Imagine waking up covered in your best friend's blood, with no memory of what happened. That's what happens to Lucy in Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera. Years later, a true crime podcast reopens the case, forcing Lucy back to her small Texas town to uncover the truth—even if it means confronting the possibility that she might be the killer. A gripping mix of dark humor, suspense, and small-town secrets, this thriller had me questioning every character's motives until the very end.​

The way Lucy is written is so masterful—she’s kind of an asshole, but you’re still rooting for her the whole time, and might even end up loving her. It fits perfectly with the premise: she’s been accused without full evidence, she’s jaded, and at her core, she’s just a hurt girl trying to figure out what really happened to her best friend. The chapters are quick and snappy, and I loved the podcast transcripts woven in—they broke things up in a way that made it even more addictive. I didn’t want to put this one down—it keeps you hooked the whole way through and never drags.

If you’re into thrillers with dark humor, complicated characters, and a little true crime flair, definitely add this to your TBR.

First,... I love Lucy... lol. She's a little sparky, a little defense, and perhaps a little crazy? The men in her life have been walking red flags. Not a fan of her mom, but LOVE her Grandma. The podcasts are a good addition to the story/plotline & it was a quick, entertaining read. I really enjoyed it from start to finish.

I don’t even know if I could begin to put what happened in this book into words, but it was messy and fabulous and I had a great time

I originally got a eARC of this from NetGalley but just now got around to it, which, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC by the way!

I listened to the audiobook & the narrators were amazing. I’m so glad I finally listened to/read this!

4 stars.

I love a good podcast thriller. Listen for the Lie follows Lucy, who was found covered in her best friend Savvy's blood five years ago. Lucy can't remember the events of that night, so everyone in her small hometown believes she killed Savvy. Ben, a true crime podcaster, is determined to solve this cold case.

This had a few good twists and turns, but it wasn't the best podcast thriller I've ever read. I think the killer was fairly obvious to guess. I also could've done without the romance; it felt a bit forced. But, overall, this was a quick page turner with an excellent audiobook. I'd recommend it, but I enjoyed None of This Is True and The Night Swim more than this one.

What a good pdocast type crime thriller! This is filled with so many twists but also had me laughing out loud! I loved it!

A nail-biting, perplex mystery that keeps you hooked. This one was a rollercoaster ride! I felt really bad for Lucy, her whole world was changed and everybody thought she killed her best friend. Well, except for her amazing Grandma! I don't know what I would do if everyone I knew and loved thought I'd killed someone. Lucy makes some smart and not so smart choices in this book that made me cringe and yell WHY?; but she's human a very flawed, complex human. Like Ben, I'm glad that she talked to him didn't like that she slept with him. In the end though Lucy showed how much of a true friend she was to Savvy and was always loyal to their friendship, just like how Savvy was to Lucy.

I absolutely loved this thriller! Lucy’s voice was funny and kept me engaged the entire ride, and I loved Ben’s character. The podcast element was very interesting, I really enjoyed reading the episodes. I’m sure this would have been amazing as an audiobook, but I had a great time reading the ebook, too! I would love to read more from this author!!

Thank you Netgalley for my review copy!

This one took me nearly half way through to truly be invested. Once certain things started being revealed I was intrigued, but it took way too long to get there. Having the main character be unlikable for the first 140 pages is hard for readers to connect to. I enjoyed the mixed media with the podcast chapters. I also enjoyed the reveals and plot twists at the end. I did end up enjoying this one, but it took awhile to get there.

WOW. I absolutely devoured this book. I was able to also tandem read with the audiobook and it added so much to the story. I enjoyed spending the time getting to know Lucy but continuing the wonder of who killed Sav. At every point I assumed I had figured out who was responsible in the end, I was able thrown for a loop. Would love to read this again in the future and will recommend to everyone.

Listen for the Lie is a twisty, suspenseful psychological thriller about Lucy, who is found covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood and presumed guilty of her murder—despite Lucy’s inability to remember the night in question. Years later, a popular true crime podcast decides to re-investigate the case, forcing Lucy to confront her past and the possibility that she might be the killer.

The story is full of suspense, with a gripping mystery at its core, and the dynamics between Lucy, her past, and the podcast add layers of intrigue. However, the truth is elusive, and the line between memory, guilt, and innocence blurs, keeping readers on edge until the very end. An addictive, fast-paced read for fans of psychological thrillers.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It took me a little bit to warm up to the main character, but once I did, I just adored her! Listen for the Lie is a great addition to the true crime podcast genre of thrillers that have been popular lately. It will keep you interested from beginning to end , and take you to a hundred different conclusions, just for you to be wrong every time!

"Listen for the Lie" by Amy Tintera follows Lucy as a podcast brings to light that on the evening of her best friend Savvy's murder, Lucy was found covered in her blood and was the last one to see Savvy alive. However, Lucy sustained a head injury and can't remember what happened that night. Five years later, Lucy still cannot remember the events from that evening, but the public is quick to place blame on her for Savvy's death.

Thank you, NetGalley, and to the publisher, Celadon, for the gifted eARC for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I cannot believe it took me this long to pick up this amazing thriller! I absolutely loved it, from Lucy's humor and her witty sarcasm to the events of the night of Savvy's murder slowly unfolding, the mixed media podcast script, and her grandma's overall unique and funny persona. Her grandmother truly is what brought Lucy back to her old stomping grounds and got the ball rolling with the podcast host. I truly admired the old lady with her snappy attitude and love of alcohol. She was my second favorite character, with Lucy coming in first place.

This thriller is a bit of a slow burn to get to the truth and unravel the secrets, but the journey is highly entertaining and makes it all quite amusing.

This is one thriller I wouldn't recommend letting sit around in your to-be-read pile. Go ahead and read it right away and enjoy!

**I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

This was an entertaining read. I'm not going to lie, the main character and her general personality got on my nerves in the beginning, but it got better as the book went on. The mystery was very intriguing and I enjoyed the podcast element of the book. I found the ending to be interesting-not so much related to the murder mystery, but to the reactions in the aftermath.

I flipped back and forth between reading physically and listening to the audio book and I recommend the audiobook. It's very well done and the narrator was fantastic

In a world of true crime podcast thrillers, this one stands out! The narrator's voice is so unique, and you'll find yourself rooting for her even when you're not sure if she's guilty. I read a lot of thrillers (with a lot of questionable heroines!) and Listen for the Lie is special - highly recommended!

This is my first 5 star of the year so you know it's good. I loved the characters and that you couldn't figure out who to trust. I ended up listening to this book and the mixed media was so cool. I love a good murdered podcast book. This book gave me whiplash but I feel like that's why it made it so good. I definitely recommend it, if you decide to read it, I would suggest doing it by audiobook. I know I'm late, but as always thanks to netgalley and celadon books.

Lucy leaves her small town after her best friend is murdered and everyone blames her for it, but the problem is she has no memory of the night. Now, five years later, her friends murder is picked up by a podcaster and Lucy finds herself returning home to figure out once and for all the story of the night that left her friend dead.

This is an extremely bingeable read! While memory loss tropes aren’t my favorite, this one had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was coming next. Overall I felt like it was a wild ride, though there were quite a few characters, so I’m glad I eyeball read this because it was a bit hard to keep straight at first.

This book was everywhere when it first came out, and so many people I knew were talking about it. I let it linger on my TBR for too long, and I was excited to read it. However, I don't think it lived up to my expectations.

I liked the format of this book a lot. I'm a fan of short chapters, so the fact that it had the actual podcast episodes mixed in with the story was really fun and interesting. I just think that the plot lacked a little bit of oomph for me. Lucy was mostly unlikeable. and so were her parents. Ben was just kind of there, and even Grandma Beverly didn't really do much for me. I wanted more from everyone. Savvy seemed like the most interesting character, and she was dead.

The 'romance' aspect between Lucy and Ben was lazy, and kind of unnecessary. Paige was a minor character that didn't even need to be included. She didn't enhance the plot or serve any purpose. The ending was convenient, and kind of unrealistic. Why did she all of a sudden remember? Why hadn't she remembered earlier? Who knows.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it definitely could have been better. I wish I had listened to the audio book, because I feel like that would have brought it to life a little more.

This definitely grabs you and pulls you in immediately and then you can’t put it down. Great writing that brings the characters to life (even when they aren’t). Anxious to read more by this author.

I loved this book. It kept me guessing until the end and the turns are so worth it. Amazing book, will be keeping an eye out for more by this author.

Five years ago, Lucy Chase was with her best friend, Savvy, when she was killed. Lucy can’t remember what happened and everyone thinks she killed Savvy. She hasn’t lived in Plumpton, TX for many years, but now that she’s back she wants to solve this case once and for all. Ben Owens, host of the Listen For the Lie podcast is focusing on Lucy’s story and is also in her hometown. Lucy decides to work with him to find out (finally) what really happened—even if she discovers she really did kill Savvy.

I am a huge true crime fan, so I was immediately intrigued by this book. A true crime podcast theme in a thriller... sign me up! Listen for the Lie grabbed me from the very first page. This is a captivating book that is filled with unpredictable twists. It has a riveting pace with podcast chapters interspersed that helped propel the story along, this kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out if Lucy did it - and if not, who did?

The characters in this book were so well developed. Lucy’s internal monologue was witty and had me laughing out loud at times. Despite my suspicions about her being a murderer I couldn’t help but love her. Even though Savvy is dead in this book - she is so alive in Lucy’s mind and I was able to really get a feel for her and the type of friend she was to Lucy.

I did a mix of listening and reading - and without a doubt, both were great experiences. January Lavoy and Will Damron narrated the audiobook and it was SO engaging. The podcast element of the story was so fun to listen to! Highly, highly recommend. Easily one of my favorite thrillers of 2024!