Just when you think the podcast spin on a thriller might be getting a little tired, Amy Tintera delivers her adult debut that absolutely delivers a highly satisfying novel where the podcast aspect is expertly done and works well within the plot. I imagine this would be great on audio as well.

With a cast of morally corrupt characters, each surprise and secret revealed is juicy and delicious, and Lucy’s voice as narrator is cheeky and darkly comedic. I haven’t been this entertained by a story in quite a while. Reading about murder shouldn’t be so gosh darn fun but that is indeed what Tintera has done.

Highly highly recommend for any thriller reader. While I don’t think the end will be an incredible shock the journey getting there is well worth it and is quite the page-turner.

Pretty much all the content warnings on this one, if language, violence, sex, and murder are topics you avoid this book may not be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for an electronic copy of Listen for the Lie.

I liked this podcast trope thriller type book . I thought it was well written and had a good fast plot and was just overall a good read

Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera

My rating:
5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lucy’s best friend was murdered 5 years ago at a wedding that they both attended. Lucy was the main suspect in the case, but she can’t remember what happened that night to prove her innocence. When she returns to town to visit her grandmother, a true crime podcaster named Ben, is out to find out who killed Savvy. Lucy decides to help solve what happened that night 5 years ago.

This book was SO good. I was so sad when it was over. I haven’t felt so hooked in a book in a long time, so I absolutely loved it!

The author’s writing style was so clever and the banter between the main characters had me laughing many times! I feel connected to so many of the characters. I do not always feel so attached to characters especially in a thriller.

Detective Logan was on the case this one and successfully solved it, but even if I figured out the ending, I still loved this one so much. It was actually so satisfying that I figured it out!

If you haven’t already, you need to add this to your TBR shelves immediately! This will be published on March 5, 2024 so go preorder it now! Thank you netgalley and Celadon books for the ARC! This was a read now on netgalley so if you are on there, go request it!

I’ve only recently started to enjoy books that have the podcast scripts in them and this book provided that. Along with fast paced, dual timeline and unreliable main character.
I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down.
The ending definitely had me going wtf?!

Really great read. Read it in one sitting. All the characters are interesting and the storyline picks up speed with each chapter. While I guessed the murderer fairly early on, it certainly didn't spoil things. Highly recommend. You'll love it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Amy Tintera for an ARC of Listen for the Lie. I know this is a book and all but can I be best friends with Lucy?? She’s my type of gal 🤣 honestly - this is my first book from Amy and she has been upgraded to an auto-buy author. I did not want this book to end, but also had to find out what happens - it was a true struggle. Lucy is a no BS type of woman and her dry humor and sarcasm just had me pulled in instantly. Lucy is suspected of murdering her best friend 5 years ago, but can’t remember anything that happened that night and podcaster Ben Owen’s is in town to figure out what really happened that night. All I can say is this book will NOT disappoint you!! Amy - straight applause. I cannot give you enough praise for this book!!

Such a funny murder mystery! The main character is a hoot. As she and a podcaster try to reconcile stories from the murder of her best friend five years before, the lies keep coming from various characters in this story. Fun to read and leading to another dramatic ending, Listen for the Lie is very entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have always loved Amy Tintera’s YA books and I was super excited to see that see was making her adult debut with this book. First off, what took you so long, Amy??! Secondly, when can we expect more?! This book was perfection for me. The characters are thought out just as much as the plot is. The twists and turns are amazing and I honestly didn’t see the end coming! I loved that the book went back and forth from Lucy’s pov to snippets of the podcast. This book was definitely five stars for me and I hope we see more adult stories from Amy in the future!!

I really liked this one! I found the characterizations and format to work really well together, and to support the plot in ways that kept me engaged and curious throughout. I did figure out who the murderer was rather earlier than I expected to, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the big reveal at all. I liked this one, and will definitely look for more from Tintera.

Our MC, Lucy was found wandering down a secluded road with a head injury and covered in blood after she and her best friend Savannah attended a wedding with their plus ones.

Lucy can’t remember anything that happened that night and was shocked to find out that her best friend died. Now Lucy is the prime suspect and she can’t even convince herself that she didn’t do it.

5 years later, podcaster Ben Owens swoops in and confuses Lucy even more with his relentless questions. He’s also stirring up the dust in a town where secrets are sacred.
Lucy decides it’s time that everyone- even Lucy herself- discover the truth.

Ahhhh! If you like suspenseful, fast paced thrillers, this is for you!
I was flyyyying through this one to get the answers! It’ll be sure to keep you on your toes and question EVERYONE!

Thank you to @celadon for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review 🧡

This one is out 3/5!

Lucy is returning to her hometown where she's a pariah. Years earlier, she was accused of killing her best friend Savvy. No evidence was conclusive and charges were dropped but that has not stopped the small town where Lucy grew up from condemning her and finding her guilty in the court of public opinion. Lucy has tried to make a fresh start in California but when an up and coming podcaster decides to explore the mysterious murder of Savvy and solve it once and for all, suddenly Lucy is thrust back into the spotlight and her world is in upheaval.

Lucy reluctantly returns to her hometown to meet with Ben, the all-too eager podcaster and to visit with the people from her past. These include her somewhat estranged parents, her beloved grandmother, her former high school friends, and her ex-husband.

As Ben unearths new evidence and uncovers clues to what happened to Savvy, Lucy needs to prepare herself for actual jail time or for the possibility that a murderer is still out there, waiting for the next opportunity.

Listen for the Lie was. a book that I devoured. It's a twisty, gasp-worthy whodunit that will leave you breathless with anticipation and genuinely shocked at the conclusion. I loved the "podcast" format inserted within the short chapters that heighten the suspense and drove the plot forward. Lucy's voice, laced with sarcasm and the dark humor throughout, lended credibility and fun to this insatiable thriller..

Run don't walk to get this one when it releases in March!

I really liked this and I thought I was over the whole podcast trope. Solid characters, twists, great plot.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was soooooo good! A very solid thriller. It's nothing groundbreaking in the genre, it's just really well done and gripping. I loved the characters, the way the story moved back and forth between Lucy's POV and the podcast episodes, and how things started to come together. It's intriguing, entertaining, and quite tense. I had a great time with it.

I have never a read a book by Amy Tintera before. The first thought I had about half way through this book was "why does she hate men so much." That vibe was so strong in this book. While I did really enjoy this book, it was not a hit for me. The constant "Let's kill..." over and over was very annoying. Lucy couldn't have any interactions with people without thinking that or "hearing" that in her head. Every single time she contemplates all the ways to kill the person. I don't understand why that was repeated so much. The constant "men don't listen to women, they only believe a man" statement was a turn off for me. I did like Lucy and her sarcasm. I could tell she was a fierce person who got dealt a bad hand. I couldn't understand why her own parents didn't at least talk to her. They just believed the abusive husband. No questions asked. It made me really sad that no one believed her. No one even tried to look for a different killer. They just blamed her. It was like her being an outspoken person who stood up for others and herself made her seem like a killer and that's just not ok. Ben was an odd duck. I'm not sure if his obsession with murder is healthy. I like that he didn't immediately think it was her. He just wanted to know what really happened. Now, Lucy's grandma was AWESOME! Beverly was such a great person. Her fierce faith in Lucy was great and I was happy to know at least one person was on her side. Out of all the people who could have killed Savvy, I didn't see the killer coming. That was a big curveball and I loved it! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

First off, thank you to the publisher, Celadon Books, for an ARC of this novel coming out in March.

Second, this entire narration is dripping in sarcasm and dark humor and I was HERE. 👏 FOR 👏 IT 👏

This was fast and twisty. Honestly, I'd have read it in a day if i didn't have people to keep alive. Perfect popcorn thriller, with a little extra awesome.

This book was a romp!

So much fun. I haven't read a mystery like this ever! The perfect blend of the humor of a cozy mystery with the murder of a thriller (plus quite the romance).

Like most thrillers/mysteries I read, I had to suspend some belief, but in return I got a really fun reading experience.

Holy shit. If this is Tintera’s debut - I cannot wait to see what else she writes.

Imagine being the subject of a cold case murder podcast where everyone is convinced you killed your best friend. And you can’t say you didn’t because you have no memory of the night. Welcome to Listen for the Lie.

I read this one in two sits - last night and tonight. It was engrossing, it was fast paced, I couldn’t stop. Grandma Beverly is the best character ever and tbh - I loved Lucy and her dark humor, even when it was mistimed. I laughed at the things she said multiple times.

And the ending? Damn. Wasn’t expecting it but wasn’t surprised either.

Don’t skip this one.

Thank you to Celadon Books, Amy Tintera, and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so entertaining and very well done. I could not put it down and essentially read it in 48 hours (which for working full time is fast)!! The story follows Lucy, who on one eventful night was found covered in her friends Savvy’s blood leading people to think she was the murderer. However Lucy has no memory of the night. A true crime podcast decides to cover the story and try to solve the crime once and for all and Lucy is pulled back to her hometown to help figure it all out. I will admit podcast elements to thrillers are not always my favorite but this one added to it in a very positive way and you learn more about the characters and what happened on that night. The characters especially Lucy and Beverly were fantastic and full of sarcasm and snarky comments which added a unique flare. You won’t want to miss this one!! Releases March 5th.

4.5/5 Stars

So this book was fun! It started out really strong for me - funny, witty and full of mystery with an interesting premise . Who doesn’t love a podcast? I enjoyed following Lucy back to her hometown to find out who killed her best friend. The characters themselves were a little flat - no one was likeable, but maybe that was the point. I wasn’t crazy about how sex-crazed the entire town seemed to be, and how that was an underlying plot for everything that happened in the story but that may be just me. I was kind of disappointed in the who and the why but it wasn’t a complete fail. I still enjoyed it! Solid 4⭐️!

I have a confession to make...

I am one of those types of readers who skips descriptions and paragraphs with zero character dialog. I'll get easily distracted with life and figure that I can miss a few words here and there. Infact, it's rare for me to even read every single word in the books I've read.
Listen for the Lie was one of those rare books for me. I can honestly say that I read...and wanted to read..every single word.

This book got my attention from the start, and I could not miss a word. The characters..complete jerks..infact...I think I hated them all, but do you have to like characters in order for you to like a book? Hell no. Thats what made this book amazing in my opinion.

Listen for the Lie was well written, great characters and oh how I could definitely see this become a movie!

Special Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Listen For the Lie is available for pre-order here

https://brisbookrreviews.blogspot.com/2024/02/listen-for-lie-amy-tintera.html