While this was quite entertaining it wasn't fresh or new.

SORRRRRRRY not sorry but as an avid thriller reader they're all starting to feel the same, nothing is clever or new anymore.

I'm still giving this a solid 3 stars because it wasn't bad. The flow and characters were engaging and the pacing was fantastic. But it’s basically a mash up of: Stacey Willingham's All the Dangerous Things and Kate Alice Marshalls What Lies in the Woods. So, if you enjoyed either of those books then pick this on up, the ending still has an element of surprise and shock value, it’s just not ground breaking.

Again, hate to be a Pessimistic Polly but I'm to honestly tell what is worth your time and what isn't.

This was a unique take on a murder mystery with the surviving victim being the prime suspect but having no memory of that night. Lucy is an authentic character, and her inner turmoil and doubt about her involvement was realistically portrayed throughout the story. Savvy was the town sweetheart and everyone had a warm story to tell about her - the perfect victim to avenge. Everyone close to Lucy, even peripherally, had an opinion about Lucy's guilt. With no proof, though, life went on. When Ben decides that his next podcast will be about Savvy's murder, this sparks a wave of resentment against Lucy that actually shakes out some details about that night. Ben is the only one in town that has not passed judgement, and he has a solid track records of closing cold cases that officials have sidelined. Using the means of a podcast and letting the townspeople give their statements publicly is a novel method of dropping clues. I very much enjoyed the style of writing. This author's use of the podcast helped to bring the characters to life because their backgrounds and biases were given by the characters themselves in a charged yet entertaining manner. Even with all the details being fleshed out, the ending and culprit were a surprise to me, reminding me that more than half of murders are perpetrated by someone close to the victim. A fully engrossing read that I didn't want to put down once I started!

This is a page turner written with a funny sarcastic edge. It's an easy read that I finished in one day. I recommend this one for someone who likes thrillers that aren't too dark.

4.5 stars rounded up. Loved this psychological thriller. Loved the podcast transcripts. This was a really interesting and fresh thriller.

Novel Concept: 5/5
Execution of Novel Concept: 5/5

Title: 5/5
Characterization: 4/5
Dialogue: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Theme: 5/5
Prose: 5/5

Does this pass the Bechdel Test: Yes

Listen for The Lie is such a thrilling mystery deeply entrenched in the female perspective. This book is a dialogue of the struggle of feminine ethos and the fears that most women have. I think the best part of this book is how morally grey everyone is and even those who have been victimized are not what you would call perfect victims. It's all a bunch of shades of gray and I think that makes this book feel so human.

Something that I really love in novels is when women in power acquire, use and sometimes abuse power in the systems set up against them. While there are no true heroes nor true villains in this story, I think this book does include characters that fit this category. It's subtle but phenomenal. Like I cannot wait for this book to come out so I can gush in a spoilery way because I HAVE THOUGHTS.

The characterization is great. There were some moments that I thought could have had some better planting throughout the novel but it's certainly not something I'm too broken up about.

I think the most genius thing about this novel is the framed narrative of the podcast. What a great way to give us expository dialogue without it feeling like we're being bombarded with information. It really helps us capture the emotions of the town and it creates an atmosphere of comparison. We compare how people act in the podcast with how they act out in real life and we can notice where things don't line up. It's truly amazing.

Part of the challenge of this novel is to get the reader to believe the entire town blames Lucy for the events and the podcast format really helps make us believe this to be true rather than us just being told that it's true. It's so genius. It helps sell the disquiet atmosphere of the town.

I love the grandma. I also love characters who show up to cause problems on purpose and grandma delivered.

First 5 star novel for 2024 in the books!
I was absolutely blown away by this one.
Lucy is a fantastic MC and immediately hilarious and charming, as well as Grandma.
The podcast vibe was done beautifully and I was hooked right away.
It's hard to say, but there's not one single thing I would change about this book.
For a "debut" adult thriller, Amy Tintera knocked this one out of the park, 100%.
Will forever be recommending this one to anyone who will listen.

Synopsis: Hours after her best friends body is found, Lucy is seen wandering the streets covered in blood with no recollection of what happened. What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter? Ben, a true-crime podcaster, sets out to investigate and Lucy, the prime suspect, decides to team up to help him solve her best friends murder.

My thoughts: The podcast and truth vs. lie elements in Listen for the Lie reminded me so much of Lisa Jewell’s, None of this is True. If you loved that, I definitely recommend putting this on your radar! It flips between true crime podcast scripts and Lucy’s present POV. I liked how the podcast would reveal little details, leading the reader to try and put the rest of the pieces together. Packed with suspenseful thrills, unlikeable characters, + dark comedy (Lucy and Grandma had me cackling) made this a standout thriller!

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera was just too much fun. It was witty, fun and trashy in the best way. I can’t lie, I will always be a sucker for the “returning to home town to solve an old mystery” trope and the “podcast solving a murder” trope and this book blended the two together deliciously.

Lucy and her grandma were hilarious together. The rest of the town is just a disastrous mess. Seeing podcaster, Ben Owens, navigate in the town and with Lucy and her family was so much fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for this ARC .

If you're looking for a fast-paced, hard-to-put-down thriller filled with dark humor, plot twists and even a podcast then you'll find it in Listen for the Lie! This book caught my attention from the beginning and kept me up late at night wondering what could possibly happen next! Very fast paced story-line full of interesting characters ! I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend!

The small town of Plumpton, TX is convinced that Lucy killed her best friend Savvy. Although the murder of Savvy remains unsolved, the court of public opinion has already convicted her and ran Lucy out of town. Now, 5 years later, her grandmother Beverly convinces her to come home for her 80th birthday party. It is conveniently at the same time that podcaster Ben Owens has made Lucy and Savvy's murder the subject of his podcast "Listen for the Lie," stirring up the controversy again.

I really enjoyed the way this story was laid out. It is mainly told from Lucy's POV, but we also get excerpts of "Listen to the Lie" with interview of everyone in Lucy's orbit - her family, old friends, and so many others. It is fast paced and fascinating. I had a love-hate thing going with Lucy... she could be annoying at times, but you also felt bad for her because she was trying hard to remember what happened to her on the day Savvy died. I liked the growing 'friendship' between her and Ben, and the twist at the end was unexpected, but not out of left field.

4.5 stars rounded up! This book was SO GOOD. This story had a twisty web with a lot of characters involved without anything being confusing or convoluted, which I think can be difficult to achieve. Amy Tintera does a wonderful job keeping the reader guessing without throwing in obvious red herrings, or working too hard to throw the reader off track. This was absolutely brilliant. Well done.

I don’t give out my 5 stars so easily. This is undeniably one of the best novels I’ve enjoyed. I already know, I’m going to be recommending this one to anyone addicted to great dark comedy and thrillers. I’’m definitely going to be reading more works by Amy Tintera!

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ARC)
Lies, lies and more lies. But who is lying and who are they lying about? After living in LA for five years, Lucy Chase returns to her hometown of Plumpton, TX, the place where her best friend Savvy was murdered. With Savvy’s blood covering Lucy, everyone in the small town assumes Lucy was the murderess. Ben Owens, the smug and handsome host of the true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie”, also arrives in Plumpton to interview the family and friends of those who knew Lucy best in his quest to find the killer in this town filled with people who will lie to protect one another and themselves.

Listen for the Lie is a fast paced and sometimes dark thriller with a colorful cast of characters. Spunky Grandma Beverly is the grandma we’d all love to have and her belief in and love for Lucy is heartwarming. Ms. Tinterra’s engaging style of writing will keep you engrossed in this suspenseful whodunit thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Amy Tintera for the opportunity to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A murder suspect is the subject of a true crime podcast. Friendship, marriage and family, toxic masculinity, media gossip and perception. First of all everyone is way too horny. Sex is the only hobby the characters used to distract from boredom, turmoil and grief. It became this annoying trope that made everybody unlikeable—except grandma, she’s great. The tone surrounding domestic violence had women excusing vile behaviour because the abuse went both ways. Worse was a character’s advice that defined a survival response to abuse as becoming a monster too— adulterer, murderer— instead of leaving. That really disturbed me. I also hated the reveal. I hated it even more because there was absolutely no set up for it. Literally came out of the blue over the course of two chapters. That character then became a cardboard villain. The best part of this novel was the presentation of dishonesty, hiding and vices that erode justice. How men believe (protect) each other and how woman contribute to misogyny. That felt real, that was well done.

*It was a pleasure to read the ARC for Listen for the Lie, thank you A. Tintera and Celadon Books.
—Amia Lort on Goodreads

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Including everyone in her family except for her Grandmother. Listen For The Lie podcast is in its second season and the host, Ben Owens, wants to investigate the murder for the second season. Lucy has no desire to return home and talk about it but a birthday invitation from her Grandmother has her rethinking things. Lucy does want to discover the truth, whatever it is.

All the good things you're hearing about this are true. Listen For The Lie feels fresh. The inclusion of a podcast has been done before but it's incorporated into the story differently here. The host's role is significant and all the characters are involved to varying degrees.

Many of the characters are truly despicable, as they are meant to be. Then there are truly delightful characters like Lucy's Grandmother. She is fun and wonderful. Lucy and Ben are likeable as well.
I like the setup and how the story is told. We have one narrator and one timeline (yay!) with a few flashback chapters happening further along. You will be kept guessing!

The thing that stands out for me is the writing. It just flows so easily. Lucy's narrative voice is delightfully unique. The dialogue is perfect, even from non perfect characters. Let's not forget about the dark humor. Lucy and Grandma will have you laughing. It's all truly a delight to read.

4.25 stars out of 5.

This book immediately pulled me into the story and I could not put it down. I ended up finishing it in 1 day! The writing was excellent and I loved the humor thrown in. I absolutely loved the main character Lucy. In the book, we meet Lucy who was accused of murdering her best friend Savvy. She was never convicted but everyone in her small town thinks she did it so she moved to LA. Lucy has amnesia and can't remember the night at all. She ends up going back home for her grandma's birthday and then runs into a podcaster, Ben, who has featured her story. Ben tries to help Lucy figure out who murdered Savvy. Throughout the book I thought I figured out who killed Savvy but then another twist was thrown in and I was wrong. I was pretty shocked when it was finally revealed but it really made sense. The ending was great and I'm happy with it.

Overall, this is a perfect thriller for those who love crime books!

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Once I started this book I did not want to put it down until I finished it. I think the author did a really good job of putting us in the protagonist's shoes and really feel her emotions throughout the whole story, which can be hard to do in a story like this. I also feel like the author was able to write Lucy's amnesia in a way that felt realistic.

This book also cemented my feelings about ever living in a town this small, it is not gonna happen. I could not imagine living somewhere that if something bad happened, the only way to get away from it is to leave completely. That just sounds exhausting.

I really liked the format of the book, going back and forth between POV chapters with Lucy and transcripts from the podcast episodes. The only complaint I have about this is that I feel that because of that format the middle of the book seemed to drag a bit because there was a lot of focus on several red herrings. I understand that is realistic and I think the intention was to sort of showcase that everyone had something to hide and that's why they were all so quick to point the finger at Lucy, but I think that point could have been made with a few less plot threads so the flow would be better.

I hated almost all the characters except for Lucy, Ben, his assistant, and Lucy's grandma, but I think that was the author's intention so I'm not gonna hold that against the book. If you do not like books with a lot of unlikable characters this is probably not the one for you. I especially hated her parents and I'm glad she didn't just automatically forgive them at the end of the book.

The last minor complaint I have, and I'm saving it for last because it's sort of a spoiler, is that abuse is a pretty big theme of this book. Lucy was abused by her ex and she doesn't want to talk about it because it went on long enough that she started fighting back and her ex used that against her. She is convinced that if she tells people that she will be blamed. While this is a common feeling amongst abused people, I wish the concept of reactive abuse would have been addressed so that Lucy could hopefully see that it was just another manipulation tactic Matt used against her.

“A podcaster has decided to ruin my life, so I’m buying a chicken.”

So begins this absolute delight of a thriller. I didn’t know much about this book going in, which I think is appropriate for thrillers, but the first line sold me and I immediately fell in love with this one. Listen for the Lie tells the story of Lucy who reluctantly returns home after a hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie” decides to cover the murder of Lucy’s best friend Savvy.

This book has all the elements a thriller love will enjoy: reluctant return home, small town secrets and a podcast element. Not to mention, the writing and humor in this book is razor ship. I loved our main character This one is a true page turner and I couldn’t get enough. I don’t think readers will be able to put this one down once you are drawn into this smart town saga.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy of this fantastic thriller!

I devoured this book and the entire time wasn’t ever certain who ended Savvy’s life. A great back and forth between the main character and a podcast, a great read for any podcast/crime fan!

I’d never read the author before (hadn’t heard of her before this, to be honest) so I went into this one fairly blind, armed only with the synopsis, with no expectations or hopes other than one for an intriguing story.

Pros:
Grandma Beverly - easily the best part of the story for me

Cons:
Everyone else
Inner dialogue grows tired quickly
Predictable


I seem to be the outlier in my experience, but I found the mystery aspect here bland. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the right reader for this.



Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the DRC