In the age of true crime podcasts, there's few places for Lucy to hide besides behind her romance novel pen name. Even all these years later, the world remains convinced that Lucy murdered her best friend Savvy in cold blood the night after a wedding they both attended. As convenient as a defense would have been all this time, Lucy doesn't have one because she can't remember a thing.

When Ben Owens, host of the wildly-successful true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie" approaches Lucy for an interview and chance to set the record straight once and for all, Lucy returns to her small town home with Savvy's devious ghost in-tow to try and uncover what really happened that night.

Advanced praise has been hailing "Listen for the Lie" as the thriller of the year, and despite not loving the premise of the long-overdone podcast trope, I decided to give it a shot. Before long, I was reminded why I so rarely connect to adult debuts of YA authors; so often, the writing still feels YA with some adult elements haphazardly strewn throughout the plot.

"Listen for the Lie" doesn't boast nearly enough newness to stand out in the sea of thrillers that publishing puts forth these days; the prose is somewhat witty at best and the true crime podcast plot felt tired and overworked. By the end, I found myself wondering how I'd flown so quickly through 350 pages where seemingly nothing happened. If thrillers are your only genre, this could be worth a read if-only for something to breeze through between heavier reads, but I don't see myself revisiting this author again.

Okay, but why was this the funniest thriller I've ever read? I was cracking up out loud with some of the comments made by the FMC Lucy. Her dry sense of humor and twisted thought process was perfection. And her grandmother Beverly?! Her drunken anitcs, multiple men, and no filter cracked me up.
The plot was very intriguing also. A murder mystery where the main suspect doesn't know if they comitted the crime? SIgn me up. I loved the twists, the podcast elements, and the smutty romance sprinkled in. This will be a thriller I will be recommending over and over.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for the eARC!

Listen for the lie is Amy Tintera's adult debut and it did not disappoint. Told from the perspective of Lucy, a woman who is thought to have killed her best friend, but has no memory of that night, as well as through transcripts of a murder mystery podcast centering on Savvy's murder. I really enjoyed the alternating POVs and found the podcast perspective in particular added a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to the novel. I did find it dragged a little bit in certain parts, and found some of the characters a bit confusing to keep straight, but that's probably more of a me problem than an issue with the book. Overall I really enjoyed reading it, was surprised by the ending and would recommend.

😁𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗜 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹?
The writing is absolutely top notch with twists and turns that kept me guessing until literally the VERY end!

I adored the relationship between Lucy and her grandma, Beverly and the witty, snarky, sarcastic comments they would throw in there had me laughing out loud at times which is unheard of in suspenseful thrillers!

I enjoyed how story line was around the FMC who suffered from a TBI (traumatic brain injury) / amnesia and can’t recall the night the crime took place. It was a unique plot and unlike anything I’ve read in any thriller!

👍🏼𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹?
YES YES YES! If you’re looking for a riveting, dark, twisted, fast-paced, page-turner with podcast elements than look no further! I can’t wait to read more from Amy Tintera in the future! 🤗

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the eARC.

This was fantastic. I could not stop reading. I loved the podcast interviews, I loved Lucy’s POV, and mostly I loved Beverly. I needed to know what happened to Savvy.

I just felt like this was so well done. 5 stars. Stellar.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a pre-published addition of this book.

This has to be my favorite style of a way a book is told. Going into the past, podcast blurbs, and one maine narrator. This book was a quick read and the story line was amazing!

Amy illustrates the story into your mind perfectly. There are just enough details and not too much where things feel drawn out.

I would recomend this to friends and family to read.
On my list for top favorite books I've read.

I look forward to reading more from Amy.

3.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I did enjoy the characters and their sarcasm. I felt like it could have had more twists, something different. Overall, it was a decent read .

Lucy has always wondered if she was the one who had murdered her friend, Savvy. Found wandering the road covered in Savvy’s blood, Lucy had now memory of what happened in the time leading up to the murder.

Five years later, Ben is in town trying to discover the truth. The host of Listen to the Lie podcast, Ben interviews friends, family members and finally Lucy trying to uncover the truth.

This book sounded right up my alley but it didn’t quit hit the mark. I really enjoyed the podcast aspect of the book and I loved the grandmother. She was fun! I found I didn’t connect with or care for the main character. I found her inner dialogue annoying and it got old quickly. There is also a lot of sleeping around in the small town of Plumpton. A lot. Like, everyone. Overall I give this one 3⭐️. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

What an amazing first adult novel from Amy Tintera! She will be a must read for me from now on!

Lucy returns to her small-town Texas hometown after five years when the new life she made for herself in LA is threatened by a new true-crime podcast. The podcast focuses on getting to the bottom of the murder of Lucy’s best friend Savvy, and finding out what really happened. Lucy has suffered from amnesia since the incident and by going back she is determined to find out what happened.

I loved this book and could not put it down. I enjoyed the fast pace of the story and all of the twists I did not see coming. Lucy’s character really grew on me with all of her sarcasm and wit throughout. I especially liked her relationship with her grandmother. 💕

I highly recommend this book 😊

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing access to this book.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I was blown away. I love the podcast episodes within the book. I’m usually a fan of mixed media, so that was no surprise to me.

Lucy was such an unreliable narrator it was fun to question her and her motives. I was very interested in her relationship with her family members. Her intrusive thoughts were interesting to say the least.

This book had more twists and turns than I was expecting. The ending was jaw dropping to say the least.

5 Stars!

Wow, I can't believe this was a debut! An absolute nail biter from the beginning.

What to Expect:
- Whodunnit
- Small town murder
- Cold Case
- Mixed media (podcast!)
- Dark comedy
- Feisty and hilarious grandmother

I savored every page of this book. It was that good.

Lucy is believed to have murdered her best friend five years ago. There was never enough evidence for a conviction so she wasn't charged but she might as well have been because everyone believes she did it. Including her parents. Lucy remembers nothing from the fateful night. It's five years later and a podcaster has taken interest in the case, opening it all up again.

This was smart, sarcastic, and unputdownable.

I listened to the audio on this one and it was great. I heard that the narrators are good friends or a couple maybe?

The mystery was clever and I had no idea until about half an hour before it was unveiled.

If you enjoy dark humor, witty banter, and a story that will totally hold you in its clutches until the end, then I definitely recommend checking this one out!

I loved this. It was fast-paced, funny, and kept me wondering until the very end.

Lucy and her best friend, Savvy, are attending a wedding in their hometown of Plumpton, Texas. They leave the wedding together and the next morning Lucy is found wandering the streets. She’s barely coherent, has a head wound, and is covered in blood. Complicating matters is that she can’t remember anything that happened at the wedding or afterwards. There are no other witnesses and not enough evidence to arrest her so she is never charged.

We meet Lucy five years later. She’s moved to a new city and has built a semblance of a new life, but a popular true crime podcast has dug up the story and drawn attention back to Lucy. In the middle of dealing with the fallout from the renewed interest in Savvy’s murder, circumstances arise that require Lucy to go back home to Plumpton where she must face her past and try to remember what really happened the night her best friend died.

I was hooked from the first page. I really enjoyed Lucy’s character. Her sarcastic humor and snakiness had me smiling from the very first page. I was rooting for her throughout the whole book, even knowing that she might actually be the killer, and I was definitely cheering for her at the very end. Her grandmother was also a wonderful addition to the cast of characters. She was sassy and straightforward and had no qualms about making her opinions known.

This being a murder mystery there were, of course, several unlikable characters, including Lucy’s parents and her ex-husband. We’re introduced to some of them during Lucy’s time back in Plumpton, while others we get to know through the podcast. We also get to know Savvy and learn about her friendship with Lucy through flashbacks and through Savvy’s voice that we hear in Lucy’s head. Tintera does a great job of keeping us on our toes and making us question everyone and everything, including Lucy. The podcast helps reveal several lies and motives that keep us guessing until the very end.

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more of Amy Tintera’s work.

Thanks NetGally, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Publishers for this advanced copy.

Great book! My first by this author. The MC Lucy was a force to be reckoned with. I loved her sarcasm and banter. Will be checking out more by Amy Tintera.

WOW! A non stop thriller that you won’t put down. I’m predicting it to be one of the top books you will read in 2024! My mind is spinning and I’m defiantly in a book hang over. TBR TBR TBR
You will not regret grabbing this book as soon as it’s released.
A MUST READ!


Thank you Net Galley & Macmillan Audio for the advanced Audiobook

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

I really enjoyed this book! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed while reading a thriller before, but I loved Lucy’s dry sense of humour. The podcast elements throughout were engaging and I had a hard time putting it down once I got into it. I didn’t predict the twist at the end, but I just felt like I wanted more from it. Overall, I definitely recommend this fun and fast-paced thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy is accused of murdering her best friend. Everyone thinks so, including her parents. She may even think so. She was found bumbling along a dirt road covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood after the murder. The problem is, Lucy cannot remember anything about that night. There also was not enough evidence to convict her.

Five years later, Lucy is living in L.A. when a famous true crime podcast, Listen for the Lie, decides to investigate Savvy’s murdered. Lucy is lured home to a small Texas town to solve the murder. Even if she might be the murderer.

This is a smart, sarcastic take on a whodunit and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I grew up in a small town in Texas, and the descriptions here are spot on. Lucy is so witty and likable, and I honestly didn’t care if she was the murderer or not. I also enjoyed her relationship with her grandmother. I am a big fan of mixed media in a book. I didn’t listen to the audio, but I would bet it would be a good option here. The podcast aspect is done really well. I didn’t feel like it was overused. This is the author’s adult debut, which is super exciting. I think it’s a hit.

Several Years Ago:

Lucy and Savvy resided in a small town in Texas and had been best friends for years. Lucy ended up marrying a wealthy man, they bought the perfect house and they looked like they were living their best life. Savvy was a social butterfly and was considered sweet and liked by everyone. One night everything goes wrong and Lucy is found wounded, covered in Savvy’s blood and wandering in a wooded area. A few hours later, Savvy’s body is found. Because Lucy was also wounded, police believed that both Lucy and Savvy were victims of attacks but as the investigation proceeded, it was discovered that wedding guests had seen them having a disagreement and doubts about Lucy arise, especially as she claims amnesia and says that she can’t remember what happened that night. While Lucy was never charged for Savvy’s murder, the gossip mill had charged, tried and convicted her and so Lucy moves to California for a new start.

Current Day:

Podcaster, Ben Owens starts digging into Savvy’s murder on his podcast “Listen for the Lie”. He contacts Lucy’s grandmother asking for assistance in getting Lucy to talk to him and because her grandmother has always believed in her innocence, she convinces Lucy to come back to Texas to face the past.

My thoughts: I went into this book assuming that it would be an average thriller/mystery but I was pleasantly surprised to find it above average and it kept me riveted to the very end of the book. At times I found it disturbing as there was a lot of gaslighting happening in the plot but after some thought, I realized that it was a fair plot point as gaslighting happens a lot – that’s why there is a term for it. If you are looking for a thriller-style book that will keep you engaged, I recommend giving this one a try. Trigger warnings for domestic violence.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for a review copy.

One of my favorite thrillers by far! I love the "newer" trend of thrillers featuring podcast episodes, seasons, hosts, etc. It adds such a fun element to novels and breaks up the story in an interesting way by allowing viewpoints you wouldn't necessarily hear. Listen for the Lie had me hooked from the beginning and I will definitely be looking out for more books from this author in the future!

If you are looking for a thriller that’ll keep you turning the pages quickly, then Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is one that you need to read!

As with most thrillers I don’t want to write too much in the review so you get the job of figuring things out yourself, but I can say that the relationship between Lucy and Ben is a great balance. Lucy is amusing with her attitude of being sick of being accused of murder, and Ben is right there to balance her out. The character development and their relationship is very well done.

Although I don’t listen to true crime podcasts (much to the dismay of some of my friends who keep getting me to try) I did enjoy how it was incorporated into the story. Tintera had me guessing for a long time as to who the murderer was, and although I did figure it out, there were some details that I hadn’t completely figured out.

Any good thriller will tie everything up, but still leave you thinking about it afterwards, which Listen for the Lie completely did for me.