Listen for the Lie is a twisty thriller full of dark humor and snarky characters. Lucy is a bit of an unreliable character since a head injury left her unclear about the events surrounding the murder of her best friend. This makes Lucy unsure of whether she is the murderer or not. A new podcast delves into the crime, bringing Lucy back to her hometown to discover the answers to what happened that night.
I listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrator did an excellent job. However, the only thing that bothered me was Lucy’s intrusive thoughts in Savvy’s voice. The repetitive “Let’s kill” practically shouted was incredibly unnerving.
Overall, this fantastic story unravels the truth for a satisfying finish.

Don’t mess with Texas grandmothers! Lucy’s grandmother believes in her innocence when no one else will, even Lucy herself. Eventually, Ben convinces Lucy to work with him to try to find out what happened the night her best friend, Savvy, was killed. Tintera wrote an entertaining story that will keep you guessing as, together with Lucy and Ben, you try to piece together the events of that fateful night.

I started reading Listen for the Lie as a book and remembered I had it as an audio download thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher.

I highly recommend the audio version to capture the feeling of the podcast episodes interspersed throughout the chapters. The narration changes with the characters and keeps the story alive. This is the first audio I've listed to with multiple narrators and I'm going to look for more, it was really enjoyable.

As a fan of podcasts the audio did an excellent job of capturing what a true crime podcast sounds like.

The story of Listen for the Lie was great also. Lucy's self-deprecating wit and sarcasm provides levity to a story that would have otherwise been a dark thriller. And the chapters being short and separated with podcast interviews keep up a fast pace for the reader.

If you like a mystery with dark humor, quick wit, retelling though the podcast's investigation, and lots of sexy secrets... this is definitely for you! Highly recommend!

I listened to this via audiobook ARC thanks to NetGalley.

The audio of this was AMAZING. The narrators were great, and the podcast segments were done like an actual podcast show, with sound effects and everything!
The plot was great- a girl returning to her hometown when a podcast picks up the unsolved murder of her best friend- that she is suspected of murdering. As each new character is introduced, you ponder if it was them who committed the murder. And I promise- it is not who you think it is!

This story kept me engaged and interested the whole way through. I did the audiobook and really enjoyed how they made the podcast sections sound like an actual podcast. So creative! It's a great option if you're looking for an engrossing mystery to unravel, especially if you can do the audiobook.

Overall, it was fun and fresh, and I only really had two small nits to pick. One of them I can't really explain without spoiling the ending, but the best I can do is say that the author often described the inner thoughts of one of the characters in a way that was confusing and even after finishing it I'm not sure why the author did it. Second, I guess the killer the second we met them, and I hate when that happens. But overall, I did enjoy the story and the creativity of the audio form.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Listen for the Lie
by: Amy Tintera

Thank y0u to NetGalley, Macmillan and Celadon Books for the early listen/read. I was fortunate enough to be approved for both the audio and the ebook. Loved this story and the audio version just made it 110% better! The narrators were amazing (I mean it's January LaVoy can't go wrong with her narrating and Will Damron did an amazing job as well). Loved the character development and the mystery surrounding the MC. Really enjoyed reading the back history. I was hooked and pulled (or is it reeled) in from the first page.
The audiobook was done like a podcast which was amazing! So many amazings.
I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced audiobook.

I love the audio for this book. Music, pod cast, narrators. It was a great listening experience.

I really enjoyed this. It is the first I have read from this author. There were many times when the I did not like the main characters but then I was pulling for them. I did not guess the ending and was on my toes the whole time. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

A really compelling mystery/thriller. And though the podcast framing device is growing tired, this still felt fresh.

I LOVED this one. It’s been so long since I haven’t been able to put a book down and this was it. Thanks for breaking me out of my reading slump!

I loved the audio version of this! What happens when you’re caught covered in your best friend’s blood and you have no recollection of what happened…. and your best friend is indeed found dead? Lucy leaves town after being found innocent and starts over. But when a podcaster decides to solve the cold case, she’s brought back in the limelight. Flipping back and forth between Lucy’s narration (and intrusive thoughts) and Ben’s podcast episodes, I was hooked to learn what really happened. Twists and turns all the way to the end! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a fast paced thriller/mystery that I couldn’t put down. I loved listening to this audiobook! The voice narration was done wonderfully and I appreciate that since I’ve listened to my fair share of audiobooks that fall flat due to poor narration. It was interesting how the chapters rotated between the main character Lucy’s first person POV and podcast interviews from residents of Lucy’s hometown. It was fun to hear how others in Lucy’s community experienced the stories events and then how it all came together in the end. I enjoyed the way the author portrayed Lucy’s character and sense of humor. I will definitely seek out books from this author in the future and would highly recommend this book to anywho who enjoys thrillers/mysteries. Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillion Audio and the author for allowing me to listen and review this audiobook!

𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐞 by Amy Tintera

Thank you @celdadonbooks and @littlefreelibrary for the gifted copy and the invite to participate in the LFL drop.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the gifted audiobook.

I can’t recommend this thriller enough! I loved this book and for me to say that about a thriller - you know I enjoyed it. The audiobook is done so well, too!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everyone thinks Lucy killed her best friend, Savvy. Granted, it doesn’t look good, and Lucy can’t remember what happened. Lucy had moved away from Texas because she couldn’t stand the hate, but she returns for her feisty grandma’s 80th birthday. Ben Owens, a true-crime podcaster, just happens to be in her hometown too. He wants to get the scoop, and this time Lucy decides to work with him - she wants the truth.

I loved Lucy! Her snark and sass were inappropriate and hilarious. I needed to know if she was unreliable or if something else was going on here. The pace never lagged, plus with great dialogue, I was always entertained.

This book is ALL over bookstagram right now with raving reviews! I am happy to say it totally lived up to the hype for me. Dark humor, twists, and a bingeable plot. Nothing more I could ask for from a thriller! I was gifted the audio version and I had so much fun with it. The podcast segments were fully immersive. Plus, January Lavoy narrates the rest of the story and she’s one of my absolute favorites!

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Audio Book
Narrator: January LaVoy, Will Damron
Listening Time: 9 Hours, 18 Minutes

Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: March 5, 2024

Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Podcast, Unsolved Murder

Lucy and Savvy were best friends. After attending a friend’s wedding, Savvy is found dead and Lucy unconscious. She has no memory of that day. At first, she was treated as another victim but that soon changed. Everyone became suspicious of her amnesia claim.

Five years later, podcaster Ben Owen is in town asking questions and dredging up old feelings. Lucy is back in town for her grandmother’s birthday party. She agrees to meet with Ben and sit down for an interview. She wants to know what happened as much as anyone.

The story takes place over a two-week period. The characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. There is a quirky voice in Lucy’s head that wants to kill everyone. The pace builds as Ben and Lucy investigate the events of five years ago. If you like podcasts and murder mysteries, you will enjoy listening to this. It is just like listening to an episode of a real unsolved murder podcast.

4.5 Solid Stars!

This one captured me! The true crime podcast storylines have been hit or miss with me in the past, but this one was very well written and not drawn out.

Lucy has been living as a suspected murderer ever since the night her best friend was found dead, but she has zero recollection of that night. What must it be like to live not knowing your own involvement in something so horrific?

There were a ton of well-written characters in this story, I especially loved the grandma's role and the podcaster Ben's character development. Nothing in this book seemed too drawn out or too many character introductions which is a common complaint of mine. And the ending was delivered very well in my opinion.

Big thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

It’s bad enough going back to your hometown where everyone thinks you killed your best friend years before. It’s even worse when that death is turned into a podcast to solve the case….shared nationwide. Lucy was found five years before, covered in her friend Savvy’s blood, unable to remember what happened or how she got there. As some started to suspect her involvement, she became prime suspect 1, yet never proven. Now visiting her small hometown for her grandma, Lucy may be closer to the answers than she ever realized.
The novel was so fun to read and listen to. While serious at times and a good thriller, it still had a good blend of humor, all made possible by the narrators (the “kill” voice kept cracking me up!)
Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Highly recommend the audiobook, “Listen for the Lie” which alternates between Lucy Chase’s narration and Ben Owens’ true crime podcast as he seeks to uncover the truth behind Lucy’s best friend’s murder.
Five years after Savvy’s unsolved murder, Lucy returns to their hometown in the Texas hill country and unexpectedly joins Ben to discover the truth.

The audiobook format includes all the podcast episodes featuring a cast of characters each with their own secrets and murder theories. January La Voy and Will Damron give superbly realistic performances. Lucy’s own narration lets you in to her private thoughts and experiences, haven’t you always wanted the story behind the podcast? This one is so satisfying.

Fans of true crime and “None of This is True” by Lisa Jewell will love this audiobook. The macabre humor, Lucy’s sarcasm and her no nonsense 80-year-old grandmother had me laughing out loud in my car while the whodunnit storyline kept me up late till I got to the end.

This was a fun spin on a whodunnit that kept me guessing (though I did guess correctly!). I enjoyed the audiobook narration with the podcast format. The voices were distinct and well-done. The humor and snarky main character also put a fun spin on a dark subject. I found myself binging this in a couple days. My only gripe was this book definitely needed some editing for repetition (aka smug, sweat trickling). Overall, I'd recommend for a fun "popcorn" listen/read.

I rushed to read this one after everyone and their grandma was raving about it on bookstagram but I didn’t enjoy it as much as others unfortunately! I’d give it 3.5 stars.

I loved the creative idea of it. It had A LOT of potential. A true crime podcaster interviews folks in a small town where a woman was murdered years earlier without any answers and the prime suspect, the victim’s friend Lucy, has no recollection of that night and has never talked about it before to anyone. When the smug podcaster comes to town, the secrets start spilling and Lucy’s memories begin to come back.

By the middle, I got sort of bored and I didn’t care for the ending “plot twist.”

I did like the short chapters, the narrators, and how episodes of the podcast were weaved in though!

Thank you to Amy, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance listener’s copy and e-galley.