BOOK REVIEW - Listen for the Lie - Amy Tintera - Audiobook - 5*

 

BOOK REVIEW

Listen for the Lie - Amy Tintera

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This was another audiobook gem that I found when browsing, I was looking for something with a bit of meat to it, as I was going to be doing quite a few slightly longer commutes, so needed something to keep me company in the car. It's about 9 hours long so was pretty much spot on the driving time for the week. Fate! 

I adored the premise of this, especially after reading Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter a couple of months ago and ADORING IT, it seemed like this would be a similar style and would be just what I was looking for.

 

BLURB

 Am I a murderer? You tell me...

You probably already know my name, Lucy Chase, the woman who doesn't remember murdering her best friend. 

Even though they couldn't find enough evidence to charge me, I know you all think I did it. That's OK. I realise being found wandering the streets the next day covered in her blood wasn't a great look. 

Believe me, I'm as frustrated as you are. I'd love to know if I'm a murderer - it's the sort of thing you really should know about yourself, isn't it?

And now, thanks to the true-crime podcast Listen for the Lie, I finally have the chance to find out. But will I be able to live with myself if it turns out it was me?

And if it wasn't will digging into the secrets of the night I forgot make me the next target of whoever did?

AUTHOR

Amy Tintera has written since she was in middle school. She's published a few YA books, prior to releasing Listen for the Lie, her first dabble in the world of books for adults. She's educated in both journalism and screenwriting and is originally from Texas (where much of her work is set). 

She has a website with info about Listen for the Lie, and her other books.  Check it out here

PLOT/STORYLINE

A whodunnit with a twist. 

The story is told in two distinct ways. One is from the perspective of Lucy, who five years ago was found wandering down a lonely road, with a head injury and covered in her best friend Savvy's blood. Savvy had been brutally murdered but Lucy had no memory of the night in question. Despite clearly being covered in Savvy's blood, there was no other evidence tying Lucy to the crime so she wasn't arrested or charged. That didn't stop everyone from thinking it was her though, and she left her hometown for the relative anonymity of LA. We join Lucy as she returns to her hometown following the release of a new episodic podcast looking into the crime anew. 

The second storytelling method is through the podcast itself. Told exactly as the podcast is aired, with insights from the host (Ben) and interviews with the people in Lucy's and Savvy's lives at the time of the murder. 

As the podcast continues, Lucy tries to remember, and Ben tries to dig up the truth before coming to a pretty dramatic conclusion. 

CHARACTERS

Lucy's character was hugely relatable. I adore a sarcastic and quick witted inner monologue and Lucy had that in spades. She's unintentionally hilarious with a dry and dark sense of humour and I often found myself laughing out loud, especially her interactions with her nan, who was equally loveable if not a little interfering. 

Ben was a bit more of a tough nut to crack. Most of the parts from his perspective weren't actually his perspective, they were podcasts, recorded and therefore presenting him in a certain way to his listeners. His interactions with Lucy were all from Lucy's point of view so I never got to really see things from his viewpoint, or get inside his mind in the same way. He seemed like a decent bloke though, a little snaky (as folk in these investigate kind of jobs need to be) but had an air of honour about him that I liked. 

Lucy's nan was a great character, the kind of woman I'd love to be when I grow up. A wee bit boozy, blunt, flirty and adventurous, fiercely loyal, incredibly switched on and discerning. I loved her relationship with Lucy, how she kept things real with her and didn't sugar coat the truth. 

Her mum and dad, along with the other people in Lucy's life on the other hand were cunning and mean little people, they were not huge characters in the sense that they didn't take up much screen time as it were, but they were written in just the right way that their actions spoke louder than words. I'd have left town too with parents and friends like that. Even when the story started to open out and people's motives were laid bare, there was no love lost between me and most of them! Brilliantly done by the author, everyone's a suspect! 

OVERALL REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥

I absolutely adored everything about this book. The sharp wit and dark humour, along with the skill with which the author lead me up the garden path of every single character, all made for compulsive reading. It ruined my plans for a book that would take a week to listen to, as I ended up powering through it in a couple of days. Yes, that means that I purposefully left earlier than I needed to, and took more drives than required, in order to get more listening time! 

The concept of the true-crime podcast was used masterfully, and aided the narrative perfectly, moving the story forward while drip feeding new characters, story elements, and suspicion, just like a great podcast should! 

I wasn't particularly keen on the romance element. I didn't think it was needed, as it didn't add much to the story other than perhaps a sense of loyalty to one another, and allowed for some more fleshing out of the story that would have been a bit weird otherwise. I always feel a bit icky when people who are supposed to have professional boundaries just don't, and I was a bit suspicious of ulterior motives (from either side!). I really am clutching at straws though to find something to critique, it's just one of my personal things I'm never totally bought in to regardless of the book (unless it's a romance, because well, then that's what I am there for!)

Overall, this is a great book, a great concept that has been pulled off perfectly. Hats off to Amy Tintera!  

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK?

Everyone! If you love true crime, thrillers, mysteries, dark humour, twisty twists and unique storytelling, this is the one for you! Highly recommended on audiobook as there's another layer of realness that's apparent in the podcast parts in particular. 

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