This one was a thriller done right. It was so well written with a complex main character, a super intriguing plot, and a ton of dark humour that added to the enjoyment of the story.

Listen For The Lie is a hugely popular true crime podcast, and Lucy Chase is its newest focus. Five years ago, Lucy’s best friend Savvy was murdered, and Lucy was found covered in her blood. Lucy has been pegged as the likely murderer, but she has no memories from that night, so even she doesn’t know if she really did it. The podcast and its host, Ben Owens, lure Lucy back to her hometown as they try to uncover what really happened that night.

I absolutely loved this book. It kept me guessing the whole way through. Lucy wasn’t your typical unreliable narrator, but her amnesia added such a fun element to the story. As the reader, you are almost on the journey with her, figuring it out as you go.

I highly recommend checking this one out when it publishes on March 5! Thank you so much @netgalley for this advanced copy!

Thank you Celadon and Netgalley for an ARC of Listen for the Lie.

Accused of her best friend's murder five years ago, Lucy faced charges that the police couldn't make stick. Despite the lack of conviction, there is a prevailing belief, shared even by Lucy herself, that she may have committed the crime. Lucy's memory remains elusive until Ben Owens, the host of a murder podcast, opens the floodgates of recollection.

Every character in this book was unlikeable(except Grandma) but I think it worked well with the story. Lucy was outspoken but the gaslighting she received from majority of the town was insane! While Lucy's nonchalant demeanor occasionally struck me as excessive, the repetitive nature of Savvy discussing killing with Lucy became tiresome after a while. The author effectively portrayed the stark contrast in treatment between women and men. The podcast element, reminiscent of "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder," slightly diminished my overall appreciation. The conclusion felt hurried, but despite these minor drawbacks, I found the story enjoyable, and I would certainly explore other works by this author.

.

Wowww this one kept me on my toes the whole way through! I love a good thriller/mystery and this one delivers!

Wow!! What did I just read?! I couldn’t put this book down!! The whodunnit factor was well thought out and executed! The characters were well developed and I found myself staying up way past my bedtime to finish it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this incredible book! I will definitely be sharing it with all of my fellow book lovers!

What. A. Ride. I could not predict one thing AND the chapters were super quick. I loved the podcast transcripts dispersed between the dual timeline chapters. Also, I loved the unreliable narrator. The narrator couldn't trust herself so as a reader it made you not only doubt her, but every character in the story.

Lucy, a small town girl from Texas, was accused of murdering her best friend Saavy. Unfortunately, she has no recollection of the murder. She went from enjoying a friends wedding to walking down the highway covered in her friends blood. The story comes to national attention when a famous podcast launches episodes to try and find out what really happened to Saavy. Matt, the podcast host, begins to investigate every person close to Lucy and Saavy. The more episodes that come out, the more inconsistencies that Matt begins to see with people's stories. This helps Lucy begin to regain some memories from that day and finally find out what happened to Saavy.

I had heard great things about Amy Tintera's first novel for adults, so I was anxious to read this book. Wow! As promised, this was a thoroughly engaging page-turner with a host of interesting and amusing characters. In addition to this thriller's plot twists and the big reveal at the end, the characters really shine and contribute greatly to the story.

Lucy may or may not have killed her best friend, Savannah. Lucy, who was found wandering the streets with blood on her clothes, quickly became the prime suspect, although she couldn't remember what happened the night of the murder. In the five years since her friend was murdered, Lucy has lived with everyone's suspicion that she is a murderer. Facing these suspicions with dark humor that she definitely inherited from her sassy, spunky grandmother Beverly, Lucy is a perfect main character.

When Lucy returns home for the first time in the five years since the murder to attend her grandmother's birthday party, she encounters Ben, a true-crime podcaster that is trying to crack her case. Reluctant to have anything to do with him at first, she finally agrees to speak with him. Slowly, she realizes that he may be able to help her discover whether or not she killed Savannah.

This was a very fast-paced and easy read. As the story developed and more information emerged, we were treated to transcripts from each episode of the "Listen for the Lie" podcast. I loved this book and I enjoyed the way Amy Tintera mixed suspense and mystery with dark humor. I'll look forward to reading her next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I honestly loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC.

All and all, I enjoyed this domestic thriller! It was definitely a popcorn thriller that is hard to put down. I enjoyed the podcast side of the book and the flash backs to the past. I was surprised with the reveal of the murderer, but personally I could have done without some of the romances in this book. At times it almost felt like I was reading a romance book, not a thriller. That’s the only reason I’m giving this book 3 stars instead of 4!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of this new to me author. Definitely a great read and I was hooked throughout. I enjoyed how like good girls guide to murder it was a combo of prose and interviews. The ending wasn't tied up as well as I would have liked but still really enjoyed seeing how the pieces unfolded. Will definitely look to read more from this author in the future.

Wow - I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I ended up reading this in one sitting because it immediately had me hooked. I spent the entire book trying to predict the ending and I’m very glad to say that I did not see it coming, which was so much fun!

Our main character, Lucy cannot remember the night her best friend is murdered. Everyone thinks it’s her as all evidence points to her though there isn’t enough to convict her. Lucy moves away to start over but 5 years later, a true crime podcaster decides to take interest and investigate.

Listen For The Lie is an adult mystery thriller that is fast paced, engaging and fun to read. It felt like i was reading a murder mystery / soap opera. This plot and the characters were all very unique. I love Lucy and her grandmother, Beverly. I disliked everyone in her town especially HER MOTHER and Ex husband. I personally loved the dark humor as it made the heavier and darker scenes more digestible. It is important to note that there is DV and abuse present in this story so be warned before you dive into it.

Thank you Celadona / Macmillian for the physical ARC and thank you NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the true crime feel and podcast vibe for this twisty thriller. A nice twist on the typical unreliable narrator, I didn't see this one coming.

Total pageturner! I loved the unlikeable characters so much that I wasn’t even trying to solve the mystery and was completely surprised by the twist.

It’s been years since Lucy went back to her hometown, and for good reason. Everyone there thinks she killed her best friend. Now that Ben has started a podcast to look into Savvy’s murder, the story is back at the front of everyone’s mind…in perfect time for Lucy to be home for her Grandma’s 80th birthday. She doesn’t remember a single thing from the night of Savvy’s Murder, but will Ben bring those lost memories to the surface?

I had gotten this book in the mail, but it wasn’t at the top of my radar until @lisaandliz posted raving about it. I immediately picked it up and read it in a single day! Holy goodness this book was so good! I just could not stop reading wanting to find out what had happened to Savvy and whether or not Lucy really had been the one to kill her! The twits and turns that were dug up by Ben had me on my toes the entire book and I loved every second! I know the podcast thing has been done several times recently, but let me tell you…you do not want to skip this one!

WOW OH WOW!!!!! This was a thriller from the start! I was hooked! This was one of the those books were you could not put the book down! I did not see the ending coming!

Big thanks to NetGalley for the early access. I haven’t read much true crime-style fiction, so this was a fresh vibe for me. The pacing of reveals started feeling a bit like a well-known dance, but you know what? It worked. I was hooked, craving more nuggets of info till the very last page. Lucy, the main character, nailed the amnesia trope without being annoying or unbelievable – major props to the writing for that. Small-town gossip intricacies were on point. Everyone hiding something, and I was invested in each character’s story. Keeping up with the guessing game was fun, and I never cracked the code myself, which added to the enjoyment. A quick, enjoyable read that's got me excited to check out more from this author!

Requested this one because I love true crime podcasts and hoped for the best. Man…talk about a surprise. This book hooked me immediately and never let go. I found the story fascinating and Tintera is still the great storyteller I thought of her as when I read one of her YA books years ago, but the true inngredient here is the pacing of the story. Five stars and two thumbs up.

This was incredible. The story, the characters, the setting, and the ending were all perfect. I had high expectations going into this read, but it somehow exceeded all of them. I thought the main character was really funny and such an enjoyable narrator which just elevated the read so much. Also, I usually don't love when there is a romance subplot in thrillers but I actually thought this one worked really well!

This was a super easy 5 stars for me and I would highly recommend for everyone to pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this advanced readers copy.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. I really enjoyed it! My review will appear on my blog on March 1, 2024. I will also post a review on Instagram, Goodreads, The Storygraph and retail sites at this time.

Review:
Usually, I shy away from the whole true crime podcaster trope in books - I feel like it has been done to death, but the premise of this one sounded intriguing, so I decided to give it a go. I'm so happy I did! From the very first page, I was hooked on this thrilling and suspenseful book that had me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

The story centers around Lucy, a woman who was suspected of murdering her best friend, Savannah (aka Savvy), after a wedding several years prior. Ben, the host of the true-crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," has decided to try to solve Savvy's murder, and with this announcement, a whole new can of worms opens for Lucy. She loses her job, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and she is forced to return to her hometown in Texas to attend her grandmother's birthday party - and face the people who all think she murdered Savvy.

Naturally, her return coincides with the launch of the first episode of the podcast. Ben, the podcaster, happens to be in town and continues to hound Lucy for an interview. The problem is that Lucy has zero memory of what happened that night. She doesn't believe she would have killed Savvy, but what if she did? Should she work with Ben to clear her name, or should she get out of town before the truth comes out?

One of the things I loved most about this book was the writing style. Tintera has a way with words that effortlessly transports you into the heart of the story. The narrative flows smoothly, making it easy to get lost in the pages and lose track of time. The prose is very engaging and keeps you invested in the story. I felt that the plot was masterfully crafted, and the pacing was perfect; I was hooked from start to finish. Usually, I am very good at figuring out what is going on early in the book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the reveal in this one. I didn't see it coming at all. Tintera expertly juggles multiple suspects and red herrings, leading the reader down various paths of suspicion.

The strong characters are another highlight of the story. Lucy is an amazing protagonist, and I loved her personality. She's strong, resilient, and a major smart-ass. I loved her dark sense of humor and the way she moved through the world. This is a woman with a lot weighing on her, and I loved the way she approached things - mostly because I saw a lot of myself in her. As the truth begins to unravel, the reader is left questioning Lucy's innocence and her own memories of that fateful night. It's this internal struggle that drives the narrative forward and keeps you guessing until the very end.

The other characters are also very strong. I lived in Texas for several years, and Tintera has nailed not only the descriptions of the oppressive heat but also the personalities of older Texans. I loved to hate Lucy's parents and her ex-husband, and I absolutely adored her grandmother. She is a hoot!

Overall, "Listen for the Lie" is an addictive and captivating read that will keep you guessing until the very end. With its engaging writing style, compelling characters, and expertly crafted plot, it's a must-read for fans of true crime and mystery novels. Amy Tintera has written several successful young adult books (I really enjoyed her "Reboot" series), and I can honestly say that with this book, she has found a spot at the adult thriller table as well. I can't wait to read what she comes up with next.

3.5 stars rounded to 4. Being the debut adult novel from this typically YA author, I was pretty impressed by it, although I feel like some of the characters in the book were a little more immature than their actual pages in the book, Written as a mystery/thriller, it tries to uncover the whodunnit via a podcaster and his show. Lucy is a young woman from a small town in Texas. She’s been away for 5 years, after escaping to California once she was accused of murdering her close friend Savvy. Lucy claims to not remember anything of that night and most of the people in town, including those close to her, believe she’s guilty. Her beloved grandmother convinces Lucy to come home for her “birthday party”, which is actually a ruse to have her give her side of the story to Ben, the podcaster. There are so many lies in this book to unravel and it kept me guessing throughout. I am a very sarcastic person, as is the main character, Lucy, so I enjoyed that part of her personality. However, she’s also someone who is akin to making very bad decisions. I was constantly finding myself asking her why she was being so stupid! At any rate, it was a good mystery that kept me wanting to know what actually happened that night.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

loved it! so glad I picked this up because I almost didn't! I thought do we really need ANOTHER book about a murder podcast? I am relieved to say this trope was well done and I enjoyed every minute. I think millennials especially will enjoy this thriller that's hard to put down. Out 3/5

Definitely makes my list of top five favorite podcast thrillers. I loved Lucy’s dry humor, Grandma was hilarious, and delivered both punchlines and nuggets of wisdom throughout. Each characters identity leapt off the page and none of them were free from suspicion. This kept me guessing till the very end.