Happy Pub Day to Amy Tintera and her novel LISTEN FOR THE LIE! This was a wild ride and kept me guessing until the very end.

Lucy doesn’t remember anything from the night her best friend, Savvy, is murdered including why she is found dirty and with Savvy’s blood on her clothing. Lucy has also been injured and a head injury prevents her from knowing what really happened. Now she’s back in her hometown for her grandma’s birthday and podcaster Ben Owens is on the hunt for an interview with her. Will Ben uncover the truth that proves Lucy’s innocence or will he be the one to finally prove she murdered her best friend?

Lucy is snarky and a strong character— clearly taking after her grandma and they were my favorites in the book. Her head injury and amnesia makes her unreliable but I couldn’t help but like her and trust her. There are so many other suspects too that will keep you guessing until the end.

I mostly listened to this one on audio and it was absolutely fantastic with narrating duo January LaVoy and Will Damron. They truly give everyone a unique voice making it feel like a full cast. Absolutely recommend listening but if that’s not your thing, reading with your eyes will also be enjoyable too. This book is just great!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to @macmillan.audio and @celadonbooks for these galleys! Listen for the Lie is available today at your local bookstore, online store, or @bookofthemonth. Congratulations to @amytintera on this fantastic thriller! I highly recommend it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Lɪsᴛᴇɴ Fᴏʀ Tʜᴇ Lɪᴇ ʙʏ Aᴍʏ Tɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀ

“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. “

🎙️true crime, mystery and podcast? Yes, please.
Everybody here is an unreliable narrator and equally guilty until proven otherwise. Fast paced, entertaining, jumping from real life to podcast live mode. Hilarious, sarcastic, dark and witty, Lucy will kept you wondering and even questioning your own mind. Who killed her friend and why?
This audio was a delight! 5⭐️🎙️ for the narration, great pace and sounds effects. @januarylavoy @jwdamron absolutely brought this book to live!

Thank you @macmillan.audio for sending amazing copies like this one.

True crime podcaster helps Lucy get to the bottom of her friend Savvy's murder when he conducts his own investigation. People around town think Lucy had something to do with the murder, but did she? She can't remember.

Listen for the Lie was so good! Definitely an edge of your seat kind of thriller--kept me turning pages to see what happened next. This story unfolded through Lucy's point of view as well as the Listen for the Lie podcast. There were so many new details discovered through the podcasters investigation--SO MANY TWISTS. I highly recommend Listen for the Lie to anyone seeking a suspenseful mystery!

Also, the audio was amazing! There was a separate narrator for Lucy's POV and the podcast!

Oh my gosh. This was a twisty-turny thrilling ride!! I feel like there isn't too much I can get into without spoiling the story, I highly recommend you go in blind as I did and enjoy the journey!

The audio version definitely made this experience more fun for me! 5 stars all around.

Lucy has been blamed for years for her friend Savvy's mysterious murder. She was the only one with Savvy at the time of her murder, and she has no alibi - because she can't remember what happened. Lucy is certain she could never have killed her best friend, but the entire town, including her parents, think she's the killer. There was never enough evidence to convict her, and so she moved away and tried to live an anonymous life.

That is until a podcaster decides to make a true crime podcast about Savvy's murder. Initially Lucy wants to stay away, but is convinced to participate.

This was really good, it held my attention the entire time. There is a large cast of characters, but I had no issues keeping everyone straight. This was such a well fleshed out story with great writing and a characterization, and the mystery builds so well.

5 stars. Thank you Macmillan Audio for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy is accused of murdering her best friend but due to amnesia, she doesn't remember the night so she doesn't know what happened. Lucy's husband sends her away to stay with her parents and Lucy decides to move to Los Angeles. 5 years later, a podcast is being done about the murder and Lucy's grandmother lures Lucy back to Texas for her grandmother's birthday party. Lucy is against being interviewed for the podcast until her grandmother steps in and explains the reasons that the podcast could help Lucy.

I was hooked right from the beginning. Who doesn't love a good true crime podcast!? I really like the storyline, I found it a fresh concept and unlike anything I've read. There were a few parts that gave me pause, for example, Lucy's inner voice. I found the inner voice a little distracting to start, but it seemed to fit in more throughout the story.

I really enjoyed this book, I love the narrators, January LaVoy and Will Damron, they did a great job making the story come to life. It made you feel like you were right there in the story. As soon as I saw that January LaVoy was part of this book, I knew I needed to listen to it and I'm really glad I did.

I've never read anything by Amy Tintera before but if all of her books are like this then I will be checking out more of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Amy Tintera for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6319725726

I'm so glad I requested this book. A unique plot and raw dialogue from characters. I like to say I'm good at guessing the ending on mystery/thriller novels, but this one had me shocked at the last chapters. I can't wait to see what else comes from this author.

When I got approved for this book 4 days ago I was so excited. I wasn’t sure I was going to finish on time for publishing day but I finished 2 days ago😂. This book was sooo good. The flashbacks. The storytelling. The characters. Sign me up for anything Amy Tintera writes. I will be first in line.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for letting me listen to this ARC.

Available today!!

#arc #audiobook #thriller #thrillerbooks #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookreview

Thanks so much for this Audio arc!!

This book was sooooo good!! I was instantly hooked! The narration was captivating. I hope this becomes a movie or show because it would be great on screen!

Can you imagine everyone thinking you killed your best friend? And you’re not sure if they’re right?

Lucy’s best friend Savannah is killed and Lucy seems to be the culprit. Lucy can’t remember anything from that night. After the tragedy Lucy’s name was ruined in her town and her husband divorced her. She returns (begrudgingly) for her grandmothers birthday party. It also happens that a true crime podcaster, who has just reopened her past, is in town as well.

Lucy’s journey with her family, the podcaster, her town, her ex and her memories was so captivating. I loved her inner dialogue & how Savannah seems to show up as the devil on her shoulder. I love the grandmother too- she was fiery and sneaky and Lucy’s truest companion.

This book kept me wondering what happened the entire time. I did not figure any of it out. And honestly we’re even left wondering a bit at the end which is super fun. I loved the podcast element too. This was definitely a 5 star read for me! I hope Tintera writes more and more!

Thank you @celadonbooks #partner for the #gifted copy and @macmillan.audio @netgalley for the audiobook!
——
Five year ago, Lucy was accused of murdering her best friend, Savannah in small town Plumpton, Texas. However Lucy does not remember a thing about that fateful night. She eventually moves away to Los Angeles, unable to put up with her town’s judgments even though she was not officially charged.

Independently, five years laters, Ben Owens, a popular crime podcaster decides to unearth this case and find out if Lucy did indeed kill her best friend. Ben Owens is shrewd and has the resources to resolve cold cases and decides to personally visit Plumpton and its cast of characters. He happens to bump into Lucy, who has returned for a week to celebrate her grandma’s birthday. Lucy has no interest to work with Ben but Ben will not be stopped.

The chapters alternate between Lucy’s narration and Ben’s Listen For The Lie podcasts where he interviews the townsfolk directly or indirectly connected to the case. The podcasts chapters are absolutely compelling and sound like real podcasts. January LaVoy and Will Damron (Did you know they’re husband and wife?!) did a PHENOMENAL narration. Even though I would have enjoyed just reading this book, the audiobook made the story even more stellar.

There’s a huge amnesia trope throughout the main story and I know some thriller readers feel it’s been overdone, but I assure you, it was treated respectfully in this book. You’ll understand what I mean once you finish the book. Listen For The Lie is easily one of my favorite thrillers I’ve read and I can’t wait to see what Amy Tintera comes up with next!

I know reviews are incredibly subjective, and I regret that my rating will be lower simply because I have read something that doesn't necessarily fit with my tastes. The pacing, character, composition, dialogue--all of the technical things are executed so well. The audiobook production is excellent. The premise is perfect. I'm not a true crime/cold case solving officianado, but I do find these stories engaging, and I appreciate the work that goes into helping people find closure and peace. It's the content that got to me. I don't like a lot of profanity, but can handle some. The culture of infidelity and small-town sleeping around was a big no-go for me. I do understand, though, that there's a market for this kind of entertainment, and in this case, it's executed well. Hence, it's three stars from me. 5-stars for execution. 1-star for content. Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC.

This was a fantastic true crimes/podcast book. The fast pace and past/present timelines kept me hooked along with the narrator. I can't wait for Amy Tintera's next book!

1) This book should have been as witty and funny as it was considered there’s an unsolved murder.

2) If we don’t get more from Ben’s podcast, I’ll consider it a tragedy for the book world.

3) Amy Tintera nailed the Texas small town life setting.

4) I was wrong about who I thought was responsible for Savvy’s death. I love a good whodunnit red herring read.

I first read this book then picked up the audiobook and let me tell you, reading it again provided such a fun experience thanks to hindsight. Both options are fantastic options, and this is going to be top book of 2024.

Thank you to @NetGalley for letting me listen to the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This book had me on the edge of my seat! It was funny, witty and had so many twists and turns. The grandma was my favorite character iykyk. I enjoyed how the memories slowly unraveled to get the puzzle pieces to come together.

I loved the narrators, they were both fantastic! I will have to look for this author again. If anyone enjoys the murder/mystery via podcast, read this!

You're best friend is dead. You are found wandering the streets, soaked in her blood. Everyone thinks you are the murderer and you can't defend your innocence because you can't remember a thing that happened that night. This was a very fast paced and entertaining thriller/mystery. I love the incorporation of the true crime podcast, multi-timelines, and the short chapters! These components along with a fantastic plot made this book fly by in a hurry. Very much enjoyed this one.

Five years ago Lucy woke up covered in blood and no memory of the night before. Her best friend is found murdered and the small town where she lives assumes that Lucy did it. Because Lucy has no memory of that night she herself isn't sure of her innocence or guilt. Now, a pod caster in digging into the unsolved murder and this thriller is all about that fallout.

Listen for the Lie is a fast paced thriller and page turner. I enjoyed the mixture of thrill and humor and it felt like a good balance. The unique twist of Lucy unsure of her own innocence was a nice element and it was nice to see her trying to figure out what happened along with us. I especially liked the podcast portion of the story. Ben had an engaging way about him that felt true of a good podcaster

I listened to the audio book and the narrators January LaVoy and Will Damron made the story particularly entertaining.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera Will be available on March 5. Thank you Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

Listen, when it does the thing it does thing, so I had to round up to five stars because it's so rare that I truly love a thriller. So many of them sound exactly the same, and have the exact same premise, and don't really do much interesting beyond trying to shock the hell out of you (which I find uninteresting as the basis for a book). This is not a book that will blow your mind, but it is a book that knows exactly what it wants to do, does it, and does it with style. I can't find a single fault with this book, and even better than that, I had a really great time with it. I will read it again! I regret not getting it in my Book of the Month box this month, but we shall be fixing that error shortly.

Anyway, I don't want to hype this up too much, and a lot of it could just be my personal tastes, but a well-written thriller with a voice is so hard to find! I also loved the plot.

So our main character is Lucy Chase, who was found wandering a road the night after a wedding with a traumatic brain injury that resulted in memory loss. Her best friend Savvy is found dead near the same time, also with a wound to the head. When no other leads can be found, the town turns on Lucy, overwhelmingly believing she killed her best friend. So she leaves town and doesn't look back. The worst part of this being, of course, that she doesn't remember what happened so a part of her believes she might have killed Savvy, too. Fast forward five years and we have the first sentence of the book, which made me laugh out loud (as did the whole first page).

"A podcaster has decided to ruin my life, so I'm buying a chicken."

Said podcaster is Ben Owens, host of "Listen for the Lie," which has taken on Savvy's case, and because the podcast is one lots of people listen to, Lucy can no longer go about her life in LA as if she wasn't a murder suspect. She gets fired, her boyfriend awkwardly dumps her. So she goes home for her grandma's 80th birthday, because where else is she going to go, and of course where is said podcaster? In Plumpton, TX. Her hometown.

Anyway, none of that conveys the tone of the book, which was funny and sad and full of characters that felt real to me. I loved Lucy's grandma. I loved Lucy! (lol) She's so sarcastic and darkly funny all the time, and watching her story unravel was a pleasure.

The book alternates between chapters from Lucy and transcripts (or in my case bc I did the audio, audio excerpts) from the podcast, and it was maybe the most well-done podcast I've seen in a book, because we actually got a substantial amount of content from it for once. Podcasts in books are often very truncated and can seem artificial, and this one didn't. (Although, audiobook producers still haven't gotten the hang of making fake podcasts SOUND good.)

Anyway, the ending made me tear up, and I didn't guess whodunnit (bc this is also a mystery), and I just think very fondly of my experience with it over the past couple of days. I wish it had a better cover. I hope lots of people pick it up and have an equally fun time. Will definitely be reading from this author again. This didn't read like a debut!

[4.5 stars, rounded up]

This was a really fun thriller. It hooked me from the very beginning and I was invested in figuring out this mystery! It wove the perfect amount of details that had me thinking I could figure it out while also adding shocking twists.

I love the pacing of the story with the female main character POV + parts of the story told through podcast interviews. This audiobook is AMAZING and I highly recommend listening on audio. The audiobook has the rare feature of a male and female narrator within the same chapter, AND the voice actors are husband and wife IRL. Thank you @macmillanaudio for an advanced listening copy.

Perfect for you if you like:
Small town secrets
True crime podcasts
Cold case murder mystery
Excellent audiobook

Five years ago Lucy’s best friend Savvy is murdered and Lucy is found wandering in the woods with a traumatic head injury and her friend’s blood all over her. After the incident, Lucy cannot remember anything, but the whole town has painted her guilty, even her own family. Without enough evidence to proceed, Lucy leaves her marriage and her home town for LA. Ben Owen’s, a popular true crime podcaster has chosen Savvy’s murder for the second season of “Listen For The Lie”. Lucy has avoided anything to do with Savvy’s murder, not wanting to know the truth, but when her Grandmother calls and asks her to come home for her 80th birthday, Lucy goes. Once in Plumpton, Lucy is immediately caught up in the podcast and joining forces with Ben, decides it’s time to find out what really happened that night, even if she is the killer. Told in Lucy’s voice and alternating with the true crime podcast, this was a completely riveting psychological suspense debut by Amy Tintera that will have you guessing until the very end. This was a dual read/listen for me and if you get the chance, pick up the audio on this one! It was wonderfully narrated by January LaVoy and Will Damron! Thank you Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

"Listen for the Lie" is Amy Tintera's debut adult novel. The story follows Lucy Chase, a blunt, smart, and straightforward antiheroine. After an incident that took her best friend Savannah's life and left Lucy with brain trauma, she experiences blackouts. The story's first line leaves us unsure whether Lucy is a cold-blooded best-friend murderer or not.

As a fan of true crime podcasts, I was excited to learn that the book had podcast inserts. The audiobook does an excellent job of incorporating these elements. January LaVoy narrates the story's plot and Lucy's internal monologue while Will Damron voices Ben, the podcaster investigating the case.

As a fan of true crime podcasts, I was excited to learn that the book had podcast inserts. The audiobook does an excellent job of incorporating these elements. January LaVoy narrates the story's plot and Lucy's internal monologue while Will Damron voices Ben, the podcaster investigating the case.

Thank you to Amy Tintera, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.