This was a fantastic whodunnit! Imagine finding yourself covered in your murdered friend’s blood and everyone thinks you’re the culprit. That’s the predicament Lucy finds herself in. The story is fast-paced, plenty of twists, and kept me hooked from the start. I’ll definitely recommend at publication. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

YES! YES! YES! This was like a grown up Girls Guide to Murder for me. I loved the taboo relationship between the MC and podcast host. Quite frankly, it was hot. I loved the creepy factor of the voice inside her head. I loved the ending. I just loved it all!

Banger alert!!!!! My new all time favorite book!!
Lucy is *chefs kiss* amazing! Her sarcasm and dry sense of humor really shine. Yeah she’s accused of murdering her best friend, but still, how can you not love her!?!? lol. And Grandma?? I wish I had a grandma like her. All the other characters are horrible. But that’s the point. I love Amy’s writing style. And since this is her first adult novel, and it’s getting rave reviews, I truly hope she writes more. Because I’m gonna be first in line to try and get my hands on it!

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A gripping and addictive read that seamlessly combines the allure of true crime podcasts with the thrill of a murder mystery.

Amy Tintera’s newest novel Listen for the Lie is a captivating mystery-thriller that follows Lucy, a young woman who may or may not be a murderer, is haunted by the inability to remember what transpired the night her best friend died, and who struggles with a dark secret – she can’t stop imagining and planning murders in her head. What’s even more disturbing is that the voice of her dead best friend, Savvy, goads her into these violent fantasies making her question everything she knows about herself and about what happened the fateful night her best friend was murdered.

Five years have passed since Lucy was found aimlessly wandering down a gravel road covered in her best friend’s blood and five years since her best friend Savannah ‘Savvy’ Harper was found murdered in Plumpton, Texas – a small town with a tight-knit community, where everyone has an opinion and secrets are hard to keep. Now, after having created a new life outside of her hometown, Lucy once again finds her life being flipped upside down when she learns that a popular true-crime podcaster, Ben Owens, has created a series focused on the mystery surrounding Savvy’s murder. Having lost her job and on the verge of a breakup after being catapulted into the limelight as the main murder suspect, Lucy reluctantly agrees to return home to help celebrate her grandmother’s birthday. Little does she know, Ben Owens is also in town, and he is determined to not only solve Savvy’s murder but to become the first person to get an interview with the last person to see Savvy alive.

From the very beginning, I was hooked on the mystery of who could have possibly killed Savvy. Tintera does an incredible job of creating tension and keeping the readers on their toes as they follow the clues and suspects along the way. The plot has been expertly crafted and is told through the narrative of both the main character Lucy, and through the episodes of the podcast ‘Listen for the Lie’. The twists and turns are riveting, and the podcast episodes interspersed throughout the book add an extra layer of depth to the story. Tintera’s attention to detail and her ability to create complex and flawed characters make this book a standout in the mystery genre.

The initial plot of the book may seem like a standard mystery-thriller, but the story truly comes to life when Ben and Lucy meet. The relationship between Lucy and Ben is one of the most interesting aspects of this novel. It is flirtatious and fun, adding a unique dynamic to the typical mystery-thriller genre. I have read many books in this genre, but very few have managed to capture such a lighthearted and almost romantic tone while still maintaining the suspense and tension needed to keep the reader hooked. Their chemistry is palpable, and I found myself rooting for them and their unconventional relationship. However, as with any mystery thriller, there is always the possibility that one or both of them may be a cold-blooded killer.

One of the things that stood out to me about this book was the way Tintera portrayed Lucy’s struggle with her memories and her inner demons. The constant battle between her desire for the truth and her fear of what she might uncover was palpable and added an extra layer of tension to the story. As the novel dives into the depths of Lucy’s mind, exploring her inner turmoil and the dark secrets that haunt her, you can’t help but feel a mix of sympathy and fear for Lucy. On one hand, you see her trying to cope with the death of her best friend and the constant pressure from Savvy’s voice in her head. On the other hand, we are constantly on edge, wondering if Lucy will ever act on her disturbing thoughts and wondering if Lucy killed her best friend all those years ago.

Overall, Listen for the Lie is a fantastic read that combines mystery, suspense, and even a touch of romance. The twists and turns are riveting, and the podcast episodes interspersed throughout the book add an extra layer of depth to the story. Tintera’s attention to detail and ability to create complex and flawed characters make this book a standout in the mystery genre. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a hint of humor and romance. Just be prepared to “hold your breath” as you wait to uncover the truth behind the lies.

Earning a 4.5 rating rounded up to 5, Listen for the Lie, is a unique and captivating story that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

I want to thank Netgalley, Celadon Books, and Amy Tintera for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I rushed to read this one after everyone and their grandma was raving about it on bookstagram but I didn’t enjoy it as much as others unfortunately! I’d give it 3.5 stars.

I loved the creative idea of it. It had A LOT of potential. A true crime podcaster interviews folks in a small town where a woman was murdered years earlier without any answers and the prime suspect, the victim’s friend Lucy, has no recollection of that night and has never talked about it before to anyone. When the smug podcaster comes to town, the secrets start spilling and Lucy’s memories begin to come back.

By the middle, I got sort of bored and I didn’t care for the ending “plot twist.”

I did like the short chapters, the narrators, and how episodes of the podcast were weaved in though!

Thank you to Amy, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance listener’s copy and e-galley.

Special thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for a chance to read Listen for the Lie in advance. This book is available now.

Five years ago, Lucy was the main suspect in her best friend Savvy’s murder. The biggest catch is that she has no idea what happened that night. Did she murder her best friend?? The rest of the town thinks she did.

There’s a lot of buzz around this book as it garnered the GMA bookclub pick for March. And I can understand why: premise of this one is super intriguing. LISTEN FOR THE LIE hooked me in right from the start, and I had a very high sense of “need to know.” However, I really could not get behind the characters and the choices they were making! There was so much promiscuity, and it really impacted my enjoyment of the story. One part I did enjoy was the alternating view points between Lucy and the podcast transcript. I have heard that the audio for this one is really well done, which is a huge bonus since a podcast is part of the main storyline. And it wouldn’t be a true “who dunnit” without telling you I was surprised at the ending. Ultimately, I was left wanting a bit more from the plot, while also wishing there was a bit less in regards to the choices the characters were making.

Have I been completely over the podcast elements in thrillers-absolutely. So was I surprised when I loved this one from start to finish-absolutely.

Listen for the Lie is a fresh take on the podcast thriller. I liked the interjections of podcast transcripts but also really appreciated that it was one POV-the subject of the true crime podcast, Lucy.

Every character is unlikeable and unethical. But Lucy was an unlikeable, unreliable narrator that I could root for. She was funny and dark and quite honestly, I saw a lot of my own humor in her. She had bits of lightness, like her relationship with her grandmother and the fact that she never gave up her writing dreams but she was also reasonably hard and rough around the edges.

This book thrilled me. There were twists and turns and I was CONVINCED I knew who did it. I was guessing until the last page. I seriously flew through this one in 24 hours thanks to the page turning mystery and the short chapters.

I definitely think this will be one of my top thrillers of the year. Loved loved loved

3.5 stars rounded up.
This book was definitely entertaining - the main character was sarcastic and hilarious. I enjoyed the fast pace and I read the second half in one day because I needed to know the ending! It definitely had me hooked. I do wish there was deeper characterization/stronger writing for that, but knowing this is a debut I’d definitely read a second book by the author. Some stuff didn’t totally make sense to me about her parents, but I did love the grandma.

I read this on kindle but I think the audio would be better with the podcast element. I didn’t like that on the kindle version the font got small for the podcast elements and I had to keep changing the font size but I also had an ARC so the final may not be like that. It looks fine in the physical copy.

Strong TW for DV.

Having recently finished “Listen for the Lie" by Amy Tintera, I am happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy; thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books!

This story was funny from Lucy’s first sentence; “A podcaster has decided to ruin my life, so I’m buying a chicken.” Lucy’s dark thoughts and visions brought smiles throughout this murder mystery. Some of the funniest moments were from Lucy’s eighty-year-old Grandma, Beverly. Any scenes between this duo were hilarious! One of my favorite parts in the story was the reveal of the evil little voice inside Lucy’s head; I was definitely surprised! As a matter of fact this was an entertaining story full of so many surprises; I mean lies. And the ultimate lie at the end of this story? THAT was a surprise!

Lucy is accused of murdering her best friend Savvy! A true crime podcast called listen for the lie with a host named Ben starts a series about savvy's murder. I don't know if I just don't care for the true crime podcast trope or what but it took me a few days to get through this because I just didn't care to pick it up. I probably just didn't like Lucy or her intrusive thoughts.

I am so sad I did not love this as much as all my freakin friends did….

The writing was great, I was engaged the entire time and didn’t really want to put it down, but like the ending?????? So anti-climactic and boring I’m sorry 😭

Listen for the Líe left me wanting more of Ben and Lucy! Ben’s sassy attitude was exactly what Lucy needed to open up and be vulnerable with her past. The whole time I was left wondering, who killed Savvy and did Lucy really do it?

This was definitely a delightful surprise in the mystery/ thriller world this year.

A very refreshing and different story. The podcast element/format is what makes this book unique, and the plot twist at the end is very unexpected and a good one.

While Lucy may seem a little predictable of a character, Ben, on the other hand, was a shocking character for me. I did not like Savvy's character that much, however, it does not mean it was not well-developed and important to the story.

I could not put it down. I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I would 100% recommend it, and can't wait to read more books by this author in the future.

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley, for the Advanced Free Copy, in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this at the beginning, but felt the bulk of the book was a bit slow. The ending wasn’t anything too exciting. Overall, an entertaining but forgettable thriller for me.

I was immediately drawn in by the premise where a podcaster is set to unravel the unsolved murder mystery of a close-knit Texas town. Lucy can't remember the events of five years ago, the night her best friend was murdered. Despite most of the town believing Lucy to be the killer, Ben Owens, the host of the true crime podcast will not settle for anything less, but the truth.

This novel has been described as the "perfect whodunit" - fully agree! - and "funny and twisted" - maybe not quite that. The characters were an interesting bunch, connected and tangled up in their relationships, affairs and alliances. Most had questionable moral principles which made them easy murder suspects. Was the narrative twisted? Absolutely. Reading, I had so many theories, but I still didn't predict the ending! Was the story funny? I would say it had a hint of dark humor, and that was mostly Lucy's personality, but some parts of the story were actually quite dark and disturbing.

I really enjoyed how the novel was structured: the narrative intertwined with the podcast episodes revealing bit by bit the information about the murder case and town's residents. Quite a gritty story with mounting intrigue and heart-pounding suspense.

Murder, amnesia, podcast and dark humor, great combination and Grandma was an extra bonus! Looking forward to more from this author!

I absolutely loved every second of this book. This is the thriller that I have been waiting to read for a long time! Listen for the Lie will grab you from page one and hold on tight until the end. I cannot say enough good things about everything contained within this story. The way the story is told both through Lucy's POV and through the podcast. The way that Amy Tintera was able to weave a seemless plot and make it move at a breakneck pace while keeping it fresh and interesting and fun should be applauded! I have read so many "thrillers" in the last two years that have repeatedly let me down or were just meh. However Listen for the Lie was everything I was looking for and more! Amy Tintera has made it to my auto buy list and I cannot wait to read more by this author!

3.5 stars. If I were rating this solely on plot development or thriller aspects, I’d rate this higher. It was fun, unpredictable, fast- paced and creative with a narrator who really doesn’t know if she is guilty or not for most of the story. However, there were so many dysfunctional people in this story. I can’t think of one character who didn’t have a ton of issues. The problem with this is that other than a couple of characters, most of the dysfunction was just ignored and not acknowledged. Almost every person in this book has an affair and it’s written like — oh yeah that’s fine and normal. Maybe it was a commentary on what happens in small towns when everyone is a little too familiar with one another, but again, there didn’t seem to be a tone from the author that everyone was dealing with a lot of problematic things. Definitely pulled me out of the story and I wish there had been a little more nuance or recognition of all the toxic relationships around our main character contributing to why she struggled so much. I didn’t find her very likable either, but maybe you’re not supposed to. Either way, fun read. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this advanced copy.

I know I said I was over the podcast as a catalyst in thriller novels, but this one has made me rethink that opinion- it enhances the story and didn’t feel like a gimmick. This was a great whodunnit that kept me puzzled and guessing until the very end and I am hard to surprise. I loved the dark humor that was woven throughout and found myself chuckling quite a bit. And the small town Texas setting was fantastic. This is a fun one.

Fast-paced and addicting with characters you can’t get enough of. I love the way this was written (formal interviews/switching POVs). It’s gripping and holds your attention the entire time. The podcast aspect was so well done, I want to listen to the audiobook because I can imagine it being even better. I was hoping for more in a couple of the situations, but overall very well done for a debut adult fiction novel.

Thank you, Celadon Books & NetGalley for this eARC!