Years after her best friend's murder went unsolved, Lucy (the prime suspect) becomes the subject of a true crime podcast. Returning home to the scene of the crime, Lucy works with podcast host Ben to try and uncover the truth.

This was a fantastic read. It is told from Lucy's perspective, but also includes episodes of the podcast with Ben and many different people in the town giving their stories and opinions. It was so entertaining learning all the different characters and having it all unfold to the conclusion. The characters were excellent, particularly Lucy, who's quick wit and sarcasm made me laugh out loud many times, and her grandmother. The podcast episodes reminded me of another popular thriller I've read recently, but I must say I preferred this one. This was a perfectly-paced entertaining read that you won't want to put down.

4.25/5⭐

Thank you @celadonbooks for the #gifted copy of this e-arc!

I love a good book about someone with memory loss and this one definitely had me intrigued the whole way through. Lucy was found wandering around covered in her best friends blood with a blow to her own head. From that injury she cannot recall the details of the fateful night her best friend was found murdered. Due to her memory loss she was acquitted because there wasn’t enough evidence against her. The problem is…everyone thinks she did it and she cannot tell them otherwise. No one believes poor Lucy really fully cannot recall the details that night. Lucy herself isn’t convinced she didn’t do it.

Fast forward years later and it’s announced publicly that there will be a podcast trying to solve the night her best friend Savvy died. When details are announced, she loses her job and boyfriend and heads home to attend her grandmothers 80th birthday celebration. Being back in her home town digs up more memories and feelings that have been buried and forgotten. She is just as interested in getting back her memories as the podcaster is at solving it. Not everyone in her hometown gives her a warm welcome however she doesn’t let it stop her from finding out if she is truly a murderer.

I thought this book was so hilarious! Why?! The humor including the very first chapter made me laugh out loud. Who is planning a chicken break up dinner? Lucy is. That’s who. 🤣 Aside from the humor and sarcasm this book flew by in a neck break speed. I literally couldn’t put this down because I needed to know what Lucy could finally recall from her lost memory. It certainly isn’t what I expected! I loved the sarcastic tone, the characters (including the loyal and quick witted grandmother 💖), and the dark twists and comedy! It was perfect! I can’t wait to read more by this author! Bravo Amy!

After ungluing myself from the pages and untangling myself from this web of mysteries, I can finally write this review. I could not put this book down.

Listen for the Lie is a brilliant and gripping combination of a podcast & a whodunit novel. Lucy, long suspected of her best friend’s murder in her small Texas hometown, is the subject of a true crime podcast 5 years after the murder. No suspects have been arrested, and Lucy can’t remember a thing about that night, adding to the town’s suspicions of her guilt. Preferring obscurity, Lucy moved away to start a new life in LA, only to be forced to return to her hometown to confront her dark past.

From the very beginning, the pacing, voice, and perfectly articulated emotions had me in a chokehold. I was hooked; there were so many questions that I needed answers to. Amy Tintera is a master at weaving together a tale that feels like wandering through an ill-lit hedge maze, always thinking that around the next corner all the secrets will yield themselves, only to be confronted with a new path in a new direction.

I was completely invested in the true crime podcast, Lucy’s sarcastic behavior towards those who distrusted her, and the small-town vibe complete with quintessential small-town gossip emanating throughout. I was squealing by the time the conclusion came satisfyingly to a close.

I wish I could speak more on some of the elements of the novel that I really appreciated, as they were depicted perfectly and poignantly, but I would prefer to keep this review spoiler-free for now. Suffice to say, the author does a fantastic job of showing interpersonal relationships, the good and the ugly.

Some caveats: this was definitely chick lit-y and millennial-coded; I personally loved those aspects and it added to the overall story to me, but I can understand if those could be a drawback for some.

Listen for the Lie is Amy Tintera’s adult debut, and I’m excited to read more of her work in the future, as this was everything I could want out of a whodunit novel.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books & Amy Tintera for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Listen for the Lie will be published March 5, 2024.

This is an extremely captivating, fast-paced whodunit that will leave you guessing! I absolutely loved this. This follows Lucy, who may have murdered her best friend but can't remember, and Ben, a podcaster trying to uncover the truth of an unsolved murder. I really enjoyed the writing style, the episodes of podcasts, and how the reader learned a lot of information along with the characters. I loved how all the characters seemed to be keeping secrets, and everyone was suspicious. It is a fun and extremely entertaining read!

4.5 stars. Absolutely loved this book. An epic whodunnit. Using podcasts in thriller novels has become pretty popular, but I really enjoyed it in this book. It added something to the story. All the characters were unreliable, which I enjoyed. It was so satisfying to see Lucy's memories slowly coming back and revealing if she was actually the murder or if someone else committed the crime. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Pub Date: March 5, 2024.

The main character, Lucy, was my favorite part of the book and I laughed out loud several times at her sarcastic comebacks! I did take off one star for the second half dragging a bit but overall I loved it!

Wow! I received a copy of this from the publisher for an honest review and it was SO good. I was absolutely hooked from beginning to end and found the FMC absolutely hilarious. Adding in the podcast, small town setting, and all the twists and turns made this book a top notch thriller. I highly recommend! Will be purchasing a copy for my collection.

What a fantastic debut! While this was a slow burn, the pace was definitely worth the end result. I loved the utterly twisty narrative interspersed with snark. The short chapters made it easy to read and kept the pace moving forward, especially as the book picked up in action. I can't get enough of the podcast host/podcast theme premise. I can't wait to read more!

Lucy returns home under the guise of her grandmas birthday party after leaving 5 years ago when her best friend was murdered… and the whole town thought she did it. Granted she was found with blood on her walking on the side of the road and claimed amnesia. A podcaster is also in town doing a podcast on the mystery surrounding Lucy’s friend Savvy’s murder. Enter a whole cast of characters interviewed for the podcast from Lucy’s abusive ex husband and mom and dad to her charming grandma . And then also friends and a people in town who were there on the night of the murder. I found this to be a very satisfying mystery. I must admit I thought for sure I knew who it was but I was sadly mistaken. I did enjoy Lucy’s relationship with the podcaster and the humor that Lucy put into every interaction. Definitely would recommend this one!

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.