Listen for the Lie

A Novel

By: Amy Tintera

Narrated by: January LaVoy, Will Damron

A 2025 Audie Award winner for Best Mystery!

"A world-class whodunit."—Stephen King

“An extremely successful high-wire act, balancing between dark comedy and darker thrills.”—Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Laugh-out-loud funny, thrilling and twisty...”—Liane Moriarty, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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.

The truth is out there, if we just listen.

Long-listed, NPR Best Book of the Year, 2024 • Long-listed, Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2024 • Long-listed, Audible.com 100 Audible Essentials, 2024

"A lot of thrillers these days use the murder podcast as a plot device. This production simulates one better than any audiobook I’ve listened to, to an often hilarious effect. Also, January LaVoy expertly voices one of Lucy’s funniest tics: imagining how she would murder nearly every person with whom she comes in contact."—Vulture

"Narrator January LaVoy is a treat to listen to, as she gives Lucy the sardonic tone she needs as she grapples with life. LaVoy is also a genius in the way she gives life to Lucy's inner voice—a psychological shoulder demon who wants to solve every issue with ... "let's kill him."—The Berkshire Eagle

"Narrator LaVoy absolutely shines as the broken yet charmingly cheeky heroine. Her tale is organically intermixed with podcast excerpts delivered in honeyed and wry tones by Will Damron, each bookended by delightful 'podcasty' melodies."—Booklist

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books.

©2024 Amy Tintera (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Listen for the Lie is a page-turner from the first sentence to the very last. In addition to being a world-class whodunit, full of carefully doled-out twists, Lucy is a terrific character, feisty and funny and, it turns out, brave as hell. It’s great fun. Readers will rip through this one.”—Stephen King

“Original and deliciously dark with a wicked sense of humor. An addictive page-turner that will keep you guessing until the end.”—Alice Feeney, New York Times bestselling author

“A singular voice that explodes off the page, Amy Tintera's writing flashes with sharp comebacks and pointed commentary as she expertly knits her web of secrets and small town lies. Hands down the most fun I've had reading about murder.”—Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of The Husbands

The Truth doesn’t matter

Listen for the Lie
Amy Tintera
 
What a read this was!!!
Lucy and Savvy are great childhood friends. Friends that would give their lives for each other types of friends. While Savvy is gruesomely murdered, in her little hometown in Texas, her best friend Lucy is presumed to be the killer. With no solid evidence and Lucy unable to remember about the night of the murder, the police isn’t able to arrest her.
It’s after 5 years in LA that Lucy returns to her hometown in Texas to celebrate her grandmom’s birthday where everyone has already tagged her as the murderer, where she meets the charming podcaster who is delving into Savvy’s mysterious murder stirs up a storm in Lucy’s life. Upon her grandmother’s insistence, she agrees to give an interview to the podcaster, Ben Owen to share her side of the story. But the fact is, she doesn’t remember anything as yet.
Did Lucy really kill her best friend and is making up the act of suffering from amnesia or there is a darker, dirtier truth behind the story?
Read #listenforthelie to find out more
 
What I liked:
❣️The story just runs full speed from the very beginning.
❣️There isn’t a dull moment here.
❣️Some of the characters, specially Lucy and her grandmother are so adorable, smart and sarcastic.
❣️The story is gripping with a good, unpredictable climax
❣️The change between chapter is good – Lucy’s POV and the podcast appear in alternating chapters and it keeps you hooked to the story
 
Bummer:
👎🏼Since I also listened to the audio book, first I liked how they introduced the podcast with a music and concluded it with music…but when it kept happening with every podcast chapter, it started to irritate me. I wanted to hear the story more than the music.
 
Overall a 🌟4.5/5

The format was really interesting. Totally different from anything I’ve ever read before.

I suppose it’s the mark of a good book when you really wanna strangle it’s heroin for being stupid

Entertaining and keeps you guessing

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. The narrators brought the story to life, and the author did a phenomenal job keeping me guessing.

A perfect book for a true crime podcast fan

This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! One of my favorite who done it books I’ve read!

Wow

I cldnt stop listening to this. This grass, my attention from the very first chapter. An amazing job first five star book of the year for me.

Tricky mystery and dark humor…

I loved that I couldn’t figure this one out until the end! I liked the characters, like didn’t loathe them all (for once). Lots of dark humor, and I found it to be fresh! Don’t miss out.

The story behind the podcast

Very creative! I loved the story and I was on the edge of my seat. Very clever writing and a very surprising end! Love the twists!!!!!!

My absolute fave of 2024 !

I listen to a TON of audiobooks and almost all of which are thrillers. This is the best read of 2024! I loved this book. The characters, story and Januarys narration is incredible as always! You will be so glad you grabbed this title. I wish I could listen all over again for the first time.

Fantastic story and narration!

Absolutely loved this one! The narration was perfect, and the blend of podcast into the story was amazing, If you love listening to true crime podcasts, you’ll really enjoy this book on Audible.

Multiple character voices make the story intriguing

The character development built from many different perspectives made them come to life for me. I couldn't stop listening!!!