The absolute worst time in Lucy Chase's life has come back to haunt her. Five years ago, her best friend, Savannah, was brutally murdered and Lucy was the prime, and only, suspect. She was never charged, but still convicted in the court of public opinion, especially in her small Texas hometown. Now, a true crime podcast is rehashing the whole thing, and Lucy's grandma is insisting she return to Texas for her birthday. To the town where everyone despises her. What could possibly go wrong?

I LOVED this book. The cover doesn't really represent what's inside, though. I was thinking I was about to dive into a gritty thriller because of it, but that's far from what I got. This is a top notch mystery with notes of comedy and romance. The banter and Lucy's sarcasm are my favorite part. Lucy's grandma is an amazing character and their relationship gave me the warm fuzzies. I probably laughed out loud way too much. The pages were flying, and so was I, after this delightful book reached the conclusion.
Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the chance to review this advance copy. Listen for the Lie will publish 3/5/24.

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.

Lucy has returned to her hometown of Plumpton, TX with the shadow of the past lingering over her. Everyone, including her own parents, thinks she killed her best friend Savvy years ago, but there’s never been enough evidence to charge her, and she has no memories of what happened. Now true crime podcaster Ben Owens is in town to try to set the record straight.

As Ben interviews people in town and more details emerge, a fuller, more messy picture begins to take shape. Who’s telling the truth?

Well, if you take Lucy’s word for it: The truth doesn’t matter.

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!

Thank you Netgalley. This was a great read! The storyline was captivating and had me from the first page and didn't let go. The podcast format was different but enjoyable. Great characters and lots of twisty dark turns.

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.

I'm so glad I decided to review this book. I don't often read mystery books, but the premise stood out and I was interested in seeing how the story was going to evolve. I loved the main character's dark and sarcastic sense of humor, and I enjoyed how she would lean into uncomfortable situations. It made for a fun ride and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Listen For The Lie was an easy read and quite enjoyable, The pacing was perfect. The twists and turns were artfully placed. All-around perfect thriller!

I have to say that this is definitely one of my favorite thrillers. The main character, Lucy, who doesn't remember what happened to her and her best friend, Savannah, 5 years prior at a wedding, had always been suspected of killing her best friend that night. There was not enough evidence to arrest Lucy. Five years later her grandmother reaches out and wants her to come home for her grandmother's birthday. I have to say I absolutely adore Lucy and her grandmother. Lucy is hilariously sarcastic and her relationship with her grandmother is everything! Her grandmother admits that she reached out to a true crime podcaster to try to solve the death of Savvy (Savannah). Lucy reluctantly agrees and much is uncovered about the true events that happened. I definitely recommend this book to thriller fans.

Ben Owen’s is a true crime podcaster who has come to town to investigate Savvy’s murder that happened years ago. Her best friend Lucy is not sure if she killed her or not but wants to help solve the crime. This was a very gripping story full of interesting characters and I hated to put it down. Thanks NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC that will be released March 5, 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the eARC! What a fun mystery/thriller! Dripping with dry humor, southern charm and sarcasm this novel was addictive. The podcast inclusions and overall plot had me hooked, there was the perfect balance of characters, mystery, and elements to figure out that this felt fresh and enjoyable. I am absolutely stunned that this is a debut. What a gem! I’ll be anticipating the next book from Amy Tintera!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HenryHoltandCompany for the ARC #ListenForTheLie by #AmyTintera. I love listening to a podcast version of a book. It always gives so much more to the story. This book is great with all the drama-past and present, the small town games and the finger pointing. Highly Recommend.

A fast moving mystery that pulls you in immediately with it's wit and memorable characters. A smug podcaster and a could be murderer connect in a small Texas town to solve the murder of her best friend. Did she do it and repress the memory as everyone but her grandmother suspects? The author builds up the clues through podcast interviews and there is a satisfying Aha moment when it all comes together.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book! I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and loved the podcast part of it. I will definitely recommend this book this book to friends.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this!

. #NetGalley

This was my first narrative/podcast book, and I found it to be an enjoyable read. At turns thrilling, darkly funny, and biting, I found the change of perspective from investigator to someone involved with the murder in question to be interesting and important. I very much enjoyed Lucy’s voice, and loved how in dealing with everything, her first instinct was to respond with sarcasm (definitely something I can relate to). She’s a messy character, understandably, and I loved watching her growth throughout the story.

Amy Tintera deftly weaves the narrative threads together to examine many themes, the first of which was the toll such a violent murder took on everybody, from family and friends to the community, and very importantly, on Lucy. This and the additional examinations of female friendship, abuse, misogyny, small-town dynamics, and who makes a “perfect victim” that occur along the way, make for a searing portrait of the worst ways that people, from societies to communities to individuals, respond to heinous crimes. And while this book maybe wasn’t the strongest indictment of society’s true crime obsession, it wasn’t exactly a full-throated endorsement either. This novel ultimately gives us a lot to think critically about.

I thoroughly enjoyed Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera. I think I would have read it in one sitting if sleep had not interfered. I was hooked from the first page to the last. A plausible story revolving around Lucy Chase, a young woman who either witnessed or murdered, her closest friend, Savanah Harper. The police never determined what happened that night as Lucy was injured too, and had absolutely no recall as to what happened.
It's five years later, and Lucy returned to her hometown for her Grandmother's 80th birthday party. Her love for her Grandmother is the only motivation that could get Lucy there as most of the town's residents never accepted the amnesia defense, and firmly believe that Lucy is a murderer. Unbeknownst to Lucy, her Grandmother, who has always believed in Lucy's innocence, has agreed to work with a podcaster, Ben Owns, to prove it. Hold onto your seat from there as things heat up; Lucy is not happy, yet reluctantly agrees to work with Ben.
Listen For The Lie is a very well crafted novel, with characters, that for the most part, I found very believable. It is a fast-paced page turner with a gripping storyline. I highly recommend Listen for the Lie. 4.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book; that in no way influenced my review.

4⭐️

Lucy has no memory of what happened the night that Savvy died. She remembers being at the wedding and then leaving the reception and then nothing until she was found wondering the town covered in blood. It’s been years since the night her best friend died and while Lucy still has no idea what happened that night, the whole town is convinced she killed Savvy. That’s why Lucy had packed up and left her home town, and her so called perfect marriage, behind.

Lucy had no plans of ever returning to her home town, but then her grandma guilted her into coming home for her birthday. Once she gets there, she learns that her grandmother had ulterior motives. A true crime podcaster had come to town and had started looking into Savanah’s death. As more is uncovered about that night, Lucy starts to find that nothing was really what she thought about that night.

This was really interesting. I’m a true crime podcast fan, so I always enjoy a podcast tie in to a book and Ben seemed to really do his research. I liked the interludes between chapters that were clips of the finished podcast. I also love a small town mystery. I grew up in a small town myself, so the gossip between the citizens of the town and the secrets being kept felt really authentic.

I liked how Savanah was tied into the present day story and the way she was basically a sounding board for Lucy to bounce things off of as she started to remember that day. I think the only ting I really didn’t get and maybe I need to go back and reread the last little bit was the final chapter and Lucy’s conversation with her grandmother.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing this ARC to me!

Told in alternating time lines with multiple plots and well developed characters, this is a consuming and suspenseful read! I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

5 years ago, Lucy was found wandering in the woods, covered in blood and her best friend, Savvy found dead. The whole town thinks Lucy killed her but Lucy has no memory of that night. 5 years later, Ben, the creator of Listen For the Lie Podcast, is creating a series on the death of Savannah. He wants to get to the truth if it really was Lucy or someone else. Lucy returns to her hometown for her grandmas birthday and comes to find Ben is there. As the story goes on, we find out little clues about what really happened. Was it Lucy or someone else?

I loved the audio of this book! There is a past and present storyline with a podcast too. Listening made me feel like I was actually listening to the podcast and book at the same time. This book was a page turner and kept me guessing till the end! I couldn’t put this book down, definitely add it to your list to read when it comes out on March 5, 2024!

Thank you to Amy Tintera, @netgalley and @celadonbooks for an arc of Listen For the Lie in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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.

Many thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

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