📚: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
⭐️: 5/5

Lucy’s best friend, Savvy, was found murdered five years ago. A few hours after Savvy’s body was found, so was Lucy, wandering down the street, covered in blood, with no recollection of the hours before.

After five years, and still no memory of what happened, Lucy finds herself (and the unsolved case) back in the spotlight when it becomes the topic of Listen for the Lie, a true crime podcast. Forced to return home to Texas, Lucy uncovers the messy truth - and all of the lies surrounding it.

I absolutely devoured this book in a single day. I personally love the podcast trope as of late, and this is one of the best executed versions of it. The characters here are complex (did I find yourself rooting for Lucy? Not really.), the plot unfolds at a perfect pace, and the reveal scene left me breathless.

Big thanks to @celadonbooks via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for a honest review. Listen for the Lie is out this Tuesday, 3/5!

This is a mystery with a clear point of view and a lot to say. The writing is clear, fun, quirky, and filled with a delicious female rage.

This book follows a young woman living in Los Angeles who flies home to her tiny Texas town for her grandma’s 80th birthday. There’s only one problem: everyone in the town is convinced that she killed her best friend 5 years ago — even though there was never any evidence, and she was never tried.

Another complication: Lucy’s story is being dragged back into the limelight because a true crime podcast has made it this season’s focus. And the podcaster, Ben, has also come to Texas seeking answers.

I did figure out the murderer early on, but that was kind of beside the point: this book is a societal commentary more than a thriller, and it does a particularly good job of exploring who gets believed and why. In particular, why are people — including women — more inclined to believe a man than a woman? Why does it take so little for a woman to be labeled as “crazy” or “not right”?

History is written by the winners, after all.

There were two things I didn’t like: first, the weird voice in Lucy’s head, and second, the amnesia trope. These both served to undermine the author’s larger point that even if women tell the truth, they’re not believed. I would have much rather that Lucy remembered the events the entire time and just wasn’t believed or was convinced her own memory was wrong.

4.5 ⭐️!

For the past 5 years, Lucy has been the one suspected of murdering her best friend, Savvy. After all, she was the one they found covered in her blood with no memory of what happened. A true-crime podcaster, Ben, reaches out to Lucy and wants to figure out what happened to Savvy. Who killed her? Did Lucy actually kill her best friend? Will she get her memories back from that night? Or who else was involved?

This book was soooo good. Very binge-worthy, quick chapters. I loved the female character Lucy and her sarcastic attitude. This book had me invested from the very beginning!

Plot -
Five years ago, Lucy was never charged with the murder of her best friend, Savvy, but everyone knows she did it. The problem is, Lucy has no memory of that night. She returns to her hometown and reluctantly agrees to participate in a true crime podcast about the case. Slowly, Lucy's memory returns, and the truth is worse than she imagined.

Thoughts -
I enjoyed this book a lot. There seems to have been a trend lately to have true crime podcast themes in thriller books, and I love the combination of the two.
I really liked Lucy's character. She was salty and sarcastic, and resigned to getting by in life with everyone assuming she's a murderer. Her attitude had me laughing at times.

The book flips between the present, and the time five years ago, just prior to Savvy's death. It is done in such a way, that you get to see a bit of the girls' relationship and the dynamic of their friendship, but as we get to the night of the murder, the flashback chapters begin to abruptly stop because of the state of Lucy's memory.

For some reason I didn't care for the podcaster that was investigating the case. I don't know whether we were supposed to like him or not. I just had weird vibes the whole time with nothing to back that up.

I will say that I saw the ending coming, but I am not entirely sure why. It definitely wasn't super obvious, but just a feeling that I got.

The only thing that kept me from giving this five stars is that there were some secrets about Savvy that were revealed but never fully explored or explained. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the whole relationship Lucy feels with Savvy in the present day is also not really explained. I wanted a little more on that.

Overall, it was a great read that kept me hooked the entire time. I finished it pretty quickly in two sittings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. This is the first book that I have read by Amy Tintera, and it won’t be the last. The main character of the story is Lucy. Five years ago Lucy was accused of murdering her best friend, but was never convicted. The problem is Lucy cannot remember that night. The story follows Lucy as she travels back home for the first time since she left five years ago. This book greatly entertaining throughout the storyline. It has short chapters and I did not want to put it down. Listen for the Lie will be very popular.

Lucy was suspected of murdering her best friend, and when a true crime podcaster starts digging into the case, she returns to her hometown to try and remember what really happened that night five years earlier.

I’m going to have to admit I think this is slightly overhyped. I liked the podcast format, Lucy’s dark sense of humor, and her meddling grandma. But the people living in this town are SO MESSY! There are too many characters to keep straight (just when I thought I knew them all, another random person was interviewed on the podcast), and Lucy was a bit obnoxious early on.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so if I were rating on overall enjoyability while reading, it’d get 4⭐️, but as I sat with it and started to overthink/pick it apart, it’s probably more of a 3⭐️.

It has rave reviews so do not let me deter you — true crime podcast fans will likely enjoy — just want to balance all the hype you may see for it.

4.5 stars.

I really loved how this story was written! I liked how not only was it happening in real time, but the podcast episodes were also being released in real time as well. It was interesting to see the story told from so many different perspectives. Such an interesting and intriguing story!! I was hooked from the very beginning.

This exceeded expectations! Likable, imperfect main character. Witty. Dark humor. Exploration of themes. I wasn’t necessarily surprised at the ultimate culprit, but it was an interesting and entertaining journey. Would absolutely read more from this author. Thank you for the copy!

I don’t read a lot of thrillers and after reading/listening to Listen for the Lie I’m wondering why. I devoured this book! The book is full of mostly unlikeable characters but they were well developed. I loved Lucy’s personality as well as the interview/podcast format. I had no idea which way the story was going to go or who was responsible. Overall, the story felt authentic and I highly recommend it.

I also received an advanced listening copy and I think that further enhanced how much I enjoyed the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Caledon Books for this read. Well that was a fun book to read. Ha! If you love sarcasm, this book will be for you. The book is about a murder but with Lucy involved you wonder what you are reading. This is all I have to say about this one. Go pick it up! It is fun.

| DEVOURED this book! I absolutely loved the podcast/interview format that was mixed in with the book, it made the story that much more interesting to get everyone's view and/or side of things. The amount of drama from this small town as Ben was putting together the pieces of what happened that night, did not disappoint. Even though Lucy was a suspected murderer, I loved her personality. She was snarky and witty and took absolutely no BS from anyone. The ending was chef's kiss. Reading the truth about what happened that night that Savvy died was mind blowing and I was not even close to guessing the truth. I 100% recommend this one!

Thank you Celadon Books and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy and Savvy are best friends from a small town. When Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in Savvy's blood, people assume she is the killer. Forced to flee, she is forced to reface the rumors when a popular true-crime podcast starts discovering new evidence.

Let me start by saying, I am a sucker for a book with a true-crime podcast element. I feel like it makes the book incredibly bingeable. I felt like I flew through this book. While the ending disappointed me slightly, I think the overall book was good.

Lucy has been accused of killing her best friend, Savannah. She was never convicted due to lack of evidence, but her entire hometown believes she did it. Since the murder, Lucy moved out of her hometown, however she’s retuning because it’s her grandmother’s birthday party. Ben, who hosts a crime podcast takes interest in Savannah’s case and begins to interview Lucy’s friends and family. Lucy also agrees to an interview. Lucy will finally have to face the truth about Savannah’s murder.

This is the second book Ive read that revolves around a crime podcast, and I found it to be so fun, maybe because I love Crime Junkie so much lol. I enjoyed how funny and sarcastic Lucy’s character is, however the voice in her head became a little too much and at times I found it to be annoying. The twist at the end was completely unexpected. It’s been a while since a thriller has shocked me and let me tell you, I was shocked 😮 lol

If you’re looking for a fast paced thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, make sure to pick this one up!

This is such a fun read! Despite the heavy subject matter, I loved Lucy’s surliness and the portrayal of her friendship with Savvy. I flew through this book in less than three days and can’t wait to read what Ms. Tintera writes next.

Lucy Chase went to UT, met her husband and moved back to Plumpton, TX. She became good friends with Savvy, her high school acquaintance, who had left college after freshman year and now works as a bartender. Five years ago, Lucy was accused of Savvy’s after both attended a wedding and Lucy was found covered in savvy’s blood. After no charges were filed, Lucy fled to CA but now she has returned to Plumpton for her grandmother’s birthday party and she wants to solve this case. This story is told alternating present day, the past, and interspersing episodes of Ben Owen’s podcast in which he interviews local residents for their take on cold case murders, in this case Savvy’s death. Lucy has no memory of the events surrounding the murder. The situation is further complicated because she often hears a voice telling her how to murder other characters in the story. Tintera does an excellent job of building suspense, filling in backstories, and holding the reader’s attention. I couldn’t put it down and highly recommend it. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Listen to the Lie is a perfect popcorn read. While the amnesia troupe has been done before, Lucy’s sarcasm kept the book moving. I would certainly recommend this book to any one looking for a fast paced whodunnit.

Lucy and Savvy were best friends. Savvy is viscously murdered after leaving a friend’s wedding. Everyone thinks Lucy done it because she was found covered in blood with a head wound. Years later podcaster Ben Owens comes to Plumpton, Texas to investigate the case. Lucy has no memory of the incident because of her head injury but she wants to help solve the case whether she done it or not.
This was an excellent read. I especially loved Lucy’s character. She was so funny with her dark sense of humor. She kind of reminded me of Joe Goldberg in You.
Thanks NetGalley and Celadon Books for this eARC that will be released March 5, 2024!

Lucy was found wondering down a road covered in her best friend, Savvy’s, blood after a wedding 5 years ago. Everyone believes she killed Savvy but Lucy was injured and has no memory of that night. She returns home to Texas for her grandmother’s birthday where Ben Owens, a handsome podcaster, is in town. His podcast, Listen for the Lie, is investigating who killed Savvy and he hopes to get Lucy to help him solve the case.

I loved this fast paced, sarcastic thriller. Lucy is snarky and witty even as she is aware she could be a killer. Her grandmother is fantastic and is the only person who believes Lucy is innocent. I enjoyed the podcast element and felt it was done well. Reminded me of my favorite podcast, Up and Vanished. The characters were interesting and full of secrets. It was paced well and just a fun, suspenseful story. The ending was good and while I had an inkling it may be who the killer was, I was not certain and was happy with the outcome. If you love a quick thriller with podcast elements you’ll want to pick this up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for this advanced readers copy.

Oh my gosh. What a book. This was just a run ride. Complex and witty characters, an interesting premise, and murder mystery suddenly put back in the open thanks to a podcast made for a thrilling read.

Did Lucy actually kill her best friend? Everyone seems to think so. But there’s more to the story that meets the eye and Ben is determined to figure out the truth.

This was a hard to put down book. There’s a lot to unpack once you finish it and everyone in the story is morally gray. There’s no really good or bad person. But wow the complexity of the characters added so much depth to the story. My favorite character was Lucy’s grandma. No one was truly likable though and that’s what felt really realistic about it.

Coming out on March 5 and a pick for Book of the Month, Listen for the Lie a great addition to your library.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

I loved this one!!

With its short chapters, I devoured this book in a short amount of time. I kept telling myself ‘just one more’ but let’s be honest, it’s never just one more 🫠

Lucy’s dry and sarcastic sense of humor had me smirking along as I read. She was definitely my favorite kind of character, memory gaps and all. She was a hot mess at times, and I loved her for it. I also love her granny.

Told from Lucy’s POV, there were transcripts of the podcast episodes woven throughout that really added to the story.

I had no clue at all until right before it was revealed how this story would play out. And when it did - oh it was good 😊

Thank you @celadonbooks for sending me both a physical ARC and a @Netgalley widget in exchange for my honest review.