I'll admit, this book isn't my usual genre, but I flew through it! The main character, Lucy, is a bit unreliable (and at times, unlikable, but always funny), but that made the story all the more interesting. I loved following along through the podcast episodes and found myself guessing and guessing again. Looking forward to reading more from Amy Tintera!

Lucy is unable to remember what happened the night her best friend, Savannah, whom everyone calls Savvy, got murdered. Everyone in her hometown town of Plumpton, Texas, believes Lucy is guilty since they left the wedding together, and soon after, she is the one found wandering the road covered in Savvy's blood after the gruesome murder. But why would Lucy murder her? She married the dreamiest guy in town and had everything she ever wanted. Or did she? Savvy was also the social butterfly around town, always kind and welcoming with a smile to everyone. They were known for being best friends around town. After the murder, Lucy leaves Texas to live in Los Angeles and start a new life. But when a podcaster, Ben Owens, investigates Savvy's murder for the second season of his famous podcast, Lucy returns to her hometown after speaking with her grandmother, who guilts her into attending her eightieth birthday and informs Lucy of her mother's broken leg. While in town, Lucy ends up investigating the murder. So, will she recall what happened that night? And uncover herself as the murderer? Or will she uncover something more dangerous and shocking?
I did not expect to love this book as much as I did! I usually take a hard pass when I see a podcast mentioned in books. However, this book was getting a lot of hype, and I had FOMO Feelings. I finally took the plunge and picked it up, and I am glad I did!
Listen For The Lie is my first time reading a book by Amy Tintera, and I was surprised in the best way. And I am looking forward to seeing what she writes next.
It's a twisty whodunit with grit and humour; I don't think I've laughed so much reading a thriller, and it was for all the right reasons. This book had from the beginning.
The character development in this book is top-notch, with each primary and secondary character having a distinct personality and fully developed, making every interaction so much fun to read. The dialogue was so witty and fresh. Lucy had this dark, sarcastic humour about her that made me laugh out loud and instantly connect with her and her grandma, but I can't say there wasn't a character I didn't think was entertaining. Listen For The Lie is not your traditional thriller; as much as I wanted to know what happened to Savannah, lovingly known as Savvy, I was not rushing to find out because I loved reading about everything happening in Plumpton, Texas—the snarky and shady back and forth between the characters were clever. It kept me on my toes and kept me guessing.

The other great thing about this book is that the author hits the mark with the right tones at the correct moment. (IMO) There are some hilarious parts, but the author doesn't forget that the police must also investigate someone who committed a gruesome crime. And those parts are riveting and intense in equal measure. There are enough twists in the story that it's not easy to figure out who is ultimately guilty of killing Savvy, so the author also does the thriller portion of this book justice. I paired my ADC copy with the ALC for
I was lucky enough to get this book in both digital and audio formats, and while both are fabulous, the audio was brilliant. I liked that there was a podcast format within the book. I liked that we had an unreliable narrator and that she didn't even know what happened again until the end, making the audiobook great to listen to.
It sounds like a podcast with the theme music played at the beginning and end and the different characters' POVs throughout the podcast.
I felt like I was listening to an actual podcast. January Lavoy and Will Damron did a fabulous job narrating. They both brought life to the primary and secondary characters and made me feel like I was with them. It was a realistic and fully immersive experience. I highly recommend
<b><br />Fun Fact: January Lavoy and Will Damron are a married couple since 2022-present
<b><br />I want to thank Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ADC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an extremely interesting mystery thriller. I loved the podcast element and I definitely want to listen to the audiobook version soon. I think this will be an entertaining audiobook.
The mystery was compelling and I had a fun time trying to figure everything out. I liked the main character, but I loved the MC’s grandmother (she was hilarious!). There were some things that I predicted but other moments that I did not see coming.
I definitely recommend this book, especially to mystery/thriller lovers. I look forward to reading more from this author.

At first I was starting to think this book was not for me until about 13% where I got invested! Then I couldn’t put it down until I found out whodunnit. This book got me pointing to everyone! This is very fast paced and addictive.

4,5 stars rounded up to 5
Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for this ARC.

Lucy’s life is disrupted when a podcaster decides to take on an unsolved murder where she is the only suspect. The problem is that Lucy doesn’t remember anything about the night in question and does not know if she killed her best friend.

I could not put this book down and finished it in less than a day.

In Listen for the Lie, a podcast host, Ben, is helping Lucy remember whether she murdered her best friend, Savvy, years ago. The book features a long list of twists and turns featuring a large cast of complex and untrustworthy characters. The details of that night unfold as Ben interviews members of the community and Lucy regains her memories. The story kept me engaged (I finished the book in one sitting) and I wasn’t able to predict the ending. I sometimes find mystery/thrillers to be underwhelming, but I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to others.

4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had so much fun with this book! It was one of those that I couldn't stop thinking about when I wasn't reading it. I loved the main character and all of the relationships. I could see this being a movie (which I would also devour).

I love fun thrillers!

Imagine being found, covered in your best friend’s blood, with no memory of what happened.

Everyone thought Lucy was a murderer. She has since moved away and started her life over, but the hit podcast “Listen for the Lie” decide to cover this story in the hopes of finding out what truly happened that night, many years ago.

I absolutely loved this book! I liked how the information was slowly revealed through the podcast. I continually guessed the plot twist wrong lol but that’s a positive for me! I can’t believe this is the author’s first novel for adults. It’s definitely well thought out and I feel like no details were left out of this story.

Ps: Grandma Beverly was my absolute favourite character 😂 I’d love to have her as my grandma!!

Pick up this thriller if you like podcasts, dark sarcasm, a plot that keeps you guessing and a side of romance.

Trigger warning: there was a whole lot of cheating involved, so just keep this in mind, when picking up this book.

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

I really enjoyed the format of this book with what was happening and the podcast episodes. The characters were great and loved the grandma.

This book was such a quick read for me! The FMC was so relatable, especially her dry and witty sarcasm. I don’t usually gravitate towards “podcast books” but this one was different. I loved the integration of podcast episodes into Lucy’s story, and think the author did a stellar job with the ending. I was invested from beginning to end.

This book kept me on my toes! I’m not usually that big into books involving a podcast because it feels like it’s starting to be overdone, but I really enjoyed the way this one was done as it felt really true to the title of the book! I loved the sarcastic banter between Lucy and Ben and audibly laughed at some of their conversations. The end was a bit predictable but I still enjoyed that it was the completely obvious ending!

Thank you to NetGalley & Celadon Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book officially publishes on 03/05/24!

A deliciously, dark delight!

Listen for the Lie is the second true crime podcast book I've read lately, and I'm loving that whole vibe!

Book Description:
Thanks to a little grandmotherly manipulation, Lucy returns to her hometown for her grandmother's birthday. She's expressly been avoiding it since leaving five years ago. You see, Lucy Chase is the most hated person in Plumpton. Ever since she "got away" with murdering her best friend, Savvy, no one wants her around. Found wandering down the road, covered in her best friend's blood, Lucy has no memory of what happened. All she knows is that her best friend is dead, and everyone thinks she did it.

Ever since moving across the country to LA, Lucy has somewhat been able to hide away from it all, until Ben decided to make her the subject of his latest true crime podcast.

With Lucy's POV interspersed with the podcast interviews, Amy Tintera takes us on a quest to find out what really happened on that dark, rainy night in the middle of the woods. Was Savvy brutally murdered by her closest friend? Or were they both attacked by someone else?

My thoughts:
I loved every second of this book! Lucy and her razor sharp wit charmed me from the beginning and kept me chuckling throughout. And y'all the people in Plumpton, TX... man, they are something else! I love how artfully Tintera revealed Lucy's story, enticing the reader with twist after twist. Lots of "OMGs" and "Whaaat?!?" were being yelled at the end. If you're looking for a thriller with some snark, some juicy secrets, and a true crime twist, add Listen for the Lie to your tbr now!

Read this if you like:
• Thrillers
• True crime podcasts
• Dark humor
• An ending you will NOT see coming!

This is my first book by Amy Tintera and it will definitely not be my last. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down!

Listen for the lie is a mystery thriller that will keep you hooked till the end. I loved the dark humor, the handsome podcaster, the super cool grandmother and the sarcastic & snarky protagonist. I laughed out loud several times!

It’s the perfect whodunnit murder mystery and my absolute favorite one so far!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6292110844

What an adult debut! Amy Tintera just became an automatic buy author for me.This was a perfect thriller that was written so well. I was hooked from the first chapter of the book. Amy masterfully unfolded the plot and kept me hooked through each chapter dying to get to the end of the book.
Plot: Lucy’s best friend Savvy was murdered 5 years ago. Lucy was there and is the main witness…however, Lucy cannot remember any details from that night which placed lots of small town suspicion and judgment on her. Lucy moved away to start fresh after the murder and a divorce but is returning for her grandma’s birthday party. Enter Ben who is a podcaster that has had success solving cold cases. He is recording his second season and the focus is on Savvy’s murder and getting to the bottom of what happened. Relationships are explored, formed, and broken and the truth will be revealed.
Not only was the plot great, but the characters were equally likable. Lucy was smart, sassy, and funny. Her wit and humor really helped set the tone for this book. Her grandma may have just been my favorite character though. Who doesn’t have a soft spot in their heart for a day drinking grandma that tells it like it is and loves lots of male companionship. Grandma has lived and knows what makes her happy and does not care what anyone else thinks. This was the perfect small town murder thriller. I highly recommend reading this 5 star book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for providing me with this Advanced Reader Copy.

It’s warm here in Ohio today and this might be why I’m thinking summer blockbuster reads. This one might be kicking off that season and one that everyone talks about all year. I know it’s on the list of favorites of the year.

While I have never listened to a podcast, I love reading about them. And for the audio version, I loved the little bit of music that played that alerted the listener that the next part was the podcast. This really helped me not miss that switch. I recently was joking that I almost never heard the chapter number when listening even though the narrator always reads it. Ben Owens, the podcast host, is very personable and likable. And I never trust the characters in a thriller, but I really wanted to believe he was genuine. Sorry you’ll have to read for yourself to see if he

I sympathized with Lucy and the weight and stigma of not knowing if she killed her best friend and thought it was gutsy that she would search for the answer. And OMG I loved the voice in her head telling her it wanted to kill. This made me doubt Lucy’s innocence, but brought such comic relief to the tense story. I usually get sick of something done over and over, but that voice never grew old. And January Levoy used the perfect voice to bring those moments to life.

I think both listening and eyeball reading works for this one, but this time I might give the edge to the audiobook. January and Will Damron really hit their narration out of the park.

This will seriously be the book everyone is talking about, so grab this soon so you can be in on the discussion.

Listen for the Lie was honestly so fun. Which is something I didn’t expect to say concerning a book about a woman being accused of murdering her best friend 🙃

This book was full of humor while also staying serious. Lucy was so sarcastic and witty and her inner dialogue had me laughing out loud.

There was such an array of characters and I feel like I suspected everyone at one point or another (yes, even 👵🏼), yet I somehow did not see the end coming.

Listen for the Lie was just really enjoyable. It had my attention the whole time and I didn’t want it to end even if I felt like rushing to find out what happened. Definitely going to be a favorite of the year.

Reviewing Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera will be a challenge to do without spoilers sneaking in…but I try to NEVER spoil the surprise in any book, so here goes. The female protagonist is a young woman named Lucy, who is living in LA after growing up in a small town in Texas. She was BFFs with Savannah (“Savvy”) as they grew up together, until Savvy was murdered. Lucy is returning to the small town she left behind (a place she swore she’d never set foot in again), to celebrate her beloved grandmother’s 80th birthday.

Before Lucy left town, she had married a seemingly perfect guy, complete with a big ring and a big house, and she and Savvy were social stars, and still best friends, right up until Savvy was murdered and Lucy was found covered in Savvy’s blood, unable to remember what happened. Lucy was never charged with the crime, but it seems like EVERYONE just knows she did it – including the gazillions of listeners to a popular podcast, whose host is investigating the murder and comes to town at the same time as Lucy (thanks, grandma!)

I loved this book. It was great fun, fast paced, full of surprises, and well written. Lucy has some family issues, and sees her parents as they are: “Dad’s so good at that Texas thing where you act polite to people’s face and then talk s%$t behind their back.” The story of what happened to Savvy and what Lucy had to do with it unspools gradually, and there is some relatively surprising stuff revealed about Lucy’s failed marriage, complete with outstanding commentary on relationships: “People don’t believe women who fight back. When a man lashes out, people say he’s lost control of his temper or mad a terrible mistake. When a woman does it, she’s a psychopath.”

Highly recommended. I loved the way the podcast was integrated into the mystery, and it all made sense. (I’ve read a couple of mystery/thrillers with podcasting as part of the plot, and it can be clunky if it isn’t well done. This book nails it!) If you want one of those I-can’t-stop-reading-this-please-don’t-even-talk-to-me books that will provide an excellent escape from whatever (in my case, news), GET THIS BOOK. Ms. Tintera has also written for the YA audience, and I hope to read more from her.

Ok, this was one of the most binge worthy books I’ve read in a long time. Filled with common tropes I was looking for something to just rest my brain with but I actually found myself trying to solve the crime along with Lucy and Ben. Will likely go down as one of my favorite thrillers of all time. Can’t wait for more from Tintera!

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book officially publishes on 3/5/24!

I absolutely loved the true crime podcast element of this novel! A true crime podcast listener myself, I enjoyed how the author wrote each “episode” into the chapters based on what information was discussed amongst the characters. I read this one quickly and it maintained my attention throughout. I did not see the twist at the end coming and was happy at the resolution of the story. The only thing stopping this from being a 5 star read was some of the MCs inner thoughts; at times, I found it to be exaggerated a little for readers. However, this did not take away from the plot at all and I definitely recommend giving this fun novel a read!

This book grabbed me from the very first sentence and I couldn’t put it down! First mystery I’ve read in a while where I didn’t have a clue to the culprit. A great beach or travel read. Highly recommend!