Book Review
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
Mystery | Thriller
Reader’s Thoughts:
What if everyone in town thought you’d murdered your best friend? What if no one believed you when you said you didn’t remember what had happened that night? After all, why would they? You were the last one to see her. You had been fighting. And you were found, wandering the street, covered in her blood.
Just how far would you go to uncover the truth? Even if it meant uncovering your own guilt…
This is the premise of Amy Tintera’s new novel, Listen for the Lie, the author’s debut into adult thrillers — and what a thrilling ride it was! If you loved our readalong last year featuring Lisa Jewell’s None of This is True, then I highly recommend adding Listen for the Lie to your TBR as it gave me a lot of the same vibes.
Listen for the Lie is told from the point of view of Lucy, a sarcastic and blunt heroine who has been accused by all around her of murdering her best friend, Savvy. Now, several years later, she returns to her small hometown to celebrate her grandmother’s 80th birthday, and surprisingly, finds herself willing to be interviewed by podcast host, Ben Owens as he searches for the truth.
Right from the start, it’s clear that readers are in for a dark but delightfully snarky read. The chapters are interspersed with clips from Ben’s podcast interviews, and I enjoyed both the layout of the story and the writing style. (With the sole exception being the number of times Ben was described as “smug!” After the tenth time, I was in desperate need of a new adjective…)
With its fast pace and well-written characters (Grandma stole the show!) I found myself very invested in uncovering the truth along with Lucy and Ben. This was pleasantly surprising for me as I will admit that amnesia isn’t a trope I enjoy very often in thrillers, but Lucy’s character managed to intrigue rather than annoy me, and I thought that was well done.
In terms of a thriller, this book has all the twists and red herrings that you want. (Note: The plot has significant themes of infidelity, abuse, and contains profanity.) While I don’t think the mystery element brought anything necessarily new to the genre, it hit both suspenseful and entertaining, making for a fun and highly binge-able read. This was a fantastic adult fiction debut, and I think it will certainly be a popular read for 2024!
Recommended for:
Readers who enjoy dark, sarcastic thrillers
This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Advance copy of the book provided courtesy of the publisher, Celadon. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the book:
(From the publisher): 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.