Solid whodunnit murder mystery. I wouldn't consider this "thrilling," and the pace felt slower compared to other thrillers, but the ending took an unexpected twist and got some momentum. I enjoyed the podcast transcriptions throughout.  

This was a pretty solid read but as far as thrillers go it didn't really wow me. However, I liked the podcast element and how it sounded on the audiobook and I thought the narrators did a good job not only with the story but with the other character voices as well. It was engaging to listen to that way and I think I enjoyed this more on audio than I would have physically.

Can’t remember the last time I finished a book in two days (there were many other things I should have been doing but I couldn’t stop reading - the greatest feeling!) or sobbed (not cried, sobbed) over a book. Definitely read but make sure you have a block of free time.

"The truth doesn't matter." (p. 325)

In this age of true crime podcasts and TV show dramas centered around real, gruesome events, Tintera has crafted an interesting new angle within this genre. The book takes place 5 years after Savvy (Savannah) had been murdered in Plumpton Texas. The main character, Lucy, has been living with everyone assuming she had been responsible for her friend's death; however, she has no memories from that night. Throughout the book, we see Lucy wrestle with her fragmented memory and poor reputation as a podcaster, Ben Owens, begins prying open the cold case to see if Lucy really did it or if someone else was to blame. 

I enjoyed the novel's format and how it switched back and forth between Lucy's internal monologue and transcripts from the Listen for the Lie podcast. The book had a rough start for me, but I was hooked once we got the ball rolling with the true crime element, and I was immersed in our screwed-up little cast of characters. (I do mean that. Most everyone here has some element of unlikability whether it's from their sarcastic demeanor or from the hurtful, damaging things they've done.) The amnesia element is not going to work for everyone, but I did enjoy how Tintera decided to "trigger" the memories. Regarding this element, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome and mostly content with how things turned out.  

(The real MVP was Grandma Beverly. She might be my favorite side character out of the bunch.)

(Rating probably around the 3.5-3.75 range)

(Advanced Reading Copy)