WHAT A BOOK!

This is the debut adult novel from Amy Tintera, and I hope it's not the last.

Listen for the Lie is a story that follows Lucy Chase. Lucy had it all: the "dream" husband, Matt, a beautiful home, and loving family and friends, including Savannah (Savvy). However, this all changes one night. After a wedding, Lucy is found wandering the streets with a head injury, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood. Lucy can’t remember anything about her best friend’s murder; however, everyone in her small town thinks she’s lying about the course of events, including Lucy’s own parents. The police can’t charge her because there is little evidence.

Now divorced, Lucy moves to Los Angeles to start a new life. One day, Lucy’s grandmother, Beverly, calls and asks her to come home for her 80th birthday. This is all a ruse to get Lucy to talk with Ben Owens, the host of the popular true crime podcast Listen for the Lie, who has decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the second season of the podcast. Lucy reluctantly revisits the location she swore never to return to, compelled to unravel the mystery of her friend's murder, even if she might be the one responsible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it did not disappoint and was a quick read. The novel was action-packed and suspenseful. Every chapter kept me wanting more. Tintera’s ability to integrate the podcast episodes at the right time in the book was brilliant.

A massive thank you to Amy Tintera, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to pick up this book when it is published on 3/5/2024!

Trigger warnings include sexual assault, domestic violence, alcoholism, and homicide.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was twisty and everything a thriller should be, but it was also fun. I loved the snark and attitude of our heroine. She was so spunky despite her circumstances. And our Podcaster was pretty great too! I will say Holy Moly! That twist I was not expecting! This was a full on five star read for me!

4.5/5
This was a great thriller! Interesting story line, great characters, and actually pretty funny as well. I couldn’t wait to keep reading this book. It’s a must read!

There has been a lot of mystery/thriller podcast books out lately. But this one has to be one of my favorites! Lucy’s sarcastic humor was clever and entertaining! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Celadon for a Netgalley of this upcoming release.

Lucy is returning to her small hometown where she is known for murdering her best friend 5 years ago. She was never charged, but that did not matter. Her grandmother convinces her to come home for her birthday while neglecting to mention that Ben, the man making a podcast about this murder, will be in town.

This starts the deep dive down the rabbit hole. Small town. Big secrets. Always when that is the setting. The book flips between podcast transcripts and "normal" chapters from Lucy's perspective. We slowly are brought to THE night in question.

I really enjoyed this book. Tintera, who apparently is primarily a YA writer, is making her adult debut, which did not disappoint. Like most small town books, everyone is the suspect, and while I had inklings of the killer reveal it did not let me down. This was really well written and I definitely recommend to thriller readers.

Listen for the Lie is a dark, fast paced, twisty whodunnit that was a lot of fun! So much fun that I managed to ignore all responsibilities and read it in one sitting. Written, mostly, from Lucy's POV whose an absolute mess, I enjoyed her dark humor and snark, she came off the page perfectly. I really liked that some of the chapters were followed by the podcast interviews. The interviews gave additional information on the crime, and not repetitive with the story. I'd highly recommend this one to anyone who loves a fun thriller with a bit of dark comedy.

Make sure you read over the trigger warnings, abuse and gaslighting are very prevalent throughout this novel.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow - just wow!

Really really enjoyed this book! I’m a big fan of crime podcasts, so having this mixed media book that includes a podcast’s perspective is super interesting.

I loved how nonchalant and badass Lucy is. She didn’t let anyone get to her even though she was in a town where everyone thought she was a murderer.

If you read this book, I highly suggest the audiobook as well! The narrator is great and it gives you the feeling of listening to a podcast!

I’m only knocking off a star because I called who did it early on in the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for the ARC/ALC!

Star rating: 4 stars

4.5

Setting: Texas
Rep: n/a

If Fleabag was a murder mystery. Very unique book, loved the podcast element (which was one of the best incorporations of a podcast I've seen in a book) and the tongue-in-cheek protagonist, Lucy, who has no memory of the night her best friend died, who constantly finds herself drifting off daydreaming about killing the people she's talking to and seeing her dead best friend in the room. Great book with plenty of twists and I didn't predict the ending!

I don’t know what I was expecting but damn this book was so good! I could not stop reading it! This was definitely giving AGGGTM vibes (adult version)!!! I loved it! The character was relatable enough to keep me interested and the rest of the characters all had their own problems and the plot was going so hard! All the mystery and reveals were just so dang good!

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera was a fast paced read about Lucy who can't remember if she murdered her best friend Savvy. When Lucy comes back to her hometown several years after the murder to visit her grandma she meets a podcaster who is doing episodes about the case. Both are trying to figure out what really happened to Savvy- but at what cost?

This read had a lot of twists and surprises that I didn't expect which kept me at the edge of my seat! I will definitely read future books by Amy Tintera. Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

A fun, light murder mystery! Refreshing change of pace from the typical murder mystery. The writing style was light, breezy and fun. The characters did not need to have much depth- which allowed the plot to advance quickly.

Thank you to the author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced audio copy. This is an honest voluntary review.

I LOVED this book!

Listen For the Lie is a story about main character, Lucy. 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.

This story alternates between Lucy’s point of view and then the “Listen For The Lie” podcast episodes. The narration was AMAZING- I loved it! I also loved the characters’ sarcasm and humor. I found myself laughing during some of the dialogue which brought some levity to a suspenseful thriller. It was very nicely done by the author.

This story was absolute perfection and I loved every single second. This is one I will recommend over and over again. Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Macmillan Audio for providing me this ARC in exchange for sharing my honest thoughts. I am so grateful for the opportunity.

I love this book! The writing style is catchy, and fast paced. I liked the main character even though we are suppose to question her and maybe not like her. The podcast within the story usually doesn't sit well with me but I really liked this from the first sentence on. This will be one I definitely recommend to readers and would be perfect some spring break reading!

Lucy is found wandering in the street covered in blood. She was last seen with her best friend Savvy at a wedding the night before. Savvy’s body is discovered and despite the fact that Lucy has a head injury resulting in memory loss, she’s suspected of murdering her.

With no evidence to convict Lucy, she is left living in a small Texas town where everyone treats her as if she’s a killer. She moves to LA to start a new life away from the hatred. Ben is a true crime podcaster who has chosen to investigate Savvy’s death and discover the truth of what happened that fateful night. The transcripts of the podcast are woven in with Lucy’s POV.

Listen for the Lie drew me in quickly and I found myself chuckling at Lucy’s sarcastic wit and spunk. Her way of dealing with her ‘killer’ reputation is through humor and acceptance. She can’t remember what happened so she’s unsure whether she DID kill her best friend. She has dark thoughts about ways to kill people that initially was amusing but grew tiresome…until more was revealed.

Lucy returns home at the request of her grandmother Beverly who is the epitome of someone ‘living their best life’ and Lucy’s biggest advocate. The rest of the characters including Ben, are not that likable. I was even ambivalent about Lucy, though I liked her best. The story is more a gossipy who’s sleeping with who and what people are like behind closed doors, than a thriller. Everyone was sleeping around, and I do mean EVERYONE. There was unnecessary language and sexual content for me, but if you like spicy domestic dramas this may be for you. The ending was over the top, but satisfyingly fun; I enjoyed it!

⚠️Many potential triggers in content and subject matter.

Thank you to Amy Tintera, Celadon Books and NetGalley for the #gifted copy.

Listen for the Lie is the kind of thriller that makes you forget about sleep, food, and possibly even breathing. I was very very skeptical upon starting it, as honestly I strongly feel that the true crime podcast trend is over-done, but wow. Chef's kiss.

The story centers around Lucy, once a golden girl of her small Texas town, now a woman shrouded in suspicion after being found drenched in her best friend Savvy's blood, with no memory of the fateful night. As Lucy grapples with the fragments of her past and the ruinous whispers that paint her as a murderer, Tintera weaves a tale that is as much about the resilience of the human spirit as it is about solving a chilling mystery.

✅ Pros:

- Forget your skepticism about the true crime podcast trend—this book uses it like a pro.
- Lucy, our main gal, might be covered in her best friend's blood, but you'll be rooting for her from page one. A lot of character depth
- Just when you think you've got it figured out, Tintera pulls the rug out from under you.
- This book isn't just about the thrills; it's got heart. The exploration of domestic violence and toxic relationships is raw and real.
- Amidst the chaos, the portrayal of strong, supportive female friendships is a breath of fresh air.

❌ Cons:
- Seriously, the only downside is the lack of sleep. I was so hooked, I turned into a nocturnal creature, reading "just one more chapter" until the sun came up.

TLDR:
Read it. Trust me you won't be able to put it down.

Thank you to Celadon books and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I have been provided with a review copy of Listen for the Lie from NetGalley for an impartial review. This book was just so easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Wow I went in blind with this one and pulled an all-nighter! Lucy fled her hometown of Plumberton, TX for LA after being accused of killing her best friend, Savannah/Savvy. Five years later she returns to attend her Grandma’s birthday party. Same time a podcaster, Ben and his show “Listen For The Lie” reignites Savvy’s death. This was fast paced and unputdownable! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

After Lucy Chase is found wandering the streets covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she’s a murderer. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has moved to California to start a new life.
Ben Owens is a handsome man who hosts a huge hit true crime podcast, “Listen For the Lie”, and decided to investigate Savvy’s murder.
Five years later Lucy’s grandmother Beverly calls insisting she come home for her 80th birthday celebration. She agrees. Ben arrives in Texas at the same time to interview possible suspects.

This story didn’t grip or captivate me. I found it a little boring. A majority of the book was interviews. There was a lot of sleeping around, cheating and infidelity. It got confusing trying to remember who was with who. The characters except Grandma Beverly were unlikable. The reason for the murder and identity of the killer wasn’t shocking.

It did shed light on abuse including domestic abuse and how women aren’t believed

Five years after the gruesome murder of her best friend, Lucy is still not sure --- is she guilty? Lucy has no memories from that night five years ago and no plans to try to remember, until popular podcaster Ben heads to her hometown to investigate. What follows is a fast paced ride through podcast interviews and interpersonal relationships to get down to the truth of that night. I absolutely recommend this novel -- Lucy's POV is mixed with podcast episodes making for a page turning read! Anyone who loves a 'true crime' story or a great mystery will enjoy this!

Okay this book was fantastic! It was extremely fast paced, the chapters were short, and the narrator was hilarious. My only gripe was how normalized infidelity was throughout the course of the novel.