I had a feeling I would enjoy this but I had no idea how much I would love it. Listen for the Lie is definitely going to be on my Best of 2024 list. I know we're only a month into the year but it's safe to say this book will be #1 for me. I'm going to try to put into words why Listen for the Lie is so good when all I want to do is babble incoherently and tell you to trust me and just read it yourself.

Just five years ago, Lucy and her best friend Savvy, attended a wedding. The night ended with Lucy wandering alone on a road covered in Savvy's blood. Because of a head injury, she doesn't remember anything. When her memory doesn't come back, she goes from fellow victim to suspect. Her own parents and husband are convinced of her guilt. It's a small Texas town so everyone knows each other and they all don't believe Lucy is innocent either.

She moves to Los Angeles and tries to accept she'll never know what happened and can't go back. She's pretty much convinced she must be guilty too. She writes romance novels using a pseudonym and is in a relationship that's basically over. Then a true crime podcast 'Listen for the Lie' becomes focused on Savvy's murder.

Lucy's grandma convinces her to come back for her 80th birthday. Once there she meets Ben, the podcast host. Eventually she agrees to talk to him and try to figure out what happened that night. She has to talk to all the people from her past and discovers they all have secrets of their own.

I flew through this book, it sucks you in and doesn't let go. Listen for the Lie is so well written, perfectly paced and suspenseful. I loved that it has a lot of dialogue that flows well. The podcast segments were great too, they added to the story in the right places and don't take you out of it.

I loved Lucy, she's a great main character. She's real and flawed, snarky and dark. I loved her grandma Beverly, the only one who believes in Lucy's innocence. I can't say enough good things about that character. I loved how dark the book was but it also had so much humor. Listen for the Lie is such an enjoyable and satisfying read from start to finish.

Speaking of that ending, I promise you will not figure out exactly what happened. And I was shocked and pleasantly surprised by a certain scene towards the end. All I'll say is it was very satisfying how Lucy reacted when things finally clicked into place. Okay, I'm still going to tell you just trust me and read it. Ugh, I am disgusted. No book has the right to be this good. If it's at all possible to make this into a series, please do so.

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early.

And thank you Amy Tintera for writing such an impressive and unforgettable book!

“I try not to smile. I swear to god, I try not to be the asshole that I am, but I utterly fail.” 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣🙌🏻

Ok so ya ya this book is about a murder mystery. But these women. THESE WOMEN. They are my soul sisters. They are laugh out loud funny, brutally honest, and self proclaimed assholes. Same ladies, same. I frequently found myself smiling at their banter. Grandma is a particular fav! These are my people. But I digress…

This 👏🏻 audiobook 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 absolute 👏🏻 gold 👏🏻. Gold I tell ya! I usually listen on 2x speed but I slowed this one down to savor its deviousness. The narration? Perfection 🤌🏻 (I mean one of the narrators IS January Lavoy, after all)! The production? Fire 🔥! I don’t normally listen to podcasts but the podcast portions of the book are done in what I believe a podcast would sound like, with musical scores and a proper introduction. I loved that aspect. This is just an all around 10/10 must listen! The murder mystery keeps you guessing until the end. I can imagine this will be in my top audiobooks of 2024.

THANK YOU to Netgalley, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy has agreed to come back to her hometown for her grandmother’s birthday and is roped into an interview for a podcast at the same time. Lucy is the topic of the true crime podcast as her entire town believes that she killed her best friend years ago. Unfortunately, Lucy cannot remember the events that occurred that day, but she hopes Ben, the smug podcast host, will be able to solve the case.

This was such an excellent thriller! It had so many elements that made me love it- it was funny, had likable characters, plot twists, and an interesting mystery and storyline. To be honest, I’m often tired of the amnesia storyline, but it didn’t bother me here because it seemed believable given Lucy’s head injury and trauma. Ben, Lucy, and Beverly were all charismatic, fun characters. I loved how Lucy leaned into her accused murderer persona and didn’t mind making others uncomfortable. Although I was able to figure out the identity of the person responsible, I was still surprised by several reveals and thoroughly enjoyed the ride!

Thank you to Amy Tintera, Celadon Books, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Rating 3.5/5

Savannah Harper was murdered, and her best friend Lucy Chase was never tried for the crime, even though she was found near the scene bloody and bewildered. The problem is, everybody in their tiny Texas suburb thinks Lucy did it. Years later when she's finally found a sense of normalcy in Los Angeles Lucy receives an email from Ben Owens, the host of a popular podcast, asking to talk because the new season will be dedicated to solving Savannah's case. In a sudden turn of events, Lucy finds herself back in Texas dodging angry townspeople and nosy neighbors, and every time a new episode premieres it dives deeper and deeper into a night that she can't remember and isn't sure that she wants to.

This was a beach read that, while engaging, had a plot that was so implausible at times that it gave me pause. Lucy is in her late twenties, has been married and divorced, and her personality is that of a teenager. The author has written her in a way that's clearly meant to direct the reader down a specific path as to what she's capable of. I'm not fond of this as I'd rather come to my own conclusions, especially with murder mysteries. The people who are supposed to care about her make really questionable decisions when it comes to her well-being to the point of carelessness.

I enjoyed the portions with Ben's podcast the most, as the majority of the interviewees were realistic in their answers and justifiable in their feelings toward the murder and everyone involved. The climax was thrilling and I was engaged all the way to the end, which is what gave the score that extra half a star.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to review.

It’s been several years since Savvy was murdered and her best friend Lucy still cannot remember what happened that night. What is certain is everyone thinks she had something to do with it, and now that the podcast Listen for the Lie is covering the mystery, Lucy finds she finally has to return home and challenge herself to remember that night. Will she finally clear her name or will she confirm what everyone else suspects?

This is a great page turner. The chapters of Lucy piecing things together regularly alternate with the podcast episodes, providing new clues while simultaneously raising new questions. It builds tension and takes the reader on several twists and turns.

Author Amy Tintera does a really good job developing Lucy as a character. Instead of reading only as cold, sarcastic, and possibly unstable, the main character comes across as witty and even slightly sympathetic. This doesn’t mean she isn’t a huge mess (she is), but she’s a funny mess, and her relationship with her grandmother manages to be oddly charming.

This book is a solid choice for fans of the genre and would allow for a lot of conversation if selected for a book club. At the very least, it’s definitely one to bring along as a vacation read.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is an excellent, keep the pages turning read. Reading the blurb, I knew it was a book I would most likely enjoy, but it surpassed my expectations. The writing style, and the character development kept me intrigued throughout the whole story. The sarcasm and wit of the main character Lucy even had me giggling at times. I really enjoyed the whole podcast element and reading the episodes. I absolutely felt like I was following an actual true crime drama podcast. I read Amy Tintera is a Young Adult author. I hope she continues to write adult fiction. I look forward to reading more of her work.

I loved the premise of the book, a twist on the “who dun it” where everyone believes they know who the killer is. Throughout the book, I sympathized with the main character and wondered how no one was in this girl’s corner- not even her parents. The book did a great job of showing how perpetrators of domestic violence are often charming and come off as non-threatening until it’s too late. They are master manipulators, as we see in this book. It is not lost on me that had Matt been honest from the beginning, poor Lucy would not have endured the torture of the last 5 years.

The book was very well written, kept you captivated, and was overall a great read. The only reason it wasn’t a 5 star for me was because I was able to figure out the actual killer about 3/4 of the way through based on the last sentence in chapter 44. I would definitely read more books by this author.

Thank you to Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited to read a thriller by an author I've never read from before, and Amy Tintera did not disappoint!

In this twisty read, we follow Lucy Chase. Five years ago, Lucy was found disheveled and covered in her best friend Savannah's blood on the side of the road. She doesn't have any memory of the previous night and soon becomes the main and only suspect in Savvy's murder. No one in her small hometown (Plumpton, TX) believes she is innocent -- including her parents -- but the lack of concrete evidence allows her to stay out of prison. Since that night, Lucy's been living in Los Angeles and trying to escape her past. That is, until Ben Owens decides to make Savvy's murder the subject of his next podcast season and piques Lucy's interest. At her grandma's request, Lucy returns to her hometown to revisit her past and see if she can find the truth of what happened the night of Savvy's murder.

I finished this in a day. It was so fast-paced and kept me guessing what the truth really was. The chapters were short and full of sarcasm, secrets, dysfunctional family members, nosy neighbors, twists and turns, and everything else you could hope for in a mystery/thriller. Lucy's dark humor was so great too. I found myself laughing at loud at some of the things she (or her grandma) said. I loved reading from Lucy's POV and then reading transcripts of Ben's podcast interviews with the residents of Plumpton. You don't know who is telling the truth -- they all have their own secrets and versions of who Lucy is and what happened that night. The ending of this book had my heart pounding and made me gasp several times. I highly recommend reading this once it comes out (March 5)!!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Five years ago, Lucy Chase’s best friend Savannah was brutally murdered after attending a wedding in the small town of Plumpton, TX. When Lucy was found wandering and covered in blood, she soon became the prime suspect. But Lucy doesn’t remember anything about what happened to her friend and because there was not enough evidence, she was never charged with the crime. Now, present day, a podcaster has decided to revisit and possibly solve the case. Lucy finds herself back in TX for her grandma’s birthday where she happens upon Ben Owen’s, the podcaster. Because she remembers very little about that night, Lucy finds herself drawn into the investigation, wanting to help Ben in his quest for the truth. Many people come forward with information on the case and the night of the murder. But Lucy is not really sure who is telling the truth and who is lying. This was a twisty, edge of your seat novel that made an exciting audio book! I highly recommend this read!

Obsessed. This was so so good. Wasn’t familiar with the author going into it but the podcast element plus thriller got me. LOVE the format with the chapters and podcast transcripts. I could not read fast enough. I really love Lucy and was rooting for her the whole time and my god the inner voice commentary was hilarious. The touch of comedy mixed in and the sarcasm was perfect. Highly highly recommend!! Thank you NetGalley so much for this ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I've read several books recently that have a podcast angle and not all of them have pulled it off successfully. Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is a good example of a story that uses this element successfully to propel the story rather than just supplement it. It kept me guessing, too, and the murderer of Savvy came as a surprise. My one complaint is that Ben was the only person who seemed to realize that Lucy had some sort of PTSD/brain injury, but even he didn't encourage her to get medical help for it, he just kept her talking to fuel his podcast. I doubt something like that just disappears because she remembered the night of Savvy's murder. If you like small-town gossip, lots of sleeping around (WTH Lucy's mom!!?), a cool grandma, and a juicy murder mystery, this one's for you. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I fell in love with the murder mystery sub-genre after reading A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson early last year, and no other murder mystery/thriller has hit as hard as that, and it made me feel really discouraged because I wanted to so badly chase that high. Let me tell you, Amy Tintera's "Listen for the Lie" FINALLY gave me that feeling again.

I want to start by saying that Lucy is probably one of my favourite female main characters. Tintera writes Lucy's dialogue in such a raw way. Writers typically think "oh, this woman is in her twenties or thirties, she obviously has to speak proper and act mature". Well, here's some breaking news for ya, I"m 26, and I don't speak proper and maturely (at least most of the time). Lucy speaks like an ACTUAL person her age in 2024. She doesn't try so hard to act like a stereotypical adult, she's real and raw and it was refreshing to read.

Another thing that I loved about this book was that (and this might not have been intentional by Tintera) the use of impulsive thoughts. Because Lucy is being accused of murder, when we read her internal thoughts, we as the reader will most likely automatically think "Oh, that's suspicious" and automatically wonder "did she really do it?" and "if she thinks like this, she must have!" and I think that's fascinating. The impulsive thoughts that Lucy has are random thoughts that another person might have, especially in the situations she's in and the people she's around. Not saying that I've experienced every impulsive thought she's had in this book, but some of them are just normal angry thoughts and imagery that a normal person might experience, but because she is the main suspect in a murder case, we automatically view those thoughts as "proof" of her guilt. I loved this because Tintera gives us another perspective that really opened my eyes a bit.

Overall, I really loved this book. It got me out of a really bad reading slump, and it gave me hope in the murder-mystery/thriller genres again. It was super fast paced without being overwhelming with characters or info dumping. I couldn't put it down, reading it in one sitting! A true page turner, never being bored for even a second. 10/10 recommend!

Thank you to Celadon Books, MacMillan Books, and of course Amy Tintera for giving me the opportunity and the honour of reading "Listen for the Lie" ahead of it's March 5th release (2024). I couldn't be more grateful.

*POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD / TRIGGER WARNING*

I do believe that Tintera tacked the topic of domestic violence very well. She did not make it hard to read, but she made it real, with real reactions from the characters, empathy, and support. I love that she didn't make it some huge thing, but rather a piece of the story that didn't romanticise it or highlight it in any way, which I've seen a lot of in books, so I appreciate Tintera for that. Shedding light without romanticising it. Thank you.

As soon as I read the description of this one, I knew I'd be hooked. What I didn't expect was to find such depth in the author's writing – the prose was stunning and digestible, the writing style was clean and well-written, and the characters were so layered and flawed and real in a way you rarely see in fiction books like this.

The pacing of this was unique in the sense that it was slow and steady and not your usual edge-of-your-seat page turner, and yet it held my interest and had me reaching for my Kindle to keep going because I was eager to learn how it would all unravel.

I loved the dark humor and the internal monologue that added a unique flare to the story. I can't wait for this one to come out and will be recommending it online and to my followers on Bookstagram as well as to all my friends and family members!

What did I just read. I love me a fast paced thriller. This story kept me on my toes and really left me guessing. I recommend! I recommend! I recommend! Throughout I wasn’t sure if I could trust the MC and kept second guessing all the other characters but I grew to really care about the MC and her story. She was portrayed as flawed but lovable and I couldn’t relate more to her sarcastic style.

So this wasn’t really a surprise because 2 of my trusted reviewers rated this highly, but like, I wasn’t expecting it to be *this* good?

Lucy was found the day after her best friend’s murder wandering the roads with a giant welt on her forehead and her best friend’s blood on her dress. She claims that she can’t remember anything from that night, and soon everyone in her small Texas town thinks she did it. After moving to Los Angeles, Lucy travels back to Texas at her grandmother’s request, and there she finds something shocking: the podcaster that unearthed this cold case and showed the world who Lucy was is in town and ready to get to the bottom of this murder.

There’s not much I can say except that this was (almost) perfection! The writing was great, the pacing was EXCELLENT, the characters were amazing, the atmosphere was impeccable, the tension was THERE. No spoilers, but I guessed the killer, but I could’ve NEVER guessed the motivation! Watching Lucy slowly piecing the story together along with reading about the podcast episodes was an experience!

Bottom line: read this.

4.75/5 Stars (rounded up)

thank you to the publisher for the e-arc!

This book was a wild ride! Every time I thought I knew who the killer was, a new suspicious character was introduced then I was convinced it was them. The beginning started a little slow for me, but about 30% in, I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you so much for allowing me to be an ARC reader. I enjoyed this book a lot!

This was a fantastic thriller. The author really keeps you guessing with so many twists and turns. I love the main characters dark humor!

You'll never guess who did it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED this book. Completely devoured this book in a day.

The idea behind it was wonderful, and I loved the idea of the podcast filling in the important details really made this book stand out to me. It was such a twist.

What I really loved about Lucy was she was actually a bit crazy. She wasnt fully innocent like most books paint the main female.

If you love twisty thrillers, you'll love this.

DNF @ 20%

Didn't connect with the MC whatsoever. She's sarcastic and relatable in some regards, but found her to be too casual about the entire ordeal. Plus the amnesia in this one felt a bit ridiculous.

Feel like the crime podcast element is overdone and not compelling. Not the intricate and detailed thriller I was expecting.

There is so much to love in Amy Tintera’s latest book, Listen for the Lie! It’s unique, witty, suspenseful, and even funny! I could not put it down!

Five years ago Lucy’s best friend was murdered in Lucy’s hometown, and Lucy was the main suspect. Due to lack of evidence, Lucy was never tried for the crime. She fled her small town in Texas for the big city life of Los Angeles. Now she is returning to small town Texas for her grandma’s birthday party and tricked into working with a well-known podcaster to find her best friend’s murderer, who very well may be Lucy herself!

I loved the short chapters that went back and forth between now and five year ago and also included transcripts from the podcasts. There was never a boring minute reading this one!

Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon Books, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.