5 star based on vibes alone. Wow wow wow I am in love with this book!!! I’m generally strongly of the opinion that “podcast thrillers” are overdone and not done well, but this was absolute perfection!!!

Lucy and Savvy where best friends, until one night Savvy is murdered, and Lucy is the prime suspect. With no evidence for an arrest and Lucy pleading amnesia the case goes cold.

5 years later Lucy returns to her hometown (despite being hated by just about everyone there). Unknowingly her grandmother has set her up to interview with a hot podcast guy who is investigating the case.

What I love most about this book is how sarcastic, witty and snarky the FMC is. To the point where I genuinely think I have a huge girl crush on her. Either that or she is my twin flame.
Her ability to make everybody so uncomfortable, which they deserve for assuming she is a cold blooded murderer-

“You’ve listened to the show?”, “there’s a new episode today, it’s very well done isn’t it?”
“I’m riveted. Can’t wait to find out if I did it”. 🤣🤣🤣

I made my guess of who the murderer was at 20% and I was shockingly proven wrong at the 90% mark.. and what a beautiful twist it was! I don’t know how I didn’t see it coming but the misdirection got me.

The pacing was perfection. The FMC was perfection. The pod cast guy was perfection. Also huge shout of to her adorable and hilarious grandmother, I see where she got her sense of humour (though it clearly skipped a generation), I love seeing them cause chaos together while her grandma is happily drunk and kissing all the men at her big age of 80. Huge fan.

Witty, adorable, inspiring.. all the good vibes here. Will be keeping an eye out for more work from this author moving forward! A must read!

Publish date: 5th March 2024

Thank you to Celadon books, NetGalley and Amy tintera for an advanced copy!

Synopsis: Years ago, Lucy's best friend, Savvy, was murdered in their Texas hometown. Lucy was the prime suspect, but there was not enough evidence to convict her - and unfortunately, she can't remember anything about that night. After moving to LA and starting a new life, Lucy thought she had put the past behind her. But when a popular true crime podcast begins investigating Savvy's murder, Lucy is pulled back to her hometown to solve the crime once and for all.
Thoughts: Oooh this was a good one! Exactly what I'm looking for in a thriller! I loved the unreliable narrator, the sense of wrongness throughout, the whodunit mystery, and the suspenseful twists! The depth of the main character and her morally grey personality was perfection. I also really enjoyed the way the podcast was included; it gave a really true crime feel to the story. This aspect was also so great on audio with clips of the podcast itself interspersed. The narrators did a fantastic job, especially January LaVoy with Lucy's inner monologue. I binged this in a day and definitely recommend!
Read this if you like:
@ podcasts  true crime @ unreliable narrator @ psychological thrillers

This was the first book I've read by Amy Tintera. This kept me guessing the whole time. It isn't as original as some of the whodunnits that are out there, but it kept me entertained and turning the pages.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me interested and guessing the whole time. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, something new happens!

I really liked this book! The FMC, who has no idea if she actually killed her best friend or not, is really funny! This book is full of twists, suspense, laughs, and a bit of romance. It kept me guessing until the very end, and I didn't want to put it down! Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was interesting - I went in expecting a typical thriller but the tone was much lighter than anticipated. I wouldn’t call this lighthearted at all, but it never felt really dark or gritty until closer to the end (not a complaint, just an observation).

I’ll definitely watch for upcoming books from this author.

While this was quite entertaining it wasn't fresh or new.

SORRRRRRRY not sorry but as an avid thriller reader they're all starting to feel the same, nothing is clever or new anymore.

I'm still giving this a solid 3 stars because it wasn't bad. The flow and characters were engaging and the pacing was fantastic. But it’s basically a mash up of: Stacey Willingham's All the Dangerous Things and Kate Alice Marshalls What Lies in the Woods. So, if you enjoyed either of those books then pick this on up, the ending still has an element of surprise and shock value, it’s just not ground breaking.

Again, hate to be a Pessimistic Polly but I'm to honestly tell what is worth your time and what isn't.

This was a unique take on a murder mystery with the surviving victim being the prime suspect but having no memory of that night. Lucy is an authentic character, and her inner turmoil and doubt about her involvement was realistically portrayed throughout the story. Savvy was the town sweetheart and everyone had a warm story to tell about her - the perfect victim to avenge. Everyone close to Lucy, even peripherally, had an opinion about Lucy's guilt. With no proof, though, life went on. When Ben decides that his next podcast will be about Savvy's murder, this sparks a wave of resentment against Lucy that actually shakes out some details about that night. Ben is the only one in town that has not passed judgement, and he has a solid track records of closing cold cases that officials have sidelined. Using the means of a podcast and letting the townspeople give their statements publicly is a novel method of dropping clues. I very much enjoyed the style of writing. This author's use of the podcast helped to bring the characters to life because their backgrounds and biases were given by the characters themselves in a charged yet entertaining manner. Even with all the details being fleshed out, the ending and culprit were a surprise to me, reminding me that more than half of murders are perpetrated by someone close to the victim. A fully engrossing read that I didn't want to put down once I started!

This is a page turner written with a funny sarcastic edge. It's an easy read that I finished in one day. I recommend this one for someone who likes thrillers that aren't too dark.

4.5 stars rounded up. Loved this psychological thriller. Loved the podcast transcripts. This was a really interesting and fresh thriller.

Novel Concept: 5/5
Execution of Novel Concept: 5/5

Title: 5/5
Characterization: 4/5
Dialogue: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Theme: 5/5
Prose: 5/5

Does this pass the Bechdel Test: Yes

Listen for The Lie is such a thrilling mystery deeply entrenched in the female perspective. This book is a dialogue of the struggle of feminine ethos and the fears that most women have. I think the best part of this book is how morally grey everyone is and even those who have been victimized are not what you would call perfect victims. It's all a bunch of shades of gray and I think that makes this book feel so human.

Something that I really love in novels is when women in power acquire, use and sometimes abuse power in the systems set up against them. While there are no true heroes nor true villains in this story, I think this book does include characters that fit this category. It's subtle but phenomenal. Like I cannot wait for this book to come out so I can gush in a spoilery way because I HAVE THOUGHTS.

The characterization is great. There were some moments that I thought could have had some better planting throughout the novel but it's certainly not something I'm too broken up about.

I think the most genius thing about this novel is the framed narrative of the podcast. What a great way to give us expository dialogue without it feeling like we're being bombarded with information. It really helps us capture the emotions of the town and it creates an atmosphere of comparison. We compare how people act in the podcast with how they act out in real life and we can notice where things don't line up. It's truly amazing.

Part of the challenge of this novel is to get the reader to believe the entire town blames Lucy for the events and the podcast format really helps make us believe this to be true rather than us just being told that it's true. It's so genius. It helps sell the disquiet atmosphere of the town.

I love the grandma. I also love characters who show up to cause problems on purpose and grandma delivered.

First 5 star novel for 2024 in the books!
I was absolutely blown away by this one.
Lucy is a fantastic MC and immediately hilarious and charming, as well as Grandma.
The podcast vibe was done beautifully and I was hooked right away.
It's hard to say, but there's not one single thing I would change about this book.
For a "debut" adult thriller, Amy Tintera knocked this one out of the park, 100%.
Will forever be recommending this one to anyone who will listen.

Synopsis: Hours after her best friends body is found, Lucy is seen wandering the streets covered in blood with no recollection of what happened. What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter? Ben, a true-crime podcaster, sets out to investigate and Lucy, the prime suspect, decides to team up to help him solve her best friends murder.

My thoughts: The podcast and truth vs. lie elements in Listen for the Lie reminded me so much of Lisa Jewell’s, None of this is True. If you loved that, I definitely recommend putting this on your radar! It flips between true crime podcast scripts and Lucy’s present POV. I liked how the podcast would reveal little details, leading the reader to try and put the rest of the pieces together. Packed with suspenseful thrills, unlikeable characters, + dark comedy (Lucy and Grandma had me cackling) made this a standout thriller!

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera was just too much fun. It was witty, fun and trashy in the best way. I can’t lie, I will always be a sucker for the “returning to home town to solve an old mystery” trope and the “podcast solving a murder” trope and this book blended the two together deliciously.

Lucy and her grandma were hilarious together. The rest of the town is just a disastrous mess. Seeing podcaster, Ben Owens, navigate in the town and with Lucy and her family was so much fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for this ARC .

If you're looking for a fast-paced, hard-to-put-down thriller filled with dark humor, plot twists and even a podcast then you'll find it in Listen for the Lie! This book caught my attention from the beginning and kept me up late at night wondering what could possibly happen next! Very fast paced story-line full of interesting characters ! I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend!

The small town of Plumpton, TX is convinced that Lucy killed her best friend Savvy. Although the murder of Savvy remains unsolved, the court of public opinion has already convicted her and ran Lucy out of town. Now, 5 years later, her grandmother Beverly convinces her to come home for her 80th birthday party. It is conveniently at the same time that podcaster Ben Owens has made Lucy and Savvy's murder the subject of his podcast "Listen for the Lie," stirring up the controversy again.

I really enjoyed the way this story was laid out. It is mainly told from Lucy's POV, but we also get excerpts of "Listen to the Lie" with interview of everyone in Lucy's orbit - her family, old friends, and so many others. It is fast paced and fascinating. I had a love-hate thing going with Lucy... she could be annoying at times, but you also felt bad for her because she was trying hard to remember what happened to her on the day Savvy died. I liked the growing 'friendship' between her and Ben, and the twist at the end was unexpected, but not out of left field.

4.5 stars rounded up! This book was SO GOOD. This story had a twisty web with a lot of characters involved without anything being confusing or convoluted, which I think can be difficult to achieve. Amy Tintera does a wonderful job keeping the reader guessing without throwing in obvious red herrings, or working too hard to throw the reader off track. This was absolutely brilliant. Well done.

I don’t give out my 5 stars so easily. This is undeniably one of the best novels I’ve enjoyed. I already know, I’m going to be recommending this one to anyone addicted to great dark comedy and thrillers. I’’m definitely going to be reading more works by Amy Tintera!

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ARC)
Lies, lies and more lies. But who is lying and who are they lying about? After living in LA for five years, Lucy Chase returns to her hometown of Plumpton, TX, the place where her best friend Savvy was murdered. With Savvy’s blood covering Lucy, everyone in the small town assumes Lucy was the murderess. Ben Owens, the smug and handsome host of the true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie”, also arrives in Plumpton to interview the family and friends of those who knew Lucy best in his quest to find the killer in this town filled with people who will lie to protect one another and themselves.

Listen for the Lie is a fast paced and sometimes dark thriller with a colorful cast of characters. Spunky Grandma Beverly is the grandma we’d all love to have and her belief in and love for Lucy is heartwarming. Ms. Tinterra’s engaging style of writing will keep you engrossed in this suspenseful whodunit thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Amy Tintera for the opportunity to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A murder suspect is the subject of a true crime podcast. Friendship, marriage and family, toxic masculinity, media gossip and perception. First of all everyone is way too horny. Sex is the only hobby the characters used to distract from boredom, turmoil and grief. It became this annoying trope that made everybody unlikeable—except grandma, she’s great. The tone surrounding domestic violence had women excusing vile behaviour because the abuse went both ways. Worse was a character’s advice that defined a survival response to abuse as becoming a monster too— adulterer, murderer— instead of leaving. That really disturbed me. I also hated the reveal. I hated it even more because there was absolutely no set up for it. Literally came out of the blue over the course of two chapters. That character then became a cardboard villain. The best part of this novel was the presentation of dishonesty, hiding and vices that erode justice. How men believe (protect) each other and how woman contribute to misogyny. That felt real, that was well done.

*It was a pleasure to read the ARC for Listen for the Lie, thank you A. Tintera and Celadon Books.
—Amia Lort on Goodreads