Wow! This book really kept me guessing and wondering about Lucy's sanity and if she really did kill her friend. I enjoyed how the author weaved together Lucy and her current situation and feelings about the murder. She didn't gloss over it and you really felt how overwhelmed and hopeless that Lucy felt. I was not expecting the twist at the end ad was on the edge of my seat wanting to know if Lucy manages to escape.

This is bingeable, fast-paced, and IMO, hilarious. I’m glad I waited for a weekend with some down time because I didn’t want to put it down. Lucy is snarky AF and when it’s mean, those people totally deserve it. Grandma is consistently awesome. As you might expect in a thriller, there’s cursing, violence, sex, adultery, and all kinds of crazy.

(4.5/5 stars)

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is a fun contemporary thriller and the author's adult debut.

Lucy moved to Los Angeles to try to start a new life. But five years after her best friend's unsolved murder, a new podcast comes out as she is travelling home to celebrate her grandmother's 80th birthday.

I practically inhaled this book in one sitting. I listened to the audiobook I purchased with my Book of the Month subscription, and followed along in my digital review copy. I like doing blended reads for books where I want to really pay attention to small details, so it's a great method for me when I'm reading a thriller.

This was so easily consumable. I kept wanting to go farther to learn more things. I really appreciate mixed media in books, and this one includes text messages and transcriptions of podcast episodes. I absolutely laughed several times while I was reading, including several legitimate cackles. This was in no small part to the audiobook narrators, January LaVoy and Will Damron. They both did such a great job!

CW: violence, assault, sexual assault, domestic abuse, emotional and physical abuse, gaslighting

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

What would you do if you were suspected of murdering your best friend 5 years ago? Well, in the case of this main character, she volunteers to be at the center of a true crime podcast about the very murder of which she is accused.

Amnesia has her clueless about the night in question, though she doesn’t believe it could have been her regardless of memories lost.

As the podcaster Ben digs into the case, rehashing personal accounts of the night, new detail emerge on the brutality of the evening and who’s to blame.

This one was meant to be an audiobook for sure. I listened to it and the narration was great. The podcast element broke the story up in a fun way. I did find elements similar to None of This is True, so I worry that this podcast trope is going to get played out sooner rather than later. I also hoped for a slightly different ending in this one which would have made it a 5 star read for me.

Despite this, the characters were generally grounded and believable which appreciated. I absolutely crushed this book in 24 hours, so it was fast paced, fun and definitely worth the read overall.

THIS ONE LIVES UP TO THE HYPE! 🙌🏼 I requested after seeing rave reviews from @deebibliophilia and started reading almost immediately upon receiving my approval email. This story is smartly written with an unreliable narrator, Lucy, whom I spent almost the entire book debating if I loved, hated, trusted or not. I enjoyed the small Texas town setting that came along with a pretty large cast of characters - everyone in everyone else’s business as it is in a small community. Lucy’s very colorful & charismatic grandmother is a standout character that helped balance the story. It’s perfectly paced with short chapters interwoven with podcast excerpts with cliffhangers, hooking you right in and holding your attention to the very end.

Very engaging story! I listened to it on audio and felt that with the podcast aspect it was a great way to enjoy it.

This book was absolutely amazing. I read it and was listening to audible at the same time. The audible version was probably my favorite audible I ever listened to. I would get this a five out of five stars. Definitely my top five books for 2024

I enjoyed a good who-done-it type novel and this one was exactly that. A gripping novel that will have you guessing.

4.5 stars

Listen for the Lie is the first novel I've read by author Amy Tintera and I hope it won't be the last. This book was a great mix of dark humor and mystery and I was here for it.

Everyone in their small town in Texas believes that Lucy killed her best friend Savannah (Savvy). There was never enough evidence to convict Lucy, and she has since moved away and moved on (still with no memory of the events of that terrifying night). Now, five years later, Lucy is "called" back home to Texas for her grandmother's 80th birthday party. She soon finds out there is also a podcaster in town with Lucy and Savvy's story as the topic of the new season of his podcast, Listen for the Lie. As Lucy and the podcaster interact with each other and with the locals in town, they uncover many secrets which we find out alongside them.

As an avid listener of true-crime podcasts, I really enjoyed that aspect of this book. I thought it worked well to break up the story. Short chapters from Lucy's POV alternating with episodes of the podcast really helped the story move along. I really enjoyed Lucy's character. She was full of sarcasm and was an interesting main character. I loved that she talked to the voice inside (which was quite adamant about murdering various people...).

If you enjoy podcasts and small town mysteries, you'll enjoy this novel. It's a quick read that didn't reveal itself too early in the book and I'm hoping to read more from Ms. Tintera in the future.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGallely for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is an engaging read that hooks you with its unique premise and suspenseful narrative. The story follows a young woman with the extraordinary ability to hear lies, which she uses to unravel a complex web of deceit. Tintera weaves a plot full of twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing until the end.

The characters are well-developed, and their interactions add depth to the story, though some plot twists might feel a bit predictable. The pacing is generally strong, though there are moments where it slows down, which can impact the overall tension.

Overall, Listen for the Lie offers a fresh take on the mystery genre with its intriguing concept and strong storytelling. It’s a solid choice for readers who enjoy a psychological twist to their mysteries, even if some elements might be familiar to seasoned fans of the genre.

This was just OK for me. It pains me to say that after all of the 5 star reviews. Giving it 3.5 rounded down

What I liked:
- the strong female friendship, the hilarious banter between friends (dead and alive) made it fun at times (Lucy & her grandma will definitely be on my most memorable list for 2024!)
- fierce female friendship
- short chapters
- the podcast element.

Dislikes:
- the same theme of amnesia (I forgot about that night…did I? Didn’t I?) to create the unreliable narrator was WAY too repetitive for my taste
- It reminded me too closely of Lisa Jewel’s podcast novel, None Of This Is True. (I read that one two books before this one, so this could be a "me problem".)
- The sleeping around and infidelity! way too much without a care in the world
-The ending was rushed and underwhelming

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to read and review! (I'm truly sad about this one)

This was a great read. I figured out the killer because I never trust people, and I’m glad I was right! Grandma was great. Can’t wait to read more from Amy Tintera!

I really enjoyed this thriller. Sometimes an unreliable narrator gets annoying or tired by the end, but I enjoyed the FMC’s story throughout and I liked how the story slowly unraveled. Great ending too!

Loved the concept of this book. Character development was great. Looking forward to reading more books by Amy.

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay, this was a GREAT read for me. I liked the pacing. I loved the setting and the whole deng plot. This did it for me and I’m giving it my first mystery/thriller 5-star of the year!

I felt for Miss Lucy and usually that’s not the case when our FMC is the one suspected of murder, but Amy Tintera wrote the ‘unreliable’ (aka severely concussed with memory loss) character so well. This had some dark humor too and I think that made me enjoy it a little more… what that says about me, we will never discuss 😜

Lucy Chase is hiding in plain sight--she's left her life in small town Texas to get lost in California. She writes novels under a pen name, and is doing her best to escape her past, because her past is very, very dark. Five years ago, after a wedding, she was found wandering around the woods covered in blood, and later her best friend Savvy was found murdered. While there was not enough evidence to convict her, the town certainly did, so she swore to never go back there. Unfortunately, an new true crime podcast is in the works about her case, and her cover is about to be blown. The podcaster is dying to talk to her, and her Grandma convinces her to come for her birthday party. Her boyfriend is probably about to find out and kick her out anyway, so she reluctantly agrees. What follows is a suspenseful, funny, sexy, wild ride of a story with lots of fun twists and turns. A little silly, but definitely light and entertaining.

A really fun thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I don't usually love an unreliable female narrator, but I think it's done really well here.

I LOVED reading this book - such a great experience (especially on audio!). I didn't see the twists/turns coming & loved it!