Thank you #NetGalley and #Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Disclosure: Unfortunately, I am not one of those reviewers who lay out the whole book. When I look at the review, I want it simple and one that will allow me to decide if I want to dive into it. And that is what I am giving here.

If you like a book with mystery, a small amount of spice, and suspense, this book is for you. I love books that capture you at the moment and it makes you "see" what is going on right in front of your face. Amy Tintera did an incredible job all around with this story. This was the perfect balance of crazy, mystery, hate, spice, best friends, and crazy family!

I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book! I may have screeched when I got that beautiful email from NetGalley, approving my request! This book had me guessing right to the very end! Even though Lucy may or may not have killed her best friend…. I didn’t care… I just loved her! Even more so…her grandma is AMAZING and fiercely had her granddaughters back when let’s be honest NOONE else did. I need book 2 maybe about Lucy and Ben!!!?

It is only January and i already know that this is going to be in my top 5 favorite books of 2024.

story:
This is pretty much a whodunnit but not in the typical way. It utilizes the god awful amnesia trope 🤮 but in a way that is not annoying. There are a lot of characters, a lot of suspects and the drama 🤌🏽!! It had me in a chokehold!

Throughout the story, we have Ben's podcast interviews with the townspeople, some flashbacks from the day the incident occurred, and Lucy is just trying to unravel the events of that fatal night and how much she was involved in it.

writing:
This is so well-paced, everything is consistent—the humor, the main character's personality and the witty dialogue. The writing just flows. It's easy to get caught up in and binge in one sitting.

characters: (I'm only mentioning a few)
Lucy's personality is top tier. She has this morbid, dark humor that is very entertaining. Her intrusive thoughts are wild! I absolutely adore Ben, the very charming, and he knows it, podcaster. Grandmom is the best! She seems like a ball to be around and so funny.

"Interview and stay?😏" Is that like Netflix and chill?

podcast element:
I love the format of first being introduced to the other characters in the story by listening to their interviews on Ben's podcast and THEN actually running into them. I don't know, being able to form an idea of who they are and then actually meeting them just added something extra to the story. I loved the podcast interviews.

I can't stress how much I loved this book. I really enjoyed piecing the clues together in this mystery and the underlying commentary on morals/ethics and the influence of a True Crime podcast was interesting.

Although a rare occurrence, there are times when I actually like the fmc in a book. Times when the fmc isn't whiney and annoying. This is one of those times. So if you like characters who are fluent in sarcasm, wit and dark humor you too will probably get a kick out of Lucy.

*thanks Celadon Books for this gifted ARC*

I absolutely loved this audio version of this book. The narrator was fantastic as well as the audio production! I loved that the podcast sections sounded just like the podcast. I was hooked from the beginning and had no idea where it was headed. I loved the ending and thought everything was tied up with a bow. Highly recommend this one!

I absolutely devoured this. I loved the narration and it was a perfect book to listen to on audio. I also read it with my eyes and enjoyed both formats. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to enjoy this book.

This audiobook is fantastic and produced in a way that’s wholly new to me. The narrators were spot on, but kudos to making the podcast within the story part feel so authentic! Even with its own podcast cueing music. This and the voicyness of the speakers made the book seem so real, immersive, and cinematic. The interviews seemed real characters, rather than just voiced—great call. I honestly opened it to listen for a minute and didn’t put it down, sped through in one sitting. Of course, I did that because it’s an overall great book! This is a book not to miss.

Here’s the spill: Lucy can’t remember what happened on the worst night of her life, the night her best friend, Savvy, died. All she knows is that her whole small Texas town thinks she did it. And now, though she’s never been charged and she left it all behind, she must return home and face it all over again. All while hotshot podcaster, handsome bad-boy Ben Owens himself investigates. How many terrible decisions will Lucy make this time? And did she really murder her bestie?

I do have one gripe about the book, and that is that Texas is portrayed with green grass and there an inexplicable amount of rain, even though it isn’t set in East Texas, it’s set in the Hill Country. There may be one year in 20 that this is the case, but it’s the exception, so it seemed an odd choice that took me out of the story. Still, it’s not that big of a deal considering the rest. This audio book deserves awards and I can’t wait for you all to read it and love it like I did! I’m sure the print version is very cool but I’m so glad I read the audiobook. All the stars❣️✨💫 I do wish I could hear an author’s note, Lucy has a psychotic condition that I’d really like to know more about (and this gives away nothing, trust me).

I’m so glad I got this ARC in audio book form! I feel like it really added to the podcast pieces of this story and it was an extremely well done audio.
The “let’s kill” voice was eerie and freaked me out a bit, but it again added to the whole story.
I.could.not.stop.listening.
This book is twisted and dark and Lucy’s character is sarcastic, honest, harsh, funny, a bit crass, and written perfectly for what she’s been through.
Did she kill her best friend Savvy? Will Ben Owens be able to bring the truth to light with his podcast?
This was a thrilling ride. Loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC

Listen for the Lie- Crime podcast to the rescue. Handsome Ben Owens is here to solve the mystery: did Lucy kill Savy? The lies of fives years in Plumpton, Texas you hear will shock you. What will you do to solve the mystery of your best friend?

Thank you NetGalley for another amazing advance audiobook!!

This story is told in two different ways. The first is from the primary characters point of view Lucy, who is being accused of murdering her best friend, Savannah, five years ago. The other point of view is a podcast where they are diving into Savannah’s murder, and these two story lines are being told simultaneously.

There is a lot of satire in this book which is not something I would have expected coming into a thriller - I loved it!

I HIGHLY recommend listening to this on audio because it truly gives the feel of a podcast mixed in with the story and I love how it bounces back and forth. It’s so unique and unlike any other audio book I’ve listened to.

The “voice” in Lucy’s head - was very obnoxious and annoying until it came out as to what was behind that - up until that point I couldn’t take the book seriously.

I don’t even know what genre to place this book because I’ve never had a thriller make me literally laugh out loud. Although this was dark and surrounding a murder, I feel like there were so much humor and sarcasm in this, that it just made it feel way more upbeat than a normal thriller would be.

My favorite line which sums up the book so well - “I was the subject of a true crime podcast and all I got was this t shirt and ghonerrea” 😂

Under different circumstances, the storyline itself would not have been enough to hold this up as a 5 star; however, throw in the characters and their sarcastic banter plus the inclusion of a podcast that sounded so real, it takes the cake! In addition, I was not expecting the plot twist and it was such a treat!

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. 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.

Initially, I alternated between the ebook and audiobook, but it wasn't long before I switched completely over to audiobook. The story is perfect for audiobook format, and the production quality is top-notch. January LaVoy and Will Damron do a phenomenal job narrating and bringing these characters fully to life. I often listen to audiobooks at double speed, but I slowed this down to catch every nuance of their brilliant performances and every detail of the story. LaVoy hits all the right notes with Lucy's complex and often snarky personality. Lucy is not your typical FMC, and LaVoy nails her attitude and intriguing internal dialogue. The production is very well done, with skillful segues between Lucy's POV and the podcast episodes. Super entertaining and highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for the free book and audiobook!

I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. I listened to this one, which is fun since some of the story is told in podcasts so of course it translated really well to audio. It was very well done!

Lucy is five years out from her best friend dying, and her being found covered in blood with no memory of what happened. No conclusions were ever made, and Lucy moved on with her life. When a new podcast is exploring the death of Savvy, Lucy returns to her hometown and is confronted with figuring out what happened that night.

This moved very quickly and I was engaged and intrigued the whole time. The format of alternating timelines, as well as having parts of the podcast included, made me want to keep listening.

I enjoyed Lucy's character, and really liked Ben. It felt like a race to figure out what happened alongside the characters - and I enjoyed how it all unfolded.

I will definitely check out Amy Tintera's future books and recommend this on audio to anyone looking for a fast-paced thriller with good character development.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

4.5 stars rounded up! This book was SO GOOD. January LaVoy was absolutely amazing. She has a perfect delivery and does great voices. And really, the whole cast did a fabulous job. This entire production was so well done. This story had a twisty web with a lot of characters involved without anything being confusing or convoluted, which I think can be difficult to achieve. Amy Tintera does a wonderful job keeping the reader/listener guessing without throwing in obvious red herrings, or working too hard to throw the reader/listener off track. This was absolutely brilliant. Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I really liked this thriller. While best friends Lucy and Savvy were attending a wedding one hot summer night, something terrible happened that would forever change their lives. Lucy and Savvy were in the woods and when Lucy's husband comes up them, they see that Lucy is covered in her best friend's blood. Needless to say the whole town believes Lucy is guilty of murdering her best friend however there is not enough evidence for a conviction. Lucy leaves town and it is not until she finds out that a Pod caster is covering this story to try and solve this case that she has to relive this horrible time in her life. She returns home to attend her grandma's birthday and tries to remember all the things that happened that night so that she can clear her name once and for all with the help of Ben, the Pod caster. Enjoy!!!!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this audiobook.

I loved the audiobook. I listened to it along with the book and it enhanced the overall experience. I definitely recommend the audio!

Oh my goodness! I LOVED this book so much! It was entirely different than most of the thrillers that I read and it was SO addictive. I don't usually like podcast-type mysteries, but this one was so out of the ordinary and so good! I can't recommend this audiobook enough and I can't wait for Amy Tintera's next project!!

If you're looking for a quick read, that will keep you guessing and engrossed, this is it! Five BIG stars from me!!

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

This review may contain spoilers.

I think this book would be perfect for people who like TV drama-thrillers and are looking for a book with that sort of quippy verve. I had the thought a few times that it would definitely be a solid option for a limited run series adaptation. In my opinion, the strongest aspect at play here is the social commentary on things like true crime and domestic abuse. The weakest element is in the character work. The novel itself could be made a lot stronger with a few more rounds of editing and attention to character development. Whether I’d read another book by this author is up in the air. I wouldn’t rule it out, depending on the subject matter, but I don’t think I’d prioritize it, personally.

I think the narrative here was well-crafted, but it suffers on account of the aspects of the book that didn’t hit quite as well. Thematically, it’s pretty clear and has an understanding of the subjects it’s trying to discuss, but the communication of it (save for the discussion of domestic violence and a bit of the true crime discussion) isn’t always handled effectively. The cast, beyond Savvy and Grandma Beverly, feels kind of par the course for this sort of mystery thriller. Development isn’t really a big aspect of the characters here. Lucy’s arc is iffy to me on how present it really is—nothing seems to make much of a difference to her character. Ben’s arc towards unreliability was interesting, but he didn’t have a lot of depth.

When it comes to character, the relationship dynamics between the cast are by far the most interesting part. The complicated, weary family dynamics between Lucy and her family members, and her bond with her grandmother, feel very real, and the relationship between Ben and Lucy is definitely the most interesting part of Ben’s character. The friendship between Lucy and Savvy in the flashback scenes is incredibly strong (though it doesn’t echo through to the modern narrative in Lucy’s perspective to me, sadly). The portrayal of abuse dynamics is relatively well-done; you can tell the author is incredibly informed on them and how complicated being an abuse survivor can be psychologically.

The writing style here was consistent, though at times narratively inappropriate or out of place. Syntax was coherent and pithy, and word choice was clear, but not always effective. Dialogue occasionally came off as a bit over the top, even dramatized. Visual and sensory description was mild, but generally well-employed when present. Exposition was decently concise with minimum info-dumping. The primary propellor of the narrative was conflict, making the pacing fast and natural.

The point of view and depth of perspective was consistent throughout, but it was sometimes hard to immerse myself in personally because the primary point of view character, Lucy, didn’t feel totally natural to me. This is less of a problem in her flashbacks and the scenes reflecting on domestic violence, where her internal dialogue is portrayed in a way that feels much more realistic. The flashback chapters, however, were implemented a bit too late into the novel to not feel jarring, and unglued the narrative a little bit (which is unfortunate, because they’re some of the strongest scenes). The usage of the podcast transcripts in the narrative structure actually felt quite solid and largely avoided issues with perspective and point of view inconsistency, as they reproduce the “feel” of a produced true crime podcast incredibly well.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars! Lucy and Savvy were childhood friends and they went on to live their lives. Lucy got married and Savvy was single and they continued to live in their hometown. Until one day, Savvy is killed and they say that Lucy killed her. The only problem is that Lucy doesn’t remember anything.

Lucy moved away to LA to escape what people claim she did, even though she’s not sure if she really did it. Years later, Ben, a true crime podcaster decides to start a podcast to see if he can find out if Lucy really killed Savvy or not. Lucy decides to go back to her hometown for a family function and also to see if she can figure out if she really committed this crime. There were so many twist and turns to this story and in the end we find out who killed Savvy. This was a good book and I recommend it.

I know I’m an outlier here, but I didn’t love this one. With that said, it was a good read. I enjoyed it on audio and happy I read it. But I didn’t love it as much as others did I’m sorry to say.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

"Kill him, Kill him" says Savannah, Lucy Chase's dead best friend. How and why is Lucy's best friend giving her murderous instructions from the grave? Why is she haunting Lucy? Is it because Lucy is the prime suspect, and considered by most to be the one to have killed Savannah? If it wasn't Lucy, who was it that killed Savy that night five years ago? To say that Lucy's hometown is less than hospitable to her is an understatement. Unfortunately Lucy has no recollection of the events that took place that night years ago. Does she not remember because she can't face the horrid details of killing her very best friend, or is it truly because of the severe head injury she sustained?

Readers travel back from Los Angeles to Lucy's small Texas hometown as she tries to solve the mystery of that horrible, dark night and what really happened to her beloved Savy. Sure, it doesn't look good for Lucy, she was found wandering in the dark, covered in Savy's blood with a major head injury claiming 'amnesia' ever since. Lucy tells everyone she couldn't have killed Savannah, but she has her own serious doubts.

This is a tale of murder, and how uncovering the secrets of a small town at the same time, ends up revealing the real story. "Listen For The Lie" explores how everyone in Lucy's town have secrets that could make them an ideal suspect in this grizzly murder. No one is safe from judgement!

Amy Tintera does an excellent job of making the readers suspect everyone. Her characters, though all flawed, were interesting and realistic. Lucy's 80 year old grandmother Beverly is my absolute favorite character. She always has such good insight and speaks bluntly and truthfully. Sadly, I find Savy's communication with Lucy to be overdone and distracting at times. I gave this story 3 stars but it is really a solid 3.5 stars. Without Savy's interjections, I would have rated this a solid 4 star story. The author uses a parallel time line, character interviews via podcast and narration from a dead woman to give insight and reveal the murderer. Overall an entertaining read and worth the time. Check it out this March 5, 2024 and see what you think.

Thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books, author Amy Tintera and Macmillion audio for this audible ARC, and for giving me the opportunity to express my own honest opinion.