What a great way to uncover the mystery than through a podcast regarding murders! This book quickly grabs your attention and keeps you wondering if Lucy really is a killer. Your attention gets even further hooked with a huge surprise and before you know it, it’s 2am and you have to get up for work in a few hours. I loved all the twists and turns this book had (and her grandma was a hoot)!
4.5⭐️

What a great debut! Definitely an author to follow. While the subject could be dark and gritty, I actually laughed out loud so much. Filled with fantastic characters that kept me up way past my bedtime. This was tense and exciting.
Thank you NetGalley and Amy Tintera for the opportunity to read this book.

This was one heck of a ride! I didn't know what to think or believe. It really kept my interest. The characters were well written. I'd like to see this made into a series where Ben solves more crimes through his podcast. He was great. The ending was good. I didnt expect it.

Thank you to #celadon , the author, and #netgalley for my copy

A propulsive page-turner that is PERFECT for a beach or a rainy day. The chapters are short - the dialogue is fun - and it’ll keep you guessing throughout. So fun! This is a true escape book that had snark and a couple of points of view, including a podcast transcript. Neat twist! Grateful it was sent to me! Pick this one up. Thanks to Celadon Books for the advanced copy!

This was a quick read that I really enjoyed, due in large part to the characters. Lucy, the suspect, is a straight talker and wonderfully sarcastic. She’s lured back to her hometown by her feisty grandmother, who has pretty much disabled her verbal mute button. The scenes shared by these two characters were a delight - both funny and heartwarming. With the entire town, including her parents, seemingly convinced of Lucy’s guilt, her grandmother’s unflagging belief in her innocence is a respite for both Lucy and the reader.

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡.”

Described as a “southern-fried satire and suspense” by my friend Jordy (@Jordys.Book.Club), I was immediately intrigued and had to check out Amy Tintera’s adult debut.

I adored Tintera’s writing throughout this whole story - it’s witty, biting, and enthralling. Lucy, as narrator and protagonist, is sharp (her sarcastic quips made me chuckle quite a bit, especially as she plays with the idea of people not liking her because she’s an accused murderer). I was reminded a lot of the voice of Amy from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl - both characters are dark and twisted, while also being hilarious. I adored that Ben isn’t a ‘strait laced’ journalist/podcaster, but engages in some questionable behaviour, making him an interesting mirror to Lucy. In fact, all of the characters are messy and flawed, which I loved; as Lucy’s Grandmother says “it’s better to be interesting than likeable.” The podcast trope has been done a lot, but Tintera incorporated the transcripts in a way that was essential to the story and gave a lot of information to the reader, as Ben uncovers it. I hear those sections are even better on audio, as it sounds like a true podcast with sound effects and all (in fact, I think all of this book would be SO good on audio). The ending was a little far fetched for me in ways, but it is still so satisfying.

Listen For The Lie is a story of truth, memory (and created one), denial, choices and manipulation. If you like Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, this small-town mystery is definitely for you. Thank you to Celadon and NetGalley for the ARC!

“𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐲’𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠?”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this fun and different murder thriller!
The book centers on Lucy whose best friend was murdered 5 years prior. The murder has been unsolved however, most considered Lucy to be the prime suspect since she was found not long after bloody, injured, and suspiciously has no memory of what happened.
The murder is now the center of a true-crime podcast. Lucy moved away not long after and hasn't been home since. She returns home for a family event and discovers that the podcast host is also in town investigating and slowly things start to unravel.
Lucy is a very complicated character. She is both unlikable but also you admire how she doesn't shy away from conflict with her blunt attitude. She constantly makes conflicting decisions. It's not often you see the lead protagonist in an antagonistic way. Because of her missing memories you're not sure if she is a reliable narrator, which made the book more interesting and different than normal thrillers. Usually you root for the person but with this book you were rooting for the truth of the murder.
Pretty much every character was complex and conflicting. Lucy's grandmother was the most likeable and entertaining. The podcast host Ben himself even has obviously flaws. It gave the book layers of dimension.
It was a fun and fast-paced read! I highly recommend and can't wait to read more from this author.

I read and listened to Listen for the Lie with the downloads provided by #NetGalley and the publisher.

The story of Listen for the Lie was one of the best thrillers/suspense books I've read in a long time. Lucy's self-deprecating wit and sarcasm provides levity to a story that would have otherwise been a dark thriller. Lucy is working to regain her memories of what happened years ago when her best friend was murdered and she was left covered in blood - and the only suspect.

I had been having trouble concentrating long enough to get into a book but the format of this book made it easy to get into and the chapters being short and separated with podcast interviews keep up a fast pace for the reader.

If you like a mystery with dark humor, quick wit, retelling though the podcast's investigation, and lots of sexy secrets... this is definitely for you! Highly recommend!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Listen for the Lie
by: Amy Tintera

Thank y0u to NetGalley, Macmillan and Celadon Books for the early listen/read. I was fortunate enough to be approved for both the audio and the ebook. Loved this story and the audio version just made it 110% better! The narrators were amazing (I mean it's January LaVoy can't go wrong with her narrating and Will Damron did an amazing job as well). Loved the character development and the mystery surrounding the MC. Really enjoyed reading the back history. I was hooked and pulled (or is it reeled) in from the first page.
The audiobook was done like a podcast which was amazing! So many amazings.
I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this. It is the first I have read from this author. There were many times when the I did not like the main characters but then I was pulling for them. I did not guess the ending and was on my toes the whole time. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

<b><i>Listen for the Lie</i> offers a fascinating story structure, dark humor, and deeply flawed characters as main protagonist Lucy works to resolve her memory loss surrounding the events leading to her best friend's death.</b>

Twentysomething Lucy is found wandering the streets of her small Texas town, covered in her best friend Savvy's blood.

But Lucy suffered a head wound the night of Savvy's death and now she can't remember anything about the night Savvy was murdered.

Everyone assumes she killed Savvy, and Lucy can't escape the suspicions and resentment surrounding the mysterious conditions of Savvy's death.

Lucy moves to Los Angeles to start a new life, but when the host of the ultra-popular true-crime podcast "Listen for the Lie" tracks her down, Lucy must do the one thing she swore she'd never do: return to her hometown and the scene of Savvy's murder to try to solve the mystery once and for all.

I loved Lucy's dry, dark humor, her blunt delivery, her shrugging about her own admittedly poor decision-making, and her sharp discernment. The story's dialogue is cutting and funny.

Each of the characters is either openly flawed or has their imperfect choices revealed during the story. I loved the matter-of-fact acceptance of some of these revelations (those that didn't emotionally or physically harm others).

Lucy's inability to remember key events pairs with her devil-may-care attitude so that she is frequently going around mentioning the fact that she may in fact have killed Savvy, which alarms those around her. Savvy's murderous voice repeatedly creeps into Lucy's head, and the reader eventually determines whether these are memories and Savvy was being earnest in her desire to do away with certain characters, whether they're memories and Savvy was joking, or whether Lucy is having her own thoughts about impulsive murder--or cracking under years of pressure.

The book is sex-positive and nontraditional in its portrayal of relationships, betrayal, acceptance, and forgiveness--but the book also involves disturbing cycles of abuse and infuriating male entitlement as key elements.

I was hooked on the structure of the story and the way the truth is gradually revealed; the information is illuminating as it creeps out but Tintera's tone is never teasing. The author doesn't throw in red herrings, and she doesn't manipulate the facts in order to spring a surprise on the reader.

The podcast element was engaging--I loved how it allowed for layers of interpretation, revelation, and intrigue.

I read an advance digital edition of Listen for the Lie courtesy of NetGalley and Celadon Books.

This book got me at the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I love the sarcasm in Lucy, the main character, and the research behind her amnesia and involvement in her best friend's death, Savvy. The podcast trying to figure out what happened the night of Savvy's death was clever and conflicting at times. The ending was unexpected! I would recommend this book to anybody looking for a great thriller.

Just when I thought the unreliable narrator trope was getting more and more repetitive in comes Amy Tintera with her wickedly funny debut, Listen For The Lie. Why was Lucy seen walking around covered in her best friend Savannah's blood? Did she really forget her final moments with Savvy? Ben hosts his own true crime podcast that examines if Lucy got away with murder called, "Listen For The Lie." How close will Ben to finding the truth? What happens when he has an unexpected encounter with his subject? Ben's interviews with Lucy's family and friends will bring him closer to the truth, but it's Lucy whose murderous thoughts and reopening fresh wounds that will either help her remember what happend that day or that she's a murderer preparing to take out her next victim. Tintera has written a thriller that is both audacious and chilling. "Listen" is a rare debut that is so good that it's hard to believe that Amy Tintura isn't already an established name in the thriller genre.

Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera is a fantastic thriller about a woman who has no memory of a crime everyone thinks she committed: the brutal murder of her best friend. A podcaster chooses her case as the subject of his second season and together they attempt to solve the mystery once and for all. The story is plot driven and a fast read. The narrator is snarky and sarcastic and the product of her very snarky grandma. I loved the pace and the sarcasm and look forward to future books by this author.

I really liked this.
I'm really starting to like thrillers that include podcasts. I like how they tell part of the story because it makes it more interesting. It's not just endless paragraphs giving the background information.
I really liked Lucy, the main character. Everyone accused her of murdering her best friend and she played into it, even though she had no memory of the night it happened. She was sarcastic and Witty. One thing I didn't like was that she let men treat her poorly. When men tried to kiss her, she just waited until they were done instead of telling them to stop. It did partially work to her benefit, but it also felt icky to me. No woman should have to do with that.
I also liked her grandmother. She always believed in her granddaughter and she was living her best life!
Ben was an interesting character as well. It would have been interesting to hear his POV as well.
This story didn't have alot of twists and turns. It was more just trying to figure out who did it with all of the information given and it could have been anyone.
I would definitely reccomend this!

I found this to be a solid thriller and I really enjoyed the audio version switching between Lucy’s inner thoughts and Ben’s podcast. I did get a little annoyed by the extra voice in Lucy’s head but I’m glad there ended up being an explanation for it that wasn’t mental illness related.

Every single person in this town got around or assumed everyone was getting around or spread rumors about how everyone was getting around and it really took me back to my small town roots!

However, I am pretty sure that if you listen for the lie you’ll find it very early on when Ben mentions on his podcast that the Austin airport does not have a Starbucks or a McDonald’s and only serves local Austin fare. As an Austinite who has made the (poor) choice to purchase a Starbucks coffee after surviving a bustling security checkpoint I’m afraid that just isn’t true quite yet. But we’re getting there!

Nonetheless this was a fun read and I definitely recommend grabbing the audio so you get the true crime podcast feeling.

Laugh-out-loud funny doesn’t typically go hand in hand with a dark ass murder mystery, but it sure as hell works here 🎧

While I have a few reservations with the whodunnit (DM me if you want to discuss), overall this was super entertaining and funny, and a definite page-turner. 📖

👉 Main things to know:
• About a true crime podcast 🎙️
• The MC may have murdered her best friend…if only she could remember that night 👀
• Small town vibes (lots of secrets) 🤫
• Plenty of dark humor 💀

P.S. This cracked me up, if you need another reason to read: “There is no better way to command attention than to tell the worst fucking story in the world.”

What an amazing read. Hard to put this book down and truly enjoyed the authors writing. I couldn’t wait to find out what truly happened to Savvy. I enjoyed Lucy as a character, Savvy and grandma. I definitely want to check out more of the authors books in the future. This was a 5 star read for me.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. I was kept in suspense the entire time, and wasn't sure who really killed Savvy. I loved Lucy's quick wit and sarcasm, and her complicated relationship with Ben, the podcaster highlighting her story. The small town setting and soap opera-like drama kept the pages flowing.

I ended up purchasing this book from BOTM because it was getting a ton of hype and I had not read it on here yet. I kind of wish I had picked something else because overall this book is so average, I feel like I did not read the same book as everyone else. The writing was easy to get into, but the ending absolutely ruined any shreds of liking I had left for this book. I appreciate getting a copy here, but I think I could have just never read this book and been satisfied.