This review post is all about the “Listen for the Lie” book by Amy Tintera.
CATEGORIES: BOOK BLOG POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, MYSTERY/THRILLER
ABOUT THE BOOK
title: listen for the lie
AUTHOR: amy tintera
GENRES: THRILLER, mystery
PUBLISHER: macmillan audio
PUBLISHING DATE: 3/5/2024
FORMAT: audiobook
length/PAGE COUNT: 352 pages; 9 hours, 18 mintutes
NARRATION: jANUARY LAVOY AND WILL DAMRON
source: self-purchased
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A HILARIOUS WHODUNNIT MURDER MYSTERY
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT “listen to lie”
I became interested in Listen for the Lie because one of my favorite bookstagrammers posted a reel raving about it.
I’d never even heard of author Amy Tintera before, but this bookstagrammer usually has stellar book recommendations, so I went in pretty confident this would be a good read.
I was wrong. It was a GREAT read.
It gave me everything I expected from a thriller – a riveting plot, mystery, and violence. What I didn’t expect was the romantic subplot, the hilarious humor, and the interesting podcast angle. I ate it up. It was so good the author got my money twice. I purchased the audiobook AND the physical copy.
Let’s discuss why.
This book review of Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera will contain a breakdown of the plot, characters, and writing style. It will also contain book recommendations for books similar to this one and list some of the author’s other works. Lastly, it will contain some great book club questions.
this review post is all about "Listen for the Lie" by Amy Tintera.
“listen for the lie” goodreads summary
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.
"LISTEN FOR THE LIE" BOOK REVIEW
UNPACKING THE PLOT OF “listen the lie”
This book pulls you in from the beginning. Our down-on-her-luck protagonist, Lucy Chase, is dreading going to her hometown of Plumpton, TX and facing the people who think she’s gotten away with murder.
My first thought was that Lucy is probably a bit of a jerk if everyone, including her family, including even herself thinks she’s capable of murdering her best friend, Savvy. I was curious to know more about Lucy to find out why everyone was quick to point the fingers in her direction.
To Lucy’s surprise, Ben Owens, the host of a popular podcast “Listen for the Lie” is also in town and is interviewing of neighbors, friends, and family. Through the podcast episodes we get an idea of why many people dislike Lucy.
Lucy’s snarky humor and inability to play nice with others definitely paints her in a poor light – and what’s more she doesn’t seem to care.
What drives the plot forward originally was the desire to piece together what took place the night of the murder, and what, if any, motive did she have to harm her best friend.
As the story progressed, a romantic subplot caught my interest, but I wished the author would’ve delved deeper into it.
In addition, like any good whodunnit murder-mystery, there was a point where I thought anyone could’ve been the murderer. And, the plot twist at the end was one I didn’t see coming. I wish, however, that it didn’t come out of left field. If there were at least some small red herrings, the ending wouldn’t have felt so anticlimactic.
Overall, the plot was stellar, however it wasn’t the strongest element of this book. We’ll get to that later
“Is it true that no one believe Lucy Chase? Is she hiding something, or have people of Plumpton accused an innocent woman of murder for five years? Let’s find out.”
THE CHARACTERS THAT BROUGHT “Listen for the lie” TO LIFE
First off, all the characters were either morally grey or black. This is where the author’s talent shines. There was something not to like about everyone in the little town of Plumpton, TX.
Lucy Chase is guarded, complicated, tough as nails, and hilarious. Her approach to dealing with being called a murderer is to use humor as a shield.
It’s clear from the beginning that she is dealing with some serious demons and is likely experiencing PTSD. For reasons I won’t disclose, Lucy is an unreliable narrator, however this does not overcomplicate the narrative as it often does in other thriller books. The revelations from the podcast help keep everything cohesive.
I give major props to the author because Lucy’s jokes land. Humor is perhaps one of the hardest things to write well and Tintera pulled it off flawlessly. There were multiple scenes where this character had me laughing out loud.
Ben Owens is the smooth, sexy, charming podcaster who has a passion for true crime and genuinely wants to get the truth about what happened to Savvy. He was far from a vanilla character. He had a dark side too, which Lucy was all too willing to bring out of him.
Beverly Moore is Lucy’s sassy grandmother, the only relative Lucy actually likes, and the only reason Lucy agreed to come back to her hometown. Not only is she an additional source of comic relief, but she provides the much-needed support when Lucy is ready to give up
“Some people will never believe you no matter how hard you explain yourself. Trust me, there’s no pleasing people. If they’re determined to think the worst of you, they will.”
The secondary characters include Lucy’s parents, ex-husband, neighbors, former friends, as well as Savvy’s family members. They all serve either as potential murder suspects, useful witnesses, or just people eager to trash Lucy’s reputation.
THE WRITING STYLE THAT MAKES “listen for lie” MEMORABLE
The novel’s writing style is a true standout. The blend of Lucy’s first-person POV, her fragmented flashbacks, and the immersive podcast segments creates a reading experience akin to bingeing a addictive true-crime series.
The cliffhanger endings and short chapters make it impossible to put down. The balance of humor, romance, and mystery is nothing short of brilliant.
If “Listen for the Lie” were a real podcast, I’d be a loyal listener because the drama and the revelations were nail-biters.
“I stab the knife into the chicken, right between the breast and thigh. I may have used a bit more force than necessary. Nathan jumps. I smile. At this rate, he’s going to end up married to a murderer.”
IS “LISTEN FOR THE LIE” SPICY?
As I mentioned earlier there is a romantic subplot in this thriller, however it is not focal point in this story. However, there is a dash of spice. It gets a half of a chili pepper.
“LISTEN FOR THE LIE” AUDIOBOOK NARRATION
Terrific! Both narrators, January LaVoy and Will Damron, did a bang up job of bringing all of he character’s to life. In fact, I couldn’t believe how well they did the voices of all the characters. It seemed like a full cast of characters, rather than just two. I feel like they’re owed an award for that performance.
The audiobook as a whole was well produced, with the podcast segments of the books sounding like a real podcast episode equipped with intro and outro music.
Listen for the Lie was an outstanding novel. Normally, I don’t plan on re-reading mysteries or thrillers because once I solve the puzzle, I lose interest. However, this book was sheer fun so I plan on reading it again in the near future.
Listen for the Lie is a masterclass in blending genres. It’s a thriller with a pulse-pounding mystery, a romance with sizzling tension, and a dark comedy that will leave you laughing. While it may not be perfect, its flaws are easily overlooked in light of its many strengths.
The humor made me rate it five stars. As I said before, humor is one of the hardest things to pull off in fiction and it was cool to see author Amy Tintera masterfully balance the light with the dark.
If you love true crime, edgy comedy, and dysfunctional family drama, then this book is right up your ally.
“listen for the lie” bookclub questions
(*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*)
- What conclusion do you think Ben would’ve made had he not spoken to Lucy?
- Why do you think Lucy’s parents were so convinced she was the killer?
- What do you make of Lucy’s relationship with her parents?
- What is behind Lucy’s intrusive thoughts and delusions?
- Why do you think Lucy and Savvy formed such a tight friendship?
- What were your thoughts on how quickly men were believed versus the women in this book? Do you think this rings true in real life?
- Given Lucy’s attraction to toxic men, do you think this pattern will continue? Are decent men repellent to her?
- Why do you think Lucy’s ex-husband never said a bad word about her after the divorce?
- What do you think finally triggered Lucy to give up on her marriage? Why do you think she stuck it out for as long as she did?
- When did Ben think Lucy might’ve been innocent?
- What does it say about Lucy that Savvy’s dark confession didn’t ruin the friendship?
- Who were your top three murder suspects in the beginning? Why?
- Who were your favorite characters? Who were your least favorite characters?
OTHER BOOKS BY AMY TINTERA
If you’d like books similar to ‘Listen to the Lie’ check out this post “10 Best Psychological Thriller Audiobooks That Will Give You Chills.” Or, check out these book recommendations below.
BOOKS SIMILAR TO LISTEN FOR THE LIE
Thanks for reading this book review of “Listen to the Lie” by Amy Tintera. If you’ve read this book or other works by this author, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below.
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