Oh yes I do enjoy a humorous thriller, thank you very much!
When it comes to this genre, it often feels like it's a race to see who's got the darkest, grittiest, most nail-biting, anxiety-inducing story. And that's all good and fine. But I don't always want dark, darker, darkest. Sometimes, I just want a bit of fun, and Listen for the Lie is exactly that.
From the very first page, this was unputdownable. The format of alternating between Lucy and the podcast and having each chapter be nice and short kept me turning the pages, wanting to read just one more page. The podcast transcripts were surprisingly engaging, with every character dishing on every other character and stirring up small-town drama.
I was worried this would turn out to be another one of those dreaded unreliable narrator situations, where the main female character drinks to excess and indulges in woe-is-me pity parties. But thankfully it wasn't. Instead, Lucy's voice is so fresh and wickedly honest. She's often sarcastic and funny, and it sets the tone for an extremely entertaining read.
As for the actual mystery itself, my feelings are a bit mixed. On the one hand, this story certainly doesn't scrimp on the twists and turns just because it's humorous. We are directed one way, then another. You never know what's going to happen next, and that's always great fun. I suspect there are enough surprises here to satisfy even the most seasoned of thriller junkies.
But on the other hand, calling this a "world-class whodunit" (I'm looking at you, Stephen King) is taking it a step too far. As is typical of modern thrillers, there aren't really clues. You find out each twist as the book reveals it to you, often via the podcast interviews. Apparently—and I must try this in real life—you just need to badger people with enough questions and they'll tell you all their secrets. And eventually, Lucy remembers the whole thing and that's the denouement. It did feel a bit anticlimactic after all that buildup.
Small quibble aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's always a great delight to find a book that keeps you up past your bedtime and even though you know you're going to pay for it the next day, you just don't care.
Readaroo Rating: 4 stars
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