Listen for the Lie is the kind of thriller that makes you forget about sleep, food, and possibly even breathing. I was very very skeptical upon starting it, as honestly I strongly feel that the true crime podcast trend is over-done, but wow. Chef's kiss.

The story centers around Lucy, once a golden girl of her small Texas town, now a woman shrouded in suspicion after being found drenched in her best friend Savvy's blood, with no memory of the fateful night. As Lucy grapples with the fragments of her past and the ruinous whispers that paint her as a murderer, Tintera weaves a tale that is as much about the resilience of the human spirit as it is about solving a chilling mystery.

✅ Pros:

- Forget your skepticism about the true crime podcast trend—this book uses it like a pro.
- Lucy, our main gal, might be covered in her best friend's blood, but you'll be rooting for her from page one. A lot of character depth
- Just when you think you've got it figured out, Tintera pulls the rug out from under you.
- This book isn't just about the thrills; it's got heart. The exploration of domestic violence and toxic relationships is raw and real.
- Amidst the chaos, the portrayal of strong, supportive female friendships is a breath of fresh air.

❌ Cons:
- Seriously, the only downside is the lack of sleep. I was so hooked, I turned into a nocturnal creature, reading "just one more chapter" until the sun came up.

TLDR:
Read it. Trust me you won't be able to put it down.

Thank you to Celadon books and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I have been provided with a review copy of Listen for the Lie from NetGalley for an impartial review. This book was just so easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

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.

After Lucy Chase is found wandering the streets covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she’s a murderer. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has moved to California to start a new life.
Ben Owens is a handsome man who hosts a huge hit true crime podcast, “Listen For the Lie”, and decided to investigate Savvy’s murder.
Five years later Lucy’s grandmother Beverly calls insisting she come home for her 80th birthday celebration. She agrees. Ben arrives in Texas at the same time to interview possible suspects.

This story didn’t grip or captivate me. I found it a little boring. A majority of the book was interviews. There was a lot of sleeping around, cheating and infidelity. It got confusing trying to remember who was with who. The characters except Grandma Beverly were unlikable. The reason for the murder and identity of the killer wasn’t shocking.

It did shed light on abuse including domestic abuse and how women aren’t believed

Five years after the gruesome murder of her best friend, Lucy is still not sure --- is she guilty? Lucy has no memories from that night five years ago and no plans to try to remember, until popular podcaster Ben heads to her hometown to investigate. What follows is a fast paced ride through podcast interviews and interpersonal relationships to get down to the truth of that night. I absolutely recommend this novel -- Lucy's POV is mixed with podcast episodes making for a page turning read! Anyone who loves a 'true crime' story or a great mystery will enjoy this!

Okay this book was fantastic! It was extremely fast paced, the chapters were short, and the narrator was hilarious. My only gripe was how normalized infidelity was throughout the course of the novel.

Such a great book!!! I love the podcast format, and I was so invested in the story. The characters were so well written and relatable. I loved this thriller!!

Five years ago, Lucy was found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood after Savvy was murdered. She ended up suffering from amnesia so she doesn’t remember what happened. Now, a new podcast has brought attention to Savvy’s murder-and made the world think Lucy is a murderer.

I really enjoyed this book. This was a fast-paced read that really flowed. I liked the plot twists and each character really stood out.

Definite 5 stars!

I received this book for free through Netgalley but it did not influence my review.

Ooo bookworms you are in for a treat! Listen for the Lie is a fast paced thriller you will not be able to put down. Five years ago Lucy's best friend Savvy was murdered after a wedding and everyone thinks Lucy did it. The problem is she doesn't even know the truth as she was found stumbling down the road covered in Savvy's blood. The wedding is a blur, her memory of that night gone. Lucy reluctantly returns to her hometown for her Grandma's 80th birthday. A ruse to get her to talk to Ben, the podcaster behind Listen for the Lie, who is there recording his new season which is about finding Savvy's killer. Lucy's Grandma is out to prove her granddaughter is innocent (and honestly one of my favorite characters)! As the days tick on and Ben interviews half the town it seems, new information is spilling out. Rumors, affairs, lies - you'd don't know who to believe but you sure don't want to visit this small town in Texas. The whole town basically thinks she did it but Lucy powers on. For the first time ever she agrees to an interview and soon a friendship of sorts forms with Ben. Together they are out to find the truth, even if it means the voice in Lucy's head that's always talking about killing people might be right! Thank you so much Celadon and NetGalley for the gifted copy. It was fantastic

I could not put this book down. I was enthralled by Lucy's story and lack of memory in her friends murder and thoroughly enjoyed the podcast aspect, because who doesn't love a murder podcast? I appreciated Lucy's straight forward approach with no nonsense attitude and the spice that was thrown into this dark and twisty storyline was also pretty great. Her character development was on point and I was kept on edge until the ending of the book about who the actual murderer was. I flew threw this book, will definitely read more by Amy Tintera and appreciate Celadon books sending it my way to review early!

5 years ago, Lucy is found wandering the streets beaten and bruised, covered in dirt and blood, with a terrible head wound. She has no memory of what happened the night before, who murdered her best friend, or why she’s covered in Savvy’s blood. It’s small town Texas, and soon most of the community is convinced of her guilt, but police don’t have enough evidence to convict.

Present day: Lucy’s back in her hometown to celebrate her grandma’s 80th birthday. She hasn’t been back in 5 years, and the town folk still have their opinions on what happened that fateful night, even though Lucy’s memory hasn’t returned. A popular true crime podcast has decided to cover the story of Savvy’s death and try to get answers once and for all. Did Lucy kill her best friend and develop amnesia from the guilt? Was someone else there that night? While interviewing people from Savvy & Lucy’s lives, it’s clear this town has secrets that many would like to keep buried.

Listen for the Lie is a fast paced, intense, heart pounding suspense loaded with a cast of memorable characters and the most entertaining dark humor! It’s a rarity that I find myself laughing out loud while reading a page turning thriller, but this story really has it all!

A MUST-read for 2024! I could not put this book down - finishing it in less than 24 hours and enjoying every breathtaking, heart racing moment 🤩👌 I did NOT see that ending coming! 🤯🤯🤯

To say I LOVED this story is a vast understatement. If I could give more than 5 ⭐️ for this one, I absolutely would!!

Thank you to NetGalley & Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this incredible digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinions! 👏

This was a fun twisty mystery that I was a little nervous about since this was Amy Tintera's debut novel and sometimes that a hard line to cross. Although, this was a pleasant surprise that I really enjoyed.

This mystery follows Lucy, a woman from a small town in Texas, who was found wandering the woods after her best friend, Savvy, was murdered. The whole town turned against Lucy, including her husband and parents, and believed her to have killed Savvy and pretending to not remember what happened that night. Lucy never gets arrested and eventually runs aways to LA to start over her life away her past. This all changes when a podcaster decides to look at the case, which results in her being fired from her job and losing her boyfriend(although she did not really have much interest in him). Her grandmother asks her to come home for her birthday and face the podcast head-on and Lucy begins to face her past in hopes of solving her best friends murder, even if it ends up being that she murdered Savvy.

This had a lot of twisty moments and looks closely at Lucy's life that is full of secrets. It seemed very realistic as to how a small town would behave in a situation like this and all the secrets that each individual is hiding. Ben, the podcaster, starts to unravel the secrets and help Lucy find out what happened on that night that changed her life.

I recommend this book for those that like a twisty mystery with many different secrets and especially if you like a podcast element to your reads. There are interviews within the chapters so I am curious to see how the audiobook will be for this book as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon for the e-ARC for a honest review!

Listen for the lie by author Amy Tintera is a fast paced psychological novel written to precise details! Meant to grab you and suck you in, this book does s it’s made to! I recommend this book a 4/5!

Applause & 5 stars! I love reads a debut that blows my mind (in a GREAT way). I didn’t even request this title, was sent one by a publisher & I didn’t expect much of this book. I’ve read quite a few books lately, centered around podcasts & this is probably the best. “The voice” in Lucy’s head did bother me the first portion of the book but when you realize where it is coming from, it makes more sense & is less bothersome. What a read! I’ll be looking forward Amy Tintera’s next book.

This is the first book I’ve read that’s very heavily all involved in a podcast. Ben has his own podcast called Listen for the Lie and he’s investigating a murder of Lucy’s best friend, Savvy. Did she murder her? If not, who did? Lucy can’t remember. This was very suspenseful all the way till the end. I enjoyed all the characters and how the podcast played into it. My only complaint is all the “f” bombs that were all over the place. I just don’t see why that’s necessary throughout the whole book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published March 2024.

I was surprised by how much I loved this book. I was wary about the podcast angle (we have seen a LOT of that lately in our novels) but it absolutely worked here. Lucy's character was extremely well-written and made the book for me. I stayed up extremely late reading because I couldn't stop turning the pages. The dynamic in Lucy and Matt's relationship was well-crafted and I liked the complexity of Lucy's relationship with her parents. And her grandma! What a great addition. I did wish that there were some story twists besides everyone sleeping with everyone else, but besides that, this one was pretty near perfect for me. I will be eagerly awaiting the author's next book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary digital copy. All opinions are my own.

This is my first Amy Tintera book, and apparently it’s HER first adult thriller. (In the acknowledgments I learned she has previously authored Young Adult titles.) I really enjoyed reading it! Even though I don’t follow true crime podcasts, that focus in the book was a great method of introducing characters and moving the story forward. And what a story! While I enjoyed Lucy’s character and her interactions with podcaster Ben, there were a large cast of characters to keep track of— and to consider as suspects. A heads-up for parents of interested teen readers: With much discussion of graphic murder methods, along with adultery, sex, and domestic abuse- this title is definitely adult content.

BOOK REVIEW: LISTEN FOR THE LIE

“Always the boyfriend, except when it’s the best friend…”

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The whole town of Plumpton, TX believes Lucy murdered her best friend Savvy. The morning after attending a wedding, Savvy’s body is found on a running path. That same morning, Lucy is found wandering the streets wearing clothes covered in blood and can’t remember anything that happened the night before. Lucy put all this behind her and moved to LA, but when a true crime podcaster chooses to investigate this case, Lucy is forced to return to Plumpton to try and solve her friend’s murder.

I loveeee books that have a mixed media element to them and the true crime podcast in this one was on point! I switched between audio and physical copy but the audiobook really brought this story to life!

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
🎙️True crime podcasts
🏘️Small town setting
🤔Amnesia trope
⏳Dual timelines

The short chapters, mixed media elements, and story had me hooked and the twist at the end shook me!! This would be a perfect binge read. I devoured this one and think it will be a hit when it’s released on March 5th!!

*Advance copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book. THIS. BOOK.

Amazing- my top read of the year, and I can’t imagine it will be typed even with 11 months to go.

Lucy returns home to Plumpton, Texas, a town she fled when everyone decided she murdered her best friend Savannah. Everyone wants to know what happened that night, including Lucy herself who supposedly suffered traumatic amnesia during the incident led to Savannah’s death. But with a podcaster in town investigating the case, Lucy quickly gets pulled into finding out what happened- whatever the cost. She revisits her past mistakes, including high school friends and ex-husbands, and tries to piece together what happened the night her best friend died, all while a podcast reveals town secrets that have been hidden for ten years.

There were so many pieces of this book that I loved. Lucy was a sharp tongued, sarcastic main character that was real - and potentially a murderer. The use of the podcast to tell parts of the story helped to quickly build background without needing to track too many characters (and who doesn’t love a true crime podcast?). And the undercurrent commentary on what it means to be a woman was amazingly done. Just because someone is unlikeable and doesn’t conform, does that make them a murderer? What if it was a man doing the exact same thing? Readers will be left to think about these questions- and how much the truth matters- long after they’re done with this book.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
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Horray for my first 5 star read for the year 2024. This was one addicting read and I loved every single second of it. This story was just fun.
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Listen for the lie is told in first person through Lucy. Lucy goes from being a fellow victim after being found wandering along a road with a head injury after her friend Savvy was murdered to being considered the killer of Savvy. Throughout the story Lucy is an unreliable narrator as she tends to hear voices throughout the story telling her to “Kill”; not to mention that traumatic brain injury that has left her with amnesia of that night. I loved her character, I thought that she was so funny and snarky and her sarcasm was on point. I loved her grandmother, I thought she was just such a “tell it how it is” woman. I just wanted to be their friend. Once Lucy decides to face her past, that’s when things begin to get super interesting.
Lucys chapters are alternated with Ben Owens’ podcast “Listen For The Lie”. On audio, these podcast episodes are so well created that you actually feel like you are listening to a podcast. It was such a great touch to the audiobook.
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I found this story to be completely enthralling. It was funny, suspenseful, mysterious and will have you guessing until the end. The ending was wrapped up perfectly and gives you the answer to all of your questions. The chapters are short and the entire book is fast paced. I loved how I was giggling one second, attempting to figure out this mystery the next. This story was so captivating that I finished this book in one day. This is a very easy bingeable read.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and read along on my kindle and let me just say January Lavoy (one of my all time favorite narrators) and Will Damron were absolutely brilliant. They compliment one another perfectly in this story. Highly, highly, highly recommending this audiobook if you are planning to read this story!
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Huge thank you to NetGalley, Amy Tintera, Macmillan Audio, and Celadon Books for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review. Listen For The Lie will be releasing on 3/5, be sure to check this one out!
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