This book is everything I’m looking for in a thriller. It had humor. It kept me hooked and wanting to read the next chapter. And then the next. It kept me guessing what was the actual truth. I loved every minute of this book.
The pacing was perfect. The characters were all interesting in their own way. Grandma is the best!! We all need someone like her in our corner even when you’re accused of murder. I really liked Lucy as a MC. Her inner monologue was a lot of fun. I loved the way you very slowly get more info along the way through the podcast. It was truly hard to guess how this book would end and I LOVE a good surprise ending. This was such a fun rollercoaster ride. I highly recommend 🖤

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for the ARC. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

I have read a lot of thrillers, particularly in the past two years and I would say this one ranks in the top ten.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera uses the backdrop of the popular podcast to frame the story like so many others recently. But what makes this book different is how the podcast is used, and the way the author takes usual tropes and twists them in unique ways. For example, the protagonist is introduced as a mean girl. But it becomes clear that she has lost her memory (a trope that happens very frequently in thrillers), but in that she doesn't remember a specific tragic event, the murder of her best friend. The trope is usually used as a way to make the protagonist sound crazy, which annoys me, but here is so that both she and the podcaster are looking for the truth together, even if that truth is that she herself is the murderer. And the characters are delightful. The main character is complex and multilayered and not such a mean girl afterall. The saucy grandmother steals every scene she is in. While the ending was a twist, I found that I didn't even care because I enjoyed the journey so much getting there. An unexpected gem of a thriller!

Perfectly plotted and expertly written! Loved the characters and how they were woven into the story. I did not see the ending until the last chapters. You will not want to put this book down! Loved it. Recommend!

Thank you @netgalley and @celadonbooks for this advance copy.
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My only problem with Tintera’s debut adult novel is that I couldn’t read it fast enough. Have I ever given a thriller 5 stars? Maybe once or twice, but it’s pretty rare. It’s also rare to find a page turning suspense novel with lovable characters, snarky banter, a romance…and did I mention a true crime podcast? This was so excellently done. Loved it!

Read this book! Listen for the Lie was a twisted, spinny, funny story, with just the right amount of suspicion and romance and (sometimes dark but always good) humor. I am the first to admit I'm not a thriller/suspense kind of reader, but I have loved Amy Tintera's YA novels and trusted her storytelling. This might even get me more into the genre! The podcast was such a fun element to the book, and the writing was done so well I felt like I could hear the podcast and conversations in my head. I was able to guess the ending, but I was never certain until I was -- which was a great feeling that really kept my attention. I can't wait until it's release and I can give the audiobook version a listen.

Thanks to Celadon Books for the ARC and Macmillan Audio the ALC!

Talk about a perfect thriller audiobook! LISTEN FOR THE LIE is a fast-paced unraveling of what really happened the night Lucy’s best friend Savannah was murdered… because she still can’t remember. January LaVoy and Will Damron absolutely kill this on audio, with the podcast element making it a chef’s kiss! This is fast-paced, has sarcasm that’ll make you laugh out loud, and will keep you guessing up until the end!

Love this ARC and if you like crime/cold case podcast, you will enjoy this. The writing style is so easy to follow short chapters with podcast episodes between chapters. A riveting mystery thriller that will keep readers engaged to the very end . I want more stories like this, I didn't want to do anything but read this book.

What if you thought you murdered your best friend and everyone else thought so too?

Bingeable page turner.. Murder, amnesia-trope mixed in with comedy. I enjoyed the podcast element. You’ll likely keep saying “one more chapter” until you realize you’ve stayed up all night and finished the book.

Wow. This was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time- completely gripping. I finished it in a day, and don’t know what to do so the myself now that it’s over.

Amy Tintera knocked it out of the park in her first book geared toward adults. I’ll miss Lucy and Beverly, and look forward to her next release!


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mystery/thriller readers are in for a treat with this book! Main character and narrator Lucy has the snark of a Veronica Mars and the dark humor of a Wednesday Addams. This book was so much fun and I am going to be recommending it to everyone I know. Put this title on your TBR, because people are going to be talking about this one!

I will be adding reviews for this book to my Goodreads account as well as to Instagram as @goodquietkitty on February 24, 2024.

Everyone in her small town seems to believe that Lucy murdered her best friend Savvy, even though Lucy can’t remember what truly happened. Years after moving to L.A., Lucy is brought back to her town by the second season of a very popular podcast, “Listen for the Lie”, as the podcaster, Ben, has decided to cover her case.

Lucy is determined to see this through to the end, even if it reveals that she is the murderer.

Gah, this was a good book! I could not put it down. I love mysteries and thrillers with podcast elements, such as interviews and transcripts, and this book uses them so well. The mystery is a really twisty, surprising one, and manages to be both heartbreaking and uplifting in the reveal. This book is funny too, especially Lucy and Ben. I would highly recommend this book.

This one completely lives up to the hype. I was glued to it from beginning to end. The premise is so intriguing and it’s carried out so well. An easy 5 star read that you will not want to put down!

The story is told from the perspective of Lucy, best friend of Savvy who was found murdered in a park after a wedding. Lucy was found wandering the streets covered in her blood with a massive head wound. One thing leads to another and everyone thinks she murdered her best friend. The trouble is, she has no idea if it’s true or not.

Throughout the stories are snippets of conversations from a true crime podcast (with a sexy host) following the story 5 years after the murder.

Lucy was such a hilarious character. I loved her dark humor and sarcasm. I found her to be really relatable and she cracked me up. Lucy’s grandma was such a mess in the best way. I loved her sass and no shit attitude.

If you love that true crime feel, you’ll want to give this a read.

What a great adult debut novel! I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this new mystery/thriller and devoured it really quickly. I always love a book that is told in varying types of formatting...and this one does just that, with your typical narration alternating between that and podcast transcriptions, which are interviews of all the other people in this town who might have information about who the murderer is. This made it so much fun to hear others perspectives and to try to figure out exactly "whodunit." I'm pretty sure I flipped my guess on this at least five times until the satisfying ending, when the true murderer is uncovered.


I know it's early in the year, but I'm willing to bet this one will easily make my top 5, if not top 3 thrillers of the year. It was just that good!

Before I even made it to the end of chapter one, I knew this book would become one of my faves in 2024.

Listen For The Lie was all kinds of amazing. Lucy is my new fictional BFF and I absolutely loved her! This was a mystery/thriller with a podcast element and some dark humour that had me grinning from ear to ear. In all honesty I have nothing but praise for this little gem. Writing, story line, plot, pacing and the characters were so darn good. Such a fun thriller that I seriously need a physical copy now. As do you 🤣.

Just when Lucy thought her past had escaped her, it's coming back to haunt her in the form of a podcast. Years ago, Lucy was discovered walking the streets covered in her dead best friend's blood. Everyone thought Lucy had murdered Savvy, but there was no proof. Lucy still can't remember what happened that night in Texas. Lucy has started her life over in L.A., but a true crime podcaster named Ben Owens decides to investigate Savvy's death for his podcast called "Listen For The Lie" completely imploding everything in Lucy's new life. Lucy decides to return home to Texas, determined once and for all to find answers to who murdered her friend, even if she finds out that it was her.

This was one twisty, fun, thrill ride of a read. I don't think I've had this much fun reading a murder mystery in quite some time. Lucy, despite her curmudgeonly, sarcastic self, is such a fantastic character. She's pretty sure she didn't kill her bff, but she isn't quite confident in that fact. She's tired of being judged by everyone about the murder and has developed this who cares philosophy, especially with everyone from her smalltown. When Ben, the podcaster, shows up in Texas, he starts stirring up some trouble and ruffling some feathers, then sits back and watches. I thought I wouldn't like his character, but it turns out I was wrong. The podcasts in the book are a fun addition and throw everyone in Lucy's town for a tailspin. This one kept me on my toes, and I definitely did not see the twist at the end.

I read this fresh whodunnit in one sitting! I'm a sucker for an unreliable narrator, and Lucy certainly fits the bill.

I found Amy Tintera's writing clever and entertaining. It added moments of levity to an otherwise dark plot. I was enthralled from page one. Grandma was a hoot.

I saw some readers didn't care for Lucy's snark. As someone who isn't a fan of snarkiness, I didn't find Lucy snarky at all. She was blunt with a dry wit, and I thought it worked well for her character.

A debut adult novel that is unputdownably well done! 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC. This book was so good I finished it in 1 day! I just had to know what happened. The story follows Lucy, who 5 years ago was accused of murdering her best friend. She can't remember anything from that night, but her best friend Savvy is dead. Now Ben, a popular true crime podcaster is following this story to try and solve the case, interviewing all Lucy's old friends and family back home. Lucy goes home for her Grandma's birthday and meets Ben who is on her side and wants to help her figure out who murdered Savvy. The story takes us through Lucy's story and also we get to see all the interviews Ben does on his podcast. With Lucy back home it's bringing up all these memories and she keeps getting closer to remembering what happened that night, and when she does its the biggest twist yet! This book lived up to all they hype I was seeing about online!

I could not put this one down! I found myself looking for excuses to pick up my Kindle again, just to go back to reading it. The tension is superb, but what I did not expect was the humor! More than once, I giggled at the MC's cutting sharp wit. Loved it and was very sad to see it end.

4 ⭐️. This book was pretty great, it’s a whodunit mystery about Lucy who was never charged but accused (in the peoples opinion) by her small Texas town of killing her best friend, Savvy, in an event that she can’t remember. It centers around a podcaster trying to solve the mystery in a mix of present day, podcast recordings and some past flashbacks. My favorite thing about this book is short chapters!! I can’t be the only one who adores short chapters in mysteries, it makes me feel like a speed reader.

This is the author’s first adult thriller and I love the way it was written, our fmc Lucy is full of dry, sarcastic humor, which made me like her and laugh (note: dark humor). I liked the way the podcast aspect was done in this book, I’ve read others with a podcast element and it didn’t work for me, this one worked for me, as the transcribed episodes didn’t drag. I gobbled this book up in 2 sittings, very bingeable. I hate when I figure out mysteries ahead of the reveal and I can honestly say I wasn’t sure where this was going. It takes a leap of faith in believability for the whole thing, but overall I was very impressed and would definitely read more from this author if she comes out with more adult thrillers.
Tw: domestic abuse.

Do yourself a favor and pick up this book if you like mysteries and true crime podcasts with some dark humor. Book is out March 5, 2024.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Amy Tinera for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy hasn’t been back to her hometown in five years, since she was found walking down the road covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood. Unable to remember anything from the night of Savvy’s death and branded a murderer, Lucy fled to LA to start a new life. Only upon her grandmothers request to come back for her 80th birthday, does Lucy finally venture back home. This also happens to coincide with a podcaster, Ben, focusing his recent season on solving Savvy’s murder. As Ben interviews people from Lucy’s hometown and begins spending time with Lucy herself, many secrets come to light. Who actually killed Savvy? And who knows more than they are letting on?

I wasn’t sure about this book at first- the podcast format took some getting used to. But once I got through the first few chapters, I was fully invested. So many twists and turns, and so many intriguing characters.
I also really enjoyed the underlying commentary throughout the book about what behavior/actions are considered acceptable for a woman versus a man. The book does a great job at framing the reality that our society is quick to believe a man’s word over a woman’s.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.