Reviews with content warning for Blood - Listen for the Lie

This was a pretty solid read but as far as thrillers go it didn't really wow me. However, I liked the podcast element and how it sounded on the audiobook and I thought the narrators did a good job not only with the story but with the other character voices as well. It was engaging to listen to that way and I think I enjoyed this more on audio than I would have physically.

Content Warnings

astoriareader's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

SYNOPSIS

Lucy left her hometown, a small town in Texas, five years ago after being accused of killing her best friend, Savannah, aka Savvy. Unfortunately, Lucy doesn’t remember anything about what happened to Savvy.
She’s been living in LA and trying not to revisit the past. Ben, a podcaster, decides to investigate Savvy’s murder for the 2nd season of his podcast. When Lucy returns to her hometown to celebrate her grandmother’s birthday, she links up with Ben to uncover the truth.

MY THOUGHTS

I loved this one. Two POVs - Lucy’s and the podcast episodes - with alternating chapters. Fast-paced. Compelling. Satisfying ending.
Lucy also has dark humor, and I enjoyed her as a main character. Since the story covers some tough topics, the comedic relief was a nice balance.
I loved Beverly (Lucy’s grandmother), too! She was a fun character, and she truly loved Lucy
There were lots of twists and turns. I appreciated reading about a woman who doesn’t fit in with societal norms & no one listens to her or believes her. When a male podcaster comes along, it’s the only thing that may bolster Lucy's credibility, which is pretty realistic.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 stars. Compelling writing. Satisfying ending.

Content Warnings

cassielaj's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I love that books are starting to explore/interrogate the true crime media/podcast obsession. This book was a really interesting take on trying to solve a cold case. The small town setting always works so well, and the book truly kept me guessing by introducing so many lies and secrets and tangents. The podcast episodes were a cool way to push the story forward. The memory loss angle was also effective — I love when the narrator is unreliable even to themselves.
I think I would’ve loved a bit more resolution for some of the threads that were opened, and a little more character (this book was definitely plot-focused). But overall, i enjoyed this story — definitely a page turner

Content Warnings

kiercarnahan's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Listen for the Lie was my March @bookofthemonth pick. I really liked it. It was a thriller with half of it a podcast format. It’s about a girl Lucy who is suspected of killing her best friend Savvy but she has no memory of what happened. Ben is a big true crime podcaster who has taken up the case on the newest season of his podcast and is intent on helping Lucy remember what happened whether it exonerates her or condemns her. I liked the podcast aspect and how the story played out. I’m a little fuzzy on the motive of the crime but enjoyed how it all played out.

Content Warnings

missgrangerr's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

daniparvu's review

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to end. There are so many twists and turns... and, something that doesn't usually happen, I did NOT see the ending coming. Brilliant.

Content Warnings

emallovesreading's review

Go to review page

tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

More...