Listen for the Lie Book Review
Written by:
The Candid Bibliophile
Published on:
June 12, 2024
Updated on:
August 20, 2024
Why you can trust my review of Listen for the Lie
Preferences in books are widely subjective, but I tried to come up with a methodology for rating thriller books that focuses on the elements of the genre. My rating and review are based on how well Listen for the Lie incorporates all of those elements. While I can't promise complete objectivity, you can trust that my rating and review are not completely biased.
Summary of Listen for the Lie
Lucy finds herself in the center of a true crime podcast called “Listen for the Lie”. The podcast’s host, Ben Owens, has decided to revisit a five year old murder where Lucy was the main suspect according to the good citizens of Plumpton, TX. Why? Because she was found wandering the streets in a daze covered in the victim’s blood, who was her best friend. While she was never convicted of the murder, thanks to the podcast, Lucy is forced to revisit a night she has long forgotten. With little choice in the matter, Lucy returns to her hometown and resolves to help solve her best friend’s murder. Even if it turns out that she is, in fact, the murderer.
Judging the book by its cover
When I first saw Listen for the Lie and noticed the audio cord, I immediately thought, “great, another book about a podcast.” When I read the synopsis, my dread was confirmed but I decided to give it a shot because the murder suspect was actually helping the podcast host solve the murder rather than being hunted by the podcast host. This intrigued me. Especially since the synopsis mentioned that the murder suspect, Lucy, was found covered in the victim’s blood. At this point, I knew there had to be more to the story and I was intrigued to find out what it was.
My take on Listen for the Lie
Let me start by saying that I consumed this book within 24 hours. The story was thoroughly entertaining and I couldn’t put it down. I enjoy books that keep me wanting more of the story.
Lucy, the protagonist, is witty, snarky, and self-deprecating. I guess if I were ruthlessly accused of murder, I’d be a bit self-deprecating, too. When the alleg received nationwide attention, she resigned herself to roll with the punches. I do wish she would have fought more to clear her name, but she wasn’t even confident that she was innocent.
“A side effect of being accused of murder is that you spend a lot of time thinking about it.”
— Lucy
Savvy, the murder victim, was painted as Plumpton’s sweetheart. She was the homecoming queen and cheerleader in high school. This image stuck with a majority of the small town after high school. There was more to Savvy than anyone but a couple people knew.
Ben Owens, the podcast host, is a bit smug, but fearless as he stirs the pot in the small Texas town. He interviews a slew of characters including Lucy’s family, Savvy’s family, Lucy’s high school best friends, and Lucy’s ex-husband in the hopes that he can uncover who really murdered Savvy (even if it was, in fact, Lucy).
While I found the story entertaining, I did find it lacking in suspense and action. There was more action than there was suspense, but it was left for the end of the book. I also felt like the stakes were extremely low for Lucy. She was so accustomed to being accused of murdering Savvy that she would often flat out say she was the murderer (mostly to make people uncomfortable). She would often say “the truth doesn’t matter” and that just felt like resignation. While she may have been right in the end, I do wish the stakes were higher for her.
The ending was very on brand for Lucy. Ben was able to conclude his podcast by naming the murderer after all. The journey to the conclusion was filled with twists and turns. Some were predictable while others were extremely surprising. I found myself guessing the murderer several times only to be proven wrong.
All in all, I was extremely entertained by this book. Elements of a great thriller were lacking for me (the suspense, the stakes, the action), but I didn’t feel like this ruined the book.
Who should read this book?
Any reader who wants to be entertained by a fast-paced novel with a twist that you likely won’t see coming until it’s right in your face should read this book. Readers who are die-hard fans of thrillers should go into this book knowing that some elements of the genre are lacking or missing completely. Readers who are triggered by scenes of domestic violence should either not read the book or read cautiously knowing that these scenes exist.
Jump ahead
Author:
Amy Tintera
Publisher:
Celadon Books
My rating:
3.4
Content warning:
This book contains depictions of domestic violence.