I haven't seen a single bad review about this one yet. In fact, they have all been 5 stars. I knew early on that this was going to be a 5 star read for me as well. I was drawn in originally to the true crime podcast aspect of this book. But the writing made me fly through this one. I have never been so invested in a thriller so immediately. Normally it takes some time from the beginning before the story picks up. I didn't want to put this one down, it almost felt like some of the contemporary romances I usually read. It helped that the chapters were short and there is also a little romance thrown in. I would absolutely love if this could somehow become a series, I was entertained throughout the whole book. The MC was so likeable, even though she has been accused of murder. And I loved how funny the characters were and the banter between them. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

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

I’m a little late to picking this up, but I’m glad I didn’t put it off too long because I had a really fun time with this! It was compulsively readable and super engaging from start to finish. I loved that the chapters were really short and that it jumped between Lucy’s POV and snippets from the true crime podcast. The red herrings were planted fairly well, and I liked that my suspicions were constantly changing right up until the end. I really like when a twists blindsides you as you’re reading but then feels so obvious once you have all the information. I can’t wait to read more adult books from this author!

This is definitely one of my favorite books I’ve read so far for 2024.

As a true crime podcast lover, the storyline really intrigued me! You have Lucy who was accused of murdering her best friend 5 years ago. She returns to her hometown where the murder takes place for her grandmothers birthday. This book is from the perspective of Lucy (who has no memory of the night) and of the podcast.

I was intrigued throughout the whole book and couldn’t put it down!

Ooooh this one was fun! A twisty page turner with a big dose of dark humor.

Five years ago, Lucy was accused of murdering her best friend Savvy. Since there was no evidence she was never tried, but the whole down thinks she did it. And Lucy partially thinks she might have done it- but she can’t remember that night. Lucy travels back to her hometown and skeptically agrees to help out a well renowned podcaster, who is reporting on the case.

I absolutely adored Lucy. Her tough demeanor, snarky quips, and cynical inner monologue made it unputdownable (if that’s even a real word)!

Well written. I enjoyed the characters and plot twist. I felt it lagged a bit right in the middle but I was still guessing until the end.

There was a lot of hype surrounding this release but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high as the podcast within a book has become a little overdone, but this surpassed all expectations! This book was done really well from the characters to the podcast element. I enjoyed Lucy and Beverly so much and even what I learned about Savvy from Lucy’s flashbacks. I thought the podcast revealed the perfect amount of info. I also thought the dual timeline was done well in this book. Overall really enjoyed this read and would recommend!

By Amy Tintera

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the e-arc! This book is out 3/5/24!

This book was the perfect book to keep me interested on a long 12 hour flight to Hawaii!

This thriller had a couple of elements that I've been avoiding lately- just feel like they're overdone- but they were pulled together in a way that didn't feel repetitive at all!

Podcasts... I wish I didn't roll my eyes when I came across it in a book. However this one proved to be a little different- and I didn't mind it woven throughout the plot.

Unreliable Narrators... the main character has amnesia and she doesn't remember the night that Savvy was murdered. Typically I'd think she was hiding something- but I really bought into her memory loss- even questioning herself as the murderer.

Small town... I know it's pretty general- but going back to the scene of a crime / a small hometown where something bad happened. I just need a break for a bit. However the author mostly focused on who the people are now, and less about who they were when the crime went down.

Regardless of these - I loved this book! They all worked together to be a suspenseful and engaging story. It kept me guessing the whole time- trying to figure out the ending!

I loved Lucy's grandma! She was the queen 👑 of this story. Love how much she cares for Lucy- taking her side from the beginning.

It's well loved throughout Bookstagram for good reason!!

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.