Happily, a 5-STAR read!!!

I AM OBSESSED WITH THE BOOK! I loved the balance of suspense, comedy, and serious issues. This book is about a woman named Lucy who is thought to have murdered her best friend, Savvy. Lucy is found wandering the street covered in her best friend’s blood but has no memory of what happened. Lucy moves away from her small town in Texas shortly after Savvy dies but travels back 5 years later for her grandmother’s birthday. A successful podcaster, Ben, is working on trying to solve Savvy’s murder and when Lucy’s grandmother sets her up with Ben, they both work together to figure out who killed Savvy. This story has humor, twists, love, redemption, and all the things a good thriller should have. It kept me guessing throughout and the writing is fantastic. I loved the format of telling the story but also including podcast interview transcripts- it added to the character development and painted a great scene for each chapter and character interaction. Amy Tintera nailed this one and needs to write more Adult novels!

Thank you Netgalley, Celadon Books, and Amy Tintera for allowing me to have access to an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic. I loved the main character even when she seems unlikable. She had a sense of dark humor to help her through the situation of being accused of her best friends murder. I loved how the author combined podcast episodes and regular writing. I enjoyed that the chapters were short and easy to read. I had my guess along the way of what happened but didn't have it fully figured out- there were definitely lots of twists and turns along the way. Highly recommend. I look forward to reading more by this author and listening to this book next! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

This is Amy printers debut novel for adults, and it did NOT dissapoint.

I’ve come to enjoy thrillers with the “podcast trope” ( is that at thing😆) and really enjoyed how this story unfolded.

Lucy heads back to her her hometown 5 years after everyone accused her of murdering her best friend Saavy, a crime she was never charged with. To this day, Lucy can’t remember what happened the night that Saavy died. But now, a podcaster named Ben is dredging up the whole ordeal , bringing Lucy’s name back into the limelight. Will Ben uncover the truth about what happened that night?

I enjoyed how Lucy’s relationship with Ben evolved and played out, and the fact that he wasn’t scared of her like everyone else was.

LISTEN FOR THE LIE | Amy Tintera

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Format: 📖 thank you so much to celadonbooks for my #gifted ARC!
Pub Day: March 5th
Read if you like: true crime podcasts // dark humor // A GOOD GIRLS GUIDE TO MURDER // NONE OF THIS IS TRUE // THE NIGHT SWIM

YALL!

You are going to want to grab this book as soon as it hits shelves in a few weeks because it is GOOD!!! 👏🏼

Everyone thinks Lucy Chase killed her best friend Savvy after being found covered in her blood, but she can’t remember what happened and the police could never prove it. Years later a podcaster, Ben Owens, starts investigating Savvy’s murder and it brings to light everything a small town wished to leave behind.

Here is everything I loved (and nothing I didn’t becuase I loved it all) ✨

🎧 the humor from the very, very beginning! it is dark, but my goodness Lucy is a funny MC and I feel like her humor throughout makes it so easy to connect with her!
🎧 the podcast element was done SO WELL! this is one of those things that I feel like can either be really great or can take away from the story and that was absolutely not the case with this one. it added to the story perfectly!
🎧 it keeps you guessing! I kept asking myself who killed Savvy and I was wrong every time until it smacked me in the face 😆
🎧 I could read an entire book about just Lucy’s grandmother - she’s the real MVP
🎧 the way this story organically flows with POVs alternating between Lucy and parts of the podcast

I have seen so many rave reviews for this, and every time I say YES! It deserves the hype. Although I didn’t read via audio, I have heard that it was also amazing!

Listen for the lie follows Lucy, a woman who may or may not have killed her best friend, Savvy. No one knows. Even Lucy doesn’t know. Lucy doesn’t remember the night that Savvy died but no one believes that. Everyone is sure that Lucy killed Savvy. Years have passed since the night Savvy died and Lucy has long since escaped her hometown and started a new life as far away as possible. But a true crime podcaster named Ben has started poking around in her hometown. He’s interviewing people who knew Lucy and Savvy and trying to find out who really killed Savvy. So Lucy comes back to her hometown willing to face horrible memories and the people who despise her in order to discover for herself who really killed Savvy.

I thought this book was fun. That’s what I always look for in thrillers. Honestly I thought Lucy was… not very smart. I’ve noticed that that’s common in thrillers. A lot of thrillers don’t work if the main character isn’t just a little too trusting. And Lucy really was too trusting. In spite of that I was able to root for Lucy. I really really hoped that she hadn’t killed Savvy and the book kept me guessing right up until the killer was revealed. Listen for the Lie has the perfect number of twists. I’ve found that a lot of recently released thrillers have a few too many twists but I think Amy Tintera handled the twists in a ways that were surprising but never heavy handed. Every time I picked up the book I was interested in where the story was headed and fully engaged in what I was reading.

My complaint is based on my own personal taste: I HATE the recent trope I’ve found in thrillers where the main character is a woman who was involved in a crime in some way, a man shows up who is investigating the crime she was involved in, she (for god knows what reason) is willing to freely spill all the information she knows about the crime to this random man she’s just met, and then she and said random man fall in love. It’s wild to me how many thrillers in the past few years have used that plot. And I really really don’t like it. I don’t think it makes any sense. I think it reflects poorly on the main character’s intelligence and sense of self preservation. Also in my opinion the men in these books are never as charming as the reader is supposed to think he is. And at this point I just think it’s extremely uncreative. Really that’s my only complaint about Listen for the Lie but it’s such a core part of the plot that it’s a pretty big complaint.

So far I’ve seen nothing but good reviews of Listen for the Lie. And like I said I’ve been seeing it everywhere. If that little trope I described doesn’t bother you I recommend reading it!

4.5 stars! Now THIS is a thriller! I loved everything about this book. Smartly written, lots of suspicious characters, interesting plot, unreliable narrator, short chapters, just all the things.

I also loved this book because I couldn't figure out "who dunnit," so my brain didn't ruin the big reveal like it normally does 😂

I will definitely be reading more books by this author!

Thanks so much to Celadon Books for sending me a copy 😊

What do you do when your ride or die BFF turns up dead, & you’re covered in her blood but can’t remember a thing?

If you’re Lucy, you escape the little Texas town that this all went down in & hide out in L.A. Eventually five years have passed & naturally the inevitable happens: a successful podcaster picks Savvy’s murder to try & solve. At first Lucy ignores all attempted contact from this admittedly attractive podcaster (named Ben), but conveniently runs into him during her first visit back to the Lone Star state (her grandma convinced Lucy to come home for a birthday party but seems to have some ulterior motives). Lucy finally decides enough is enough & cooperates with Ben to see if his help is enough to get answers for Savvy; but this town has a lot more secrets than either of them could have predicted…

I LOVE THIS BOOK! It deals with a lot of serious topics, but the snarky & self-deprecating inner (& sometimes outer) monologue that is constantly running throughout this book is highly entertaining & definitely makes me want to be friends with Lucy. She has an awesome grandmother that I hope to be like someday, & I loved seeing bits & pieces of Lucy & Savvy’s friendship as the story unfolded & we got to see flashbacks of the past. I also enjoyed all of the podcast transcripts as they dropped timely revelations, which in turn caused ripples throughout the town since everyone has been listening. I also really liked that a couple of secrets stayed that way.

Thank you very much to NetGalley & Celadon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook for most of this one and it was wonderful. I liked both narrators a lot and I really think the format was great. The podcast chapters really felt like they were part of a podcast and added to the story. This was a twisty mystery and I liked that the main character (and suspect) honestly didn’t remember what happened. Lucy left her hometown after he best friend was murdered and while she wasn’t charged everyone in the town was convinced she did it. Lucy doesn’t think she would murder her best friend, but things hadn’t looked great. She doesn’t have any memory of it and she was found covered in Savy’s blood. She has mostly managed to carve out a life for herself, but when Ben starts a podcast to investigate Savy’s murder the whole world now is determined that she is a murder and her life falls apart. After her grandmother guilts her into coming home so she can attend her 80th birthday Lucy finds herself trying to help Ben figure it out because after everything she loved Savy and does want to know what happened. I gave this one 4.5 stars which I rounded up for how great the audiobook was.

Listen for the Lie follows a podcast as it tries to uncover who committed a 5-year-old murder. As I’ve read a few books recently with this angle, the podcast unraveling seems pretty trendy, but is still new enough to be interesting. The story line was interesting enough and the nuggets of truth that come out along the way kept me going, but I was hoping for a bit more from this one. The “lie” I was listening for was a little too slow to unfold with not a big enough twist for me to give 5 stars. Overall, there were no jaw dropping moments, but it was a good murder mystery with short chapters and an interesting premise.

I’m a huge fan of true crime podcasts, so when I read the synopsis on this book I knew I needed to read it!!

This was fast paced and had me guessing “who did it” up until the very end! I loved the podcast episodes the most.

Listen for the Lie is exactly what I’m looking for in a thriller! When I told a friend I was going to start it tonight she suggested I start right after work because I wouldn’t want to stop and she was right - it’s a one sitting read!

I’m also really glad I waited to read this on audiobook - perfect format for the book and I loved the narration. Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook and to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted ebook.

Lucy can’t remember what happened 5 years ago - the night her best friend was murdered. And a true crime podcast has her back in the spotlight as Ben digs into the case to find out what really happened.

Highly recommend!

When I first started reading this I was a bit put off by Lucy’s character. Her abrasive personality didn’t thrill me, yet the author created this persona perfectly for her role in this story. Dive right in and follow Ben’s podcast to see if you can decide if Lucy killed her best friend Savvy and why. Enjoy!

This was a book I could not put down and it pleasantly surprised me. I was not drawn in by the premise and had low expectations but this book kept me guessing. I loved how sarcastic and witty Lucy is. The format of the book was easy to keep up with to- Lucy’s perspective and the podcast. This definitely had me guessing up until the very end with all of the unreliable characters. I would highly recommend this book! A great thriller and had me on the edge of my seat!

Thank you Net Galley and Celadon for the Advance Reader Copy, This is a book I cannot wait for pub date so my friends can get a copy and enjoy it as much as I did. This laugh out loud book is about about a woman who everyone believes killed her friend years ago in their home town, and the pod-caster who helps reveal the truth. True-crime fans will love the story line, and the characters are all flawed just like in real life! A fun read that also makes you think about relationships. This book fits so many categories; mystery, ghost story, romance, true crime, and family secrets, and topped off by a good laugh.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read/listen to this book! Wow this book grabs you right from the beginning. I started reading it and switched back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook. The narration for the audiobook was fantastic! It added so much hearing the podcasts vs just reading them. It's suspected that Lucy killed her best friend, Savvy. She has no memory of Savvy's death, but it's haunted her ever since. Did Lucy do it? After some unfortunate life changes Lucy decides to return home to Texas for her Grandmother's birthday. There is a true crime podcaster named Ben in town trying to solve the mystery of Savvy's murder. Is he trying to convict Lucy or help her figure out the truth about what happened that night?

Enjoyed the writing style of this story and how the characters were woven together even after death. Strong character development and I consistently knew who was who, without guessing the ending.

This was a fast paced thriller! I enjoyed the podcast aspect because it made the story more interesting and engaging. Character-wise, I loved Lucy’s dry, shocking humor throughout the book. It was funny seeing the other characters’ reactions! The mystery itself was well-done! I truly didn’t know who killed Savy until the big reveal towards the end. I would definitely pick up more books by this author because I like her writing style! Also the grandmother is my favorite character besides the main character!

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

I know it’s only February, but this may end up being one of my favorite thrillers of the year!

I almost didn’t read this because I’ve started to feel like the true-crime-podcast-thriller thing was being done to death, but a lot of people that share that sentiment with me wrote reviews saying that this is one of the best they’ve seen from that trope. So, I decided to try it anyways. Thinking back over the other podcast-themed thrillers I’ve read, this is definitely one of the best! So don’t let that scare you away if you’re tired of that baseline plot as well.

This is super bingeable. It’s written in a very easy-to-read style and has short, fast chapters that make it all too easy to tell yourself “just one more chapter.” Before you know it, you’ve read another 10 chapters and you still don’t want to stop. I ended up reading this in one day!

Everything that happened was actually very believable, which isn’t all that common in thrillers nowadays. There is no twist that comes out of nowhere that a reader couldn’t have seen coming themselves if they are really paying attention to the story. That being said, some readers will still definitely be taken by surprise.

I myself accurately predicted the killer at 70%, but that did not take away any enjoyment of the story for me. I think that this was the most realistic and honestly scariest of all the possibilities we were presented with because it felt too real - women are killed over situations like this way too often. I had chills when I finally got to the scene where we are shown what really happened that night.

I liked our sarcastic and deadpan main character and her narration.

The only thing I didn’t love was the dynamic that develops between the main character and the podcast host. I see how it was used in order to sort of set up something that happens in the end, but still.

If you’re a fan of thrillers and mysteries, I think this is a definite must read in the genre! If you’re looking to get into thrillers, I think this would be a great one to start with as well.

Lucy is accused of murdering her best friend. Ben is doing a podcast to find the truth. The story is told thu the podcast episodes and Lucy's life. This book is fast mo ing, hooks you from the beginning, and throws many surprises in along the way. 5 stars

4.5 stars

This is a great murder mystery for chickens like me who get scared easily. It’s not scary, you can read it at night with the lights off, and you’re going to be okay. It’s not everyday you find a mystery that’s gripping even without the thrills, but Amy Tintera nails it. It’s interesting and different enough to be engaging without heart-pounding twists and danger lurking around every corner.

The best part of this story is Lucy - she’s really a hoot. She’s sarcastic with a dry sense of humor and doesn’t take herself too seriously. She is SO not your average mystery/thriller protagonist these days and it’s refreshing to read her story. Lucy’s character alone was enough to keep me turning pages, but I also loved the mystery of it all. I just couldn’t figure out how things would end, or even how I wanted them to end. And WOWWOWWOW does the ending stand up to the hype. In wrapping up Lucy’s story, Amy Tintera sends a crystal clear message, a social commentary, that I just can’t stop thinking about. It’s an important message and I wish I could share it here… but it would spoil the ending too much. You’re just going to have to grab this one and read it yourself when it comes out on March 5 - enjoy!

Thank you to Celadon Books for the e-ARC. Opinions are my own.