This book was both mysterious, murderous, and funny, plus a little slutty, which is just a super fun combination. Lucy was accused of murdering her best friend five years ago. She doesn't remember anything that happened that night, just that she woke up with a head wound, covered in her friends blood, wandering the high way of her small Texas town. Without enough evidence to be convicted, she rebuilds her life in LA. Enter Ben, charmingly handsome podcaster who can solve cold cases (because can't they always?) This is a really popular trope in mystery writing, and this time, it had a little romantic twist... or should I say, tryst??) Anyway, I digress. We don't really learn a ton about Lucy below the surface level, which is what keeps this book sharp and witty. We do learn that her town of gossipy Texans is full of misogynistic asshats and people who sleep around. This is a fast paced book that keeps you guessing till the end, and January LaVoy does a fantastic job narrating, as always. Highly recommend!

Alright Amy girl…you got it

This book is *chefs kiss*

Listen for the Lie is the perfect blend of classic thriller for a new aged audience.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an early copy of this audiobook.

Listen for the Lie follows Lucy, a girl who’s suspected of murdering her best friend Savannah five years prior. Because a famous true crime podcaster is interested in Savannah’s death, people in Lucy’s hometown are being interviewed to try and solve the cold case. Lucy has no plans to go back to Texas. But she finds herself thrown back into the chaos, harsh glances, and even harsher words cast from everyone in her hometown. From her ex-husband to her own parents, everyone suspects Lucy to be Savannah’s murderer. Well….not everyone.

I could NOT put this book down. I ate up every page and was at the edge of my seat, even at work, trying to figure out who actually killed Savannah.

The twists and turns from this book were so good. I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I especially enjoyed the combination of Lucy’s past, her present, and the podcast episodes all mixed into the chapters. It clearly guided the readers of what to pay attention to without overwhelming them with too much information.

The characters were very well written. I knew who were key players and got a sense of their personalities. Good gracious I hated Matt. I definitely thought he was the killer and was mad that I was wrong. I wanted him to go to jail for being so violent and scary. Lucy’s parents were no better. Her mom was intolerable and her dad was a jerk. I’m glad Lucy got redemption and closure from her ordeal. And I laughed every time she made a joke about her being the murderer.

This book is set over two to three weeks or so. Although it seems like a short time, nothing about this book is rushed or glazed over.

Listen for the Lie is great for true crime lovers, readers who enjoy mysteries and thrillers without the ominous, horror film vibes, and those who want an introductory read for the thriller genre.
Each chapter goes back and forth from five years ago to present time to reveal more and more pieces of Savannah’s murder. And as Lucy starts to remember what happened that night, the people she used to trust show themselves as being incredibly suspicious.

Listen for the Lie kept me guessing. Usually with thrillers or mysteries, the reader tries to figure out who committed the crime. And at one point, I really thought I did. But I was pleasantly surprised with the reveal of who it was.

My final five star review of the year
I am a huge fan of the well done, snarky style of a mystery. The one that effortlessly blends humor with a good whodunit. The kind that at the same time you’re chuckling, you’re thinking OMG. Listen for the Lie fits the bill perfectly. Lucy is five years out from the murder of her best friend. A murder that most people believe she was guilty of. But Lucy has no memory of the night and the police didn’t have enough evidence to charge anyone. By moving away from the small Texas town, she had managed to move on. But now, a true crime podcast is taking up the investigation of the unsolved case. And Lucy is back in town, drawn back by her grandmother’s 80th birthday party.
I was a big fan of Lucy. She’s a grammar nerd - as a fifteen year old, she corrected all the typos in the church bulletin to turn it in at the end of every service. She has a Mikado style brain (remember the song “I’ve Got A Little List?) which envisions killing everyone that crosses her. Some of the funniest bits are of her thoughts on how to do someone in. Initially, I found the voice in Lucy’s head a bit overdone (part of this was January LaVoy’s depiction of it). But midway through the book, it came together and made perfect sense to me.
And even more than Lucy, I loved her grandmother who has a way of always getting what she wants. I want to be Beverly when I’m 80!
So often, mysteries fall apart at the end. Not this one. I found the ending perfect and I loved that it caught me off balance. (All of it, right down to the final minutes.)
Overall, I was pleased with January LaVoy and Will Damron, other than that one annoying voice. The audio goes above and beyond just reading, adding music to differentiate the podcast recordings.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.

First off, listen to the audiobook for this one it is so good and so well done. I was addicted and couldn't stop listening to it I needed to know what the outcome and the truth was.

Lucy is one heck of a character, to say she's a hot mess is putting it lightly but oh man did I love her sarcasm, snark and humor. She's easy to root for, but can she be trusted ? The little voice in her head tells otherwise. Not saying more !

The chapters alternate with Lucy and the podcast, the podcast was a necessity to the narrative of this story. In the audio the podcast part is so fun, there's this music playing before and after to put you in context. I really thought it made for a great listening experience.

This fast paced funny twisty, dark and riveting book is one not to be missed. The conclusion left me feeling relieved and happy. This was such a brilliant book, loved every second !

🎧 I listened to this one and as mentioned in the beginning, listen to this one !! The narrator @januarylavoy did a fantastic job with the character of Lucy and portraying her so well. Also that little voice inside her head she was doing was so creepy !! Great job !

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanaudio & @amytintera for my free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

WOWZA!

This is how you do it! This was a great true crime podcast whodunit! I was instantly drawn into the plot, loving how captivating and fun this book was. I had the audiobook and loved the narration. The premise was so intriguing: a woman who everyone believes killed her best friend. She isn't sure if she murdered her friend as she can't remember the night in question. She loved her friend and is certain she would never harm her but can't explain why she was found covered in her friend's blood. Buckle yourself in for this amazing and thrilling ride!

Lucy was found covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood. Everyone in town has their fingers pointed at her but the police don't have enough to charge her with murder. Lucy left town and did her best to carve out a life for herself in LA. When her grandmother invites her to come home for her party, Lucy can't help but say yes as she and her grandmother are close.

Ben Owens is a handsome and charming true crime podcaster ("Listen for the Lie") who is in Lucy's hometown to investigate Savvy's murder. Lucy finds herself back amongst the finger pointers and finds herself in the middle of Ben's investigation.

This was soooo good. I love books with snarky and witty characters. Lucy's sarcasm at times was dripping off the pages. Plus, her grandmother is a hoot! She was fun, sassy, and quick witted. She provided humor and put a smile on my face.

I enjoyed being a fly on the wall during this book. Lucy hears Savvy's voice in her head throughout the book. It's a little creepy but also interesting. What is up with that? I thought I was done reading books with podcasts but Listen for the Lie was fantastic. I found it to be a well thought out, well written and riveting book. Plus, the narrators nailed it. I didn't want to stop listening. I too wanted to know whodunit. Was it Lucy? If not her, then who?


Gripping, dark, humorous, and well thought out.

I highly recommend the audiobook.

Of all the books I've read this year, many of them have centered around a podcast, but Listen for the Lie blew those out of the water. The audiobook listening experience was top notch with a full cast and great narration. The story relies on some pretty standard tropes in mystery-thrillers, but the execution is what took this to the next level. Most of the time it's not what happens but the journey to how you get there and Amy Tintera does a great job of unraveling the mystery of Savvy's death and the role Lucy played that night in a way that felt new and the pacing was fantastic. Overall, highly recommend (especially the audiobook) to anyone who loves the genre and is looking for something new!

This is absolutely a must-read in 2024. Who killed Savvy?? There's no way to know. Even our MC Lucy doesn't know and she was there when the murder happened. I highly, HIGHLY recommend the audiobook. I was invested in these characters like I knew them personally. The podcast addition after each chapter was exceptional and had me forgetting I was listening to a fictional book and wishing Grandma Bev was my granny.

Please, for the love of God, read if you like:

🎧 Sarcastic and dark humor
🎧 Crime novels
🎧 Fast-paced chapters
🎧 Twists on twists

All of the thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Expected publication date of March 5, 2024.

I love books that work podcasts into the story (like Night Swim) since it's combining two of my favorite things. Super fast paced, did not want to put it down. Loved the characters, Lucy was so unique. Great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance of publication.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera was a audiobook for me and January LaVoy and Will Damron were excellent narrators for this story. I love a good true crime podcast and I couldn’t put this down. The author had me on the edge of my seat and she just pulled me in. Lucy wasn’t a likable person and I don’t even know what to say about Savvy! But I still couldn’t look away from this mystery. Lots of twists and I was second guessing everything. Great plot with a satisfying ending. I recommend it.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

Wow!

As a whole, this was a great book and a great story line. With that said, after listening to the audiobook, it was an experience!

This had a female and a male narrator. This jumped around from Lucy’s perspective as well as Ben’s. Ben’s perspective was his podcast and was read like a podcast would be! It was so entertaining. I could not get enough!

Like I said, the book itself had an entertaining premise. Did Lucy kill her friend Savy? Lucy herself doesn’t even know. An unreliable narrator makes for a great story! I loved how everything unraveled and came together at the end.

Great narrator and great story! DEFINITELY recommend this one.

I am so thankful to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and Amy Tintera for granting me advanced audio access to this twisty, who-dunnit before publication day, March 5, 2024.

The entire world thinks Lucy has murdered her high school friend, Savannah, or Savvy for short, and to be quite brutally honest, Lucy has no idea if she did it or not, for she suffers from short-term amnesia after a head injury the night of the murder. To make matters worse, this entire case is being reopened by a smug podcaster, Ben of the Listen for the Lie podcast as he tries to get to the bottom of this small town’s most infamous case.

Some not so savory characters are re-introduced into Lucy’s life, including ex-husbands, boyfriends, friends, and nosy neighbors that just can’t take a hint. To settle scores, Lucy teams up with Ben and things get a bit steamy for some unsolved detective play, but the interaction helps Lucy recall suppressed memories of that night’s events that help solve the mystery once and for all.

I will say, the ending was a bit predictable, but it was a fun read nonetheless.

Wow, what a fierce and compelling experience!

The audiobook production is top tier. The narrators did a fantastic job of bringing the characters’ voices to life, and the post-production of the podcast episode chapters made everything feel so real. I finished listening to this book in two days because I couldn’t help myself, I had to know what was going on.

I loved Ben and Lucy. I was rooting for them the entire time. There’s something oddly likable about a character with such a nonchalant personality (even if she is possibly a psychopath). You just can’t help but love her “idgaf” attitude. I appreciated Ben’s no nonsense approach in his search for the truth, not getting caught up in any prejudices or judgements. Also, Lucy’s grandmother is freaking hilarious and I just absolutely loved her character.

I was instantly sucked into the mystery, and dying for the truth to finally reveal itself. I love the small-town drama and all the personalities in the interviews. It's a very tangled and convoluted web of lies and misconceptions. I was so engaged in trying to follow the threads and puzzle it all out.

Highly recommend this very impressive, adult thriller debut. I hope she writes more in the future. If so, I will definitely be reading them!

“The truth doesn’t matter.”
4.5★ (rounded up because I really enjoyed this read)

I am shocked. Down. To. My. Core. I had to immediately write this review so I can tell everyone I know about this book because it is a must read. It is honestly one of my favorite thriller books this year. It wasn’t too scary or psychological (I don’t like feeling paranoid). I absolutely loved the layout of this book and its ~pseudo~ dual POV, most chapters are through Lucy’s POV and some are excerpts from the in-book podcast. The dialogue between characters is realistic and feels like a gossip session with friends. It is truly a small town murder mystery with a dozen suspects. The twists and turns kept me guessing until the end!

Lucy: FMC - an uncertain, young divorcee, who has been haunted by her past and best friend’s murder… a murder where she has always been the (unofficial) #1 suspect. She copes with self-deprecating dark humor, questionable life choices, and a little murderous voice in her head.

I absolutely loved the narrators, they were perfect! I am so grateful to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow I binged this audio book in a day ✨

I absolutely loved the Podcast aspect of this audiobook, and the details that went into it✨

The FMC and her Grandma were absolutely hilarious and iconic!✨

Stephen king said it best on his cover blurb “A World Class Whosdunit”✨

I love an unreliable narrator, but in this book you get a whole unreliable town 😂

Loved the short chapters and the pace of the story✨

The ending had me literally on the the edge of my seat✨

WOW what a book! I listen to this book and it was the first from this author.

Twists and turns for sure. This is about Lucy who has blocked her past due to her best friend Savvy being murdered and everything thinks she did it. Lucy isnt sure if she did it or not but everyone in her town thinks she did it. She teams up with Ben who has a true crime podcast and they try to put together what happened and try to figure out who did it. Every time i thought i had this figured out nope i didn't.

The writing was great and the author def makes this to where you want to keep listening. This is an excellent book and will read more from this author.

Great Job on this book will recommend.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me listen and review.

Have you started planning your 2024 TBR list?! Let me recommend adding Listen For The Lie to it! I loved this book in the audiobook format since the story features a podcast. @macmillan.audio did an excellent job of making those sections sound like a true crime podcast. Also, the narrators are January LaVoy and Will Damron, who did a top notch job at narrating this book.

The story itself revolves around Lucy, whose best friend was murdered. Now, a true crime podcast has decided to look into the unsolved case. What lies and secrets will the podcast uncover? Should Lucy even participate?!

The story grabbed my attention right away. It was fast paced and I did not want to stop listening until the very end!

Thank you @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This review was also shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

4 stars

This is an engaging, fast paced thriller that has everyone - including the main suspect - wondering who killed Savvy.

Lucy's best friend, Savvy, died years ago, and in addition to her grief, Lucy has been left with another lingering thought or two (hundred): did she do it?! Fortunately, she has a famous and conveniently very attractive podcaster who's come to her hometown to find out the answer to just that question.

Readers have to get beyond Lucy's at times off-putting attitude. For someone in her unusual situation, she runs a bit sardonic. This does reveal the level of frustration she (rightfully) experiences about the gaps in her life, but it also doesn't make her the most sympathetic character at times. Her family members help her behavior make sense, though.

For me, any mystery/thriller with podcast infusions already has a big check in its favor, and while that podcast element doesn't always turn out right, this one totally does. The clips are short but add a lot, and this is especially prominent in the audio version, which I definitely recommend.

This was my first read from this author, but I know it won't be the last.

Listen for the Lie was the first book I have read by Amy Tintera. I will be looking for other books by her. This was a great story. The narration was great.

This was absolutely amazing! I could not stop listening to it and had to finish as quickly as possible. Excellent narration and even better writing. This is going to be a big hit.

Lucy and Savannah (Savvy) were best friends. One day Lucy is found walking down a street in a daze, a gash on her head and covered in Savvy's blood. Savvy is found dead and Lucy is blamed for killing her. She can't remember anything about the night in question, but there was no hard evidence to link her to the crime. After several years in LA, she returns to her hometown when Ben Owens, a true crime podcaster host, investigates Savvy's death.

LISTEN FOR THE LIE was a great book! There were some moments that were funny, serious and even believable. I enjoyed the podcast element, it kept the book interesting and was really my favorite part. Overall, I would recommend grabbing a copy. The audiobook was excellent, I did enjoy the narration.

Many thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for my gifted ALC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.