Wow...just WOW!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's been a while since I've had this much fun reading a thriller! I wish I could give it 10 stars instead of just 5. The author's writing style was refreshing and captivated me with a mystery that was fast-paced, interesting and contained none of that unnecessary fluff. The "podcast" theme has been quite popular in novels recently and has become a hit or miss for many of us. I can happily say that it was done extremely well in this novel and timed perfectly with the storyline to add more insight and backstory to the murder. Now, let's talk about how much I LOVE LUCY! (My inner nerd couldn't wait to type that in this review) Her witty sarcasm and humor made this book even more enjoyable. I laughed out loud multiple times at her endless repertoire of references (Arya Stark, GOT was my favorite) and her crazy "kill" thoughts. Another of my favorites is Grandma Beverly. What a hoot! Lucy and her grandmother made me think very strongly of Stephanie Plum and Grandma Mazur, which is one of the highest compliments that I can give. And this is the author's adult debut? Please keep writing more because I will DEFINITELY read them! I highly recommend this to all mystery/thriller fans and to everyone who enjoys reading a really good book! Pub. date is 3/5/2024, so preorder and add to your TBRs now. You will not be disappointed!

Thank you to the author, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

With no memory of the crime she was accused of committing, Lucy escapes her Texas hometown and starts over in LA. She returns to Plumberton to celebrate her grandma’s birthday and is forced to confront the rumors and accusations. With the help of Ben, host of a true crime podcast, Lucy is able to figure out what really happened that night five years ago when her best friend was murdered.

The characters were great and the story was told in a fresh, and sometimes funny way. Lucy is sarcastic to a fault and grandma Beverly might be one of the coolest grandmothers around.

One small critique: the use of the word “smug”. I was quite sure that if I had to read the word “smug” one more time I might have screamed.

Wow I went in blind with this one and pulled an all-nighter! Lucy fled her hometown of Plumberton, TX for LA after being accused of killing her best friend, Savannah/Savvy. Five years later she returns to attend her Grandma’s birthday party. Same time a podcaster, Ben and his show “Listen For The Lie” reignites Savvy’s death. This was fast paced and unputdownable! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

Thank you Netgalley & Celadon Books for an eARC of Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera. Wow! This is going on my list as one of my favorite books of all time. What a unique plot and flawlessly executed.

What's it about?
Years ago, Lucy was found wandering the streets of her small town, covered in her best friend Savvy's blood. Everyone thinks she murdered Savvy - even Lucy. How is that possible? Because she doesn't remember anything happened that night - Including whether or not she killed her bestie.

Now living in LA after running from her old life, the true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie" has decided to turn the spotlight on Savvy's murder from years prior. This brings Lucy home, and in close proximity to Ben Owens, insanely good looking podcast host. Here, she's forced to face the truth.

This one does it all. It's suspenseful, fun, and even funny at times! I love the podcast elements to break up the chapters. Lucy's head is an extremely interesting place for us to live, and I was honestly sad to see the book end because I want more of her!

Wow! Great book.

Five years ago Lucy’s best friend is murdered and Lucy is the prime suspect. With no memory of the night it happened, everyone assumes she’s guilty and a liar. A cold case podcaster takes up the story in her hometown to find out the truth of what happened. Lucy returns to help him solve it, even if she was the one who did it.

This was such a great book. I liked it more than I thought I would. I loved the characters. They felt authentically written. I especially loved the protagonist, Lucy and the relationship she has with her grandma. I also found the writing to be quite humorous and relatable at times.

This is a fast paced thriller and is interesting from start to finish. Chapters are interspersed with the podcast episode transcripts as well as flashbacks to five years ago.

I would 100% read whatever this author puts out next.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I devoured it. Lucy and her grandma were hysterical. I was hooked from the first page and could not put this book down. An easy 5 stars from me!

Interesting premise of the podcast. I quickly became engaged with the characters. While this book was a bit grittier than I normally would have liked, I had to keep reading. Did she do it? If not, who did commit murder? Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Oh my gosh, Amy Tintera has hit a home run, Lucy is a complex character - very blunt, confident annd enjoyably snarky. Grandma Beverly is a riot and I want to be like her when I grow old. I loved their relationship and they made me laugh so hard. Take these two plus an unsolved murder of Lucy’s best friend and a hunky true crime podcaster and I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what happens. Fantastic!

Thank you so much Celadon Books for the ARC and NetGalley! #ListenForTheLie. #NetGalley

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is the story of Lucy, a woman who may or may not have murdered her best friend five years ago and who now finds her life turned upside down again when a podcast decides to investigate the case. Drama ensues!

I sometimes question why I keep reading Adult thrillers/mysteries when I absolutely hate the most common tropes (cheating, domestic abuse, childhood trauma, sometimes a surprise pregnancy!) But apparently all I really needed was some great dark humor to be able to ignore my least favorite tropes because I thought this book was fantastic!

Fair warning, if you don’t like dark humor or unlikable main characters than this book probably isn’t for you. Lucy is sarcastic, dry, combative, and is constantly thinking about how to murder everyone! (This will make sense once you read the book). Yet I loved seeing things from her perspective and watching the mystery unfold. I know the amnesia trope isn’t everyone’s favorite but I think it really worked for this story and helped you as the reader to parse through what Lucy is trying to remember and what she is withholding. There were some really great twists that just made me love Lucy more. Even when I felt she was making some questionable decisions. The interwoven podcast elements were great too and I bet they’ll make for a fun audiobook. And Grandma Beverly was totally my favorite character. Love a supportive grandma!

Overall I thought this was a great read, I literally read it in less than 24 hours I couldn’t put it down, and I think fans of this genre (and those of us who appreciate a little sarcasm with their murder) will love this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is a superbly done thriller. I love the reality show / podcast / documentary formats for thrillers. Similar to None of This is True by Lisa Jewell in following the podcast structure, this stood on its own but was also well written and keeps the reader engaged. I loved the suspense and the twists throughout the book which helped us understand the main character, Lucy, better while also learning more about the circumstances that may have led to the murder of her best friend, Savvy.

One of the best thrillers of this year, if you love mysteries and are bored with books following the same plot lines and twists, I highly recommend this book.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publishes March 5, 2024

Synopsis: “After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

The truth is out there, if we just listen.”

This book was fast paced, the story kept moving, and I thought it was a clever plot. I had a hard time putting the story down because I wanted to know more, and I thought the ending was well done. I thought some of the dialogue seemed a bit over the top far fetched, and knocked down the story a bit. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Loved it! Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I love when a book keeps you hanging until the very end. Lots of twists that make you think you have it figured out and then you don’t.

If you like thrillers and suspense stories, this one is for you. I liked the way that it went back-and-forth from the podcast/interviews to the present narrative. it was not hard to follow. Not too many characters to keep track of. Definitely add this one to your list.

Thank you Net Galley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy of this book.
Let me just tell you that I was hooked on this story from the VERY FIRST Line. Why not go buy a chicken when you life is being ruined by a podcaster!? Despite this being a who dun it type of murder mystery, it managed to be a comedy as well because of how well Lucy's character was written. I loved her sarcastic attitude, and frankly her nonchalance towards most people in her hometown who assume she is the murderer of her best friend Savvy. Podcast books are becoming quite popular, this one is one of my favorites that I have read lately. I did not see the ending coming as it did and overall it was a very solid thriller. I will definitely be recommending it to all my friends.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the alternating chapters between Lucy's POV and the podcast episodes. Tintera did a really great job of world building and characterization. I FELT like I was reading about a real small town in Texas, and all of the characters felt like real people that you could meet in said small town. That being said, I felt like the plot struggled a little bit. It got a tad "soap operatic" in the sense that it felt like any time we needed to shift suspicion from one character to another, we just had them sleep with someone questionable. The number of "Surprise! Character X slept with Character Y" moments were truly over the top. It got to the point that every time we heard from a new townie, I was like..."well, I wonder what irresponsible romantic decision THIS character made 5 years ago when there also happened to be a murder happening." I mean, I understand infidelity being a sub-plot of a mystery book, but this was the ONLY sub-plot. It just felt like a little much. That's really my only complaint with this one. I enjoyed the podcast angle, and I think that would be REALLY cool on audiobook if done well. Decent book.

I enjoyed this one! I liked the writing style and the idea of the podcasts incorporated into the story. This one kept me flipping the pages because I couldn't figure out just what really happened.

Five years ago there was a murder in the small town of Plumpton, Texas. Lucy Chase has never been charged for her best friend, Savannah's (Savvy's) murder. But she was there and later found covered in her blood. The only thing is she can't remember a single thing! Five years later she's moved to L.A. to get away from all the accusations but has come home for the week to attend her Grandmother's 80th Birthday Party. Also podcaster, Ben Owens comes to town and features Lucy and the murder for his new podcast. Together can they figure out just what happened on that fateful night 5 years ago?

This one kept me invested. There are a lot of shady people in town and I did not particularly like Lucy's parents. Lucy's Grandmother was refreshingly different and added some fun into this otherwise dark story.

This story is incredibly engaging and unique as it tackles true crime from the podcast standpoint. I found it amazing that this book has me creeped out one second and laughing my butt off the next, as the author uses dark humor sprinkled throughout in the most perfect way. Each of the characters were fully fleshed out and relatable (well minus one maybe), and I was hooked almost from the start. At one point, I felt myself wanting to race through to find out what exactly had happened.

My only criticism, and what kept this book from being a 5 star read for me, is that the middle section of the book felt repetitive and that slowed the pacing down for a bit. However, that said, this is a worthy read, especially given how fresh and unique it is.

Of note, this is great on audio, however, I would recommend reading the physical or ebook alongside it. There are quite a few characters and families to keep straight, along with multiple timelines, and I think having both formats helps.

3.5 stars

I think these podcast true crime mystery thrillers are easily becoming one of my favorite tropes. It was dual POV with our main suspect and then the podcast chapters in which people close to the main suspect were interviewed. The title itself was captivating enough, but the podcast chapters were by far my favorite.

I loved the grandma the most, and was not fond of Matt or her parents who automatically assumed our main character was guilty. The final reveal was 3/5 and I think this book really could have benefitted from an epilogue. I needed to know what happened to the guilty parties - beyond that they went to jail.

I highly recommend listening to this as an audiobook as it sounds like a true crime podcast, but may want a physical copy nearby as well.

What a thrilling, hilarious, un-put-downable debut adult fiction from Amy Tintera!

Years ago, Lucy's best friend Savvy was found dead, and Lucy was found wandering the streets with blood on her arms and a traumatic head injury. At first, officials assume she and Savvy were both victims to an attack, but as time passes, they start to believe Lucy might be Savvy's killer. Lucy can't remember anything about that night, and after her small Texas town turns on her an assumes the worst, she moves away to LA. Five years later, she's drawn back to her hometown for her grandma's birthday, where podcaster Ben Owens has also set up base, because Savvy's unsolved case is the subject of his second season of his podcast Listen for the Lie. As he reveals more and more secrets surrounding Savvy's death, Lucy finds herself on track to discover what really happened that night.

I haven't loved a narrator's voice as much as Lucy's snappy, sardonic tone in a long time! I was immediately charmed by her sarcastic, dry wit, and the short chaptered, breakneck pace of the story made it impossible to put down! The truth of what happened to Savvy is revealed in carefully constructed layers, and I thoroughly enjoyed how the conclusion came together.

I already know this will be one of my top reads of 2024!

4.25☆

This is my first Amy Tintera book and what an introduction it was! <i> Listen for the Lie </i> was quite addictive and entertaining! I couldn't get enough of the mystery and I'm proud to say that I was able to solve the case before the conclusion (my success rate is 50/50 so I'm quite proud of myself).

For what they were supposed to be, the characters were well written! You may love someone one moment but then question if they're truly who they say they are the next. The author did a great job in making me doubt my own thoughts and feelings.

I love a good thriller and this is something that I will definitely recommend to everyone!

This book was SO much fun! I had read one of Amy Tintera's YA fantasy books a couple years ago and loved it, so I was really excited that she made the switch to not only adult fiction, but thrillers! It felt like a big jump when I first saw it, but she did it SO well. This book held my attention from the very beginning- I loved how sarcastic and witty Lucy was- it made a more serious story fun and lighthearted because of some of the comments she made. I loved the podcast elements throughout- I can tell that this one would be great on audio. I FLEW through this book- the chapters were short and enough happened in each of them that I just wanted to keep reading more, and I was left guessing the entire time! I didn't end up guessing the ending because Amy Tintera did such a great job of making me suspicious of literally everyone, that I didn't see the ending coming at all! I hope that she decides to keep going in this direction with her future books because I really enjoyed this!