A review by oxfordcommas91
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was hooked from the very first page. I’m admittedly someone who loves a first person murder mystery and/or thriller type book, but this one had all the right pacing, character development and plot twists to keep me guessing. I liked that the plot twists weren’t so outlandish - it all felt very realistic and you could easily picture this being the plot of a real life true crime podcast. There have been a few books in this genre (true crime pod) that I’ve read lately and I think this is among the best. It’s fast paced, doesn’t get overly loaded down in irrelevant details or red herrings, yet still provides you with a fleshed out story and plenty of classic whodunnit moments. 

I really liked all the characters - not in the sense that I liked who they were as people, but they were intriguing and complex and imperfect in a way that was satisfying to read. It makes me want to continue uncovering the details chapter after chapter.
Also, side note: this book really drives home the wisdom between women of never trusting the “nice guy.”


TL;DR I devoured this book in a little over 24 hours and it only took me that long because apparently you have to sleep and eat and show up to other life obligations. I strongly recommend if you need a fast paced twisty thriller that isn’t so scary it won’t keep you up long after reading. It would be fantastic to pull someone out of a slump!

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