I'm always a bit sceptical of thrillers that get a blockbuster success. Oftentimes, they are very okay books, 'correctly' constructed, with an engaging if rarely original premise. They steer clear of controversial or heavy themes, and don't delve too deeply into character work and fraught emotion. The narrative is the goal, the suspense, the tension. There is nothing wrong with such books, with 'popcorn thrillers' and I enjoy them a lot.

But if Listen for the Lie started as one of those -- fun, entertaining, engaging but neutral, accessible, light in its darkness - it took a turn at the 39% mark. A turn for the best.

Let me first say that the first third of the book - the more classicly 'popcorny' portion - is masterfully executed, with a wonderfully catchy premise, a funny, engaging voice, and an intriguing main character. It includes some of my favourite thriller tropes: small town crimes, and podcasts.

After the 39% mark however, it starts to include strong feminist themes, not in a forceful, preachy way, but in an organic, extremely realistic way. It talks about strong female friendships and solidarity between women, but also about prejudices, what we conceive as 'good' women, how eager we are to protect men, yet how quick we are to judge women. I was surprised to find myself at times frustrated and at times very touched by the way these things were portrayed.

As for the conclusion, it is very satisfying and surprisingly heartwarming.