—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect. I have no words. Literally obssessed.
Podcast was great. The twists were great. Everything was great.

The fictional true-crime podcast book genre is getting a little overdone, so if you do it you have to do it well. Listen for the Lie did. The podcast was good and the story was good. There was a fairly large cast of characters and I could remember who everyone was because they were well drawn. (I can never remember who is who in books with a lot of people.)

What I loved the most was the tone. Nicely snarky and sarcastic from page 1, so I instantly liked Lucy, the main character. The pacing is great and Lucy doesn’t know more than the reader, so I enjoyed going along with her to find things out. The ending is a little "pick a name out of a hat," but that's fine.

This thriller was such a fun read! Lucy, a small town girl, is found covered in her murdered best friend's blood, and she can't remember what happened. Although the police don't have enough evidence to convict her, she's automatically guilty of murder in the eyes of the town.

Then a podcaster begins digging for answers, and he unearths secrets many thought would remain buried, resulting in an ending I didn't see coming.

The story was told from Lucy's POV, and I loved her delightfully sarcastic humor. Her struggles are relatable, and I found myself rooting for her. Some of the story is told through well done podcast episodes, which was an interesting way to help move the story along.

I found this to be a fast-paced, enjoyable read. For such a large cast, the characters were developed and nuanced, but I never felt bogged down in too much detail. Loved it!

Holy..wow. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC - this may be one of my favorite reads!

I do not care what anyone says, I love the podcaster trope. Sure, there have been an uptick in that category but with podcasts being so new, this is not over done in my opinion. Listen for the Lie locked me in early and did not let up. I read this book in two settings (dang sleep got in my way) in less than 24 hours. This NEEDS to be on your TBR

I usually like multiple POVs but this single POV was done perfectly. Let me tell you right now - Lucy's sarcasm, wit and sense of humor...I'd be friends with her in real life.

True female friendships are a different level of love, connection and loyalty. Lucy and Savvy's friendship captures that and more

Intrigued by the concept of a true crime podcast unfolding in real time I went in with moderate hope that I wouldn't be able to figure out whodunnit in the first few chapters. Tintera's novel (my first of hers) did not disappoint! If you're like me and are looking for characters to root for, this may not be your cup of tea...I mean, maybe the grandmother, Beverly. As she herself says, though, "Better to be interesting than likeable." I found some elements to be unnecessary...nearly every single character seems overly sexualized, but overall enjoyed surprise turns and twists. I'll be looking for more from this author!

Thank for to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

First of all.... Woooooo! (Insert awkward dance and fist pump here). That was on hell of a ride and I absolutely LOVED it.

The character development in this was outstanding, it was suspenseful, funny, infuriating and made me feel all of the feelings. I will also forever hold a spot in my heart for Beverley.

I loved how the storyline intertwined effortlessly into the podcast episodes and I was so invested I devoured this in one sitting.

Bravo Amy Tintera!

Everyone else....you are in for one hell of a treat with this one.

4 stars
“After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.
But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.”

I love true crime podcasts and whodunnit mysteries, so I knew this book would be right up my alley. If Lucy was a real person, we’d probably be great friends. Her dry/sarcastic sense of humor comes through in every page, and I am here for it (though I could definitely see that being a turnoff for some folks). I enjoyed that the podcast episode transcripts were interspersed throughout the book (I bet the audiobook would be even better) and it reads like a real true crime podcast. This book kept me guessing and wanting to know more. I was especially a big fan of Lucy’s grandma! She is clearly where Lucy gets her “lack of fucks to give”. A must for any fan of podcasts and murder mysteries!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

There was a lot that I really enjoyed about this book. I liked the format- the shifting from traditional storytelling to podcast scripting and also from current time to flashbacks from 5 years prior. Surprisingly, I found that I really enjoyed Ben as a character. He wasn’t the nosy, annoying podcast creator that I expected and it felt like his relationship with Lucy was genuine and not manipulative. I’ll add that the ending was a surprise to me. It wasn’t so far off my expectations that it felt unrealistic, but I didn’t know who the true killer was until it was finally revealed. The only thing I didn’t love about the book was the conversations/visions Lucy had about Savvy. They felt kind of odd and it made me question why the author included them. Was it to cast suspicion on Lucy’s mental state? Was it to add color to the story? In any case, I think it could’ve been omitted.

This book made me so tired. I really didn't like the MC, so I didn't like being in her head, as it were, with her running commentary. That made the book a bit of a slog, which I never want from my thrillers...

LΙЅТEN ҒOR ТНE LΙE
By Amy Tintera
Release date: 03/05/2024

Lucy’s accused of murdering her best friend, but she can’t remember anything about that day leading up to the murder and the evening that it happened. The whole town hates her, and no one believes her (except her grandma)so she leaves and moves to LA.
She becomes an anonymous romance writer, because who’s gonna buy books from an accused murderer?? And she starts dating a guy she doesn’t even like.
So what would bring you back home after being shunned from your hometown?? Your grandma!!
It’s Lucy’s grandma's 80th birthday party!! So she has to come home.
(Her grandma is the best ) and guess who she befriended, Ben Owen’s!
He is the host of the hit podcast show “Listen for the Lie” and he is either going to help put her behind bars or prove her innocence.
The podcast episodes 🧑‍🍳💋 CHEFS KISS, they were the chapters you found yourself racing to get to … and then devouring it when you did!
Lucy is a rockstar. I truly loved everything about how her character was written!! She’s my kind of chick
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️S̤̈T̤̈Ä̤R̤̈S̤̈

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Absolutely loved this book! Listen for the lie had me hooked instantly with the funny FMC, Lucy, true crime vibes, and a who-done-it podcast.

Imagine being found wandering around covered in your best friends blood, with no memory of what happened.
Although Lucy was never convicted, her small town insists she murdered her best friend,y6y Savvy. Lucy moved far away, but is back in town to celebrate her grandmothers birthday, conveniently a well known podcaster, Ben, is also in town, interviewing people on the murder.
Lucy agrees to talking on the podcast to try and clear her name. The more podcasts Ben releases, the closer he is to finding the true killer.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC e-book of Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera.

This book follows Lucy, a 29 year old girl from a small Texas town who is accused of killing her best friend Savvy. She was found walking in the middle of the night covered in her friends blood. The only issue is that she can't remember anything about that night but she knows that she loved her friend, so why would she kill her? The police didn't convict her as there wasn't enough evidence and Lucy has been struggling to remember what happened that night.

Lucy is currently living in LA with her boyfriend but decided to go back to her small town for her grandmother's birthday. What she didn't know is that Ben Owen's is also in town. He is a successful podcast host of his true crime show "Listen for the Lie" and his new podcast season is about Savvy.

Ben starts interviewing her friends and family and Lucy agrees to help solve the case. Lucy has to try to remember what happened that night, she would like to know the truth at all costs, even if it was her!

4 star read for me. I love true crime podcasts and murder mysteries so this right up my alley. The characters are interesting, Lucy's Grandmother is hilarious and Lucy's commentary is also darkly witty which was a great surprise. The book is nicely paced. My only concern is that I was a little bit confused with the ending. I will read more from this author!

Listen for the Lie is everything None of This Is True wanted to be and SO👏🏻 MUCH 👏🏻 MORE 👏🏻 .

The plot is better, the characters are better, and the "twist is better - literally, every aspect of Listen for the Lie exceeded my expectations. Amy Tintera's writing style is top-notch. I raced through this book and was genuinely sad to reach the last page.

📚 Unpredictable
📚 Fast-paced
📚 Relatable characters
📚 Well thought out and engaging plot

Given their pivotal role in True Crime culture, I fully expect podcasts to become a popular thriller trope. But it will be difficult for an author to beat Listen for the Lie. It's really that good. If you love true crime podcasts and a sarcastic female lead with relatably questionable morals, put this book on your TBR and read it as soon as it comes out.

Shout out to Celadon Books and NetGalley for supplying an ARC.

This is more of a 3.5. Lucy and Savvy are best friends. When Savvy is murdered and Lucy is found with blood on her and no memory of what happened the whole town is quick to condemn Lucy, including her ex-husband and family. So she leaves behind small town Texas and makes a new life for herself in California. Then her grandmother calls her back to town to help celebrate her birthday. Lucy loves her grandmother who is the only one to believe her. As she comes back to her home town so does Ben Owens who hosts the true crime podcast Listen for the Lie. Lucy is already an outcast and the podcast is riling everyone up. It's also bringing back memories of the night Savvy died. Will Lucy be able to remember who killed Savvy and will it turn out to be her. I really enjoyed the characters (especially Lucy and her grandmother) and the tense suspenseful pacing of the book. I did not enjoy the unnecessary killer thoughts running through Lucy's head and some of the plot twists which did nothing for the plot and were only there for a cheap shock value. Overall I enjoyed the book. Thank you #NetGalley for my ARC.

Five years ago, Lucy Chase murdered her best friend in cold blood. Or, at least, that’s what the good citizens of Plumpton, Texas would have you believe. Lucy has no memory of the night her friend died. When she reluctantly returns to Plumpton for a relative's birthday, determined true crime podcast host Ben Owens pushes Lucy to unearth the truth. Amy Tintera, New York Times bestselling young adult author, makes her adult debut with this stylish crime thriller

Years ago, Lucy’s best friend Savvy was found murdered. Lucy was with her when she died, having somehow escaped the murderer. But now, with the podcaster Ben Owens looking into the case, more people than ever think Lucy is the murderer.

This book. I binge listened to it in one day, I just couldn’t put it down. I loved how it was told from Lucy’s POV, and then the podcast episodes were interspersed, containing interviews with different characters. The short chapters usually ended in a way that had me saying “I can’t stop now, just one more chapter!” Until I was somehow at the end of the book. I know some people were burnt out by the podcast thrillers, but I simply loved this! I highly recommend it, and the audio added a whole extra layer of fun!✨

This is a very solid mystery with a captivating premise and satisfying payoff. It has an interesting cast of characters and is set in a small town where (almost) everyone has a secret.

In Listen for the Lie, LA-based Lucy begrudgingly returns to her hometown in Texas where she is an outcast due to most of the townsfolk believing she murdered her best friend, Savvy, years prior. To make matters worse for Lucy, a successful podcaster is in town investigating her story and doing interviews with the very people who believe she is a murderer. I won't reveal anything else because it's worth it to find out for yourself.

I love the cast of characters in this story. There are only a few main players, but by the end of the book you feel like you know them all very well. The author is good at setting the small town vibe where everyone knows one another a little too well. I also really love the narrator of our story, Lucy. She has such an interesting voice and I love that she is unapologetically flawed yet doesn't seem to care what others think of her. She is presented as broken, yet lovable and I think it really helps the reader root for her.

Interspersed throughout the chapters are excerpts from Ben's podcast interviews. These were really fun to read and helped keep the chapters interesting and move the story forward without any annoying exposition. Fans of true crime podcasts will definitely enjoy this aspect of the book. At no point in this book did I feel bored or like the story was dragging. It's extremely fast-paced, and the author does not waste any time getting to the heart of the mystery.

I’m giving four out of five stars because while I believe this is a well-crafted mystery, nothing about the story blew me away or delivered any shocking twists. However, I believe it’s a worthwhile read, especially for fans of mysteries and true crime.

What a breath of fresh air Amy Tintera has breathed into the stale thriller genre. I LOVED this book. Who knew thrillers could be so funny? And the humor did not detract from the thrills and suspense, at all. In fact, it endeared me to what could have potentially been an otherwise unlikable character. I loved her macabre sense of humor! And I like the fact that she was unabashedly interested in sex. Women have sex. And ain’t no shame in it! And the audiobook was excellent. I loved the dual narrators and I especially loved the quality of the podcast chapters. My one suggestion would have been to change the font of text messages. They look like regular, non-dialogue sentences and, sometimes, I would have to reread a few sentences or even paragraphs bc I didn’t catch that some of it was a text that the character read. But no matter, loved this. 10/10 would recommend to everybody.

I devoured this in a day. Easily the best book I’ve read so far this year. A must read for anyone who loves true crime podcasts!

This was such a fast paced and fun thriller! I loved Lucy's sarcastic tone - some of her responses to the situations she found herself in were hilarious which were a nice contrast to the suspenseful tone. I also loved Grandma Beverly - she was a fantastic and funny addition to the overall plot. Each character in the mystery had a unique POV and perspective so it was interesting to see how each character impacted the central mystery. At first it was a bit challenging to keep track of the large number of characters but as each character developed this was easier.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.