Listen for the lie was a fun twisty read. The set of of a pod cast and finding the real murderer is always a good read . Lucy Chase thinks she murdered her best friend and Ben Owen’s is looking for the truth. I loved the set up of reading interviews. Very hard to put down and a great suspense read

I read this book in one day: I couldn’t put it down! It has some of my favorite tropes!! Amnesia! Podcast format! It literally had my name written all over it.

A popular podcast has taken over a small town in Texas where they are trying to figure out what occurred five years ago when Lucy was found walking on the side of the road covered in her friends blood shortly after she was found murdered; but she had no memory of the nights events….

I loved everything about this book. It was juicy and wild and shockingly really funny; this is a blend of dark comedy mixed with mystery- it’s super unique and just a damn good book, Brava, Amy Tintera!

I loved this book! I did guess the ending about 75% through but that didn’t stop me from flying through to the end to see why they did it. I loved Lucy’s character, she cracked me up. My favorite character was her grandma though. She was the best lol. The pacing was perfect, and I really liked the inclusion of the podcast episodes and the reveals the podcast gave us!

What a great thriller! The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I absolutely loved the sarcastic humor Lucy and her grandmother both had. Her grandmother was a delight! I read this in one day - I couldn’t put it down, which is my highest compliment.

What is it about a podcast mystery book that has an absolute CHOKEHOLD on me??

Listen for the Lie follows Lucy who has moved from her hometown in Texas because everyone thinks that she killed her best friend. When a true crime podcaster starts investigating her cold case, secrets start unravelling and the truth starts to emerge.

This was the perfect, fun, fast-paced thriller. Everyone was a little devious and I really had no idea who was going to end up being the killer. I feel like this would make for an awesome audiobook too if that’s your thing! The podcast element especially would really come to life!

A great cast of characters and honestly, a great amount of humor for a thriller. There’s so much fun and crazy shenanigans in the small town setting and I especially loved Beverly – what a treat! I’d say this is a great thriller read for fans of thrillers, drama and just people looking to get into the genre.

This one surprised me (in a good way)! I was shocked by how quick & bingeable it was. Once I started, I could not put it down. Loved the pacing of how the story was revealed and the podcast episode format to introduce the many characters which can sometimes be overwhelming in a thriller. Only downside for me was the ending which felt a bit rushed and anticlimactic in the reveal for all the build up that was created. My favorite part was not so much the ‘whodunnit’ of it all (because you can start to figure it out), but more so the small town drama that is unveiled and the questionable (at times) podcast host. 4.5/5 stars

In Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera, a true crime podcast influencer, wants to investigate a five year old case where a best friend is held responsible for the murder. The supposed murderer has amnesia of the whole incident due to a traumatic brain injury and is not convicted. Did the best friend commit the murder? This book is @gmabookclub pick.

I don't want to give away anything in this book. Every part of this book is the key to the mystery of the story. Alternating between podcast interviews and Lucy Chase's story right now, this story tries to build a picture of Plumpton and the people residing in it.

I did enjoy this thriller. The characters not so much, but the way I see it is that when we feel something about the characters, that is when we like the book.

Thank you, Celadon Books @celadonbooks , for this book.

CW: Infidelity, cheating, domestic abuse, brain injury, blood, and words that might trigger

Note: I read this book while listening to the audio, because I heard such great things about the narration. And it's true! While I like to create a character's voice in my own head, January LaVoy perfectly captures the snarky inflection of Lucy's many tongue-in-cheek remarks. And while the inner voice that Lucy hears telling her to kill can be annoying to read, at Ms. LaVoy made it sound fiendishly haunting. Will Damron did a great job of distinguishing the male voices. Also, this book includes snippets from a podcast, and it's so fun to hear it portrayed as an actual podcast.

On to the story: I can't get enough of books about amnesia after trauma books, and Tintera gives us a real feeling of what it would be like to lose your memory. Are those scenes playing in your head bits of real memories...or are you just recalling what people have told you? I wasn't sure what to do with the character of the podcaster Ben - was he a good guy, out to prove Lucy innocent, or was he just there to capture a story? The other character that stands out and will surely give you a chuckle is Grandma Beverly. She seems to be the only one who can tell the truth in this book!

Read this. It's the author's debut foray into writing novels for adults and it will bring a smile to your face :-)

Thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for advanced copies of the eBook and audio files.

DAMN THAT WAS GOOD! I mean, once I started I didn’t want to put it down. I was thinking about it while I was cooking and doing dishes. A unique style with the podcast in between chapters made for a thrilling story! I bet the audio of this is dynamic! Definitely going to buy a copy for my keep shelf! Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy for read and review

"Listen for the Lie" is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. What sets this book apart is its masterful exploration of memory, truth, and the complexities of human relationships. The author skillfully weaves together the present-day investigation with flashbacks to the fateful night, creating a compelling narrative that keeps readers guessing until the very end.

The characters are well-developed and multi-dimensional, each with their own secrets and motivations. Lucy, in particular, is a fascinating protagonist whose unreliable memory adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story. As she delves deeper into the mystery of Savvy's murder, Lucy must confront her own past and come to terms with the truth, whatever it may be.

Thank you so much @CeladonBooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 05 March 2024)

SYNOPSIS | Everyone thinks Lucy killed her best friend (Savvy) after she is found on the side of the road covered in her blood, but Lucy can't remember anything that happened. The police could never prove that it was her, but that doesn't matter as she is guilty in the public's eyes. Years later, a true crime podcaster (Ben) starts to investigate the small-town murder, bringing to light a lot of things that the town wanted to leave behind.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the dark humor from the very first page (Lucy is perfectly snarky & had me chuckling throughout)
- the podcast element actually drove the story forward & I loved gaining little snippets of perspectives from everyone in the town
- never a dull moment & I found myself thinking "just one more chapter" multiple times
- Lucy's grandmother is an absolute riot

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the inner murderous voice got repetitive real quickly

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I have read other books by this author and am a fan. This book was a different genre than her past and she absolutely nailed it! The writing is smart with snarky dialogue, well-drawn characters, and leave you on the edge of your seat, flip the pages as fast as you can suspense. Adding the podcast to the storyline was clever and draws the reader even farther into the drama.

Lucy is suspected of killing her best friend, Savvy, but was never charged due to a brain injury and amnesia stemming from the night of the murder...there was no concrete evidence. She leaves town in a fog of accusation and even her parents hold suspicion in their eyes. Years later Grandma Beverly (the only one with true belief in her innocence!) concocts a plan under the guise of her birthday party to get Lucy to come back to town. Her ultimate goal is for Lucy to meet up with Ben who is a podcaster doing the story on Savannah's murder and hoping to clear Lucy's name,

Lucy is the perfect anti-heroine! She has a such dry, dark humor and a too the point attitude...not to mention the voices in her head instructing her to kill in many an imaginative way. Don't worry, she has gone to therapy. lol Grandma Beverly is an absolute hoot and Savvy's "ghost" is a dark delight. What can I say about Ben other than he is perfectly matched to Lucy. I really enjoyed the two of them together and their twisty partnership/relationship.

As much as I adored some of our characters, I despised many of the others! Boo hiss on Lucy's parents and ex-husband! The author did an excellent job of stirring up emotions!

The whole book was masterfully done, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. I wouldn't even care if our heroine ended up being a psychopath at the last page...the question is, was she? :)

READ THIS BOOK!! 5 Stars

Thrillers are one of my favorite "palate cleanser" genres. If I've been reading a lot of any one genre and need a quick break with an exciting and fast-paced book, I almost always pick up a thriller. That said, I seldom find thrillers that I'd rate higher than 3 stars. I love the genre, but I've read so many that I am incredibly hard to impress or shock anymore. Unless a thriller does something really unique, has surprising depth, or the twists are completely bonkers then I rarely find them particularly memorable.

Listen For The Lie is one of those few that will make it onto my (very short) list of favorite thrillers.

The plot summary sounds fairly standard for a modern thriller: the main character, Lucy, was a suspect in her best friend's murder. Now, years later, a popular true-crime podcast is doing an episode on the case. Lucy has no memory of the night of her friend's death but she's back in her hometown in Texas, where the murder happened, and the podcast has stirred up renewed attention to the case and on Lucy.

The first thing I noticed and loved about Listen For The Lie is the tone. The book is genuinely funny from the very first line and manages to hold onto that sense of humor throughout the book. I found that to be very refreshing and unique from the thrillers I've read lately. The darkly humorous tone helps keep the story from ever feeling too grim. It also helps make the characters surprisingly endearing even through some dark moments. I've never read a thriller that I found quite as charming before and I really enjoyed it! It is also seriously addictive which I was thrilled about. It's been a while since a thriller hooked me so thoroughly!

If you love thrillers but need something a little different, I really recommend giving Listen For The Lie a chance. The mystery is crafted and paced perfectly, and the twists and turns will leave you unable to put this book down! For me, Listen For The Lie was the kind of thriller that reminds me why I love thrillers and why I continue to read the genre even when I don't often find many that I actually love. It's smart, funny, emotional, dark, and a genuinely fun and surprising read.

LISTEN FOR THE LIE had me intrigued from the beginning, but that’s and the podcast episodes interested throughout are where the positives end for me. There are SO many rave reviews for this one so I wanted to share the other side of why it didn’t work for me.

The MC was quite infuriating and some really dumb and questionable decisions. What frustrated me even more on top of that is that she would declare how dumb of an idea it was before she proceeded to do it 🙄 On top of all that annoyingness she isn’t very likeable and there were so many characters introduced through the podcast chapters that just seem thrown in for nothing.

I loved this book. A solid read. I am starting to tire a bit of the podcast trope but it's the trend of the moment so I'll ride along. I loved the protagonist, and I loved her grandmother the real star of the book in my opinion. I don't want to say too much but it was a good read without having too many "shocking" twists and turns, just a well written book.

Thank you to Celadon Books, NetGalley and author Amy Tintera for this ARC to read and review!

Ya’ll … this one is soooo good!! A gripping, suspenseful, mysterious whodunit thriller that oddly enough had me laughing too? The FMC Lucy is darkly humorous and uses snark and sarcasm as a coping tool … because well, she’s been through a lot, can’t remember any of it, been gaslighted into believing everyone else’s theories and doesn’t know who or what truth to trust! Right along with Lucy and Ben, the true-crime podcaster who is investigating the murder she is accused of, I was trying to figure everything out and was glued to each page right to the very satisfying end! Unputdownable!

TW: Language, drinking, toxic family relationships, cheating, alcoholism, abusive relationship, sexual assault, rape (mention), physical abuse

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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.
Release Date: March 5th, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 352
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Podcast format
2. Narrator's voice was great
3. Loved the writing style

What I Didn't Like:
1. The insert of random romance
2. Lucy's voice of "killing" was annoying
3. Overly sexual for zero reason

Overall Thoughts:
I was sucked into this book and the story of if Lucy was guilty of killing her friend.

I keep thinking that Lucy's dad was sleeping with Lucy's friend and did something. That is why he was hovering around her and what she said.

Honestly I did not like the voice Lucy had that told her to kill. I found it annoying. It started to become more frequent. It just felt like it was out of character for this story and didn't do anything to add to it.

Ahhhhhh everyone cheats on one another. But it's pointed out that Lucy's dad was always cheating on her mom. This book is overly sexual. Everything centers around what people look naked and who is having sex with who. Then of course Lucy has sex with Ben and I don't understand the point of every thriller has a unnecessary romance. It's all so cringy.

Don't worry Lucy goes home and everyone is just obsessed with her. All the men want her.

All the men are cheaters and abuse all the women.

Final Thoughts:
This book was all over the place. At first I thought this was a book about trying to find out what happened to a woman that was killed via a podcast. I feel almost hoodwinked because what I ended up getting was a story that centered around sex and who was cheating on who. It honestly gets to be confusing trying to keep up with who was with who. I felt like I was the only person still infested in knowing who killed Savannah.

It's a shame because the writing was really good and the story was going well.

I get the impression that I will forget this book though by the time it's published. I wish there was something more memorable that happened in it.

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Listen for the Lie is a fresh take on the "amnesia defense". Perfect for fans of Only Murders In the Building. Readers will find this novel funny and entertaining, not to mention captivating from the very first lines.

Lucy must return to her hometown after a five year absence, so that she can celebrate her grandmother's birthday. She has avoided the town for so long after experiencing the death of her best friend and being accused, but never charged, for the murder. An event she has no memory of. Now, adding to the gossip, a new podcaster has popped up in town wanting to rehash the events of the murder and all the aftermath in the hopes of determining the killer once and for all. Through podcast interviews the reader is able to learn what really happened bit by bit and can determine for themselves if Lucy is the victim of a biased town or just a very good liar.

Amy Tintera's characters are complex and very complicated. Each brings multiple perspectives to the murder mystery and having an unreliable narrator in Lucy only adds to the suspense. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to review this novel.

This was a refreshing mystery! I enjoyed Lucy and her humor to help her process/deal with the past few years of her life. While I kept ruling out who could have killed Savvy throughout the book, there were so many twists and clues that it kept me on my toes until the end!

I am not even 50% in on this book and I can already tell that I LOVE IT. If you love True Crime (check), podcasts (check) and a girl who loves her grandmother (check) you will not want to put this book down. It follows Lucy Chase a podcast begins to unravel her life about the most traumatic event in her life-her best friends death. The problem?? She cant remember anything about it.