I wanted to love this, and I was absolutely sure I would before I headed into it. A snarky MC? Yes, please! A murder mystery? Always! Secrets and lies? Sign me up!

So why didn’t this click for me?

Characterization: To my utter surprise … I guess I don’t know myself as well as I thought … Lucy was TOO sarcastic and snarky for my taste, to the point of being mildly obnoxious, though it did tame somewhat over the course of the book. Unfortunately, other characters also shared that trait, so there wasn’t much of a break from it.

Repetition: The word “smug” is used 32 times. Please use a different word. Same thing for the variations on sweat trickling down Lucy’s back. I get it. She’s sweaty. Move on.

Plot Device: I’m pretty sure at this point that I dislike the amnesia trope. The three mysteries I’ve read that come to mind that use it got 2 or 3 stars from me. I just think it’s overused and a bit tired as a trope.

Pacing: There’s just not a lot going on in this book besides Ben’s interviews with people and Lucy wandering around trying to regain her memories. I take that back … there’s TONS of gaslighting and infidelity if you enjoy that in your stories! There were interesting parts that kept me engaged, but not enough to get me excited about flipping pages.

All that said, there were some bright spots. I liked the story well enough - I just didn't LOVE it like I wanted to! Amy Tintera is a talented writer and with a different story, I’d probably enjoy it more. Her characters are at least interesting, even if THESE particular characters weren’t my favorite. For a debut, I think it shows promise for the future, and I’d definitely try her again!

Another bright spot was the audio. I listened to this while reading along on my Kindle, and January Lavoy and Will Damron did an excellent job with the narration on a large range of characters and personalities. I’d recommend the audio for this one!

Lucy has left small town Texas for LA, trying to escape her past. Her best friend Savvy was murdered 5 years ago, and everyone thinks Lucy did it. When a true crime podcaster decides to cover her as his next project, Lucy will be forced to return to Texas and confront the secrets and lies of the past.

As soon as I discovered that podcast episodes were a part of the plot, I immediately started listening to the audiobook. It is exceptionally well done! The narrators are two of the best I’ve ever listened to. They pulled off a full cast of characters with different accents and ages. I was floored by their talent and the quality of the production.

I enjoyed this much more than your usual novel in the mystery genre. Firstly, Lucy is a unique, complicated and quite funny character. Her sarcasm and deadpan humor made me laugh out loud at times and her family in Texas was quirky and messed up in the best way. She makes very questionable decisions and is not always likable, but I did think her actions fit in with her general character (don’t want to say too much due to possible spoilers). The dark humor in this book was so well done.

Secondly, as a podcast addict, I am really enjoying all the books that include this element as an important plot point, but I don’t think I’ve encountered one that does it as well as this one does.

I do think that if you go in with too high expectations (I mean, for goodness sakes, there is a blurb from Stephen King on the cover!) you might be disappointed. This is not a thriller, but a unique mystery novel with unforgettable characters and a lot of dark humor.

There is a lot to unpack in this book, but to mention all the different elements would be spoilers; this would be great for a book club or buddy read, because you will want to discuss it with someone!

This is going to be a BOLD statement, but this moved into one of my favorite audiobook productions ever. The story was great, but the audio COMPLETELY sucked me in. First of all, Ben's chapters are literally a podcast. I absolutely loved it. The second I heard the first little ding of podcast music I knew I was going to enjoy this book. I listened in one sitting.

I loved the "whodunit" mystery and even gasped when I realized there was a twist with the "voice" in Lucy's head. I was left guessing who killed Savvy until the very end and that's huge. I can't wait to read more by Ms. Tintera and I truly hope that this turns into a series and the audiobooks continue because I will one click every single one.

Listen for the Lie features Lucy, who everyone believes killed her best friend, Savvy. Lucy’s Grandma requests her presence at her birthday party and she cannot refuse, especially since she just lost her job and she is aware that her boyfriend is close to breaking up with her. Unfortunately, her trip coincides with research by Ben Owens who hosts the “Listen for the Lie” true crime podcast. Ben’s investigation exposes many small-town secrets, but will he be able to finally solve the mystery of Savvy’s murder? Is Lucy really to blame? While the podcast premise has gained in popularity recently, I felt that the characters and dialogue felt fresh. I enjoyed how the plot evolved as Ben shared the discoveries from his investigation as well as how the town responded to each episode. Grandma was my favorite character by far. Additionally, I appreciated how Lucy doesn’t tolerate much nonsense. This book is set in Texas and the stifling heat added to the oppressive feeling Lucy experienced. The first half of the book was truly stellar. Approximately halfway the bad decisions kept coming and the drama reached new heights ratcheting up the tension, but getting farther away from the plausible. It was interesting to see which relationships deteriorated and which stayed strong. The information about traumatic brain injury and amnesia added to the plot and honestly a bit more detail regarding the crime scene or police interviews would have been welcome. I can also understand how the story stayed focused on Lucy and Savvy as that was an important aspect of the entire story. The humor was a huge bonus and Lucy was a very intriguing main character. I kept wanting to read this and could have easily finished in one day if time had allowed. Narration by January LaVoy and Will Damron was excellent—clearly they are well-established audiobook narrators for good reason. Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review.

Listen for the Lie is a 5 star audiobook for me! I love the fictional Podcast aspect, which gives it a nice twist! If you like dark humor and murder mysteries, this one's' for you! The main character, Lucy sounds like someone I could be friends with! She has a snarky, sarcastic, bitchiness to her that I found endearing and I couldn't help rooting for her. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook! Definitely sparked my interest in this new-to me Author!

Wow wow wow! 4.5 stars for plot and 5 starts for narration. Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is an excellent audiobook. If you are like me and love true crime podcasts, you would enjoy this book. I felt like I was listening to a real podcast. The narrators did a fantastic job with various character voices. The book is mainly told from the POV of Lucy but it has chapters where it is the podcast you are "listening" to. I'm not sure how that would come through with the print book but I was captivated by the audio. The plot is good and this who done it had me not knowing until the very end.

Lucy Chase is the subject of a true crime podcast hosted by Ben. He is trying to solve the murder of Lucy's best friend and town golden girl Savannah (Savvy). Most people think Lucy is responsible for the death of her friend. Lucy was sarcastic and snarky and made me laugh. Lucy's grandmother believes in Lucy's innocence and is a great side character. I don't want to give too much away, but do yourself a favor and listen to the audio of this book. You won't be disappointed!

I honestly can't say enough good things about the narrators! I will be looking for more audiobooks by them. While this was my first book by Amy Tintera, I am looking forward to reading more books by her in the future. This audio will be released on March 5, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listeners copy of this book. I voluntarily listened to it and gave an honest review.

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 on audio -- Lucy's POV is mixed with podcast episodes making for a fantastic listen! Anyone who loves a 'true crime' story or a great mystery will enjoy this listen!

I listened to Listen for the Lie, which I think was a wise choice over the print version. The story Lucy, of a young woman who is suspected of killing her best friend despite the lack of solid evidence, offers some suspense, enhanced by “Listen for the Lie,” a podcast that digs into cold cases, utilizing interviews with friends and families to work its way to a solution. Lucy is plagued by inner voices, which were appropriately creepy. Hearing the podcasts made them seem more realistic. I liked the narrators, although with few exceptions, their characters sounded too much alike. Listen for the Lie was a good accompaniment to my daily walks. I might not have been quite as patient with it had I been limited to the printed page. 4 stars

4+ stars

This book is another thriller that takes the popular approach of featuring a podcast and using it as a lens through which to explore the unwavering mainstream interest in true-crime. I liked most of it, and my attention was caught pretty much right away. I didn’t love everything about the ending, but I also didn’t predict the outcome, so it was a reasonably fun reveal either way. I will keep an eye out for whatever the writer puts out into the universe next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to this audiobook. January LaVoy is a personal favorite and I have gotten audiobooks because she is the narrator. Her style is perfect for thrillers and I was hooked during many of the sequences. As for the book, I didn’t like it. There was little that stood out and I was waiting for reveals or twists that never materialized. Not for me but I know a lot of other people will love it.

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

This was a fantastic mystery. I was pretty sure I knew where things were going but still gasped at the constant twists and turns.

The narrator did a fantastic job with the voices. I loved the portrayal of the FMC's inner voice. It added a dimension to the story that incited some panic and increasing stakes.


There is so much to unpack with this one, but know that if you love a good mystery with a cast of supporting characters. Buckle up for a ride and clear your schedule because you will definitely want to finish this in one sitting.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Five years ago, Lucy’s best friend Savannah was brutally murdered after going to a wedding reception, and Lucy was found covered in blood and with a head injury that left her unable to remember anything. Everybody in her Texas hill country home town of Plumpton—including her husband Matt—is convinced that Lucy killed Savannah, but there is insufficient evidence for the authorities to charge Lucy. She decides to move away and has been living in Los Angeles, where few people know about her past. That is, until true-crime podcaster Ben Owens decides to make Savannah’s murder the focus of his latest series.

Once the podcast starts, Lucy is fired from her job and her current boyfriend seems afraid of her. When Lucy’s beloved grandmother guilts her about her upcoming 80th birthday party, Lucy agrees to return home despite the reception she expects to get. Only after she gets back does she discover that Ben Owens is in town too, conducting his own investigation, and podcasting episodes that reveal uncomfortable facts about a lot of people in town other than Lucy. He’s uncovered the murderer in his earlier series; will he do it again in Plumpton—and will his killer be Lucy, or someone else?

What the book description doesn’t convey is how funny this book is. Lucy is nonstop sarcastic and she has a voice in her head that is flat-out violently whackadoodle. Her mother and her mother’s friends are those “bless your heart” types who insult you to your face, but with syrupy politeness. People she runs into around town don’t disguise their feelings about her. The voice in Lucy’s head is working overtime with all this over-stimulation. But at least she has her ever-supportive grandmother, who is the kind of firecracker I can only hope to be someday.

The book alternates Lucy’s point of view with episodes of Ben’s podcast. I couldn’t wait to find out whodunnit. My mysteries of choice are usually British and classic, but this is a standout that I’ll be recommending to all mystery readers.

About the audiobook: This is a terrific audio production. January LaVoy and Will Damron are excellent, as is the overall production. I still find it hard to believe Ms. LaVoy reads all the female characters’ dialog because she gives such different sounds to each one and makes their personalities come to life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙? 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙤𝙤? 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧?

This was a fantastic read! I did a combo of the physical copy and audiobook. The audiobook is narrated by January LaVoy and Will Damron, and they did an amazing job!

I had not heard of this book until I got a surprise physical ARC in the mail. I recommend going into it not knowing much. I’m so glad I did because it was such an experience.

The story reminded me of The Night Swim with the podcast element. It was so well narrated through the audiobook, Will brought the story to life.

This follows Lucy as she’s being accused of murdering her best friend, the only issue is Lucy can’t remember what happened that night. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. This is one of those stories that pulls you in right away and doesn’t lose your interest.

There’s a romance subplot mixed in with the mystery, between Lucy and Ben, the host of the podcast. The side characters were interesting, I loved Lucy’s grandma.

There was also a bit of dark humor mixed in, which made the story even more entertaining. My only issues were the “voices in Lucy’s head” and the ending (which wasn’t too shocking).

This was a fun and suspenseful murder mystery. It was incredibly engaging and went the read, especially the audiobook for the podcast element. Highly recommend picking this one up!

Thank you so much Celadon Books for the physical ARC and NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Publication date: March 5th, 2024
Page count: 352
Audio length: 9 hours 18 minutes
Narrator: January Lavoy, Will Damron
Genre: murder thriller, dark comedy
Setting: small town in Texas
Features: amnesia troupe, podcast

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 absolutely devoured this book! Finally a thriller comes along with such a sarcastic and feisty lead that I was so excited to keep going page after age. I became an instant for this author for sure. After finishing this book, I was ready to look into everything this author has done as I hope the dark humor throughout this book gets sprinkled onto her other books as well.

The book alternates between Lucy, the main character, and sections of the podcast episodes that talks about her and the death of her best friend that happened five years ago. As Lucy goes back to her hometown for her grandmother's birthday party, despite the whole town believing she'd killed her best friend and got away with it. Thanks to the podcast, the people in town are even more convinced that she is guilty. Ben, the podcast host of Listen for the Lie, is also in town to dive more into the case.

This book had all the thriller elements and then more with wit and sarcasm. This was fast-paced and so much fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Loved it!! Thank you for the ARC
#NetGalley
#McMillianAudio
#AmyTintera
#JanuaryLavot
#WillDamron

I listened to this in less than 24 hours. I could not put it down. The audio presentation was superb!

This was such a good murder mystery with loads of funny zingers and sarcasm. I literally laughed out loud. The dual POV between a murder suspect with amnesia and a True Crime Podcast to unfold the mystery was a genius writing style.

I flew through this one! The audiobook was fabulous! I loved the sound effects that were included at the beginning of each "podcast episode." The two narrators were amazing. I don't think I would have enjoyed this story nearly as much if I had just read it. The audio was perfection!

5 Stars, Hands Down, I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

Amy Tintera's Adult Debut Novel is something you need in your life for 2024. From the opening sentence I was hooked, I could tell I loved her voice, I loved her humor and I loved her story. The dark sarcastic self deprecating voice was the first person narrative I crave. [See Hannah Mary KcKimmon's "Never Coming Home"=Lucas] It was like being inside Chandler Bing's mind as he is being accused of a murder. The side off comments and witty come backs had me laughing the whole time. But it wasn't just Lucy, it was Grand-Ma Beverly. Beverly matched Lucy tat for tat in her wit.

Tintera did an amazing job of creating humor and sarcasm all while telling a dark twisted murder story. I could not contain myself. I tried to pace my self, but I could not resist another backhanded comment and most importantly WHO KILLED SAVVY [Lucy was found with blood on her and absolutely no memory of how her best friend ended up dead the night of their friends murder]. I know some people do not care of the amnesia troupe, but put that aside, you will love it. Do not deprive yourself of this book and its delightful cast of characters.
Also I know the latest and coolest thing is to include a podcast, but again, how Tintera wove the podcast aspect into this book was the best I Have seen done (that is saying alot since the book I read before this was Lisa Jewell's None of This Is True"

I received this book as an Advanced Copy Read, Thank you Netgally, I was not influenced or paid for this honest review. I can not emphasize enough GO BUY THIS BOOK when it publishes in March 2024.

In Chandler Bing Fashion..... "COULD I BE ANYMORE SERIOUS?"

Amy Tintera's debut adult book has secured a place in my "Will Read Everything" . The dark, sarcastic self deprecating voice was exactly the voice I love in a first person narrative. Lucy has just earned herself as my favorite fictional character without question. Imagine being inside Chandler Bing's head (Matthew Perry RIP) as he is being accused of murder. The side off comments and witty come backs had me laughing the whole time. And it wasn't just Lucy (the FMC), her grandmother Beverly was a true Texas Gem!

After being accused of murdering her best friend, leaving home and never returning was the best decision Lucy could have made. Now, years later, her story is being told on a true crime podcast and she decides to return home to face her past and search for the memories she lost.

This dramatized audiobook is captivating from the beginning and with the perfect balance of the past and the present you are kept enrapt for the entire book.

This was the best thriller I’ve listened to in a while. I absolutely loved the sarcastic humor that Lucy and her grandmother both had. It made this book less heavy, which is hard to do with a suspenseful thriller. The premise of the suspected murderer having no memory of the events was also unique to me. And once all the memories and timeline of events started falling into place, I was dying to see how it ended. And the ending still took me by surprise.

The narrators also did a very good job with the characters they portrayed, giving each of them a unique voice both figuratively and literally.

I didn’t want this book to end. Thanks so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book.