Like the true millennial that I am, there’s something about true crime podcasts that just suck you right in and keep you in a chokehold. I vividly remember walking on the treadmill at planet fitness for two hours at a time so I could finish that weeks episode of Serial when it first came out. (Anyone else? It can’t just have been me!) Listen for the Lie drops you right in the middle of small town Texas with a murder case that has you compulsively turning the pages so you can see the conclusion. My thoughts on “who did it?” changed so much throughout this book, at one point also including the protagonist but I was satisfied to say the ending is so cleverly multifaceted that I was really impressed. There’s a lot to be said about the guilt, blame, questionable decisions and lies that blend together to create a great thriller!

Absolutely intriguing. It's been a long time since a thriller hooked me from the beginning and kept me hooked to the end.

Outstanding writing. A thriller/mystery sprinkled with humor.

I was gifted an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley! This was quite possibly the greatest thriller I have ever read! I could not for the life of me point a finger at a guilty party, because at times I thought everyone was guilty. The ended had be completely shook! I read this book in 3 days, and as a busy mom that speaks volumes. I have already recommended this book to numerous friends and posted about it in a Facebook group I frequent. Seriously...read it!

Wow wow wow! This book pulled me right out of a reading slump. The twist, turns, short chapters, and intriguing narrative were addicting. Great short chapters mixed with an unreliable narrator AND side characters. It kept me guessing and reading all the way through.

Slight spoiler warning:
I was SO happy to have a conclusion to the story. I do not enjoy true crime podcast stories with NO resolution. If I didn't want a resolution in a fictious story then I would just listen to a podcast. A book is where we can tie up 95%+ of loose ends, which is what I want authors to do.

This was a great book. At first i was skeptical about how it would flow because of the podcast aspect in the plot but there was no problems and i was hooked the entire time. In my opinion this book seemed like a mix of Jennifers body and a good girls guide to murder. I really enjoyed everything about the story and the way it was written. Usually when i read a thriller book, when the story starts to come together it gets predictable but not this book. I loved the aspect of the amnesia part and it made the story all the more thrilling.

I loved this book!!! It was funny and the mystery was still there! Will be reading more by her! It was a smart read and entertaining. I have been telling everyone I know to read this read book!

A brilliantly written book with a witty main character. I devoured the book in two days. The author has written mostly dystopian novels but I'm hoping that all the fanfare she is receiving with this book will help her to change direction and continue writing adult thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy of the book. #ListenfortheLie #NetGalley

Lucy has spent the last 5 years being the suspected murderer of her best friend. But she claims to have no memory of the night it happened. When a podcast about Savvy’s murder takes place, Lucy goes home to her hometown to uncover the truth. Did she kill her best friend? Why was she covered in blood? Why can she not remember anything from that night? Or is it all a lie?

I loved this book. I thought the mix of dark humor and suspense was great. I enjoyed Lucy’s character and I like Ben. My only critique was I would have liked to see more justice at the end for a certain character (I don’t want to spoil anything so that is all I will say). Overall this was a great book and I rate it a 4/5!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Celadon for a copy of this work. All opinions are that of my own!

An amazing mystery of who-dun-it full of twists and turns and staying up way too late to find out what really happened. This book is thoroughly entertaining— and a little stressful in the best way. “I don’t need sleep! I need answers!” So happy to have gotten an ARC of this book!

4.5 stars! Listen for the Lie was excellent! I was riveted the entire read and blaming every single character for Savvy’s murder, sometimes more than once. Lucy was a well written character, I would have liked to know more about her internal dialogue. I was totally in love with Ben and want to listen to his podcast! There were so many secrets and things that were out in the open in the lil’ town of Plumpton that were just mind boggling.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for an amazing read in exchange for my honest review.

Amy Tintera's "Listen for the Lie" is like a rollercoaster ride for mystery lovers—full of twists, turns, and heart-pounding moments. From the very first chapter, I was hooked, and I couldn't put it down until I knew how it all ended.

The story centers around Lucy, who returns to her hometown under a cloud of suspicion after her best friend's murder years earlier. With no memory of that night due to a traumatic injury, Lucy finds herself doubting her own innocence. Teaming up with a podcaster to revisit the case, she works to uncover the truth.

I loved "Listen for the Lie" and how it incorporated the world of podcasting. It adds a unique and modern twist to the classic mystery genre, making the story feel fresh and exciting. But what sets it apart are the intriguing characters. From Lucy, the unreliable heroine, to the colorful cast of suspects and side characters, each person in this story feels fully realized and unpredictable. Amy Tintera's writing is sharp and thrilling, drawing you into the story and keeping you guessing with every chapter. The plot is smartly crafted, and let me tell you, that ending? It's crazy—in the best possible way. As someone who's new to Amy Tintera's work, I have to say, I'm officially a fan.

"Listen for the Lie" has solidified her spot on my must-read list. If you're looking for a fresh and thrilling mystery, look no further!

The book revolves around a murder investigation that is conducted by a podcaster and is told through flashbacks and present time. The book features two strong female characters - the main character and her grandmother - both with great senses of humor. The story highlights how people can jump to conclusions and distort the truth to support their beliefs, a relevant topic in today's political climate. It also delves into the ethics of podcasting. Overall, it is a decent book.

This was exactly what I needed after a reading slump. The short chapters and fast pace, kept me wanting to know more. I didn’t want to put this down.

I loved the podcast elements and how the story was untold through it. I was able to piece things together towards the end, but overall solid thriller

Super fast paced thriller!! Shorter chapters with threads of the podcast as a chapter throughout—-really enjoyed this and the format.

Lucy has returned back to her hometown after 5 years and being accused of murdering her best friend by the townspeople, no actual charges. She does have this voice that is written in, telling her how to kill people just when having a conversation with them, did find this annoying often but was able to skip over it—-feel it would have been better as voice of her dead friend in her head which later in book it’s portrayed more that way or even left out. Connected with her character easily, very well developed and totally enjoyed the vibe of how small town people can treat others.

Didn’t particularly care for the added in sex scenes…just don’t need vivid descriptions of that in my thrillers.

Loved Beverly the grandmother and her character! She added to the story well. Lucy’s parents—got on my nerves and really think their relationships could have been written better and more believable.

Overall—had me thinking about it when i wasn’t reading, still thinking about it and wanted to be reading when i wasn’t able do 4.25 stars!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon books for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am glad I listened to this as an audiobook because I don't think I would have liked it all if I had read it. I didn't like Lucy. I felt she was snarky and aloof. The internal dialogue felt cheesy and unbelievable to me. I liked the podcast parts.

MY DREAM THRILLER ❤️🖤

LISTEN TO THE LIE by AMY TINTERA is what all my thriller dreams are made of.

Past & present mysteries. A reluctant return home. Darkly and fantastically funny. Small town vibes. Murder. A true crime podcast. Some moral ambiguity. And all the dark and messed up people doing all the dark and messed up things.

There’s a reason this book was one of my most anticipated releases and I loved every word of it. AMY TINTERA crafts such a fantastic story. The writing is bingeable. The weaving of the past and present flows perfectly. I love how the podcast element is leveraged to reveal not only critical pieces of the plot, but also insight into the characters. And the humor is so on point. And as if this isn’t all amazing enough, this book is a total slump buster!

And then there’s Lucy who is such a compelling protagonist. I felt her frustration and her pain. Her pitch black sarcasm. And her desperation to find the truth no matter where it led.

This book is not to be missed!

Here’s the brief synopsis (the less you know, the better):

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And what if everyone else thought you did too? And what if the truth of what really happened didn’t matter?

Five years ago Lucy was found wandering the streets of her small Texas town, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood. Lucy can’t remember anything about that night, and despite a police investigation, the murder remains unsolved. But that doesn’t stop everyone in town from believing Lucy is a murderer.

She moved to L.A., desperate to leave her past behind. But when Ben Owens, the host of the true crime podcast Listen For the Lie, decides to feature Savvy’s murder in the 2nd season of his show, Lucy has to make the reluctant return home and solve Savvy’s murder once and for all.

ARC Review
4.5 stars
What a great read! I highly recommend listening to the audiobook as well. The narrators did a phenomenal job, distinguishing several different characters' voices, and the podcast sessions were so fun to actually listen to. I thought the book itself was funny, twisty, and had interesting subplots that kept you intrigued from start to finish. So so good. One of my favorite mystery/thrillers this year.

So I'm a little podcast book-ed out, so I went into this a bit hesitant, but also excited because it was my April book club read. WOW. This was so much better than the other podcast thrillers out there. I think the key was the main character being the accused, as opposed to the podcaster! And the characters were so likable - I mean how could you not love the grandmother!!!! She is an A+++ secondary character. I also truly appreciated how real the interactions and decisions were. I never once thought - wow that would never happen in real life. Everything was so relatable, despite it being about someone accused of murdering her best friend! That takes skill, folks! This is possibly my favorite read of 2024 so far. 100% worth it - even if you're skeptical of podcast books, like I am! Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and publisher for the ARC!

Very well thought out book! Solid 4-4 1/2 ⭐️. The main characters quirky banter to herself really made the story. The podcast format also added the who dun it effect perfectly!

Would recommend this book!

This book was so good! I really dug the humorous style it's written in and I liked how the podcast was written in. For a suspense book, it was a surprisingly light and refreshing read. I laughed out loud a couple times. Lucy is such a fun, sarcastic character and I loved that under her tough, armored exterior she really had a heart of gold. The book was definitely a page turner, but I did feel like the ending was a little anticlimactic for me. All-in-all, though, I really enjoyed this one and would love to read more by this author.

Thanks for the ARC!