What a breath of fresh air Amy Tintera has breathed into the stale thriller genre. I LOVED this book. Who knew thrillers could be so funny? And the humor did not detract from the thrills and suspense, at all. In fact, it endeared me to what could have potentially been an otherwise unlikable character. I loved her macabre sense of humor! And I like the fact that she was unabashedly interested in sex. Women have sex. And ain’t no shame in it! And the audiobook was excellent. I loved the dual narrators and I especially loved the quality of the podcast chapters. My one suggestion would have been to have the male narrator do all the male voices, even those in the Lucy chapters and not just the podcast chapters. Also, the male narrator needed to give a little more variety in the voices. Some of them sounded the same to me, Gil and Ben sounded EXACTLY the same. But no matter, loved this. 10/10 would recommend to everybody.

Lucy killed her best friend. Or did she? She can’t remember anything from that night 5 years ago, but a new podcast is bringing up old memories.
‘Listen for the Lie’ is a non stop, action packed, and thrilling story. I didn’t know who to trust, even at the very end.

Novels based on podcasts are always amazing in audiobook format. Such a great way to integrate music, and multiple narrators. This was so much fun to listen to!
The characters that Tintera created were full of their own personalities. I actually felt like I was back in my small hometown, and could relate each character to people in my own life.

January LaVoy is a top notch narrator, and one of my all-time favorites. She has an excellent sense of the characters she speaks for, and really makes you feel like you’re listening to your friend tell a story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Celadon Books for early access, in exchange for my honest review.

Listen for the Lie remained consistently interesting, with frequent new developments to the story. I liked the podcast style and the organized way in which each character was included in the story. I think that by the end, I couldn't truly guess who would be guilty so I found it unpredictable. Unpredictability is my favorite thing in a suspense novel!

Great book. The twist wasn’t quite as shocking as I was expecting. But it did really good at keeping me interested. I liked learning things from the podcast like the audience.

This book was sooo good and so fun to listen to! It wove between the main story and an investigative true crime style podcast - a very clever idea for an audiobook. I hope more books will follow this lead because it was great!

The story was also wonderful - about a woman whose best friend died on a night she can not remember, and everyone, including herself, thinks she killed her. But there are so many twists and turns, and the BETRAYAL at the end. Omg.

Thank you Amy Tintera and Macmillan Audio for this ALC. 4/5 stars
I absolutely adored this book! I am a sucker for true crime podcast, thrillers, and a great whodunit and this book was all of that wrapped in one. It even had some elements of spice that was the cherry on top.
Lucy is the FMC and she is sassy, sarcastic, and honestly quite hilarious. Five years ago her best friend was murdered and she is the prime suspect. However, she has no memory of the event and never enough proof to arrest her. Insert true crime podcaster Ben Owens and the story begins to unfold in one fast paced thrill ride. The audio was fantastic and I never felt bored. Sometimes when the story is set in the south, the narrators can sound so unrealistically twangy. Being from Louisiana that drives me crazy!
I would recommend Listen for The Lie to anyone who enjoys a little humor mixed in with their thrillers. Such a fun book!

I tandem read the ALC and ARC. Highly, highly recommend the audiobook! It is extremely well done via audio, especially the podcast portions. This fast-paced mystery crime thriller restored my faith in the thriller genre after being sorely disappointed for the past year.

Long story short: Lucy is the #1 suspect in her best friend’s murder, but due to a head injury that resulted in memory loss the case is closed without being solved due to lack of evidence. Five years later, Ben decided to highlight the case in his unsolved murder podcast. With everything coming to the surface, Lucy isn’t sure she wants to know what exactly happened that night.

Look, amnesia in thrillers doesn’t really work for me. I feel like it’s a tired trope. But damn did Tintera prove me wrong. Listen for the Lie is so fresh, fun, and completely unputdownable. I loved the slow reveals, the surprisingly sweet romance, and the small town Texas setting. Lucy is an utterly charming protagonist and I loved being in her messed up little brain.

This book is definitely going to be a hit with all the crime thriller and murder mystery fans!

4.5

I was intrigued by this book as soon as I read the summary, and it did not disappoint. I liked the time jumps and multiple POVs which, if done well as they are here, I always find add depth to a story, particularly when the narrators are unreliable. I did feel the ending was a little rushed, but all in all, an entertaining read! I'll keep an eye out for this author's next book!

Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera
Narrators: January LaVoy; Will Damron
Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 3/5

This gripping true crime podcast whodunit had me on the edge of my seat from the get-go. The audiobook narration was phenomenal, adding an extra layer of excitement to an already captivating plot.

Five years ago, Lucy’s best friend Savannah (Savvy) was murdered, and everyone (including Lucy’s parents) thinks Lucy did it. Lucy has no memory of the night of the murder, and now that the Listen For The Lie podcast is starting to dredge up the past, she’s forced to retrace her steps and help figure out who killed her friend.

The premise of this story is brilliant. Tintera weaves a tale that's equal parts suspenseful and humorous. Lucy is sarcastic, and her dark sense of humor had me cackling. She’s engaging and relatable, and I loved every scene with her in it.

The supporting characters, particularly Lucy's sassy grandmother, fill the story with even more delightful humor. The witty banter and quick-witted exchanges between Lucy and her family kept a smile on my face throughout the read. Ben Owens, the charming true-crime podcaster who looks like an Avenger, added an extra layer of intrigue and romance, making the investigation even more thrilling.

The incorporation of Savvy's voice echoing in Lucy's head was a creepy yet fascinating element to the narrative. I had no idea where the story was going, but as we got closer to the truth, I became even more invested in the outcome.

Listen for the Lie is a must-read for fans of gripping mysteries with a dash of humor. I highly recommend listening to this one on audio. The narrators truly nailed it, making it an immersive and unputdownable experience. If you're looking for a book that's gripping, dark, humorous, and well thought out, this one is the perfect choice.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary ALC.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Overall Review (spoilers)

Listen for the Lie is such a great book, I really enjoyed reading it and thank you Netgalley and Celadon books for an ARC of this.

Murder mystery books that poke fun at true crime podcasts are some of my favorite books out there. If you are a fan of Only Murders in the Building, The Good Girls Guide to Murder, or the Sorority Murders, you will love this book. The main character, Lucy, is not 100% sure she murdered her best friend or if she didn’t but everyone else is. Ben, a hot podcast guy, decides to do a podcast on the murder and ask Lucy for helps. Lucy, after being bullied into it, agrees. But how can she truly help if she doesn’t even know what happens? And does it even matter if she is innocent, when society has deemed her guilty?

I can usually predict who did it pretty early into the book, but this one took me almost to the last chapter to figure it out, so hats off. I also love the Texas setting, especially as someone from Texas because the description of the southern culture. Top tier. Also, the whole story about how men never believe women and how the word of a man matters more than the word of a woman just. Wow. Top tier.

Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Genre: fiction, murder, mystery, thriller

Trigger Warnings: sexism, attempted SA, gore, murder, graphic description of intrusive thoughts

Thank you to Amy Tintera, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this audiobook.

This was my first audiobook ever and I was not disappointed. Yes, I did listen while reading (that still counts right?), but it made it so much better.

It added so much more to the podcast parts. It held my attention and the narrators did an amazing job.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
I really enjoyed this! The writing style & the podcast snippets were very entertaining and well done.
This book contained lots humor considering the main character’s (Lucy) BFF (Savvy) was murdered & everyone thinks Lucy did it…including Lucy😱
This was a good mystery with nice twists & was very suspenseful while casting suspicion on almost everyone involved.
Gram was my favorite character and I did not guess the ending 🤓
Set to publish 3/5/24

This book was amazing! I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved it. It was brilliantly done. I kept wanting to hear more. The twists in this book were awesome.

I had a lot of fun listening to this one. I enjoyed the shorter chapters and listening to the podcast that was very nicely done. I definitely suggest the audio version, which really helped this come to life. I loved Lucy's character and her sarcasm. The whole "let's kill" thing did get a little annoying and I think the constant repetitiveness of this was a little unnecessary. This had a lot of interesting characters and was perfectly paced. I did not think the twist was mind blowing and kind of had an inkling towards the beginning but I still recommend picking this one up and look forward to more thrillers from this author.
Thank You NetGalley, MacMillen Audio, and Amy Tintera for allowing me to listen to an ARC.

I absolutely devoured this book! I am obsessed with the podcast episodes thrown in as you read! It gives you a feel of what ‘listeners’ are hearing of the Lucy and Savannah’s story!

Poor Lucy Chase, accused of her best friends murder 5 years ago. As it still haunts her every single day, she is now asked to relive that night by podcaster Ben Owens as he tries to dig up the truth about what really happen to Savannah Harper on that tragic night, but Lucy has no memory of that night.

Listen for the Lie is the perfect book for all the thriller junkies out there. It will have you glued to the pages or speakers, wherever you get to read this amazing book. Thank you Macmillan Audio, Celadon Books, and Amy Tintera for an ARC of Listen for the Lie.

Listen for the Lie was a fast moving thriller with a side of dark comedy-- I don't think murder is supposed to make me giggle, but this book did. I really enjoyed the format-- one part first person narrative and the other part a true crime podcast that alternated throughout the novel.

Lucy has returned to her small hometown in Texas after leaving for California five years prior following the murder of her best friend, Savvy. Lucy was discovered that fateful night covered in Savvy's blood wandering down a country road and as a result, she has been assumed by the locals to have been the one who killed Savvy. The problem is that Lucy has no memory from the entire night, so she can't even be sure herself that she didn't actually kill her best friend. Ben, a true crime podcaster, is also in Lucy's hometown, devoting an entire season of his podcast to unearthing the truth behind Savvy's death. Lucy has agreed to help him, even if it means that it might prove once and for all that she truly was the one who murdered Savvy.

The audiobook was a real treat because of the story format-- the podcast portions were presented to you as if you were really listening to a real life podcast in between Lucy's chapters/narration. Lucy was narrated by January LaVoy, and episodes of the podcast by Ben were narrated by Will Damron. Both did a fabulous job. The entire production was engaging and thoroughly enjoyable-- I highly recommend listening to this one!

This was the perfect audiobook because part of it was a podcast. Lucy returns to her small Texas town five years after she was found wandering in the streets with her best friends blood all over her. Everybody thinks she did it but she can't remember since she suffered a severe head wound that caused amnesia from the night of the murder. Even Lucy thinks she very possibly could have done it. Enter Ben Owens, creator of the extremely popular podcast, "Listen for the Lie" who wants to investigate this murder of Lucy's best friend, Savvy. Lucy reluctantly meets up with Ben to be interviewed and as this story unfolds and many people from town are interviewed on Ben's podcast, more questions are raised than answered. Luc is a very interesting character. She has a very dry wit and is very self deprecating. There are some humorous parts in this story, Lucy's Grandma is 80 and is quite a character and she provides the comic relief in this story. Many twists and turns as Lucy slowly regains her memory and finds out what happened on that fateful night.

January Lavoy and Will Damron do a great job narrating and the podcast bits fills in the background of the all the characters in this book.

Listen for the Lie, written by Amy Tintera, is a mystery thriller that I could not put down! The book begins with Lucy, our main character, who gets a call from her Grandma to return to her home town for a birthday celebration. Lucy is hesitant, because she did not leave on the best of terms… she left after the death of her best friend Savvy, a death many people think she caused. But she doesn’t remember that night, and she’s not sure if she wants to either.

This was such a good book! I loved the mysteries, the friendships, and the flashbacks. As a podcast listener, I also really enjoyed this as an audiobook, where you could listen to the episodes of the podcast made about Savvy’s death that were placed throughout the book. Definitely recommend!!! Thank you to NetGalley, and to the author and publisher of this book for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴇ
ᴀᴍʏ ᴛɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀ
ᴄᴇʟᴀᴅᴏɴ ʙᴏᴏᴋs
ᴘᴜʙ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ᴍᴀʀᴄʜ 𝟻, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺
★★★★★

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend filled with lots of reading time♡︎.

A few weeks ago I finished 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒆 by @ and it was such a fun ride! Thanks to @macmallaud I was able to listen to this through audio on @netgalley and I LOVED this version! A large part of this book is based on a true crime podcast, so listening to it on audio was like listening to an actual podcast.

This is mystery/suspense but there is so much dark humor throughout this story I found it so entertaining and so fun. I loved all the characters, especially Gram😂. The storyline was well executed and the pace is FAST, there is not a slow moment.

I loved the unpredictability the author provided us with. I kept trying to guess and figure out who was to blame for the murder, but I was wrong wrong wrong (thankfully)!

SYNOPSIS: “ 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.”

I enjoyed this! The writing style along with the podcast snippets was very entertaining. This one contained quite a bit of humor considering the main character’s (Lucy)best friend (Savannah) has been killed and everyone thinks she (Lucy) did it…including herself.

This was a good mystery and it was pretty suspenseful while casting suspicion on just about everyone involved.