Lit with Leigh's Reviews > Listen for the Lie

Thank you Celadon Books for my gifted copy. IYKYK my reviews are always honest.

writing: short n snappy with it | plot: fun | ending: OKKURRTT???

my opinion

I've been off the thriller train for awhile but this made me contemplate getting back on. I love an amnesia trope and while this was more selective amnesia, it was still an enjoyable ride. When done correctly, it's "fun" to see the MC put all the pieces together and realize the hoe(s) in their life are fraudulent. I felt this was well executed and NOT predictable (again, I've been out of the game so take that with a grain of salt). Despite making 6 predictions about the twist, I was completely wrong. In fact, none of my guesses even mentioned the name of the baddie. YES I'M AN IMBECILE IT IS WHAT IT IS!!!

This book is very bingeable. No heavy-handed writing and long ass chapters. It's one of those "just ONE more chapter" books. Perfect weekend read.

Big kudos to Amy Tintera for writing a comedic mystery that was comedic throughout. Oftentimes these type of books will be a straight up comedy show in the first half and the jokes will peter out through the second half. Not the case here. Lucy's dry wit and sarcasm stays even-keeled throughout. Her voice and personality are also consistent. Yes, this seems like the bare minimum, but trust me, it's not. I've read thrillers with alcoholic characters who suddenly recover and drink wine without a blink of an eye and their alcoholism is never mentioned again.

Some readers may be annoyed by Lucy but I think she's a relatable character if you've ever felt misunderstood. This book does a great job exploring appearances vs. reality, what makes a "good" victim, and how flexible the "truth" is. It also provides great insights into the ethics and influence of true crime podcasts, begging the question why tf do we accept the ramblings of a man with a mic as fact? I'm not a fan of the true crime podcast trope, but I liked that this book showed the other side of things instead of forcing us to follow around Mr. Mic Man who thinks he's a CIA undercover agent.

I hope Tintera will continue to publish adult books. I'll definitely read her next one.

pros & cons

pros: very bingeable, liked the short and sweet writing style and chapters, Lucy's (FMC) character and humour stays consistent throughout, well-executed amnesia-ish trope, solid exploration of themes

cons: iffy moments with her first husband, final showdown was a bit ??? lol

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