I gave this book 3.5 stars for no reason other than it was a bit predictable (it’s really hard to surprise me after all the mysteries I’ve read), but I enjoyed the narrator. Lucy was funny, self deprecating, but not in a way where I was rolling my eyes. If you have the chance to listen to the audiobook I recommend it - I like how they formatted the podcast chapters & the narrators did a great job!

Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera is an entertaining & fast-paced twisted mystery filled with a fascinating main character & chalked full of dark humor. I thought the premise of this sounded really good & it totally delivered. It was a breath of fresh air in the mystery genre for me.

Listen to the Lie is great for fans of…
🎤 Unsolved Mystery
🎤 Amnesia
🎤 Podcaster Covers Case
🎤 Dark Humor
🎤 Short Chapters
🎤 Mixed Media/Epistolarian (Snippets of Interviews & Letters)

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style & the pace of the novel. I am always fascinated by the amnesia trope & the uncovering of memories as the story goes along. If you are a fellow fan of short chapters, you will adore this.

This book renewed my love for the mystery genre. Also, if you enjoy epistolarian or mixed media with the inclusion of interview snippets, letters & so on, you will be excited with them being peppered in throughout.

This reminded me of an adult version of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which I also really loved.

If you are a fan of true crime podcasts, humor in the darkest of times & amnesia filled mysteries, I highly recommend Listen For the Lie!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Celadon Books for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

4.5 stars

🎧 LISTEN FOR THE LIE by Amy Tintera
Genre: thriller
⭐️⭐️⭐️
💭: maybe a me-problem, but I’m bored of this trope and bec of that i quickly had no interest in this book. Another high expectation poor result! Not a bad book tho!

Listen for the Lie was an unexpected read, mainly in how it was formatted. Having this jump between Lucy’s POV back and forth to the actual podcast was so interesting and I thought kept the story moving in a new way that I really enjoyed following. As far as a thriller goes, this still had all the aspects I enjoy about thrillers, but this format brought something fresh and exciting to it that I loved. Highly recommend this. I have heard from many people that this was incredible as an audiobook due to the podcast nature of it, so I am intrigued and may need to do a re-read with the audiobook at some point.

Many Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I had high high hopes for this book based on all the early reviews I saw. It definitely had a lot of twists and turns and I thought I had it figured out multiple times. The author did a great job making you feel bad for everything Lucy has gone through and also second guessing yourself over and over. I did NOT see the ending coming at all!!

There were a few minor issues I had with repetitive writing that take a star away.

Wow, this was an awesome thriller!

First things first, the plot is a great concept! A true crime podcaster coming to a small town to solve a murder. Lucy, the accused killer of her best friend, was such a fun character! I really felt for her and appreciated her sarcasm throughout the book.

I felt like the characters were developed well and we learned the reveals in a timely manner. The author left some delicious red herrings throughout the story which had me accusing several different people as the murder.

Another thing I loved was the excerpts of the podcast episodes. As a listener of true crime podcasts, it really added to the story. It gave the story additional depth and authenticity!

Overall I thought the plot was well developed and wasn’t reaching for some outlandish plot points, which was a huge plus for! Overall a throughly enjoyable read and one I will be recommending!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy to read in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book! This was the funniest thriller I have ever read. You got to love Lucy and her sarcasm! I loved the true crime podcast part of the storyline. Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a really well written story. I was kept in suspense the whole time and figuring out who killed Savvy. The story goes back and forth between past and present. And a podcaster and the main character are determined to figure out who actually killed her.

Listen for the Lie has been my favorite thriller of the year! I love an unreliable narrator who makes me doubt at every turn. The story was so juicy and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! The author did a great job of developing the characters. I was shocked so many times I audibly gasped. I will 100% read Amy again!

Absolutely loved this book from the very beginning, to say I was HOOKED and obsessed with this book is an understatement!
Amazing job 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This book started strong but quickly fell apart for me. The protagonist was so unlikeable, I could never get behind her. And then all the men in town wanting her, it felt a little strange. I liked the resolution, but at that point, I was over the main charactor.

This was a fun time! I didn’t know exactly where the story was going which I always appreciate in a thriller. The star taken off was due to my personal preference about the unreliable narrator trope.

Dark twisty thriller! I loved it! A bit of comedy thrown in as well. this was a terrific book, compelling characters and written beautifully! Kept me glued!

Listen for the Lie is a thriller and suspenseful murder mystery as the readers meet Lucy as she tries to live her life wondering who killed her best friend Savvy. Unfortunately, due to her amnesia, many in her hometown think that it is her. As she goes back to her hometown to celebrate her grandmother's birthday (her grandma is HILARIOUS! LOVE her!), she begins to unravel what happened that night, with the assistance of a handsome true crime podcaster, Ben. The book is fast paced, funny, mysterious, twisty and has a satisfying resolution. The only thing that I wished for would be more clues for the reader to discover, as it seemed that the conclusion was just explained at the end, with few/no hints along the way. I couldn't put it down and look forward to reading more of this author's work.

It took me only 4 chapters to get into this book.. then I was hooked! Lucy is returning home to her small town after 5 years because her grandmother insists on her being there for her birthday.. she’s also hated by everyone in town because they all think she killed her best friend, Savvy. So why does grandma insist on her coming home? Oh the hot new true crime podcaster is in town and wants to speak to Lucy because she’s the suspect in the new season of his show.. and grandma wants her to talk to him.

Lucy and Savvy weren’t friends in high school.. Savvy was a cheerleader and homecoming queen and Lucy was not those things. Small town gossipers thought it was weird how when they both returned home from college they became fast friends.. what did they possibly have in common? And why would Lucy kill her best friend? She doesn’t know if she did or didn’t because Lucy can’t remember that night at all.. she was found wandering down the road injured, confused and covered in Savvy’s blood. She was originally thought to be a victim but there was no evidence of someone else present. But she was never brought to trial as there were no murder weapon found and no motive.. and no witnesses?

Lucy has this continued intrusive voice repeating “let’s kill..”

Ben the podcaster interviews several people.. town gossips, old friends, the ex husband etc.. trying to get to the bottom of this case.. he’s not sure if she did it but he’s determined to find out who. He’s also deemed to get Lucy’s side of the story.. he’s been talking to grandma!

This book is filled with twists and turns and I had a couple people as suspects throughout but always wondered.. did Lucy do it?! Kept me hooked until the very end!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this arc.

Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an Advanced Reader digital copy of "Listen for the Lie" by Amy Tintera. I read this book before publication, but I'm just getting around to writing a review. So, please forgive my late submission. "Listen for the Lie" is a gripping murder mystery unfolding through the unique perspectives of Lucy, a podcaster, and multiple townspeople interviewed for the podcast. The story revolves around a cold-case murder and a podcast with Lucy Chase, accused of murdering her best friend years ago, returning to the scene of the crime in Texas. The podcaster had been reaching out to Lucy for years to get her side of the story; Lucy is able to do so when she returns to Texas for her grandmother's birthday party. All hell breaks loose upon her return; several town members' slimy secrets simmer to the top, are exposed, and erupt. 

Ms. Tintera wrote a murder mystery with themes of friendship, love, and, most of all, betrayal. I loved Lucy's grandmother and their relationship. "Listen for the Lie" is an excellent first novel, which would be a fantastic book club selection. I was hooked in Chapter 1 with the introduction of sassy Lucy in LA. I returned to Texas, put on my detective hat, and tried to solve the cold-case murder with her and the podcaster. There were a lot of twists and turns, and the conclusion was shocking.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is a captivating mystery that blends dark humor with psychological suspense, following Lucy Chase, who is accused of murdering her best friend, Savvy. Lucy, now living in LA and suffering from traumatic amnesia, is thrust back into the limelight when a true crime podcast revisits Savvy's case. As Lucy returns to her small Texas hometown to confront her past, she navigates the town's judgment, her strained family relationships, and her own haunted memories. Tintera masterfully interweaves podcast transcripts and Lucy’s sharp, witty perspective to unravel a complex narrative filled with red herrings, surprising twists, and a satisfying conclusion. With vivid characters, especially the endearing Beverly, and a gripping plot, Listen for the Lie is an engrossing read that explores the intricacies of memory, guilt, and redemption.

I absolutely loved this book. I flew through it and couldn’t put it down. The twists kept me guessing and the podcast script definitely worked for me.

The pace is FAST, with never a dull moment, as tempers flare and hormones rage-yes, the men and women of this town love secrets, sparring and sex in equal measure!

I really thought I was going to like this one more than I did. A podcast, a mystery murder and a main character that doesn't remember anything. Sounds like a winner but unfortunately no for me. The writing was well done but I just could not connect with any of the characters, especially Lucy. I could not handle the snarkiness or the decisions she was making.
The pacing of the storyline was off too. There just was not much happening besides the podcast interviewing and Lucy trying to remember what happened the night of Savvy's murder. And seriously, we get how hot it is in Texas. I don't think we need to be reminded as frequently as we were!

I did listen to this on audio instead of reading the ebook version. The narration was fabulous! January Lavoy and Will Damron did a fantastic job of reading a large amount of characters (some of which I got mixed up at times).
I also did not expect the outcome. I was completely surprised by the "whodunnit"! I seriously thought it was someone else!

Overall it was a three star for me. I was happy to have read it!

Thanks to Celadon and Netgalley for the opportunity!