Listen for the Lie

Amy Tintera

Thriller

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

(4.5 / 5) Amy Tintera has been a favorite YA author of mine. Some of my faves have been All These Monsters duology and The Q. She stepped away from YA for this book to write an adult thriller and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

The novel centers around Lucy, haunted by the unsolved murder of her best friend during their teenage years. With memories clouded by uncertainty and guilt, Lucy finds herself back in the mystery when a new podcast begins investigating the case. As revelations surface and tensions mount, Lucy struggles with questions of her own involvement and the possibility of hidden truths that her amnesia has been hiding.

One of the standout elements of this book is Lucy’s irreverent humor and unfiltered honesty. It made her refreshingly authentic and relatable. Tintera balanced the darker aspects of the story with Lucy’s sharp and snarky wit. Her dark humor made the story even more entertaining with multiple laugh-out-loud moments.

The intricacies of the murder mystery kept me on the edge of my seat with each twist and turn. Tintera skillfully planted seeds of doubt and suspicion. The addition of the podcast element added an extra layer of intrigue to the mystery.

Ultimately, this is a dark and wickedly entertaining thriller that showcases Amy Tintera’s versatility. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking an exhilarating read that will keep them guessing until the very end.

AUDIO REVIEW: Fabulous! While I went back and forth from the audio to digital copy, I truly enjoyed the audio. January LaVoy and Will Damron excelled in the cadence of their voices to match the mystery and also humor of the moments.

General content summary: F words= 93

Imagining different ways to kill people (multiple)

Alcohol 

Investigation into a previous murder

Infidelity (multiple, no details)

Physical abuse (previous, spouse, some details)

Hallucinations 

Intimacy (referenced, multiple, closed door scenes, birth control talk, 1 scene with some details)

Rape (referenced, previous)

Killing (stabbing, injuries, few details) 

Smoking a joint 

Physical violence (weapon, blood, head injuries, some details, fist fight)

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the digital copy and MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

The book releases March 5, 2024.

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