This book is absolutely fantastic and I'm 100% sure I'll be recommending it to every patron, even if they think they don't like thrillers. This book had everything: amazing character development, plot twists that were exciting but weren't so out of left field I didn't believe the story, and even a little spicy romance. LISTEN FOR THE LIE was also unexpectedly hilarious with truly hysterical side characters like Lucy's mom and grandmother. After reading Amy Tintera's YA novels, I was curious about how she'd handle an adult book because that often doesn't translate when YA writers go into other age groups, but this adult debut absolutely smashed it and I really hope Amy keeps writing thrillers for adults because I'll be buying every single one.

Ahhh lord another podcast driven novel I don't hate them but I also don't love them so maybe I sit in the middle of this debate. I liked the writing style of the book and the way the twists were delivered. I think maybe Ive just read too many Podcast originated books lately. I will say I loved the reveal I didn't see it coming and I normally do so it made me so happy. In general this is a really good book the character development is there and I enjoyed that a lot.

I enjoyed this one! Listen For The Lie is a fast-paced, binge-able thriller. Main character Lucy heads back to her small-town childhood home in Texas for her Grandma’s birthday, a place she hasn’t been back to since she started being suspected of her best friend’s murder. At the same time she’s back at her hometown, a true crime podcaster is in town, trying to uncover who is responsible for Lucy’s friend, Savannah’s murder.

Loved the role the podcast had in the story, and how it kept me guessing. I also liked Lucy—she was funny and sarcastic at times, but she also had a strength about her to keep her head held high no matter what others thought. I will say some of the thoughts you read about running through her head are a little unnerving, but still found myself rooting for her. This book does have an amnesia plot in there, but I thought it was done well and liked how the story unraveled. Also appreciated the small GoT and Gilmore Girls references! The one thing I didn’t love was that it felt like literally everyone in this small town setting was cheating on each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed this thriller and would recommend if you’re looking for a solid, binge-able thriller! Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

<b>Should you read this?

*inserts hulk hogan*
HELL YEAH BROTHER </b>

I gave this 5 stars. I see a lot of mixed reviews here and I think it comes down to personal preference. I read this in one sitting. Ate. It. Up. 🍽️

I think the premise may be popular right now, but that being said it was very well done. I was guessing all the way until the end.

Five years ago:
Lucy, our main character, was found wandering the main road of her small hometown..covered in blood, her best friend dead in the woods she wasn’t far from, and no recollection of the nights events.

Present:
Lucy is forcefully invited back to her hometown by her 80 something year old grandmother Beverly who will give you Golden Girls vibes in the best way possible. With a rocky relationship and recently having been fired she has little to no options. There’s only a few problems.

•Everyone in town is convinced she’s the murderer including her own parents.
•Ben Owens, an up and coming true crime podcaster, is doing a whole season on her case.
•And the small town she came from has gossip and secrets spilling during each episode.

Will Ben prove her innocence? Or will he help solidify that she is guilty?

Lucy is arrogant and strong willed (and may be hearing her dead best friends voice nbd)
Ben is smug and handsome 😏
Beverly (our gmom) is hilarious and quirky
Her ex husband is suspicious
Her childhood friends have secrets
There’s multiple cheating scandles
Everyone is keeping secrets

So…who killed Savvy?

Thank you to Amy Tintera, Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC🐙

O.M.G. I am obsessed with this story. The main character Lucy has the most hilarious dry sense of humor. I can’t remember the last time I related to a character this much. She made me laugh out loud throughout the entire book, and also made me want to cry. The ending really was a gut punch. I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next!

4.5 snarky stars

Lucy’s best friend Savannah died five years ago, and no one knows what really happened. Lucy was there (found covered in blood) and considered a suspect, but she was never arrested. She can’t remember that night, probably because she was discovered with a traumatic brain injury. Or does she remember? Everyone in her small Texas town thinks she’s guilty.

Now hot podcaster Ben is on the cold case, determined to find out what really happened. Lucy won’t talk to him, and she’s never told her side of the story to anyone. Sometimes, even Lucy wonders if she was responsible for Savvy’s death.

Lured back to the small town from LA for her grandmother’s birthday (by the way, her grandma was a fantastic character, and I laughed out loud with her several times), Lucy is drawn right back into the small-town drama.

This town seems to have more than its share of infidelity, drinking, and lying. Lucy’s snark and directness were pure dark comedy at several moments in the book.

This one kept me guessing, and I did not predict the ending. I loved the excerpts from the podcast that popped in, and we learned more details through them.

I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

I really enjoyed this book. It has humor, suspense, drama, and great characters.

Lucy has been living with the trauma of believing she killed her best friend, parents who really don’t believe her and avoid the topic, and a kick-ass Grandma who is her biggest fan. Throw in a couple men in her life including a podcaster trying to solve the mystery of who really killed Savannah. This book has it all and is a really fun ride.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon books, and the author for gifting me the ARC. I look forward to more from this author.

This was excellent. Well paced, twisty without being convoluted, a good mystery and darkly funny. I liked Lucy, with her plans for apology chicken, from the start and adored her grandmother. It’s not often that dark comedy can really work in a murder mystery that also includes abuse, infidelity, and alcoholism. The author is very careful where the humor is placed and it really works. I laughed out loud at the birthday scene and others where the comedic timing is perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

Twisty-turny mystery, but the best part is the characters. They're well written, well rounded, faults and all.

Finally! A mystery thriller that I can't immediately predict the ending to right away! I'll say that this book had a lot of turns I wasn't expecting and I liked where most of them went. There were a lot of players in this murder and you didn't know their true motivations until it was starring you in the face.

I am a big believer in short chapters and this book delivered on those as well as a fast moving plot. The podcast episodes between chapters was a breath of fresh air and I loved reading about the DRAMA. I will have to say that I didn't like how much the author relied on cheating as a "gotcha" moment. It seemed like every person in this book was cheating on someone at some point and it turned out that none of those threads led anywhere specifically for the main plot. However, the best part of all of the cheating was the DRAMA that came out of it. The dynamics between her family and friends was so weird and felt like you were living in that small-town setting with her.

The descriptions of the Texas summer heat and the greasy diner burgers made me live in that moment with Lucy. It almost felt like we were there with her and shouting at her to stop making bad decisions! It almost felt like a horror movie when we were watching her let things happen to her and not talk about her previous abuse. BUT!! It makes sense for the world we live in. The author dives deep into the world of an imperfect victim, where it seems like no one will believe you.

I was pulled into the plot of “Listen for the Lie” from the very first page and couldn’t put it down; finishing in less than 24 hours. A fast paced, nail-biting, suspenseful thriller that will have you laughing out loud unexpectedly, this book will have you wondering who the murderer really is and if Lucy really did kill her best friend. You’ll question Lucy’s sanity, the loyalty of her family, and everything you think you know about what you think you know. This thriller will leave you cheering, annoyed, ready to leap in to defend both Lucy and Savvy, in love with and hating Ben, and going through the emotional roller coaster that Lucy has been chained to for the last five years since being accused and suspected of murder.

Five years ago, Lucy was found stumbling along a road with a head injury covered in her best friend’s blood. Savvy, her friend, was murdered and the only suspect they had was Lucy who had no recollection of what had happened. The result: Lucy is presumed to be the murderer by everyone except her grandmother. Five years later Ben Owens and the “Listen for the Lie” Podcast is investigating the case and opening up old wounds. Lucy reluctantly returns home and agrees to be interviewed, deciding once and for all that she wants to know what happened to Savvy, even if it means finding out that she herself is the murderer.

Told from the perspective of Lucy as well as through the podcast hosted by Ben and his interviewees, the plot will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

This book is chock full of witty banter, understated humour, a whole lot of sarcasm, a voice that plots every possible way to murder someone as soon as they enter the room, and a grandmother that will keep things hopping! You’ll love this novel that’s filled with secrets, twists, and lies. Most everyone in the story will fall under suspicion at some point and you won’t know who Lucy should trust.

Thank you to @netgalley , @celadonbooks and @amytintera for the advance digital copy. I loved every minute and cannot recommend this title enough! Preorder today so you’ll have your own copy on release day - March 5, 2024.

#thrillerbooks #newrelease #celadonbooks #celadon #suspense #suspensethriller #suspensebooks #listenforthelie #amytintera #arc #drc #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookfluencer #reader #bookgeek #booknerd #booksbooksbooks #netgalley #bookfluencer #netgalleyinfluencerprogram #bookreview #bookrecommendation #couldntputitdown #youshouldreadthis

Sophisticated, twisty, and gripping!

Listen for the Lie is an edgy, menacing tale that takes you into the life of Lucy Chase, a young woman who, after staying as far away from her hometown as she possibly could for the past five years, reluctantly returns to celebrate her grandmother’s birthday even knowing that the whole town still thinks she murdered her best friend and the persistent true-crime podcaster Ben Owens is hanging around stirring up trouble and trying to finally discover what really happened on that stormy night all those years ago.

The writing is brisk and tight. The characters are layered, secretive, and troubled. And the plot builds quickly as it twists, turns and unravels all the personalities, motivations, actions, and relationships within it.

Overall, Listen for the Lie, at its core, is a novel about family, friendship, secrets, manipulation, obsession, red herrings, revelations, violence, and murder. It’s a fast-paced, riveting, tortuous tale by Tintera that highlights everything is not always as it seems and is a real page-turner I highly recommend, and one you definitely don’t want to miss.

Lucy Chase hasn’t been back to her hometown in years, ever since the town deemed her guilty for the murder of her best friend Savannah. Lucy, now living in LA, has spent years putting her old life behind her but thanks to podcast Ben Owens, her life and Savannah’s murder are about to be brought back into the light.

I love listening to books with podcast angles on audio and Listen for the Lie did not disappoint. January LaVoy and Will Damron were excellent narrators to the story and the sound effects really made this feel like an actual podcast and not an audiobook. I’m honestly sad there isn’t going to be a real podcast now.

Throughout the story we flip between Lucy and the podcast itself. Sometimes I find the transitions to be clumsy, but Tintera has done a great job of seamlessly weaving the two together. Character-wise, I love all the ones and hated all the ones we were supposed to, but Lucy’s Grandma was the MVP. I absolutely adored her personality and her need for drama! Combined with Lucy’s snarky attitude, and Ben’s charisma I was all in on this story!

I always enjoy thrillers that keep me guessing until the end. I think I changed my mind about the killer 76 different times, but none of our red herrings ever felt forced. For a debut this was a fast-paced mystery, and I can’t wait to see what else Amy Tintera comes up with! Highly recommend!

Listen for the Lie comes out March 5, 2024. Huge thank you to Celadon and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books Publishing for an ARC ♥️♥️

Listen for the lie is a total addiction! It's like a true crime podcast come to life, with a murder in a small town, a protagonist who can't remember what happened, and a podcast host trying to figure it all out. The writing is super engaging, with a perfect blend of suspense, intrigue, and clever reveals. The plot twists are expertly handled, keeping me guessing until the very end.

The characters are richly developed, with complex motivations and secrets. Lucy's parents are especially well-crafted, with a creepy vibe that had me squirming in my seat. And her grandma is a wonderful addition, bringing some much-needed warmth and humor to the story. As for the townspeople, they're all suspects in my book - the author does a great job of casting doubt on everyone.

I couldn't put this book down, finishing it in two sittings because I just had to know what happened next. The pacing is expertly managed, with short chapters and a driving narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you're a fan of true crime or thrillers, you'll love this book😍 Just be prepared to stay up way too late, because once you start reading, you won't want to stop!

Listen for the Lie
by Amy Tintera

After Lucy Chase is found wandering the side of the road in her Texas hometown, injured and covered in her murdered best friend’s blood, almost everyone assumes she is the murderer. Including Lucy herself. Especially when Lucy can’t remember a single thing from that night, and soon flees to the safety and anonymity of LA. When she reluctantly returns to her hometown years later for her grandmothers birthday, Lucy can’t avoid her demons any longer. It doesn’t help that Ben Owens, the hit podcaster of ‘Listen for the Lie’, has made his entire new season about Lucy, and getting to the bottom of her friend’s unsolved murder. Did Lucy really murder her best friend? And does the truth even really matter when everyone believes you’re guilty?

This was a quick and fun read for me. Tintera provides a great mix of humor and suspense. Lucy’s voice was unique and quirky; I liked her sarcasm and witty humor. The book being split between Lucy’s point of view and the podcast episodes was also fun and different. I did kind of see the ending coming, but overall this was such a fun read! Perfect for fans of true crime podcasts and popcorn thrillers!

Thank you to netgalley and Celadon Books for the free copy in exchange for my review!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book , did a buddy read with a friend and IT WAS AWSOME! The characters were so believable! I loved the GRANDMA the most she was so funny! The banter between Lucy and Savvy was everything! the twist at the end I didn't see coming with was great!

Wow wowowwow. I absolutely adored this book. I could not put it down and was obsessed from day one. The plot unfurls with perfect timing, the main character is a strong female who makes terrible decisions (self-admittedly) and has a wonderful sense of dry humor. There is a lot of misdirection and superfluous information to sort through to help solve the case in a way that is not overwhelming. It felt like Sharp Objects meets The Girl on The Train and I highly recommend it if you enjoy memory loss thrillers!

You've got a main character who speaks fluent sarcasm and takes baths in dry humor. You've also got a sassy grandma who's main life goal is shocking those around her (especially her daughter). Toss in a murder mystery and a podcaster determined to get the answers and you've got the main ingredients for Listen for the Lie.
There are a few things that to me seemed a little far fetched but I was so thoroughly entertained it was easy to look past. Due to the podcast element this might be one to read with your ears via audiobook.

This was such a fun audiobook and if you are looking to read this one, I highly recommend it on audio! A podcast in book form where the accused is the main character. It felt very unique in terms of plot and story line which I always appreciate. I also am a sucker for a true crime podcast in my daily life so this one really intrigued me from the start!

The big twist in this one is something I didn’t see coming. It was a true tangled mess of a story and small town gossip. We get to meet so many characters and these players are very interconnected when you didn’t expect them to be. All of the different characters and secrets made it easy to imagine this story actually being real.

I ended up liking this book more than anticipated. The pacing was great and kept my interest the entire time. I've always enjoyed thrillers that revolve around a podcast and this was one very well done. I liked that the book built towards the climax in a believable way and that there weren't too many red herrings or twists that came out of nowhere. The ending was really satisfying and that's all I want out of a thriller.