loved this book! It was full of twists and turns, allowing for me to be completely surprised as I read through it. The characters felt real and I especially enjoyed learning about Savvy, especially at the fact that she was a deeply imperfect person. It is such a common thing that after someone dies, they are shown as being the best version of themselves. We learn about the worst of Lucy and Savannah, which shows that they were true friends, ones that accepted each other until the end. I especially loved the snippets from the podcast where we get to learn more information as Lucy does. I will definitely love to read more by Tintera!

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This was extremely entertaining and hard to put down! I enjoyed the podcast format and that we had a few answers sprinkled in every couple chapters. The main character was funny, witty, and sarcastic which made it a fun suspense. I did think that there were some loopholes, but I didn’t get hung on them too much.

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This was a page turner. Once I started reading it, I didn’t want to stop. I loved the mixed media format which included podcast transcripts as a way of telling the story, along with more typical prose. This one kept me guessing almost to the last page. I recommend it to anyone who loves a thriller or who’s interested in fictional true crime stories.

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Everyone thinks Lucy murdered her best friend, Savvy, but Lucy doesn’t remember. It’s now five years later and Ben Owens decides to do a podcast to investigate the murder. Will the truth finally come out about what really happened to Savvy?

This was a fun, fast paced thriller. I loved Lucy’s character; she’s an unreliable narrator but she’s also sassy and at times funny. The story is filled with suspense of flashbacks from the past, current timeline and excepts from interviews from the podcast. There was also some romance. I can honestly say I didn’t see the ending coming, so I loved the surprise. I definitely recommend this one!

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Oh my gosh this book was so captivating and thrilling, I finished it in one sitting! This was brilliant! I loved the podcast vibes too. This was heartbreaking but brilliant, and I couldn’t get enough!

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Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is a murder mystery/thriller. This book has so many aspects going for it. There is a 5 year old crime, lots of suspense and the beginning of a romance all to grab the readers attention. There’s also a podcaster named Ben Owens that is dead set on solving the crime! The story takes place in the small town of Plumpton, where Lucy Chase is suspected of killing her best friend Savannah. I liked Lucy right from the start. In the beginning I thought her personality, both vocally and through her thoughts, was really humorous. I actually laughed out loud at some of the things that she was thinking. Deeper into the story it got more suspenseful but I was never able to foresee how the crime actually took place and who was involved until it was all revealed at the end. It was a really interesting story and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes reading mysteries and thrillers. I’d like to thank Celadon Books and NetGalley for the arc. I’m giving it a 4 star rating and would be very interested in reading more books by this author.

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