01 November 2024
Listen For The Lie Review And Book Club Questions
Reviewed by: Melissa Ng
Quick Facts
Book Publication Date: 5 March 2024
How I Read It: eBook on indyreads - borrowed from my local library
Where You Can Find Listen For The Lie By Amy Tintera: Amazon | Kobo | Audible | Dymocks | QBD Books | Apple Books | Spotify Premium
Content & Trigger Warnings: Domestic violence, cheating, murder, mild spice, mild coarse language

Listen For The Lie Summary
Listen For The Lie is told from Lucy’s point of view, interwoven with podcast transcripts. There are also flashbacks to the past, adding layers to the unfolding mystery.
Lucy, now living in Los Angeles with a disinterested boyfriend and recently let go from her assistant job, finds herself drawn back into the past when she discovers that a podcaster is investigating the murder of her best friend, Savvy, in her hometown.
Everyone in town believes Lucy killed Savvy, as she was found wandering the streets covered in Savvy’s blood, with no memory of what had happened.
The police never had enough evidence to charge Lucy, but the town has never stopped suspecting her.
When Lucy returns to Texas for her grandmother’s birthday, she finds that Ben, the podcaster, has been emailing her, trying to get her to come on his show and tell her side of the story.
Lucy has never spoken publicly about the murder because she has no memory of the night it occurred.
As Ben's early podcast episodes air, he interviews several townspeople, painting a picture of Lucy as someone with a temper who was prone to violence, such as when she punched a boy in school.
Many people in town thought Lucy was lucky to have married Matt, believing he was too good for her.
Lucy’s grandmother arranges a surprise meeting between Lucy and Ben at a local diner. Ben presses Lucy to give an interview, but she refuses again.
In the next podcast episode, it’s revealed that Savvy’s boyfriend at the time of her murder had been cheating on her with a married woman.
Meanwhile, Lucy is haunted by a dark voice in her head, constantly urging her to kill. At first, this unsettling voice seems over the top, but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that it’s Savvy’s voice, pushing Lucy toward violence.
Eventually, Ben and Lucy bump into each other again, and Ben convinces her to help with the podcast.
As more podcast episodes air, listeners learn that Lucy had been having an affair during her marriage to Matt, and Matt had likely been cheating on her too. No one in the town seems as innocent as they appear.
As Lucy prepares for her grandmother’s birthday party, another bombshell is dropped: Lucy’s mother, Kathleen, was the woman having an affair with Savvy’s boyfriend.
In a flashback from five years ago, we see Matt as an abusive drunk who frequently hit Lucy. He would then threaten to tell Lucy’s parents that she was the abusive one.
During this flashback, Savvy encourages Lucy, saying, “Let’s kill your husband.” It’s here that the dark voice in Lucy’s head is fully revealed as Savvy’s. Savvy, once thought to be sweet and bubbly, was not the person everyone believed her to be.
Matt agrees to give an interview for the podcast, and his alibi for the night of the murder comes into question. He claims he went straight home after the wedding and stayed there all night, but a neighbour confesses to seeing Matt return home, only for another car to arrive soon after. A woman got out, and the two had an argument before he drove off.
Later, Ben and Lucy visit the woods where Savvy’s body was found, hoping to jog Lucy’s memory, but it only results in Lucy fainting.
Lucy’s grandmother is interviewed for the podcast and expresses concerns about Matt, recalling how she never liked him and witnessed his poor treatment of Lucy. Suspicions toward Matt continue to grow.
Ben and Lucy’s personal relationship begins to evolve as well. After a night out drinking and sharing stories, Ben offers to drive Lucy home. On the way, they’re confronted by Matt, who punches Ben in the face.
Later, Ben invites Lucy to his hotel, and one thing leads to another — Lucy and Ben sleep together.
As their relationship intensifies, Paige, Ben’s podcast assistant, begins to worry that it could jeopardise the integrity of the podcast.
In a shocking flashback, it’s revealed that Savvy had murdered a man before. She had stabbed him after he tried to assault her at a bar, dumping his body in a swamp.
He was never found, and this is why she left college and returned to her hometown. Savvy justified the murder by saying the man deserved to die and suggested that Lucy’s husband did too.
As Lucy digs deeper into the events surrounding the night of the murder, she learns that Matt had been having an affair with a woman named Nina, Lucy's high school best friend, whom he was arguing with the night Savvy died.
Emmett, Lucy’s childhood friend, is now dating Nina, but he reveals that she has continued to cheat on him with Matt.
Lucy and Emmett meet for drinks, and Lucy, knowing Emmett has always had a crush on her, suggests he should come to Los Angeles with her.
Ben and Lucy return to the wedding venue, where Lucy finally recovers a new memory. She recalls being pressed against a brick wall, kissing a man who wasn’t Matt, before Savvy interrupted and pulled her away.
Another memory surfaces, in which Lucy stood before Matt, covered in Savvy’s blood. Matt tells Lucy, “I know that you had to,” implying that Lucy killed Savvy out of necessity. He’s sorry he arrived too late to protect her.
As more flashbacks unfold, Lucy remembers Savvy yanking her away from Matt during the wedding, telling her that Matt didn’t deserve her.
As Lucy walked away, Matt boasted that ten other women at the wedding would take him up on an offer, to which Lucy responded that ten men would do the same for her.
Another memory surfaces while Lucy is stopped at a traffic light, seeing Emmett decorating an art shop window. As they talk, Emmett kisses her, triggering a memory from the wedding night — it was Emmett she had been kissing against the wall, not Matt.
In the final flashback, Lucy and Savvy leave the wedding, only to be stopped by Emmett’s truck parked in the middle of the road.
Emmett confesses his love for Lucy and tries to kiss her, but she pulls away, telling him she only sees him as a friend. Emmett refuses to believe her and continues his advances.
Savvy tries to pull Lucy away, leading to a physical altercation. Emmett flies into a rage, striking both women.
Lucy and Savvy attempt to flee, but Emmett catches up and strikes Savvy with a tree branch. Matt’s voice is heard calling out for Lucy, and in the chaos, Emmett hits Lucy with a hammer.
Before he’s able to deal a final blow to Lucy, Savvy pushes her out of the way and Emmett strikes her dead with the hammer. He strikes Lucy once more, causing her to lose consciousness.
So, who killed Savvy in Listen For The Lie? Emmett, Lucy’s childhood friend.
In present-day, Lucy confronts Emmett with the truth. A fight ensues, with Emmett arming himself with a hammer, but Ben arrives in time to help Lucy.
Emmett is arrested, charged with Savvy’s murder, and Matt, Kathleen, and Don are all charged with withholding evidence.
In the final moments, Ben texts Lucy, asking her if they can go out together once they return to Los Angeles.

Listen For The Lie Characters
Listen For The Lie features a cast of characters, each with secrets of their own. Here are the main players:
- Lucy: The protagonist, accused of murdering her best friend, Savvy, with no memory of what really happened
- Savvy: Lucy’s best friend, murdered the night of a wedding
- Ben: The podcaster investigating Savvy’s murder
- Matt: Lucy’s ex-husband
- Emmett: Lucy’s childhood friend
- Nina: Lucy’s high school best friend
- Nathan: Lucy’s current boyfriend in L.A.
- Kathleen & Don: Lucy’s parents
- Colin: Savvy’s boyfriend at the time of her death
- Beverly: Lucy’s grandmother
- Paige: Ben’s podcast assistant
Listen For The Lie Review
Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera is a fast-paced thriller that blends traditional storytelling with podcast transcripts, creating a layered mystery that keeps you hooked.
I love a well-executed true crime podcast, and each podcast episode ends on a cliffhanger or reveals crucial information that drives the story forward. This structure is great for readers who love the mystery and suspense of true crime.
The combination of flashbacks, podcast episodes, and Lucy’s present-day perspective allows for a gradual unravelling of the truth.
It’s an easy and quick read, and the less than 400-page count gets the tick of approval from me. The pacing works well for the mystery genre.
One element that initially felt off-putting was the dark voice in Lucy’s head, urging her toward violence. While it seemed unnecessary at first, it eventually made sense when it was revealed to be Savvy’s voice, adding a psychological twist to the story. Although, I think the book would have been just fine without it.
Although Listen For The Lie book is entertaining, there are a few plot holes that weaken the ending.
For instance, how did Emmett return to the wedding after the murder without any signs of a struggle or dirt on his clothes? Did he go home, clean up, and put on the exact same clothes before returning to the wedding? Lucy and Savvy fought with him. Surely, he would have some bruising?
These loose ends make the final reveal feel a bit rushed and not entirely explained.
Overall, Listen For The Lie lands at 4 stars for me.
It’s a fun and gripping mystery that kept me engaged, though the ending could have been tighter.
Fans of true crime and podcasts will enjoy this book, and it’s perfect for readers looking for a thriller that’s quick and easy to get through.
I didn’t listen to the audiobook, but I predict that it’s a great listen considering the podcast elements of the book.
Listen For The Lie Book Club Questions
- What did you think of Lucy as a character? Was she likeable or relatable?
- At the beginning, what did you think of the dark voice in Lucy’s head? Were you surprised to find out it was Savvy’s voice?
- Many of the townspeople believed Lucy killed Savvy. Do you agree with their assumptions?
- Do you think Lucy should have visited the wedding venue and woods sooner to see if she could remember anything?
- Who was your favourite character, and why?
- Many of the characters were not as innocent as they seemed, with plenty of them hiding secrets of their own. Which secrets were most surprising?
- How did the theme of infidelity impact the story and your opinion of the characters?
- Who did you think killed Savvy? Did your predictions change as the story unfolded?
- Why do you think Matt was so well-liked? How do you think he hid his true self so effectively?
- Do you think Lucy’s claims about Matt’s abuse would have been believed if she had spoken out earlier?
- What did you think of the podcast format? Did it enhance the storytelling, or did it distract from the narrative?
- What are your thoughts on Ben’s podcast and hid methods?
- Do you think it was a good idea for Lucy to help Ben with the podcast investigation?
- How did you feel about Lucy and Ben’s romantic relationship? Did it feel natural, or was it unnecessary to the plot?
- If this was a real podcast, would you have listened?
- Do you listen to true crime podcasts?
- If so, what are your favourites?
- If not, would you be interested in listening in the future?
- Were you satisfied with the ending?
- Were there any plot holes that left you questioning the resolution of the story?
- Have you read any other books by Amy Tintera?
- If so, where does Listen For The Lie rank?
- If not, are you interested in reading more of her novels?
- If Listen For The Lie was adapted into a movie, which actors would you cast for each character?