Reviews with content warning for Death - Listen for the Lie

I started this book at 4:30pm on Tuesday and finished by 10am on Wednesday. 18 hour turn around.. and 8 of them I was asleep for. I feel like that’s pretty telling. I hate the fake word “unputdownable” but that was absolutely the case.

If you like the podcasts “up and vanished” or “serial” it’s a very well written and engaging fictionalized/novel version of those.

The main character was written in a way that made her seem so real. Enough wit and snark to make you laugh out loud, but not so over the top that it felt forced. She was a truly neutral narrator as well, owned up to her faults and culpability while trying to piece together who murdered her friend.

This is a book that I would recommend someone who is just starting to get into reading. A book that is easy to read and digest without sacrificing the writing, character development or plot.

Content Warnings

katiescott's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

ddrosche's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

amandafitz's review

Go to review page

funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I was hooked from the first pages. I fell asleep reading and picked it back up in the morning. I loved Ben’s cocky but sweet smugness. Lucy’s sarcastic comments during awkward situations were hilarious. I loved her grandmother’s personality even more. I’ve never laughed so much while reading a thriller like I did while reading Lucy & the grandmother’s interactions with other people. I would love to see a series come from this with Ben’s podcasts solving other cold cases (but not without Lucy and her grandmother of course 😏)

Content Warnings

christinesreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Content Warnings

mitchelldavis1997's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious 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

4.5

Content Warnings

candaaaace's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

colorcrystals's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-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 was amazing. I was literally hooked with the very first sentence, and I read the first 70% in one sitting, only stopping because I had to go to bed for work in the morning. I absolutely loved the main character, Lucy. She was sassy and snarky and tough, and yet Tintera was still able to show us how vulnerable and imperfect Lucy underneath the bravado.

The cast of characters around Lucy were exceptional. There were some minor characters that didn’t get fleshed out, but all of the major players were dynamic and well-developed. Ben, as the podcaster investigating the murder, obviously played a major role, but I really enjoyed how Tintera wrote his character. He was decently developed, but he was written to be somewhat of a mystery. We never really know what he’s thinking. And not only does that fit really well with the purpose of his character within the story, but it also meant that he was never really central enough to upstage Lucy. This is Lucy’s story, not Ben’s. And I really like how Tintera handled that dynamic.

And overall, it was just really engaging and fun. Even with the seriousness of the topics discussed (which include domestic violence, gaslighting, murder, etc.), Tintera still made me laugh. I was invested in the story from the beginning, and it was a fantastic ride.

Content Warnings

More...