Every so often, I read a book that truly surprises me. Like, an “OMG WHAT IS THIS? I LOVE IT! EVERYONE MUST READ IT!” sort of surprise.

News flash…this is that kind of book!

Amy Tintera’s excellent adult debut is a masterclass in the modern whodunit, taking the classic amnesia trope and giving it a contemporary twist with the true crime podcast obsession.

It’s also one of the wittiest, snarkiest, laugh-out-loudiest (just go with it!) books I’ve ever read. And considering it’s a thriller, I say bravo to the author for pulling off such an entertaining vibe in what is typically a more tense and foreboding genre.

The only thing that kept this one from getting all the stars was how the mystery got wrapped up. While surprising, a few aspects of the big reveal were, in my opinion, convoluted. I found myself needing to revisit several earlier sections of the book to sort out who was where and when and why.

Aside from a few tangled twists, this is a stand-out thriller, with a pitch-perfect, darkly comic vibe, featuring characters that will linger long after the final page. I’m looking at you, Grandma Beverly! When can I come over to drink G&Ts in your pink tiny home??

In short, READ 👏 THIS 👏 BOOK 👏 I have a feeling it’s going to be one of the best thrillers of 2024!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Dark, twisted and comical in all the right ways!

Lucy was such a fun character to dive into. She was dark, but not in a bad way where she was depressed, more like in an f the world kind of way where she just embraces everyone hating her and I loved it.
The book was written so well, the slow unraveling of events leading up the scene of the crime was incredible, and the ending was so intense I was LITERALLY on the edge of my seat.

Such a fun read! The format was great and flowed very well.

Thank you to NetGalley for this read. I enjoyed every second!

I finished this book in two days, which hasn’t happened in a very long time. I hooked from the start and the pages just flew on by. I loved the format with all the podcast interviews. It was one of the reasons I was captivated because after every interview, I had a new suspect! Did I figure it out in the end? Nope and I am not mad about it.

One of the most engaging thrillers I’ve read in a long time and would definitely recommend it.

Podcast done right!! 🎙️🎧
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This was so good!! It’s been five years since Lucy’s best friend Savvy was murdered, and she still had no idea if she’s the one who did it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Enter Ben, who’s making a podcast about the killing, and a whole slew of characters who may or may not be lying.
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I loved the format—the chapters end with a portion of the podcast, and as information is uncovered it rolls seamlessly into the next chapter. The characters were pretty much all unlikable but I couldn’t help but root for Lucy, who had developed kind of a ‘fuck it’ attitude about the whole thing. Lots of dark humor and sarcasm and ‘maybe I did do it’ that made everyone else around her uncomfortable. 😂
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I thought the conclusion was very satisfying and gave it 4.5 stars, rounded up to five! A million thanks to NetGalley and Celadon books for the e-arc!

Listen for the Lie does something very few thrillers have accomplished before: It made the murder suspect likable. If you like thrillers, chances are you also listen to true crime podcasts. Listen for the Lie combined the two as it’s told from two perspectives—that of Lucy, said likable murder suspect, and the podcast investigating the crime she is suspected of committing. This novel is a twisty thriller and dark comedy that will keep you guessing until the end.

One would think I would be tired of podcast type books with unreliable narrators but when done well I love these kind of books and this one was done really well. Lucy went from fellow victim to main suspect in the murder of her best friend Savannah. She was found covered in Savannah's blood with no memory of what happened. With no enough evidence to charge her she was let go and moved away from her hometown to start a new life. Years later Lucy gets forced to come back to her hometown at the same time a popular podcast "Listen for the Lie" has also come to town to investigate Savannah's murder for it's second season.

I was completely hooked from the first page. Fast paced, good suspense, and loved Lucy's dark humor as a way of coping with the situation. I tend to get annoyed with the unreliable narrator troop but I thought it was incredibly well done here. If you enjoy suspense thrillers this one is a must read this summer.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Celadon Books for the complimentary copies!

I give this one 4.5 💫. If you read it, I highly recommend the audiobook because the narration and switch between the story and the podcast is fantastic!

This was a highly entertaining read - I’ve never laughed so much during a thriller, but the main character’s sarcasm made me laugh out loud multiple times.

There were a lot of twists and turns - while I guessed the ending twist, I was still really happy with this one!

Loved this book the story the characters drew me in from the first pages.An edge of your seat thriller with a sarcastic snarky sense of humor.Raves from me for this gem of a thriller.#netgalley #celadonbooks

This book presents a mystery filled with dark humor and wit. Lucy, the protagonist, is haunted by her best friend Savvy's murder five years ago, with everyone in her small Texas town blaming her due to her amnesia regarding the night of the incident. Ben, the host of Listen for the Lie podcast, delves into the case by interviewing Lucy's acquaintances. Despite the introduction of numerous characters, the narrative is so well-crafted that confusion is avoided. Lucy's eccentric personality shines through, providing moments of laughter. The story captivated me to the extent that I didn't want it to conclude. I wholeheartedly endorse this book to fellow thriller enthusiasts.

Loved this book. Loved the plot, the characters and the story. So suspenseful, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time ! 5 star for me. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Celadon books for the arc in exchange for my honest review !!

Thank you for the gifted copy! I had almost lost all hope in thrillers lately, but this one did not disappoint. It was surprisingly funny and fast paced with dark humor and a very sarcastic, unreliable narrator that I couldn’t help but root for. One of my favorite characters was Lucy’s grandma. She was hilarious and I loved the dialogue between her and Lucy.

The short chapters kept the book moving and the pacing was great. Even though it’s been done a lot, I still loved the element of the podcast episodes added in with interviews from people in the community! It seemed like everyone had their secrets and there were so many suspects. The ending was unexpected and it was definitely a binge worthy read.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC of this jaw dropping page turner!! 👏🏼👏🏼

This was so dark and delicious that I couldn’t stop reading! Absolutely everything you could want out of a thriller

This masterpiece hits shelves on March 5th 😍

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#listenforthelie #amytintera #mystery #dark #delicious #thriller #netgalley #arc #celadonbooks

Lucy was accused of murdering her best friend but she has amnesia and doesn’t remember anything that happened that night. A few years later, a podcaster named Ben begins researching and investigating whether Lucy did it or not eventually with her help. She heads home and sooner or later the secrets start coming out.

I know there’s been tons of reviews out here about this one but it’s def an entertaining read that will keep you on the edge of your seat but also make you laugh here & there because it’s extremely sarcastic! Personally, I like my thrillers minus all the sarcasm but I was entertained. I struggled with the FMC because of her horrible decisions but it was overall a good read!

Listen For The Lie - Amy Tintera

I’d seen a lot of rave reviews for this one and my FOMO kicked in.

A suspenseful m*rider mystery, Lucy is the main suspect, she’s either a m*rderer or the second victim who got away. Lucy has no memory of the events and Ben with his investigative podcast is determined to try and get to the truth. It’s told through Lucy’s perspective and the podcast with interviews with various involved parties.

It’s a light and chatty style, I preferred the chapters from Lucy’s perspective to the podcast, I don’t find pages of conversation the best way to connect with characters. To be fair, I’ve only properly connected with a few podcast based thrillers.

I’ve heard the audiobook is excellent, and I think I might have enjoyed listening more. I’m not trying to discourage anyone from reading it, just personally I might have connected with it better hearing the voices.

Not bad at all, especially if you like podcast based novels and a light and chatty writing style.

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon

When I give a thriller 5 stars nowadays it means I was truly invested and entertained!

What I loved about this thriller;

🎤: Centered around a true crime podcast. This broke up the chapters nicely and was a breath of fresh air!
📖: Short chapters! This constantly shift working girly loves an easily bingeable book in the midst of my busy lifestyle!
🔪: Back and forth guessing of the murderer. I love attempting to guess the culprit before the book is up and 9/10 I'm never right!
💭: Amnesia plot line. This author pulled off a difficult feat of selling the reader on the main character not remembering what occurred the night of her friend's murder. This sends her into a spiral of thinking she herself killed Savvy and not knowing if someone else was truly involved.

I would not be surprised at all if this gets picked up for a tv series adaptation. It would be the audience entertained by the sarcastic and often unreliable main character, the undeniable chemistry she has with the podcast host, and the dual timelines that gradually lead you to the night of Savvy's murder. There's enough of a shock factor too that would easily translate well to the screen to keep the audience on their toes.

Yes, the podcast thriller seems to be the rage right now amongst thriller authors (None of this is True & The Book of Cold Cases just to name a few) but I think what this one did so well was the character portrayal of Lucy was so witty and unsure of herself due to the amnesia caused by a head injury the night of the murder that you can't help but root for her. She gradually wins over the people of her small town that instantly marked her as Savvy's killer years ago and you almost want to tell those characters to go pound sand after tarnishing Lucy's name. So when people like Ben (podcast host) and Lucy's grandma are on her side from Day 1 you instantly flock to the next chapter in hopes that their gut feeling of Lucy being innocent is true.

There's some juicy secrets that also come out in the midst of this podcast that adds to the distaste of some of the local community members of this small Texas town. It's easy to point fingers at people when you yourself have a deep secret you don't wish to get out 😏

Thank you to Celadon Books for this early preview of what could end up being a surprise favorite thriller of the year for me!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
4.75 stars rounded up

I absolutely loved this book. I was not expecting to love it (or laugh while reading) so much. A thrilled that had me at the edge of my seat and laughing out loud in the same chapters. I loved (or loved to hate) each character and the setting with perfect. I need more books like this from Amy Tintera. One of my favorite reads of the last year.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you like:
😬 Unreliable Narrators
🎙️True Crime Podcasts
🤫 Secrets and Lies
💨 Fast Paced Reads

This story truly kept me hooked with all the pointing fingers combined with a bunch of seemingly crappy characters that you could see any and all being responsible for Savvy’s death as well as our FMC being a super unreliable narrator due to her head injury, lack of memory of the night in question, and her murderous thoughts.

If you are looking for a quick and engaging thriller to pull you from a slump, I’d highly recommend this one!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I must say that this was an amazing read. Fantastic story and the snarky FMC was great. I found myself laughing and snorting at her antics. This is normally not my genre but I must say that I will not be passing it up anymore. This is a must read for everyone!

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Amy Tintera and Celadon Books for this E-ARC!

When Lucy is found wandering the streets with a head wound and her best friends blood on her clothes anyone would think she is a murderer! Right? Well turns out, Lucy can't remember the events of the night before. If you were Lucy what would you think? Do you think you'd be capable of murder? Especially the murder of your best friend?

This mystery thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat with its short chapters, cast of characters and podcast influence. I could not put this book down end eagerly kept reading to find out what the truth of Savvy's murder was. There were enough twists and turns to keep you guessing without making you feel frustrated.

You'll love this story if you like:
-Short chapters
-True Crime podcasts
-Dual timeline
-Sarcastic MC

I absolutely loved this book and would give it more stars if I could.

Absolutely loved this. Got very invested rather quickly. I’m a sucker for mixed media in books. Would love to know how things end up for Ben and Lucy, she needs a good win in her life.