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!

OH MY GOODNESS! An ultimate who done it! I was hooked from the start just by the narrator. The audio version is incredible. The mix between the podcast and Lucy was spot on. It all came and went at the right time. The build up had me thinking all different things. Was it her? Was it him? Wait, could it have been them? Whew. I can’t write this without saying there are some things in here that can be triggers for some. It was intense. Funny. Dark. It has some romance. It was just wow. I highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Again the narrators were spot on. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audi for the ARC. Definitely in my top 5 favorites.

BOOK REVIEW: LISTEN FOR THE LIE

“Always the boyfriend, except when it’s the best friend…”

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The whole town of Plumpton, TX believes Lucy murdered her best friend Savvy. The morning after attending a wedding, Savvy’s body is found on a running path. That same morning, Lucy is found wandering the streets wearing clothes covered in blood and can’t remember anything that happened the night before. Lucy put all this behind her and moved to LA, but when a true crime podcaster chooses to investigate this case, Lucy is forced to return to Plumpton to try and solve her friend’s murder.

I loveeee books that have a mixed media element to them and the true crime podcast in this one was on point! I switched between audio and physical copy but the audiobook really brought this story to life!

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
🎙️True crime podcasts
🏘️Small town setting
🤔Amnesia trope
⏳Dual timelines

The short chapters, mixed media elements, and story had me hooked and the twist at the end shook me!! This would be a perfect binge read. I devoured this one and think it will be a hit when it’s released on March 5th!!

I've been feeling like the podcaster thriller trope is becoming maybe too popular but this one was absolutely fantastic! I was hooked to the storyline from the very first minute. I loved the MCs attitude and personality. January LaVoy has always been a favorite narrator and I just loved how she brought Lucy to life! I love how Macmillan Audio produces podcast related audiobooks and this one was no exception! Overall a fast mystery that I couldn't stop listening to! Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this one!

Rating: 5/5 Stars
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Horray for my first 5 star read for the year 2024. This was one addicting read and I loved every single second of it. This story was just fun.
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Listen for the lie is told in first person through Lucy. Lucy goes from being a fellow victim after being found wandering along a road with a head injury after her friend Savvy was murdered to being considered the killer of Savvy. Throughout the story Lucy is an unreliable narrator as she tends to hear voices throughout the story telling her to “Kill”; not to mention that traumatic brain injury that has left her with amnesia of that night. I loved her character, I thought that she was so funny and snarky and her sarcasm was on point. I loved her grandmother, I thought she was just such a “tell it how it is” woman. I just wanted to be their friend. Once Lucy decides to face her past, that’s when things begin to get super interesting.
Lucys chapters are alternated with Ben Owens’ podcast “Listen For The Lie”. On audio, these podcast episodes are so well created that you actually feel like you are listening to a podcast. It was such a great touch to the audiobook.
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I found this story to be completely enthralling. It was funny, suspenseful, mysterious and will have you guessing until the end. The ending was wrapped up perfectly and gives you the answer to all of your questions. The chapters are short and the entire book is fast paced. I loved how I was giggling one second, attempting to figure out this mystery the next. This story was so captivating that I finished this book in one day. This is a very easy bingeable read.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and read along on my kindle and let me just say January Lavoy (one of my all time favorite narrators) and Will Damron were absolutely brilliant. They compliment one another perfectly in this story. Highly, highly, highly recommending this audiobook if you are planning to read this story!
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Huge thank you to NetGalley, Amy Tintera, Macmillan Audio, and Celadon Books for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review. Listen For The Lie will be releasing on 3/5, be sure to check this one out!

Don’t wait on this one, pick it up ASAP. This one was literally so addicting I finished it within two days. I listened to the audiobook and I loved how much they put into production! Seriously, the podcast parts were topnotch. Both narrators did a fantastic job and they fit their characters perfectly. I was a little hesitant about the narrators in the beginning but as I listened I realized just how perfect they were for those roles. I could go on and on about what I loved about this one but I recommend knowing barely anything about it. That’s how I went into it and I preferred it that way. Just know, it’s one of those thrillers that will have you completely hooked and guessing until the last page.

Thank you so much for my gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lucy was found wandering the streets of her small town, Plumton, TX. She was covered in the blood of her best friend, Savvy (Savannah). Lucy has no recollection of the events that transpired that night. She is never arrested or charged or convicted of murder – officially – but the people in her life and in her town have already been the Judge and jury. Until one day, Ben Owens, the true crime podcaster of Listen For The Lie, decides to take this case on and see what he can dig up.

Fantastic narration by January LaVoy and Will Damron. The chapters alternate between Lucy’s perspective and the podcast. I am not a huge fan of audio books, but I wouldn’t change a thing for this one. It was brilliant. The characters grow and a classic whodunnit unfolds. You will love Lucy’s grandma – because anyone who drinks before noon and knows a good looking man when she sees one has to be a favorite.

This is my first Amy Tintera book and it will not be my last.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

Five years ago Lucy was found wandering the streets covered in the blood of her best friend Savvy. She doesn't remember what happened and although never charged, everyone in town beside her grandma (love her!!!) thinks she is guilty. Ben Owens, a true crime podcaster, starts covering the murder. Lucy was a great character.

I think this book worked much better as an audiobook as part of the book was listening to the podcast of the mystery. Highly recommend.

Fantastic narration by January LaVoy and Will Damron.

Who do you think would really protect you if you were in trouble and not seem to recall what had happened? Maybe your family? Maybe your boy/girlfriend? of your best friend? You would expect all of these people to be on your side because you having amnesia made you a victim as well. But no, looks like everyone was ready to throw you under the bus

Your best friend had been murdered and everyone was thinking that you did it. You were covered in her blood after all. There was even a podcast started going through the case again. Lucy covered her ears and tried hard to not to listen people calling her a murderer and point finger at her. Savvy was her best friend; there was no way she could do it. They were always on each other's side

Just like Savvy was her best friend in life, she was also Lucy's best friend in after life. Maybe she was the only person who truly knew her and understand her limits. Because even when her parents did not believe Lucy, Savvy was telling her the truth Lucy was dying to know

This was the first book I have listened to by Amy Tintera and all I can say is WOW!!! I really enjoyed listening to January LaVoy and Will Damron narrate this book. I found there voices to be smooth and enjoyed it. This story had me on the edge of my seat. A few times I thought I might know who did it but in the end I was 100% wrong!! I found the characters to be well written. I loved how much Lucy's grandma loved her and showed her support through everything. If you wanting a twisted thriller, then I would HIGHLY recommend this book.


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

I loved this book! The audio production is fantastic and the story itself was gripping. Loved the twists and the character growth was awesome to see. Highly recommend this one!

🎤𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗘🎤
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝟻, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺(🚨𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎!!)
𝙼𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝: Lucy is forced to return home..a place she vowed to never come back to. She wants to solve her best friends murder with this podcaster even if she is the one that did it.

💭𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜: DEVOURED!! 🙌SO GOOD🤌!! I read the bulk of this one on audio & holy moly…I totally recommend this version! 🎧With all the podcast chapters it is so good on audio….trust me!! You get past, present & the actual podcast being done for this whodunnit even though the only suspect is still Lucy..the main character. I finished this one in 2 days maybe less. I kept those headphones on during everything…to the point of prob being a little rude😆, but it was that good! The dark humor is pure perfection & the twists are thrown in so well. It starts strong & never lets up. The only thing is I wish maybe a better ending, but it’s gonna get 5 stars because of everything else & honestly it’s hardddd to keep that momentum up like this book does, so def 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ That dark humor🙌😆March 5th, y’all! You want to read this book!!

🩷🩵💜𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 @𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 & @celadonbooks 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄. 📝𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁! 🥳

@amytintera bravo!👏

Loved this one! Great premise and Lucy was hilarious— I loved having an unreliable narrator with a wicked sense of humor for a change. The podcast format was well done and the audio edition really made the most of it with the dual narration. The story felt a little anti climactic/unresolved at the end or else this would have been a 5⭐️ from me.

I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by the cover, but I did and I’m so glad I did!! Amy Tintera is a new author, to me, and I definitely plan on reading her other works. To begin with, the narrator is one of my favorites so that drew me in. Next, I love the dual pov and the unreliable narrator!! Memory loss, a true crime podcast and a Texas town with secrets, Sign Me Up!!! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this and get sucked in to characters that I’m still thinking about, days later! At first, the back and forth from present day to podcast took me a minute to acclimate to, but then I got so used to it that I looked forward to the podcast music announcing itself. I completely enjoyed this book and give it 4.5⭐️!!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A top notch podcast thriller with plenty of dark humor and an excellent main character. Listen For the Lie follows Lucy, a secret romance author and accused murderer. Everyone in Lucy’s hometown believes she murdered her best friend, Savvy. Even Livy doubts her innocence because she cannot remember anything about the night of the crime. When a podcaster dredges up the past, Lucy must return home and face that forgotten night.

I loved this book. I was hooked from the start and could not put the book down. The audiobook production is excellent. January LaVoy nails Lucy’s dark humor and I was laughing as much as I was on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait to see what Amy Tintera writes next.

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Listen for the Lie was a great read. I enjoyed the twists and turns even though it kept me guessing until the very end. Amy Tintera is proving to be an excellent writer. I look forward to more from her.

3.5 stars. This was a solid 4 star review for me throughout, but the ending was not my favorite. I was fully engaged in this story. I liked the snarkiness and attitude of the main character, there was a great cast of characters/suspects, and I didn't want to put the book down. The ending itself was fine as you get resolution to the mystery, but I'm not a fan of the way it played out. I will read more from this author in the future. The narration was done really well with this one, which added to the enjoyment of the story.

Five years ago, Lucy Chase was found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savannah's blood. Lucy says she can't remember what happened that night, but everyone in the small town of Plumpton, Texas, thinks she is a murderer--even her own parents. After that horrible night, Lucy moved to Los Angeles and started a new life writing romance novels under a pseudonym. But Lucy can't stay anonymous forever. Especially not since podcast host Ben Owens decided to investigate Savvy's murder for the second season of his hit true crime podcast, "Listen for the Lie." When Lucy's grandma Beverly invites Lucy to come home for her 80th birthday celebration, Lucy can't say no to her beloved grandma, the only person who believes she is innocent. Lucy returns to the place she vowed never to set foot in again and ends up finding an ally willing to help her solve her friend’s murder. Lucy is determined to find out the truth, even if she is the one that did it.

This book was absolutely incredible! Truly one of the best thrillers I have read, and I am already naming it one of my top reads of the year. With its fast pace, questionable narrator, and short chapters, this is one bingeable book that you will not want to put down. The story is told from Lucy's point of view with "podcast episodes" interspersed throughout the book, which were interviews of Plumpton residents who gave us extra information about Savvy and the events leading up to and after her murder. I never knew who or what to believe, and I had many theories and guesses about what really happened to Savvy. Tintera's dark humor made this a very fun and enjoyable read. I was surprised to learn this is her adult debut, and I can't wait to see what she does next!

I had the privilege of listening to the audiobook narrated by the fabulous January LaVoy, who voiced Lucy Chase, and Will Damron, who voiced Ben Owens. If you haven't listened to one of LaVoy's audiobooks, you are truly missing out. She is the best of the best, and everything she touches is magic. She does such an amazing job at setting the tone and building suspense, and she brought out the dark humor at all the right moments with her intonation. Damron also did a great job and sounded like a professional podcaster. I am just amazed at the quality of the "podcast episodes" and LaVoy's and Damron's abilities to bring all the Plumpton residents to life. This book was meant to be listened to, and I cannot recommend the audiobook enough!

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Listen for the Lie was completely enthralling and once I started, I couldn't stop! Our narrator, Lucy, has a captivating demeanor and comedic attitude towards negativity, especially in the beginning, which were some of my favorite moments throughout the story. Convinced by her hilarious grandmother, Lucy travels back to her hometown, the place where years ago she was found wandering the streets covered in her dead best friend Savannah's blood. Despite years of avoidance, Lucy is forced to face the past head on as Savvy's murder becomes the subject of a very popular true crime podcast. Lucy's innocence has been questioned since the night of the incident, and because she also suffered head trauma that night, the memories of what actually happened are locked deep in her psyche. While revisiting the scenes of her past, Lucy begins to recover the details of that fateful night, and the revelations are shocking. The twists and turns kept coming, and each reveal got better and better - I truly had no clue what was going to happen! Usually I have an idea of who's to blame, but this whodunit unraveled slowly and carefully, leaving everyone a suspect without making it obvious, until an unforgettable ending unfolds. The ending had me absolutely shook!

In the audio in particular, I really enjoyed the defined voices, the intro music during the podcast chapters, and the personality each character exuded, especially Lucy's and her grandmother's. The distinct differences made it easier to keep up with the characters and gave depth to their temperaments that I really enjoyed.

Rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this audiobook arc of Listen for the Lie! Thrillers are always my favorite to listen to via audiobook, so when I saw that this one was praised by Stephen King and other authors I’ve enjoyed in the past, I knew I had to pick this one up.

This story follows Lucy, a woman accused but never convicted of killing her best friend Savvy. Although there was never enough evidence to convict Lucy, her entire hometown believes her to be guilty, so Lucy moves away from her small town to LA to escape it all. But Lucy cannot escape her past like she hoped to when a popular true crime podcaster decides to dig up her story for the latest season of his show.

This story was very well produced, and I really enjoyed the narrators and thought they did a great job. Unfortunately, this book just fell flat to me in several ways. This story just didn’t feel super original- I think in the sea of thrillers/mysteries there is just nothing to make this story stand out against the rest. I also felt like I was waiting for more things to happen for the vast majority of the book. ***potential spoilers ahead!!!Although they’re pretty vague so I don’t think the are necessarily super spoiler-y***
The voice that Lucy was hearing in her head throughout the book felt super corny and honestly had me cringing a bit every time I heard it. My other biggest gripe with this book (besides the plot lacking some twists) was the fact that this book heavily seemed to focus on this group of friends all sleeping with and cheating on each other and it felt very repetitive. I just wanted to be shocked about where the plot was taking me and that never happened. Regardless of these criticisms, I still think there definitely is an audience of people out there that would enjoy this audiobook. Especially if you are a fan of true crime podcasts like myself and need something to listen to while driving, cleaning, etc. because it’s still entertaining and easy to keep up with even while you’re doing other stuff.