Listen for The Lie

Author: Amy Tintera
Genre: Psychological Thriller
333 pages
Publisher: Celadon Books, 2024

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

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. But after Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer.

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 who did it.

The truth is out there, if we just listen.

My review
Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera is an incredibly entertaining psychological thriller! While I usually gravitate toward dark crime fiction, there are times when I crave something lighter, and this book was just the right choice. It’s a straightforward, engaging, and delightfully fun read, with enough human elements to keep the story light and moving at a fast pace. At just over 300 pages, I breezed through it in one sitting, and it provided the perfect touch of levity when I needed it most.

This narrative was captivating, and I truly enjoyed it for what it was—a light, easy-to-read, and engaging story with likable, fun characters. Tintera infuses the plot with plenty of humor, keeping the tone light throughout. If you’re looking for deep character development, this isn’t that kind of book—but it shines in its own right.

The story unfolds through Lucy’s perspective, the main character, and interviews from the Listen for the Lie podcast. Lucy’s dry wit and sarcasm remain steady throughout, making her narrative engaging and relatable. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Lucy and the podcast host, Ben Owens, but my favorite character, hands down, was Lucy’s grandmother, Beverly—what a hoot!

Overall, Listen for the Lie was an absolute blast to read! If you’re seeking dark crime fiction or a classic whodunit, this might not be the book for you. But if you’re in the mood for something light, highly entertaining, and packed with humor that might make you laugh out loud, I highly recommend this novel.

My recommendation: read it!