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A review by dcnireads
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
a twisty, small town-drama filled whodunnit centered on a cynical amnesiac woman who reluctantly returns to her hometown to solve a murder she was accused of committing, along with the help of the annoyingly attractive true crime podcaster who is covering her case.
ive had this book for a while but i kept putting it off for a couple times due to what i call my thriller fatigue, but if i'd known that this is the kind of read you could fly through (fast paced, short chapters, lowkey gasp-inducing reveals)? then i really wouldnt have wasted my time because damn, that was fun. lucy chase's dark humor and wit automatically caught my attention right off the bat, just by that opening sentence in the first chapter. i will say that imaginary!savvy constantly interrupting lucy's train of thought and in between lines of dialogue got annoying after a while, but i can look past it.
the romance was also a little subdued for my taste and lucy's dynamic with ben was kinda eh at first but that one scene singlehandedly changed my opinion about the two of them. it was very much a "they match each other's freak in a way that is mildly concerning" situation but fucking trust me when i say was NOT complaining at all. on a more serious note, this novel delivered some good commentary on domestic abuse, specifically on how dangerous gaslighting is and how it can literally ruin your life and fuck you up mentally and emotionally. i found it admirable on the author's part to raise awareness about such topics, no matter how sensitive it is. lastly, even though the reveals in this one got lowkey predictable in the end, the twist and turns along the way still managed to make the whole thing very fun.
bottomline is, i already love a good "i dont remember what happened" kinda murder mystery, but to top it all off with just the prefect dash of romance? yeah take my fucking money. this one is definitely going down as one of my favorites just based on those specific microtropes. 4.5 stars.
ive had this book for a while but i kept putting it off for a couple times due to what i call my thriller fatigue, but if i'd known that this is the kind of read you could fly through (fast paced, short chapters, lowkey gasp-inducing reveals)? then i really wouldnt have wasted my time because damn, that was fun. lucy chase's dark humor and wit automatically caught my attention right off the bat, just by that opening sentence in the first chapter. i will say that imaginary!savvy constantly interrupting lucy's train of thought and in between lines of dialogue got annoying after a while, but i can look past it.
the romance was also a little subdued for my taste and lucy's dynamic with ben was kinda eh at first but that one scene singlehandedly changed my opinion about the two of them. it was very much a "they match each other's freak in a way that is mildly concerning" situation but fucking trust me when i say was NOT complaining at all. on a more serious note, this novel delivered some good commentary on domestic abuse, specifically on how dangerous gaslighting is and how it can literally ruin your life and fuck you up mentally and emotionally. i found it admirable on the author's part to raise awareness about such topics, no matter how sensitive it is. lastly, even though the reveals in this one got lowkey predictable in the end, the twist and turns along the way still managed to make the whole thing very fun.
bottomline is, i already love a good "i dont remember what happened" kinda murder mystery, but to top it all off with just the prefect dash of romance? yeah take my fucking money. this one is definitely going down as one of my favorites just based on those specific microtropes. 4.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content