WOW, this was an insanely addicting read! Lucy Chase can’t remember the night that her best friend, Savvy, was murdered… but she was found wandering the streets covered in blood… but has no memory of what happened. Despite never being charged, most of the residents of the small-town Texas town she lives in, thinks she did it. Once a true-crime podcast picks up the case, all of Lucy’s efforts to move on come to an immediate halt as she is thrown right back into the place she vowed to never set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder…even if she is the one that did it

- The twists and turns on this one kept me intrigued the entire time
- HIGHLY recommend the audiobook! It makes the whole podcast vibe of the story come to life – especially having a male and female narrator! January LaVoy always does a killer job, no pun intended

READ if you like
- True Crime podcasts
- Small town thrillers
- Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, None of This is True, Things We Do In the Dark, I Have Some Questions for You

This was AMAZING. The unhinged female, the small town vibes. I ended up doing this one on audio and it was fantastic. I loved the dual pov and the podcast format even thought I never even listen to podcasts. The voices and narration made it so comical to listen to.

I really enjoyed this book. I like how we got current timeline and the transcripts for the podcast episodes. There were so many times I was certain I had figured this out, and I was completely wrong. I found Lucy’s personality absolutely hilarious. She could have let everyone thinking she murdered her best friend completely tear her down, but she found humor in it. Beverly might be my absolute favorite character though 😂I highly recommend this! I was hooked from the first page.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳.”

Savvy is dead and her best friend Lucy is found with Savvy’s blood all over her, but Lucy can’t remember what happened.

This story starts 5 years after Savvy’s death. A true crime podcaster, Ben, is investigating who really killed Savvy. Was it Lucy, who the whole town believes did it, or someone else?

I really enjoyed this one! I loved Lucy’s sarcastic and dry humor. Her grandmother was hilarious too. It took me a minute to get into, but it picked up quickly and kept me turning the pages to try and figure out what really happened the night Savvy died! I liked the true crime podcast element and how some of the updates were given in real time. I didn’t see the twist coming, but it also didn’t shock me. It didn’t give me that “oh my gosh!” feel. But overall I enjoyed this one and would recommend checking it out when it comes out!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon books for the ebook and the opportunity to share my honest review!

Five years ago, Lucy was wandering the woods after a wedding with her best friend’s, Savvy, blood all over her dress. Savvy is dead. Lucy does not remember anything from that night. She is not charged with murder due to insufficient evidence. Everyone in Plumpton, Texas including her parents think she murdered Savvy. She after she leaves and moves to Los Angeles.

Ben is a smug handsome podcast who travels to Plumpton to interview people about this cold case. Lucy comes back to town for her grandmother’s birthday party while Ben is in town. Lucy has not done any interviews but does decide to be interviewed by Ben.

This is a fast paced novel from Lucy’s POV with the podcast episodes sprinkled throughout the chapters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the complimentary arc copy.

Lucy goes back to her hometown of Plumpton, TX after five years. Hiding in Los Angeles, because everyone in her hometown thinks she murdered her best friend Savvy, which is still an unsolved murder. Despite claiming amnesia, there was not enough evidence to prosecute her, even though, quite frankly, there was!

Until Ben, (who also is in Plumpton at the same time) a podcaster tries to solve her murder. They join forces to find out who the true killer is. Both characters are incredibly self serving and I hated their interactions. The podcast is told in real time with interviews and evidence to see what really happened the night of the grisly murder.

The first 30% intrigued me: a batch of characters, including Lucy’s inner mind telling her to “kill them”, despite denying she ever did anything. However, as the book went on, I hated the characters more and more. The smugness of each character, the actual podcast being played out, the side storylines, ugh.

I skimmed until the actual reveal and at that point, I could care less.
Another murder mystery down the tubes for me.

Strap in for a wild ride. I really enjoyed this story. Thank you to netgalley for this ARC. Lucy is a victim (or is she?) she is found filthy, soaked in blood, with a brain injury and no memory of how or why it happened. She has left her hometown since everyone pretty much thinks she killed her best friend and she has no memory to dispute it. Lucy is brought back to town by her loving grandmother to celebrate her birthday. A true crime podcaster Ben is in town trying to discover who killed Savannah. I loved how the writing style changed and the chapters were short. Finished this book quickly!

I have heard so much buzz about this one! Five years ago, Lucy was found covered in blood and her best friend was found dead….but she has no memory of the entire day or what happened that night and no charges were ever made in Savvy’s murder. In present day, Ben has come to Texas to interview anyone related to Lucy and this cold case for season two of his true crime podcast “Listen For The Lie.” He is determined to figure out what happened to Savvy, and Lucy is determined to gain back her memories and help exonerate herself and figure out who murdered her best friend.

If this was a real podcast I would have been rapt listening to how this unfolded. I loved Lucy’s sassy grandma and their relationship. For some reason I wasn’t as gripped as others who have read this, but I still really enjoyed it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks, Celadon Books and Macmillian Audio, for the early review copies of the e-book and audiobook via NetGalley. (Available 5 Mar 24)

Lucy is opinionated, sarcastic, bitter, and wildly physically expressive (often imagining murders and/or making out with various men). Five years ago, she was accused of bludgeoning her best friend Savvy to death after a wedding. Thanks to the trauma and a brain injury, Lucy doesn’t remember if she did it or not. Her small-town neighbors (and even her parents) assume she must have, so Lucy flips them the bird and moves to LA. That is until her grandmother asks her to come home for her birthday (in truth, planning to ambush Lucy with handsome Ben, a true crime podcaster investigating Savvy’s murder).

Bingeable, twisty, dark, and thrilling, this story made me look for something to clean to keep listening. I enjoyed anti-hero Lucy’s thoughts and zippy comebacks. She’s my favorite kind of snarky (though she definitely has some impulse control issues!). The plot pulled me along, and I enjoyed the characters (especially Grandma Beverly!) and dialog.

I strongly recommend you read this as an audiobook to take full advantage of LaVoe’s narration (I thought it was a full-cast production until I read the credits) and the co-narration between Ben and Lucy during the podcast portions of the story.

It's not easy to make a whodunit equally twisty and fun, but this one totally is! Tintera's "adult" debut is the story about Lucy, who everyone thinks killed her BF Savvy, mostly because she doesn't deny it since she can't remember what happened that fateful night. Five years later, a true crime podcast puts her in the spotlight again. So she returns to her hometown and must decide whether to cooperate with Ben, the podcast host, to figure out what really happened.
The first third of the book sets up the many characters and starts slowly revealing what may have happened that murderous night. By the second third, I was completely invested in the story. The snippets of the podcast interspersed within the story are well done and not just used as a gimmick.
I very much enjoyed this twisty mystery/thriller and will certainly be recommending it to others.

Thank you #Celadon for providing me this eARC in exchange for my honest review. .

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this ARC!!


I HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT A RIDE THIS WAS. the main character is sarcastic and witty and more relatable than you would imagine. If I decided to write everything I loved about the book, this would last forever. I finished it in about 24 hours, and wanted to immediately start it over once I was done. Literally no complaints.

Loved this one! I did a print/audio combo and while the podcast trope has been done a lot, I still thought this was unique and entertaining. I was left guessing until the very end, and was pleasantly surprised at how this one played out.

Lucy is living in LA when a true crime podcast becomes popular, only thing is…it involves her. Years ago her best friend Savvy is murdered in their small Texas town. And most people think Lucy did it. The podcast star, Ben visits their hometown to interview everyone and get more information for his true crime podcast. He interviews Lucy and they start to work together to solve Savvy’s murder when they uncover some scandals.

The podcast thing is overdone, in my opinion, but this was done well! This was more of a small town drama novel vs true crime story like I was expecting. I loved Lucy’s snarky attitude!

Thanks to Net Galley and Celadon books for the ARC! Pub date 3/5/24

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC!!

When Lucy Chase is found covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone instantly assumes Lucy is the killer. And because Lucy has absolutely no memories of that night, she can’t help but wonder – could she have been the one responsible for killing her best friend? Savvy, the beautiful, outgoing, social butterfly?

It’s been 5 years since Savvy’s murder and Ben Owens, a handsome, true crime podcaster is determined to find Savvy’s killer. He begins reaching out to Lucy, and soon she is forced to return back to her small, gossipy hometown in Texas to see if she can recall any memories from that night.

This book was SO good and so much fun!! There was truly never a dull moment. I loved the format of the past to present, the podcast conversations and interviews, and of course the pesky voice inside Lucy’s head. This was so great to read as it was a breath of fresh air. Finally, an original and suspenseful thriller, with sarcastic, snarky and sassy unreliable characters - jam packed with drama. I absolutely loved it!

thriller/suspense 🔪
memory loss 🧠
best friends 👭
romance ❤️

TW: domestic abuse, murder, sexual assault

#ListenfortheLie #NetGalley

🎧 BOOK / REVIEW 🎧

2 words - LOVED IT.

@amytintera - #listenforthelie was an absolute delight to read from start to finish. Thanks to #partner @celadonbooks, I got an #ARC and a finished copy, which will be making its way into the local #lfl in March 🫶. While I loved having a physical copy, I heard the #audiobook version is INCREDIBLE.

This book had it ALL - murder, mystery, romance, laughter ... you name it. This was one of the funniest #thrillers I have ever read - which seems insane, but somehow it really worked. The characters were so wonderful in this - Beverly was a hoot, Lucy was OUT THERE, and Ben was charming. We are also treated to "ghost Savvy" who had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions. While the #podcast format of books seems to be overplayed in the #thriller category these days, it was very subtle here and added the perfect touch. 👌

This was truly the best mash-up of genres, and I don't know how else to convince you that you just need to read it. Prepare to be dazzled and entertained, all while solving a mystery. What a FUN book - this one publishes March 5th, 2024.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This book was exactly what I needed! I'd been slogging through HOFAS the entire month of February and kept telling myself I should just pick up a mystery/thriller and break my slump. I don't know why I kept delaying but once I finally did it, I knew it was the right choice.

LISTEN FOR THE LIE was an incredibly engaging story that I never wanted to put down. I'm sure it'll end up on some of my best-of lists this year. Lucy's best friend was found murdered... and then Lucy was found wandering around with her friend's blood all over her. The town made assumptions while Lucy couldn't remember anything from that day/night. When she finally returns to town around the same time a new true crime podcast releases about the case, she ends up working with the podcaster to try to figure out what happened... even if that means she learns she's the guilty one.

As usual, I loved the mixed media elements of this story. I don't care what anyone says... I love a true crime podcast plotline still! There were a lot of interesting characters and connections that you learn throughout. I didn't see the ending coming but I wouldn't be surprised if other readers were able to.

The main character was super funny and sarcastic; she wasn't always likeable but she was very entertaining, which helps! I liked that Lucy made mistakes a lot because she felt real but she definitely could frustrate some readers.

I really loved this one and debated giving it five-stars. I can't really put my finger on why it's not a perfect favorite... There was a romance element here that I didn't really mind but also wasn't necessary in this kind of book. The characters and small town vibes were great and very fleshed out overall. Highly recommend adding this to your spring TBR!

Five years ago, Lucy Chase was found along a highway with her best friend ,Savvy’s , blood all over her dress. The whole town of Plumpton, TX thinks Lucy killed Savvy even though there isn’t enough evidence to convict her. Now she’s back for her grandmother’s 80th birthday party and is ready to delve in the past along while a true crime podcaster , Ben Owens, to find out what actually happened that night.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is a dark , witty, well written, whodunit psychological thriller with relatable characters. A fun entertaining read.

I would like to thank Celadon Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

Really enjoyed reading an ARC for this book. I liked the tone of the book and Lucy's voice throughout it. I thought she had this perfect snarky sarcasm that she carried off well throughout the book. I like true crime podcast settings for books and I liked how certain chapters were a transcript of the actual podcast. Definitely some surprises throughout. I thought the author did a great job of showing how people make up their minds about something without knowing all the details. I loved how people's opinions changed throughout the book as more evidence was provided based on podcast research. A fun, solid read. Highly recommend.

As someone who's podcast que is 99% true crime, this book was right up my alley. This was a face paced story and I enjoyed the alternating chapters that were podcast episodes. Lucy who has no memory of the night that changed everything about her life as she knew it. Listen For the Lie was a dark, twisty, messed up family, small town gossip, slow-burn that kept me guessing and held my attention from the first page all the way through to the last. Listen for the Lie is worth adding to your TBR!
.
.
Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I know that at this point, the podcast thriller set up has been played out. But just stick with me, because this book is worth it.

Listen for the Lie is a small town mystery about Lucy, who was accused of killing her best friend 5 years ago. Lucy is now living her not-so-best life in L.A. when her beloved grandmother asks her to return to celebrate her 80th birthday. (If this lady, Beverly, was my grandma, I would 100% make that trip.) Coincidentally, a podcaster has arrived in town to investigate the unsolved murder that the town decided Lucy committed. The problem is Lucy has no memory of the murder and does not know if she is the killed Savvy.

If you have not yet read a review for Listen for the Lie, let me tell you that it is getting rave reviews. You will surely see it all over whatever book-related social media you consume very soon.

I think the popularity of this book pre-release can be attributed to Amy Tintera’s writing and characters. Tintera structures the story in short, quick chapters that urge you to binge it. The narrative is interspersed with partial podcast segments as the episodes drop in the novel’s timeline. Essentially, readers are reading/listening to the podcast as the characters do. As a result, readers feel like the characters are reacting to the episodes in real time. This created an engaging story that I did not want to put down.

I also think Tintera’s writing style is a fun departure from the usual thriller/mystery faire. I was not expecting to read a book about murder that was as comedic as Listen for the Lie. The tone is consistent throughout the story and aided by the protagonist’s sassy comments. Lucy’s sarcasm was dripping off the pages. Have I mentioned the murderous voice in her head? That is not to say the writing was perfect. For example, the word smug was used over 30 times.

I must also mention that Tintera is spot on in her depiction of small town dynamics. If you think they are exaggerated after reading this, I promise you Tintera has this aspect correct. I can attest to as much as someone who grew up in a town even smaller than Plumpton.

Now do I think this was a brilliantly plotted mystery? No, not really. The book provides plenty of red herrings and suspects but does not bring any new, inventive twists to the table. But in the end, that did not matter because I had such a good time reading it.

I do have a few quibbles with the book beyond some repetitive language. There is a romance storyline that is completely unnecessary. I am going to chalk this up to the fact Tintera is a YA author making the pivot to adult fiction. In addition, Lucy continually denies something that very apparently happened throughout the book. I felt like we were never given a real explanation for why, and it stuck out as an odd choice for the character. Similarly, I thought Lucy ignoring, or at least failing to call out, all the male gaslighting was unacceptable. It is 2024; let women support other women unabashedly.

Overall, Listen to the Lie is a quick, fun mystery novel that highlights real issues while keeping a comedic tone. I definitely recommend it unless you are easily irritated by repetitive phrases, sarcasm, or the occasional immaturity.