Book Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

5 years in the past, lovely, glamorous Lucy Chase was accused of murdering her finest buddy, Savvy Harper. There was by no means actually any proof past circumstantial proof – and positively not sufficient to make a case robust sufficient to face up in courtroom – however your complete city of Plumpton, Texas, believed that she did it. Along with her marriage already in a shambles, Lucy received a divorce and took off as quickly as she may to lose herself in crowded Los Angeles. 

Within the metropolis, she tries to guide a comparatively quiet, nameless life, accompanied largely by the acerbic voice in her head. Her essential contact with Plumpton comes within the type of persistent cellphone calls from her grandmother, the one one who staunchly believes in Lucy’s innocence.

Factor is, not even Lucy believes that she didn’t kill Savvy. The principle downside is that she merely doesn’t recall what occurred that evening. She’d gone to a marriage, and left with Savvy afterwards. The following morning, she was discovered roaming the backwoods, lined in blood and calling out for her finest buddy. At first, everybody thought that she’d been attacked, too. However her incapacity to elucidate what had occurred, together with the scratches on her forearms and her pores and skin cells being discovered below Savannah’s nails, quickly turned the city towards her. Not even her dad and mom have been on her facet:

There’s nothing my mom needs greater than for me to admit to killing Savvy. Not simply because she thinks it’s the best factor to do, however as a result of she would excel because the mom of a assassin.

 

She’d be a star at church. She’d give lengthy speeches about forgiveness. She’d write a e book about overcoming the guilt she felt at elevating a assassin. Generally I feel that she’s angrier about me depriving her of this than she is about me really (possibly) murdering somebody. Mother enjoys being one of the best at every thing, and I’ve denied her the chance to be one of the best mom of a assassin.

Lucy’s unexciting life in Los Angeles permits her the liberty to observe her hidden passions, till common, good-looking podcaster Ben Owens decides that Savvy’s homicide is what he needs to research subsequent. Dropping her job and possibly her boyfriend because of Ben’s highlight on her previous spurs Lucy to lastly agree to return house to Plumpton at her grandmother’s behest. Beverly’s eightieth birthday is developing quickly, and he or she needs her favourite granddaughter on the town to assist her rejoice. 

Returning to Plumpton is nearly as horrible as Lucy thought it will be, however the very last thing she expects is for her grandmother to have a secret ulterior motive for getting her there. Beverly has really invited Ben to city too, and desires Lucy to talk with him on the report concerning the case. Given how Lucy has spent the previous few years of her life attempting to place this all behind her, she has zero curiosity in complying. However Beverly won’t be deterred:

“Lucy, let’s not faux that you just’re not going to do that for me.” She pats my hand.

 

Dammit.

 

“You want him,” she continues.

 

“I don’t want that fool.”

 

“Sure, you do. Folks imagine males. Particularly males who appear to be that. If he says you didn’t do it–if he even casts sufficient doubt–folks will really imagine him. Have a look at the Ronan Farrow fellow. Nobody believed that film man assaulted all these women till he mentioned it was true.”

 

I sigh, as a result of she’s proper.

 

In fact, that additionally implies that if Ben decides I did it, I’m further fucked.

It’s considerably comforting that Ben appears to imagine her. However in that case, who actually killed Savvy? As Lucy and Ben dig into Plumpton’s previous, they uncover that not every thing is because it appears within the bucolic Texas city, and that some folks will cease at nothing to protect their good reputations.

I used to be immediately captivated by Lucy’s wry and resilient narrative voice, and fell deeply in love along with her pleasant grandmother as effectively. The characterizations on this e book, notably of the “good guys” is excellent. The feminist underpinnings of the novel are exemplary, whilst they acknowledge that there are far too many circles of society wherein a lady’s phrase won’t ever be believed over a person’s. Plot-wise, readers will spend quite a lot of time questioning whether or not Lucy really did it: the conclusion is thus a deeply satisfying cap to a splendidly entertaining small city thriller.

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