I really enjoyed this thriller! The unique premise, clever plot, infuriating characters, and interesting setting really turned into an amazing read that I will be recommending to others and enjoying again myself. I had a lot of fun reading this and I hope other people will pick it up.

This book had a really strong opening and I highly enjoyed the MC's personality, thoughts, and reactions with her family. I can't even imagine how it felt for her to be back in her hometown. I did like how the amnesia trope played out and how the truth slowly revealed in bits and pieces. I know many will enjoy this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

This just might be THE thriller of the year for me 🤩

And if you don’t want to take my word for it, Stephen King, Alex Michaelidis, Liane Moriarty, Alice Feeney, and Chandler Baker’s endorsements on her adult debut novel should do the trick!!

The super short synopsis: five years ago, Lucy’s best friend Savvy is murdered after a wedding they were both at. Lucy is found wandering the street after, dirty and distraught. But, she can’t remember a thing about what happened. She’s soon suspect #1, and although she’s never charged, everyone thinks she did it. Enter the present day, when Ben Owen’s Listen for the Lie podcast is covering the case to finally get to the bottom of this: did Lucy kill Savvy?

Before you roll your eyes and say “not another podcast book” - I promise this was done really well!

Lucy was an awesome character. She was funny, dark, sarcastic, and sometimes just downright unlikeable which made me like her even more.

I TORE through this book, finished it in less than 24 hours on a weekend home with 3 kids…so plan accordingly once you get it in your hot hands! 🤣

Thank you NetGalley, Amy Tintera, and Celadon books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

5 stars! I’m obsessed with this. A favourite of the year!

"A podcaster has decided to ruin my life, so I’m buying a chicken."

Fun and funny with a wonderfully snarky protagonist, but also dealing with the nature of true crime and female victimhood in an incredible way. It's such a good time, but also has a lot of depth! And we all need a grandmother like Lucy’s Grandma!

Given the nature of the story, there are some darker topics addressed in this book, but I loved the way those were handled. Taken seriously, but never feeling heavy. Perfectly pitched for a character-driven thriller with a comedic edge to it! All of the thematic content is direct, but never heavy-handed or soapboxy. It also doesn't just vilify all men without any nuance to tell the story of a woman’s murder. It’s just very well done and wouldn’t you know it, people are complex and complicated beings!

The humour in the narration is a new all-time favourite; I just adored how this was written. The podcast element was also great and interspersed at just the right moments.

And yes, the whodunnit reveal didn’t surprise me, but while it was possible to predict it, it never felt obvious, which is the important factor for me with this genre. I could always think of other possible solutions and questioned my idea of the main suspect until almost to the end. As someone who has read and watched mysteries all their life, being able to figure out the ending doesn’t impact my enjoyment at all. It’s about how we get there and for it to never feel blindingly obvious! And hey, who doesn’t like being right sometimes?

I will be honest, I did not expect this book to have as much of an impact as it did. I was hoping it might be a fun popcorn thriller, but it's genuinely brilliant. Everything in this worked for me. I found a new favourite thriller!

4+ stars

This book is another thriller that takes the popular approach of featuring a podcast and using it as a lens through which to explore the unwavering mainstream interest in true-crime. I liked most of it, and my attention was caught pretty much right away. I didn’t love everything about the ending, but I also didn’t predict the outcome, so it was a reasonably fun reveal either way. I will keep an eye out for whatever the writer puts out into the universe next.

This was a really fun thriller and a nice twist on the unreliable narrator trope (which I normally don't like, but actually really enjoyed here). I read the physical copy, but I think this would be great in audio too. Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the ARC.

Premise: Everyone thinks you murdered your best friend and you aren’t sure if you did it or not. Lucy returns to her small hometown in Texas for her grandmother’s birthday. She is set up to face a true crime podcaster that is doing a series about the unsolved murder of her best friend d Savvy. I had some suspicions about how the book would end but didn’t actually predict it right.
Enjoyed this thriller so much, it was a quick read on a rainy day,

"Listen to the Lie" by Amy Tintera is a gripping psychological thriller that follows the story of a teenage girl named Olivia. After surviving a traumatic event, Olivia joins a prestigious boarding school where she becomes entangled in a dangerous game of secrets and deception. As Olivia navigates the treacherous social hierarchy of her new school, she must unravel the truth behind a series of lies before it's too late. With its fast-paced plot and unpredictable twists, "Listen to the Lie" keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the final page. Tintera's sharp writing and skillful character development make this novel a must-read for fans of the genre.

You got me at a true crime podcast in a crime fiction novel.
You all know the song "THIS IS HOW WE DO IT" by Montell Jordan?! That line popped into my head as I read this podcast-written crime fic!

Lucy was wandering the streets with her best friend Savvy's blood all over her and had no recollection of what happened. Savvy's murder remains unsolved, and Lucy is deemed responsible for murdering her best friend. Five years later, living in LA, Lucy must return to her small hometown in Texas, where charming true crime podcaster Ben Owens decides to investiquire Savvy's murder. Did Lucy do it?

So many things worked well: the dark humour, the fast-paced chapters, Lucy's wittiness and sarcasm and her grandma is just too jokes - the woman is living her best life! Small-town drama where everyone is in everyone's, if not someone's business!!!
The scripts for the podcast were well written. I wished they were longer because they were compelling. I have not listened to many podcasts despite saying I need to try. Listen for the Lie makes me see what I could be missing.

I've read another book that pulled this off well - Lisa Jewell's None of This is True. A psychological thriller with a riveting podumentary that had me clutching my pearls!

My only gripe is that the end was a little over the top while simultaneously not enough. It was a quick wrap-up.

If you're looking for that unputdownable, whodunnit book for a cozy weekend, this is IT!

PS. The audiobook's narration is by January LaVoy. I can only imagine how AMAZING she's going to make this sound!

4.5. stars rounded up!

This one gripped me from the very beginning. The author’s voice was immediately funny. A sarcastic nature that drew me in to wanting to know what was going on. I really loved the podcast element to this one. I feel like I was listening to an episode of Serial, back in the day! But the writing was able to capture that perfectly. There were a lot of moving characters, but surprisingly, the author introduced them in a way where I could remember them! I liked trying to work through what the heck was going on and what happened five years ago. There was one moment of dialogue where I figured out what happened, but I don’t want to spoil. But it was a wonderful twist. The ending was a little too ambiguous for me, but I know that was done on purpose! I really enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to more from this author because I like her style for sure!

Rated a 4.5/5

What a wild ride! Amy Tintera absolutely killed it in this uniquely humorous murder mystery. EVERY ONE of our book club members loved it, NONE of us guessed whodunit (we guessed everyone BUT the culprit), and the twists were unforeseen by ALL! But the thing that most speaks to Ms. Tintera's talent is the fact that several of us aren't really true murder mystery fans, and I personally don't enjoy reading stories where the characters engage in infidelity or casual sex. Despite this novel checking off each of those boxes, somehow, with the interjected humor, it just worked and was a truly entertaining novel!

We were big fans of the podcast host, Ben and the protagonist, Lucy, but Grandma was surely the crowd fave! We also loved discussing the characterization of each of the other individuals; Amy Tintera really fleshed out each one vividly. The discussion was so animated, and we highly recommend this novel for other book clubs!

Oh, Celadon Books and NetGalley, I just can't thank you enough for this fun surprise for my book club! The timing worked out perfectly for our weekend getaway, and we had great fun chatting it up after we read it!

Five years ago, Lucy was found covered in Savannah's blood. Naturally, all of the residents of her small town in Texas assumed she was a murderer. Lucy moved to LA and started a new life since she was never formally charged with Savannah's murder. In present day, Ben, host of the hit podcast "Listen for the Lie" has taken an interest in Savannah's unsolved case leading to a resurgence of public interest in Lucy. What will the podcast uncover?

I really wanted to love this book but ultimately thought it was just okay. I loved the snarky main character and the podcast episodes/interviews with a colorful and engaging supporting cast of characters. However, I thought that this story did not really have many twists/turns... it was just a bunch of who is sleeping/cheating with who. Things didn't really pick up until the end. Also, I find the amnesia trope to be lazy and convenient. In sum, a fun but forgettable ride.

P.S. The narration is excellent if you're considering the audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this book.

Tintera delves into the murky depths of small-town gossip and the devastating consequences of jumping to conclusions.

An absolute rollercoaster of a thriller that grips you from the very first page and doesn't let go until the heart-stopping conclusion. The pacing of this novel is simply electrifying. Tintera masterfully keeps readers on the edge of their seats, with twists and turns that leave you breathless and constantly flipping pages to uncover the next clue. The incorporation of podcast episodes as a storytelling device adds an extra layer of excitement, propelling the narrative forward and heightening the sense of urgency to unravel the truth behind Savvy's murder.

The characters in "Listen for the Lie" are richly drawn and utterly compelling. Each perspective offers a unique glimpse into the tangled web of secrets and lies surrounding Savvy's death, keeping readers guessing until the very end. Tintera skillfully navigates the complexities of human relationships, making every character feel authentic and multidimensional.

I particularly enjoyed the way Tintera explores the theme of perception versus reality. As Lucy grapples with the accusations against her, the novel delves into the murky depths of small-town gossip and the devastating consequences of jumping to conclusions. The exploration of truth and memory adds an intriguing layer of depth to the narrative, keeping readers questioning everything they think they know.

Overall, "Listen for the Lie" is a pulse-pounding thriller that will leave you guessing until the final page. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery, as well as those looking to dip their toes into the genre for the first time. Amy Tintera has crafted a truly addictive read that will linger in your mind long after you've turned the last page.

The audiobook for this was truly fantastic! It also does a great job of differentiating the story from the podcast episodes and really brings them to life. Great voice acting!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you’ve ever had interest in true crime, podcast and love, a snarky, sarcastic main character, this book is perfect for you.

Five years ago, Lucy’s best friend was murdered at a wedding. She quickly became the prime suspect when she couldn’t remember any details from that night. Through lack of evidence, she was never convicted, and she went on with her life, believing she killed her best friend. Ben, who has a true crime podcast takes an interest in the case, and decides to investigate it for the next season of his show. Together Ben and Lucy work together and muddle through the small town drama to figure out what really happened that night.

This captivating mystery is full of surprises that keep you hooked from start to finish. The podcast element and the missing memories and voices in Lucy’s head all added an intriguing layer to the story, but I found the ending a tad lacking from a closure perspective.

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to Celadon Books for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review .

What a great adult debut! This book had me hooked from the very first line. I also found the narrator very interesting and funny at times. Every character in this book is morally gray and unlikeable, which I usually hate, but it worked so well in this book. As someone who is from a small town in Texas, the vibes of this small Texas town was spot on. The mystery was so intriguing and I could not put the book down because I just had to keep reading. I read this book in one sitting.

The podcast element was really great! I loved that we kept finding more and more information as new episodes came out. It felt incredibly realistic that way. I think this is going to be THE thriller of the year.

Listen for the Lie was surprisingly not as predictable as I expected it to be when I started it. In fact, the ending was nothing that I expected at all, that twist was a fantastic way to end the story. And I was very impressed with how realistically Lucy was written as a character. She is a very well-written and well developed trauma survivor. Like most survivors she wants the healing that comes from discovering the truth, but she also fears it. This conflict within her drives everything that she does, and you can't help but to feel for her and attach yourself to her as the friend who wants her to know the truth.

I loved this book so much that I have already begun recommending it to friends that I know love this type of book. If you love reading crime books, or listening to true crime podcasts this book will be perfect for you.

3.75 stars.

If you love a good podcast thriller this might be right up your alley. This follows a woman who, five years ago, was thought to have killed her best friend, Savvy but has no recollection of what happened.

She ran away from her home, her family and her husband to move to California. She was never arrested for the murder, but people assumed she did it and hated her for it.

After 5 years, Ben, a well loved podcaster for true crime, starts opening up the details of the case again and drudging it all back up. Lucy decides to go back to her small home town in Texas for her grandmothers birthday party and things start coming back.

I felt like the writing style for this book was so good. It definitely captures your attention for the first chapter to the last, however, I found Lucy to be insufferable. I rolled my eyes the whole way through the book, but I LOVED grandma Beverly so dang much.

That woman made this book so much more enjoyable. Who doesn’t love a drunk grandma that tells you how it is. I loved her character and the way she was written so much.

I was able to predict the who did it, but I didn’t know the why. So I was still very much engrossed in the plot. There were so many people that had motive, but if you’re a thriller lover you know it’s never anyone they dive deep into.

This book comes out March 5th, I am so appreciative to NetGalley for the early access. This reviews is my own and my true thoughts of this book!

Wow! Where do I even start with this review?! Absolutely freaking incredible! I love podcast style books and this one was done SO WELL. Despite having a lot of characters, it was so easy to keep track of them. I loved the main character, Lucy. She has a “don’t give a crap” attitude and sarcastic sass. Her grandma was so fun too. I loved everything about this book. This has got to be hands down a Top 5 thriller of 2024! Also, this author writes YA books and THIS book is her adult thriller debut. Fantastic writer!

Listen for the Lie is Amy Tintera’s debut adult novel and it’s not to be missed. Full of twists and turns, you’re left believing one thing until you realize, you had it all wrong. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers and mysteries, don’t miss this one. Release date: March 5, 2024. Thanks to Celadon press and NetGalley for the ARC!