Listen for the Lie
Five years ago, in the gleefully gossipy small town of Plumpton, Texas, Lucy Chase wandered out of the woods, covered in blood, unable to recall who killed her best friend Savannah. After first being seen as a victim, Lucy slowly became the town’s prime suspect–even her parents seem to think she might be a murderess. There wasn’t enough evidence to convict Lucy or, for that matter, anyone, and Savannah’s murder remains unsolved. Lucy bolted to Los Angeles, rebooted her identity, and, under a pen name, became a successful romance writer. Now, she’s living under the radar with with a stodgy boyfriend when her anonymity suddenly vanishes thanks to a new viral podcast called Listen for the Lie featuring investigative fame seeker Ben Owens. Ben’s latest subject? Savanah’s unsolved murder.
Even though she thinks it’s probably a very bad idea, Lucy returns, reluctantly, to Plumpton to celebrate her grandmother’s Beverley’s 80th birthday. She’s not been back since Savanah’s death and now, being there, faced with the fallout of the podcast and the endless Plumpton gossip, she finds herself trying to figure out who really killed Savanah. At the very least, she’d like to be 100% sure it wasn’t her. (I’m not a fan of plots that rely on localized amnesia, but Tintera’s tale is so fun, I rolled with it.)
It’s safe to say, it’s not easy being home. The town is sure Lucy’s the killer. Plus, now that everyone is tuning into Ben’s podcast, Lucy and Savannah are all anyone wants to talk about. Ben too is in town and he really wants Lucy, her parents, her friends, and the cops to tell him their stories. The actual podcasts episodes are part of the narrative–they’re excellent-and Tintera uses them to break up Lucy’s snarky first person narration and to reveal a series of genuine surprises.
I do love me some will-they-or-won’t-they and Lucy and Ben have the sexual tension of, oh, Logan and Veronica. (Please tell me you’ve watched Veronica Mars.) Readers will be wondering about the two until the book’s end, wondering if trust is on the table along with possible hot sex. Neither character is especially moral–those who like some grey in their novels will find Listen for the Lie to be their jam–and whether it’s watching the two spar over how much Lucy wishes to tell Ben (or vice versa) or watching them flirt in Plumpton’s deadbeat diner, the two are always a very good time.
The supporting characters are excellent as well. Dead Savannah is hilarious and helpful. Lucy’s saucy grandmother, Lucy’s exhusband and his new girlfriend, as well as Lucy’s complicated parents, all add to the story in startling ways. Everyone has a story, not one of which is 100% true, and finding out what really happened to Savannah is seemingly impossible. Unless, of course, you, very carefully, listen for the lie….
Listen for the Lie has it all: a crackling plot, snarky humor, sexy banter, characters you care for, just enough well-placed female power, all combined with a tough to parse crime. This reader–along with Lucy and Ben–didn’t figure out what happened five years ago until the novel’s last chapters. Listen for the Lie is Tintera’s first novel for adults. Let’s hope it’s not her last.