This story is incredibly engaging and unique as it tackles true crime from the podcast standpoint. I found it amazing that this book has me creeped out one second and laughing my butt off the next, as the author uses dark humor sprinkled throughout in the most perfect way. Each of the characters were fully fleshed out and relatable (well minus one maybe), and I was hooked almost from the start. At one point, I felt myself wanting to race through to find out what exactly had happened.

My only criticism, and what kept this book from being a 5 star read for me, is that the middle section of the book felt repetitive and that slowed the pacing down for a bit. However, that said, this is a worthy read, especially given how fresh and unique it is.

Of note, this is great on audio, however, I would recommend reading the physical or ebook alongside it. There are quite a few characters and families to keep straight, along with multiple timelines, and I think having both formats helps.

3.5 stars

I think these podcast true crime mystery thrillers are easily becoming one of my favorite tropes. It was dual POV with our main suspect and then the podcast chapters in which people close to the main suspect were interviewed. The title itself was captivating enough, but the podcast chapters were by far my favorite.

I loved the grandma the most, and was not fond of Matt or her parents who automatically assumed our main character was guilty. The final reveal was 3/5 and I think this book really could have benefitted from an epilogue. I needed to know what happened to the guilty parties - beyond that they went to jail.

I highly recommend listening to this as an audiobook as it sounds like a true crime podcast, but may want a physical copy nearby as well.

What a thrilling, hilarious, un-put-downable debut adult fiction from Amy Tintera!

Years ago, Lucy's best friend Savvy was found dead, and Lucy was found wandering the streets with blood on her arms and a traumatic head injury. At first, officials assume she and Savvy were both victims to an attack, but as time passes, they start to believe Lucy might be Savvy's killer. Lucy can't remember anything about that night, and after her small Texas town turns on her an assumes the worst, she moves away to LA. Five years later, she's drawn back to her hometown for her grandma's birthday, where podcaster Ben Owens has also set up base, because Savvy's unsolved case is the subject of his second season of his podcast Listen for the Lie. As he reveals more and more secrets surrounding Savvy's death, Lucy finds herself on track to discover what really happened that night.

I haven't loved a narrator's voice as much as Lucy's snappy, sardonic tone in a long time! I was immediately charmed by her sarcastic, dry wit, and the short chaptered, breakneck pace of the story made it impossible to put down! The truth of what happened to Savvy is revealed in carefully constructed layers, and I thoroughly enjoyed how the conclusion came together.

I already know this will be one of my top reads of 2024!

4.25☆

This is my first Amy Tintera book and what an introduction it was! <i> Listen for the Lie </i> was quite addictive and entertaining! I couldn't get enough of the mystery and I'm proud to say that I was able to solve the case before the conclusion (my success rate is 50/50 so I'm quite proud of myself).

For what they were supposed to be, the characters were well written! You may love someone one moment but then question if they're truly who they say they are the next. The author did a great job in making me doubt my own thoughts and feelings.

I love a good thriller and this is something that I will definitely recommend to everyone!

This book was SO much fun! I had read one of Amy Tintera's YA fantasy books a couple years ago and loved it, so I was really excited that she made the switch to not only adult fiction, but thrillers! It felt like a big jump when I first saw it, but she did it SO well. This book held my attention from the very beginning- I loved how sarcastic and witty Lucy was- it made a more serious story fun and lighthearted because of some of the comments she made. I loved the podcast elements throughout- I can tell that this one would be great on audio. I FLEW through this book- the chapters were short and enough happened in each of them that I just wanted to keep reading more, and I was left guessing the entire time! I didn't end up guessing the ending because Amy Tintera did such a great job of making me suspicious of literally everyone, that I didn't see the ending coming at all! I hope that she decides to keep going in this direction with her future books because I really enjoyed this!

I'm sorry to say, but Listen for the Lie is a miss for me. I was initially excited to read this. Based on the premise, it sounded like it would be a twisty whodunnit full of dark humor. But I'm two chapters in and I hate everyone's voice. It reads so juvenile. Rarely do I DNF an ARC, but I can't imagine reading this to the end.

Thanks very much to Celadon Books for inviting me to read this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Five years ago, Lucy was found wandering a backroad in her small Texas hometown covered in her friend Savvy's blood. Everyone thinks Lucy is responsible for Savvy's death. Lucy doesn't remember that night. After five years away, Lucy has returned to Plumpton, Texas, while Ben, a true crime podcaster, has descended on the tiny town to solve this deeply shrouded mystery.

Addictive and bingable! This grabbed me right from the start! It is a cleverly plotted thriller full of dark humor, creepy moments, tension, and shocking twists. The well-written story alternates between Lucy's POV and episodes of Ben's podcast. No spoilers, and I recommend going in fairly blind, but this kept me guessing, laughing, and shocked. The podcast aspects of the story were very well done. Lucy was a complex character, snarky and guarded but scratch the surface and there is more to her, and discovering her through her internal dialogue was so intriguing. Some larger-than-life characters inhabit this unique story, my favorite of which is Beverly, Lucy's grandmother. She is a hoot! I was caught between dying to find out how this story ended and having so much fun reading it that I didn't want it to end. Super entertaining and highly recommended!

Listen for the Lie caught my attention from the start. The writing was fast paced and witty and it kept me wanting to know what happened. I liked that the author added in excerpts from the podcast featured in the book to break up the writing. It felt like there were unique voices and characters who were developed throughout the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the snarky tone of the main character and the relationship with eisty grandma. I did feel like the book focused on too many characters. It was hard to keep track at times who everyone was, ex: the podcaster's assistant. I also felt the romance was a bit forced and not necessary to the plot. Overall, I would highly recommend this book. One of the best thrillers I have read in awhile and it kept me guessing almost until the end.

This story starts with a slow pace, but builds to a point where you can’t quite put it down! Lucy was a real character, with her quick wit and “tell it like it is” attitude. I really enjoyed seeing how the pieces of the mystery built into the true story of how Savvy died. This is a truly enjoyable psychological thriller!

Oh, this was five easy stars!
This book follows our main character Lucy. Lucy you see- she has AWFUL taste in men. Be warned there are mentions of TRIGGERING SUBJECTS involving decently graphic violence, domestic abuse, losing consciousness in a violent manner, attempted r@pe. If you have real life experience with these things, the book may be a hard read for you depending on how intense your triggers are and how much distance you have from it in your life.
This book has twists on twists on twists. You doubt basically every character in this book. I highlighted clue after clue trying to figure it out and I was still wrong. I usually guess thrillers and whodunnits early, too. Poor Lucy, you think throughout the whole book…but then she seems so suspicious …WHY? This book was unputdownable from the beginning and never lost pacing for me. If I had to compare this author, I’d say the writing style of Freida Mcfadden, especially with the dark humor elements, and the plot twist mastery of Alex Michaelides. These are two of my favorite authors so this was a total win of a book for me. This was so good it deserves a movie in a major way! *Fingers crossed* guys! I’m especially grateful to Celadon Books, Netgalley, and Amy Tintera for the privilege of being able to read this advance copy! I highly recommend picking up a Copy of this book - I’ll absolutely be adding it to my collection when it releases March 5, 2024!

My first Amy Tintera novel and I was hooked from the first page. As a murder mystery with a main character with amnesia and no recollection if she killed her best friend. Along with a sarcastic narrative of her life that had me laughing out loud. Add a spunky grandma and a small hometown where everyone has formed their opinion on the matter. Along comes a true crime podcaster looking for the truth and all the secrets evolve slowly seeking for the truth. Don't forget the sinister voice she hears randomly throughout the novel, I find myself contemplating which truth Lucy created and which was the truth. I was left asking if I missed the lie. I enjoy a good mystery that keeps me wondering long after the last page. I will be anticipating more from Amy Tintera and I am now hooked on her writing style.

Thanks NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! This was an absolute treat!

This is the story of Lucy, who was a potential suspect in the murder of her best friend five years prior. Lucy, however, has no memory of the night her friend dies and therefore cannot even exonerate herself of the crime.

If you’re a sucker for a true crime podcast element thrown into your thriller (which I am), this is a highly recommended read. The plot propels itself forward, there are so many developments throughout that left me guessing and wanting to know more, and I truly didn’t see the end coming.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Listen for the Lie! I binged this book in well under 24 hours, it’s just that good! It kept me engaged and wanting to keep turning the page to find out what happened next! I loved the way the story was told, with Lucy’s POV, the past, and the podcast episodes! I will say I was able to guess who did it when that character was first mentioned/introduced but it was still exciting to see how it all played out! I want Lucy’s grandma as my own, and her parents and ‘friends’ can all go away. I really liked the sarcastic, flippant attitude that Lucy had, others may not but I felt it really gave Lucy’s character more depth. This was a very fun, fast paced thriller/mystery that I will recommend to friends and family! Thank you again for the ARC!!

First of all, thank you for the opportunity to read this book first. It was a good read and I spent until the end wondering if Lucy really did it or someone else. I would’ve like to have known how things played out after returning to LA to her ex boyfriend.

I went into this book with huge hype looking at previous ratings. I think it just fell short of my expectations, especially towards the end. The podcast element was promising but other than introducing a ton of characters, I didn't see much value to it. An overused amnesia trope, a town filled with promiscuous individuals, confused family dynamics (especially with the abusive ex-husband) were some of the things that didn't go too well for me. The book was fast in places and a little repetitive and slow in others. The dark humor was good. In it's best parts, the book reminded me of a few of my favorite mystery novels. Overall, it was an interesting read, sort of quick paced, decent ending (not the best). And this is just my honest opinion and I could be an outlier.

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital copy!

Is a podcast investigation thriller my new favorite trope? Is it even a trope? If it is, add it to my list of auto reads.

Lucy hasn’t been home in several years, not since she was accused (and is still suspected of) murdering her best friend. There was never enough evidence to arrest her, but the town had already decided she was guilty. When a true crime podcaster decides to dig into the story, she’s brought back to the night she has no memory of.

O. M. G. I had such a fun time reading this book. I really loved the formatting with regular chapters and then the podcast episodes thrown in the mix. I would highly recommend this read for fans of thrillers, or someone looking for something suspenseful but not overly traumatic. Add this to your TBR!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

Just finished reading “Listen For The Lie”! It was such a good book! I could not put it down. This is the first book I finished in almost less than a day!
The Author is so good with her characterization! If you need a good thriller that will keep you guessing to the end while also making you laugh along the way, this is the book!
Lucy, the main character, is the kind of sarcastic I think most of us can relate to! There are so many times you’ll think you know who took the life of Lucy’s best friend but you’ll be wrong. So many mind blowing twist around every corner!
This book won’t be released until March 5, 2024! So mark your calendar and put this one your TBR list! You won’t want to miss it!!

I loved this book. I listened to the audiobook and read along. I would say that definitely enhanced the story since it reads like a podcast.

Everyone in their small town thinks Lucy killed her best friend Savvy. The problem is Lucy suffered a head injury and has amnesia so she can’t remember the events of the evening.

Years later Lucy returns to her home town for her grandmothers birthday party and she isn’t greeted with a warm welcome. I thought this book was really well plotted. I really enjoyed the podcast sections. I loved the way everyone in town was interviewed. I was glued to the book wondering what happened. I definitely recommend this book especially if you like a good podcast.

Thanks @netgalley and @celadonbooks for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’m so glad that I saw @megans_bookcorner’s mention of this book in her stories. I couldn’t put it down and didn’t expect the ending at all. @amytintera writes characters so well, and even the unlikeable ones were ones that I wanted to read more about. She made me laugh so many times too. This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. Check this book out when it’s released in March 2024.

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

4.5/5: Meet Lucy. A complicated woman running from her past and from her reputation. She succeeds until Ben, podcaster host, begins digging up the past she tried so desperately to bury. Lucy is suddenly faced with returning to the small town that hates her and begins to try to unwind the tangled lies that surround the murder of her best friend.

This book was enthralling, engaging, and I could not put it down. This book flashes between our story with Lucy and transcripts of the episodes in “Listen for the Lie”, which I loved! Amy Tintera did a great job of making you question our narrator and also empathize with the ostracism she faced from her small Texas town. I felt like I was not only a member of this community, but also a listener of the podcast. This book had twists, turns, and moments that made me laugh out loud. By the end of it, I was rooting and shouting for Lucy to have her triumphant win. This book had it all AND a satisfying ending. Overall a fun and fantastic read. Run, don’t walk to get this on your shelf!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.