In a gripping mystery whodunnit, each podcast episode unveils tantalizing clues, shifting suspicions, and unexpected revelations. As listeners immerse themselves in the narrative, they become amateur sleuths, piecing together the puzzle alongside the host. With every installment, tension mounts, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats until the shocking truth is finally uncovered, leaving them clamoring for the next episode to unravel the remaining mysteries.

This was a wild ride of a book! I listened to the audiobook and read the ebook at the same time, which I really suggest others do as well. It made reading it an experience. I was a little bit bored for maybe the first 40% of it but something compelled me to keep reading. I’m glad I did because… holy s***!!! I’m keeping this review vague because I want you to just go in completely blind and see what happens! Highly recommend!

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the chance to read the e-arc of Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera.
This is Amy Tintera’s adult debut, but you would never know it from the complexity of the story. If you have read any of the jacket reviews (Hello Stephen King, Alice Feeney and Liane Moriarty!) or any of the hype behind the book, believe it. This is a real deal adult thriller.

Our lead character, Lucy, is as traumatized as they come. Her best friend, Savvy (short for Savannah) is killed in a horrible way five years before, and Lucy suffers a traumatic brain injury that, among other things, keeps her from remembering what happened. She is the main suspect, although never arrested due to lack of evidence. Although Lucy gets away from her very small (15,000) Texas town, full of people who absolutely believe she is the killer, she voluntarily returns from Los Angeles to host a birthday party for her grandmother (who is by far my favorite character!) The first twist? A journalist, Ben Owens, has just started a new season of his crime podcast “Listen for the Lie” featuring Savvy’s murder…

Think you have read plot this before? Think again! There are so many twists and turns, and a fair amount of domestic drama, that it is anyone’s guess until the very end what really happened that night five years ago. Every time I though I had figured it out, and found a new character to despise (there are many candidates!), Ben features another interview on the podcast and the doubts start over again.

I put off reading this for awhile (not being a true crime lover, I was concerned it was not my kind of read.) But the story reads like a traditional thriller with snippets of the podcast woven in that truly support the narrative. Tintera was able to get me to care about an unlikeable main character and root for her while the narrative truly pointed to her as a killer.

This book intrigued me so much that I read over 200 pages in one day, then woke up at 6:30 am to finish it up! (I should have believed all the hype and read this sooner!) Here’s hoping that Tintera continues to write adult thrillers. 5/5 star read

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Told through podcast episodes and typical novel style, this small-town murder read kept me on the edge of my seat. The pacing started out slow but quickly picked up as more was revealed through the podcast episodes. Using the podcast as a way to reveal things to the reader and the characters was brilliant, and I thought it added something different to the reading experience.

The characters were interesting, and the interactions with one another kept the story moving. Grandma and Lucy were my favorite; their banter had me laughing several times. Be prepared for some dark humor throughout, which made me really connect with Lucy.

A couple of things happened that I either wish weren’t included or that they were discussed more. They kind of felt like they were thrown in and were semi-important but they never really developed, so I was left thinking, “oh so we aren’t going to talk more about that. Ok, cool.”

Overall, this was a twisty thriller that kept me wondering what the outcome would be. If you love small-town vibes, dark humor, sarcastic main characters, or mixed-media stories, this one should be a hit.

Years ago, after the wedding of a friend, Savannah was killed and her friend Lucy, who was found covered in blood and walking aimlessly, was assumed to be the killer. It could never be proven one way or another, but Lucy's husband believed it enough to make her leave so others believed it to be true.
Lucy has no memory of anything after the wedding and wonders if she did, in fact, murder her best friend.
Now five years later, Ben Owens, of true life podcasts, has decided to find out the truth by making Savvy's murder the focus of his next podcast.
Lucy's grandmother's birthday party coincides with the timing of the podcast and she returns to town for the party. It's obvious the townspeople still feel she is a killer and many resent being questioned by Ben. When Lucy consents to be interviewed, her family included parents and ex-hubby, get nervous. Good story!
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy. Honest opinions expressed here are freely given.

I absolutely love a good fast paced mystery/thriller that grabs you from the first page and leaves you thinking for days. This was my very first one by this author and I can say with certainty that I will be on the lookout for more from them. I enjoyed all of the characters and drama in this book. I sat down with this book and refused to set it down. The plot/storyline pulled me in right away and I wanted to know what was going to happen chapter after chapter until the very last page.

Once you think you know who did it, you really don’t and that’s the best part of it. With the drama, the humor throughout and the amazing relatable characters, I think that this book will be a winner for everybody who enjoys this genre. I will be recommending this book to all book friends of mine. This needs to be on your TBR right away.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Five years ago Savannah Harper is murdered in her hometown of Plumpton, Texas. Even though no one was arrested, everyone believes her best friend Lucy killed her. Lucy has no memory of that fateful night and has since started a new life in Los Angeles. But when famous podcaster Ben Owens chooses Savannah’s story for the second season of his podcast “Listen for the Lie”, Lucy is forced to go back to Plumpton to help solve her friend’s murder. But what if she did it?
I absolutely loved this book. The story just kept building and building, everyone seemed to have secrets, and Lucy’s grandmother was a total riot. Nothing like a good small town murder mystery.

4.5 stars! This book got better and better as it went along. I wasn't sure I cared for any of the characters at the beginning, but several of them grew on me, including Lucy, the main character, and her Grandma Beverly, who is a hoot.

Five years ago, Savannah Harper was murdered in Plumpton, TX. Although, nobody was ever arrested or convicted for her murder, the majority of the town believed it was her best friend - who conveniently or inconveniently could not remember anything from that night. Now, five years later, a crime podcaster is trying to find out the truth.

Listen for the Lie would make a great mini series. There are lots of soap opera moments, odd behaviors, low morals, shocking revelations, as well as physical chemistry. Sometimes, these people are train wrecks - they know they are making questionable decisions, but they do it anyways. Tintera does a fabulous job of gradually revealing new information and building suspense throughout the book through the podcast transcripts, Lucy's patchy memories and current day interactions. Now, I want to listen to some crime podcasts! Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the eARC.

Wow! I loved this book, from start to finish. Thank you Net Galley & Celadon books for the advanced copy. I absolutely loved Lucy and her story. I loved the back and forth, twists and turns, her hilarious grandma…and while all the characters seemed morally gray, why did I love them so much?!? (Well, most of them.) I couldn’t put it down. I loved the podcast parts & things we learned along the way and just loved the overall dynamic between the characters. I could not put it down!!

Thanks so much to netgalley and celadon books for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I think my major issue is Lucy as a main character. She was very rude and annoying to me. I assume she was supposed to be funny and a bit of dark humor and an antihero type character. However, she just came across as annoying and super rude. I couldn’t keep reading with her as the main narrator. I also feel like the podcast element is used some much in books now that it just felt overused to me. The writing was also very simple and the style was not for me.

I have seen so many good reviews on this book. It’s probably more a problem with me than the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of Listen For The Lie and easy to read action packed thriller . I really enjoyed this one so much it had everything, twists, secrets, comedic moments, and even romance. Do yourself a favor and pick this up when it releases in March.

I had so much fun reading Listen for the Lie. No one was likeable except for Grandma. The relationships were all so messy. And I was desperate to know how it would all come together. Podcast elements always hit for me and I bet this would be great on audio too.

Such a fun read sprinkled with bits of humor and sarcasm. I didn't foresee the ending of this whodunnit at all. There's plenty of unique characters to get lost in the mystery. Recommend.

Fun, fast paced mystery!
4.25 ⭐️
Five years ago, Lucy is found covered in her murdered best friend’s blood and with amnesia surrounding the events. Now, a true crime podcaster is determined to find the truth about what really happened.

Despite having two very common tropes (main character with amnesia and the podcast within a book), I actually really enjoyed this one! Lucy is not your typical damsel in distress- she’s strong, snarky, and possibly a little crazy which kept things entertaining! I also loved her grandmother and their relationship.

The author does an excellent job with the podcast episodes interwoven throughout the story. The episodes were always so interesting and revealed fun different plot twists that propelled the story forward. I’m sure this would also be great on audio. The one criticism I have is that Lucy’s murderous internal thoughts (she envisions how to kill every male she encounters) got to be a bit much for me towards the end.

This is a fast read that I highly recommend for fans of true crime podcasts, mystery thrillers, and witty characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for an advanced reader’s copy.

Loved this book! With podcasts being as popular as they are now, this was a super fun read. It was entertaining to get the podcast perspective and Lucy’s perspective. I love that the book made her seem like an unreliable narrator. I will say towards the end, I started to guess where the ending might lead, but it was still an exciting and entertaining read! Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the eARC! Can’t wait for this one to hit the shelves. Will definitely be picking up a hard copy!

This is one of the best thrillers I've read recently. Unique writing style, fast paced, and definitely unputdownable.
The characters were well written, some likeable and others not so likeable. I had no idea how the story would end but I was all in until the last page.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

What a fun read! This was my first from Amy Tintera, and it won't be my last. I read so many thrillers, that I often can see the ending or the twist coming from a mile away, but happily that was not the case this time. It was also more of a slow burn than a thriller, but a slow burn with quick chapters, if that makes sense. I was never bored, and always wanted to read just a little bit more. If life hadn't gotten in the way, I would have easily binge read it on a weekend.

Lucy ran away from her small town Texas home 5 years ago after her best friend Savvy was murdered and she became the prime suspect. She has no memories of the event, and while she can't imagine killing the friend she adored, she also can't shake a murderous voice in her ear. There was not enough evidence to arrest her, at least not at that time, but everyone seems to think she did it, which makes her wonder if it's true. Her marriage ended after the murder, and her rocky relationship with her parents was pretty much over, too. Only her beloved Grandmother's birthday party - and her request for Lucy to attend - has brought her back. Coincidentally, there is a new true crime podcast about Savvy's murder with the host, Ben, hoping to solve it once and for all. He is in town interviewing her friends from the past and Lucy is both terrified of what he'll uncover, and hoping to be exonerated.

As I mentioned, this is a page turning slow burner if there is such a thing. Lucy is a sarcastic and funny main character, and while she made some questionable decisions along the way, I liked her and I loved her grandmother. I am a fan of the podcast trope that is popular in books lately, as long as it is done correctly, and it was used perfectly here. Each chapter ended with the transcript of the latest episode, and it moved the story along nicely, revealing just enough from the past to keep me turning the pages and wanting more. There are several characters, most of them rather unlikable, and I had several different theories as it all unfolded. Every time I was sure I had it all figured out, something else would have me looking in a different direction. Ultimately it was a big surprise to me, but made sense, too. I really enjoyed it and am giving it 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

An unreliable narrator, especially one with amnesia, is one of my least favorite troupes and a suspect accused of killing her best friend with no memory of the evening is pretty unreliable! But I am a sucker for a true crime podcast element and trust my fellow early reviewers too much to pass this up—which is why I’m so glad I got over my initial trepidation and read Listen for the Lie.

Told between Lucy’s point-of-view as well as transcripts from the podcast, I flew through this to find out if Lucy gets her memories back and of course, to find out what happened to Savvy. Set in small-town Texas where everyone knows each other, there’s no shortage of friends, neighbors and even family members with opinions on what really happened the night Savannah died. Little by little, the podcast reveals details that keep the reader (and listener) guessing.

I actually loved Lucy too! Her dry humor and sarcasm, her questionable decisions and the way she navigates each interaction were not necessarily flawless but super entertaining to read. Author Amy Tintera did a fantastic job of weaving the plot and clues throughout, I can’t wait to see what’s next for her in this genre.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you want a fast paced page turner, this is it. I was hooked right away. I wasn’t sure if I’d like the podcast theme of the book but it was actually really fun to hear from all the characters in the “episodes”.
After Lucy is discovered wandering the streets covered in blood with no memory of why or how, she is quickly labeled a murderer by her small home town. Even her own parents seem to believe she is guilty. Lucy herself isn’t sure if she murdered her best friend or not. When a podcaster reaches out to Lucy and her family, he promises to solve the case. Lucy is scared to know what really happened that night but maybe it’s time.
This book really had me guessing. I was suspicious of so many characters and I still didn’t see the the end coming! This is a must read. Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings: domestic abuse, murder, cheating

Lucy Chase, our quick-witted protagonist, was suspected of murdering her best friend 5 years ago when she was found wandering along the road with blood on her dress. Despite never being convicted, everyone in her hometown believes she is responsible. However, with no memory of the night the murder occurred, Lucy is unable to prove her innocence. Listen for the Lie follows Lucy as Ben Owens, podcaster, details the events of the night and interviews those involved to hopefully uncover the truth.

This book was SO much fun! The combination of short chapters, witty dialogue, and the snippets of the podcast interspersed throughout drew me in immediately, and I could not put this book down. As an avid fan of the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, I have been looking for another thriller that gave me the same vibes, and Listen to the Lie did that for me perfectly. The podcast set up gave the reader insight to new information at the same rate Ben Owens was learning it, so it almost felt like you were solving the case alongside him. I also really appreciated how the domestic abuse was handled. Tintera did a fantastic job of showing the reality of what abuse can do to your mental state and how it can make you question your own reality. Truly one of the most compelling thrillers I have ever had the privilege of reading. 4.5/5 stars!