Quick 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?

Publisher’s Synopsis

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.

The truth is out there, if we just listen.

Book Review

I know that at this point, the podcast thriller set up has been played out. But just stick with me, because this book is worth it.

Listen for the Lie is a small town mystery about Lucy, who was accused of killing her best friend 5 years ago. Lucy is now living her not-so-best life in L.A. when her beloved grandmother asks her to return to celebrate her 80th birthday. (If this lady, Beverly, was my grandma, I would 100% make that trip.) Coincidentally, a podcaster has arrived in town to investigate the unsolved murder that the town decided Lucy committed. The problem is Lucy has no memory of the murder and does not know if she is the killed Savvy.

If you have not yet read a review for Listen for the Lie, let me tell you that it is getting rave reviews. You will surely see it all over whatever book-related social media you consume very soon.

I think the popularity of this book pre-release can be attributed to Amy Tintera’s writing and characters. Tintera structures the story in short, quick chapters that urge you to binge it. The narrative is interspersed with partial podcast segments as the episodes drop in the novel’s timeline. Essentially, readers are reading/listening to the podcast as the characters do. As a result, readers feel like the characters are reacting to the episodes in real time. This created an engaging story that I did not want to put down.

I also think Tintera’s writing style is a fun departure from the usual thriller/mystery faire. I was not expecting to read a book about murder that was as comedic as Listen for the Lie. The tone is consistent throughout the story and aided by the protagonist’s sassy comments. Lucy’s sarcasm was dripping off the pages. Have I mentioned the murderous voice in her head? That is not to say the writing was perfect. For example, the word smug was used over 30 times.

I must also mention that Tintera is spot on in her depiction of small town dynamics. If you think they are exaggerated after reading this, I promise you Tintera has this aspect correct. I can attest to as much as someone who grew up in a town even smaller than Plumpton.

Now do I think this was a brilliantly plotted mystery? No, not really. The book provides plenty of red herrings and suspects but does not bring any new, inventive twists to the table. But in the end, that did not matter because I had such a good time reading it.

I do have a few quibbles with the book beyond some repetitive language. There is a romance storyline that is completely unnecessary. I am going to chalk this up to the fact Tintera is a YA author making the pivot to adult fiction. In addition, Lucy continually denies something that very apparently happened throughout the book. I felt like we were never given a real explanation for why, and it stuck out as an odd choice for the character. Similarly, I thought Lucy ignoring, or at least failing to call out, all the male gaslighting was unacceptable. It is 2024; let women support other women unabashedly.

If you enjoy audiobooks, this is definitely one to listen to. The audiobook really embraces the podcast format and runs with it. The narrators do a fabulous job distinguishing between and embodying the characters. The audiobook format of Listen for the Lie really elevates the story and brings it to life.

Overall, Listen to the Lie is a quick, fun mystery novel that highlights real issues while keeping a comedic tone. I definitely recommend it unless you are easily irritated by repetitive phrases, sarcasm, or the occasional immaturity.

Rating

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Writing

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Character Development