A review by tonyaf
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thrillers are one of my favorite “palate cleanser” genres. If I’ve been reading a lot of any one genre and need a quick break with an exciting and fast-paced book, I almost always pick up a thriller. That said, I seldom find thrillers that I’d rate higher than 3 stars. I love the genre, but I’ve read so many that I am incredibly hard to impress or shock anymore. Unless a thriller does something really unique, has surprising depth, or the twists are completely bonkers then I rarely find them particularly memorable.

Listen For The Lie is one of those few that will make it onto my (very short) list of favorite thrillers.

The plot summary sounds fairly standard for a modern thriller: the main character, Lucy, was a suspect in her best friend’s murder. Now, years later, a popular true-crime podcast is doing an episode on the case. Lucy has no memory of the night of her friend’s death but she’s back in her hometown in Texas, where the murder happened, and the podcast has stirred up renewed attention to the case and on Lucy.

The first thing I noticed and loved about Listen For The Lie is the tone. The book is genuinely funny from the very first line and manages to hold onto that sense of humor throughout the book. I found that to be very refreshing and unique from the thrillers I’ve read lately. The darkly humorous tone helps keep the story from ever feeling too grim. It also helps make the characters surprisingly endearing even through some dark moments. I’ve never read a thriller that I found quite as charming before and I really enjoyed it! It is also seriously addictive which I was thrilled about. It’s been a while since a thriller hooked me so thoroughly!

If you love thrillers but need something a little different, I really recommend giving Listen For The Lie a chance. The mystery is crafted and paced perfectly, and the twists and turns will leave you unable to put this book down! For me, Listen For The Lie was the kind of thriller that reminds me why I love thrillers and why I continue to read the genre even when I don’t often find many that I actually love. It’s smart, funny, emotional, dark, and a genuinely fun and surprising read. 

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