Listen for the Lie: A Novel

A New York Times Bestseller * A Good Morning America Book Club Pick * An NPR Best Book of the Year * A Washington Post Best Thriller of 2024

"I read this in one sitting! Such a fun and engaging read, with an ending that blew my mind!"
Freida McFadden, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A world-class whodunit."
—Stephen King

“An extremely successful high-wire act, balancing between dark comedy and darker thrills.”
—Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Laugh-out-loud funny, thrilling and twisty...”
Liane Moriarty, #1 New York Times bestselling author

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

The truth is out there, if we just listen.

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Published Mar 5, 2024

Average rating: 7.86

3,116 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Listen for the Lie* by Amy Tintera is a fast-moving, twisty thriller centered on a gripping podcast mystery. Reviewers agree Lucy Chase’s...

Karla
Apr 10, 2026
10/10 stars
Loved it. I think it works way better as an audiobook, the interviews and descriptions of the podcast doesn’t hit the same when you’re reading it in the book.
But the audiobook has the little music intro and the character voices were so well done.
Now onto the plot, it was a great thriller, had me hooked from the very beginning!
Lucy has been accused of murdering her best friend but the problem is she doesn’t remember a thing.
It’s been years since it happened but a popular podcaster decides to do a story on her and uncovers a bunch of secrets and helps her figure out what actually happened that night. It was super well done and entertaining, highly recommend the audiobook!
ValerieRuiz
Apr 06, 2026
6/10 stars
Lucy wakes up with no memory of the night her best friend was brutally murdered, only to learn that she is the prime suspect. Years later, a true crime podcast reopens the case, forcing her to confront the gaps in her memory and the version of herself everyone believes is capable of murder. As interviews resurface and buried secrets begin to unravel, the line between truth, manipulation, and self-preservation blurs. The deeper she digs, the more terrifying it becomes to realize the answer may be hiding inside her own mind. So here’s the thing— I enjoyed this book enough to keep reading but not enough to emotionally spiral about it, which feels suspicious and mildlyyyyy disrespectful to my usual thriller chaos standards. Was I entertained? Yes. Was I obsessed? No. Overall, something felt like it was missing or lacking. I also finished this book 2 days ago and can’t remember the ending so do with that as you will lol
Sue Dix
Mar 14, 2026
10/10 stars
This mystery/thriller revolves around a podcast, which is a trope that I love. Lucy Chase, the subject of the podcast may or may not have murdered her best friend. The problem is that she can’t remember any of the circumstances surrounding her friend’s death. She is a totally unreliable and dysfunctional narrator and I love her. This book is so well written and just grabs you from the get go.
JustAnAlibi
Jan 12, 2026
10/10 stars
Loved the format of the read, switching between podcast and Lucy. Not predictable, kept me on my toes until the very end.
Angie B.
Jan 08, 2026
9/10 stars
I really enjoyed this thriller. The book grabbed me from the beginning and kept me up way too late to finish. The story keeps you guessing until the end.

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