When a podcast resurfaces the cold case of Lucy’s best friend’s murder, a crime she was suspected to have committed, Lucy must figure out what really happened that night. Inspired by the trend of investigative podcasts delving into cold cases, writer Amy Tintera explores the inner workings of friendships, public perception vs. reality, the power of podcasts, and more in her explosive new mystery, Listen for the Lie. With brilliant dual narration by performers (and real-life married couple!) January LaVoy and Will Damron, Listen for the Lie is shaping up to be one of the season's most compulsive thrillers, and we were thrilled to chat with Tintera about the inspirations and influences behind the novel.
Nicole Ransome: The main protagonist, Lucy, struggles with memory loss on the night of her best friend’s murder. What inspired you to write this tale?
Amy Tintera: I was inspired by my fascination with women’s friendships. I’ve always had really strong reactions to how platonic relationships between women are portrayed, and I especially dislike it when we’re reduced to jealous, man-stealing frenemies. And unfortunately, I’ve run into that portrayal pretty often! So I thought I should spin that obsession into a real problem for my main character—everyone tells Lucy that she must have secretly hated her friend and killed her, but since she has no memory of the night, she can’t know for sure. Does she believe in herself, and in what she believed about her relationship with her friend, or does she believe what everyone else tells her must be true?
Listen for the Lie features a dual performance from January LaVoy and Will Damron. What made you decide to weave this mystery from two different perspectives?
I was actually thinking about the audiobook potential from the start. I love audiobooks, especially those that incorporate interviews, transcripts, or other media to make the audiobook really stand out. Books like Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Sadie by Courtney Summers, and Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. And by combining the podcast chapters and Lucy’s first-person narration, I was able to do two of my favorite things—write lots of dialogue for the podcast, and really go deep into Lucy’s character and let her voice and humor shine through in her chapters.
As true crime and investigative podcasts continue to grow in popularity, what takeaways do you want listeners to have about the dangers and benefits of podcast investigative journalism, especially those focusing on violent crimes?
I think I just want us all to be mindful of the fact that there are real people behind the stories we listen to. True crime podcasts do a lot of good—they can shine a light on people and crimes that law enforcement either ignored or didn’t have the resources to investigate fully. But they can also give rise to conspiracy theories and damaging social media frenzies that distort the facts. I think it’s important for both listeners and the podcast producers and hosts to just keep that in mind, and try to strike the right balance.
Did you always know how this story would end?
I remember sitting down to write the very first chapter and thinking that I would let the story unfold and figure out the ending as I went. But I quickly realized what a terrible plan that was! It was impossible for me to even start building a main character if I didn’t know where she was going to end up. I think I wrote maybe two pages before stopping, pulling out a notebook (I think better with pen and paper), and really digging into what I wanted to say with this book. I wrote “why?” on the paper, because I’ve always thought the “why” is more interesting than the “who” in a mystery. The “why” actually came to me quickly and helped clarify the kind of book I wanted to write. Once I had that, I was able to really start writing.
"Listen for the Lie" is an explosive mystery that unpacks the “why” rather than the “who”
Featuring delicious dual narration from Will Damron and January LaVoy, Amy Tintera's juicy new thriller explores the complexities of female friendships and the impact of true crime podcasts.
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