Listen for the Lie: A Novel
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.
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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.
Casey L. Pettitt –
Who Has Done This?
Let me start by saying: if you’re torn between reading and listening to this one, go with the audiobook. I did both, and I’m so glad I did — January LaVoy and Will Damron are fantastic, especially in the podcast segments, which feel like a true-crime show come to life.This is a “who has done this” (thanks a lot, Brooklyn-99) that keeps you guessing right up to the final pages. I don’t want to spoil a thing, but I will say that Lucy is one of the most compelling characters I’ve read in a mystery lately — witty, sarcastic, and just unsettling enough to keep you wondering. The supporting cast? Every single one of them feels like they could have done it — or might have.Not everything landed perfectly for me (including the killer reveal), but honestly? I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The pacing is sharp, the structure clever, and the tone hits that sweet spot between dark and playful.I gave this 4.5 out of 5 stars. If you’re in the mood for a fast, twisty mystery that you might finish in a single sitting—or a long walk with your earbuds in — this one’s worth the buzz.
skrapcrazyreads –
Small-town tragedy. Big suspense thriller.
After reading many glowing reviews for this book, I could hardly wait to make time to sit down with this read. I initially thought I would listen to the audiobook, but I had some free time, so I reached for my Kindle instead. After seeing others mention how great the audiobook is, I am kicking myself for not sticking with my original plan. The FOMO is real. 😉What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so, too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter?This tells the story of two small-town girls who connected after graduating and became the best of friends. 5 years earlier, a tragedy happened leaving one friend dead and the other under a huge cloud of suspicion and now, a new podcast covering the murder comes to town threatening to upend many lives in its quest to uncover the truth.The format of alternating chapters between Lucy’s perspective and that of the podcast transcripts made for a captivating, fast-paced, easy read. Lucy was a compelling character with her dry humor and sharp, sarcastic wit. She was irritatingly interesting at times—the type of character who keeps you engaged and wanting to know more.Ben Owens was easily relatable and precisely what you would expect from a seasoned crime podcaster. Grandma Beverly, what can I say? She is a significant driver in the story and presents in such a way that left me feeling like I could drive right up my road to her house and take a seat at her table. The ending was not easily predictable, and everything was wrapped up with a nice, not-so-tidy bow. Overall, this was a twisty, bendy read that I thoroughly enjoyed, and its story and characters will stay with me for quite a while.
Micki Johnson –
Listen For The Lie
This is the first book that I have read from Amy Tintera and it did not disappoint. This is a fast paced psychological thriller with a lot of twists and turns. This author did a great job developing the characters and storyline. I love immersive reading, the narrator brought the story more to life as I read along. This was a great read that I would recommend!
Angela Easton –
Couldn’t put it down
4.5/5 ⭐️ I loved this book and how it all came together. It is such a good thriller , plus it combines the story with a modern day true crime podcast. It was so realistic and believable. I really had no idea where it was going to take me. The writing went from real time to flash backs and then added in the true crime podcast interviews. It had the perfect amount of drama and twist and turns. I wish I would’ve gotten a little more with the ending but it was so good! I loved the sarcasm and humor throughout! The book is about a podcaster who decides to interrogate a murder that happened 5 years ago. The problem is the only person with the victim was her best friend Lucy, eh was found miles away bloody,injured and with no memory of the entire night. Lucy comes back to Texas for her grandmothers birthday and actually agrees to do an interview for this podcast even though she has never given an interview. However, he story is the same, she has no memory of that night, but for some reason she keeps seeing her dead best friend all around. Book 46/50 for #2024readinggoal #booktok #bookstagram #listenforthelie #amytintera #thriller
Shelby –
Good read
The ending was great and enjoyable. This was a very quick and easy read. Good story line. I felt like it was missing something though that could’ve made it more interesting.
Gaby Méndez Vides –
great book
It’s an easy and fun book to read, perfect for a book club! 5 stars,hope we get a movie soon
Debesbooknookwit –
Thrilling!
I listened to the audiobook of Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera after pulling it from my TBR backlist, and it turned out to be an engaging psychological thriller.The story centers on Lucy Chase, a woman everyone believes got away with murder. Years earlier her best friend Savvy was found dead, and Lucy was discovered wandering the streets covered in Savvy’s blood with no memory of what happened. Although she was never charged, the town has already decided she is guilty.Years later a true crime podcast reopens the case, pulling Lucy back into the story she has been trying to escape. The podcast element works particularly well in the audiobook format, adding an extra layer to the storytelling as pieces of the past slowly come to light.The pacing kept the story moving steadily while the mystery unfolded. The premise of memory loss combined with public perception and true crime investigation made for a compelling listening experience.Overall, this was a strong psychological thriller and an enjoyable audiobook.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Chiara Bishop –
Great book with twists! We read this for book club with no expectations and really enjoyed it.
Gina –
El producto venía en muy mal estado.Venía todo rayado y roto.
Blue –
Good read, almost at the end. Bit confusing as too many people involved.
Nidhi –
The premise is so unique ,a true crime podcast mixed with a mystery where the main character might be the killer?? It’s such a fresh take, and the writing is super sharp and witty. I find myself questioning everything right along with the characters. Even though I haven’t finished yet, the pacing and twists are making it really hard to put down. Definitely one of the most addictive reads I’ve picked up in a while.
Zottl Günter –
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