7 Creepy Books Like Listen For The Lie By Amy Tintera

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“Trust me, there’s no pleasing people. If they’re determined to think the worst of you, they will.”

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One of the most anticipated mystery thrillers from 2024, Amy Tintera’s Listen for the Lie opens with Lucy and Savvy. Smart and enviable in every way. Savvy was the social butterfly and popular with the menfolk. But, when Lucy is found wandering the streets covered in blood, everyone thinks of her as a murderer. Even if she can’t remember anything about it. Years on, she is attempting to move on with her life when she is contacted by the true-crime podcast, Listen for the Lie, and its handsome host, Ben Owens. Soon, Lucy finds herself returning to the place she vowed she would never set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she was the one responsible. If you loved Listen for the Lie or are looking for your next great thriller read, join us at What We Reading for the best books like Amy Tintera’s bestseller! 

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Kill For Me, Kill For You – Steve Cavanagh 

First up on our list of books like Listen for the Lie is Steve Cavanagh’s 2023 thriller, Kill for Me, Kill for You. One dark night in New York City’s Upper West Side, two strangers run into each other by chance. Sharing drinks, Amanda and Wendy realise that they have a lot in common. In particular, their shared loneliness and resentment toward the men who destroyed their families. As they talk, they stumble upon an ingenious and wicked plan. 

In another part of the city, Ruth is home alone when the beautiful brownstone she shares with her husband, Scott, is broken into. She’s attacked by a man with piercing blue eyes. Will she ever be able to feel safe again, knowing that the blue-eyed stranger is out there, and knows exactly where she lives? 

We Were Liars (We Were Liars #1) – E. Lockhart

Every summer, Cadence Sinclair Eastman and her affluent family retreat to their private island. There, Cadence, her cousins Mirren and Johnny and their friend Gat grow up together and are collectively referred to as the ‘Liars’ by their family. However, on their fifteenth visit to the island, a tragic accident unfolds, leaving Cadence with severe amnesia. 

After two years away, Cadence returns to the island. As she retraces the steps and recounts the memories of that fateful summer, she begins to unearth more and more of the dark truth behind her family, the accident and herself. Like Listen for the Lie, We Were Liars is a psychological young adult mystery about memory, nostalgia and the lies we tell to shield ourselves from the truth. 

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Check Out The Best Books Like We Were Liars

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The Return Of Ellie Black – Emiko Jean 

Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is upended when she receives the call informing her that Ellie Black, a girl who vanished years earlier, has been found in the woods of Washington state. It’s been two decades since Chelsey’s sister disappeared when they were teenagers, and she has been searching ever since for any signs of a happy ending. And Ellie’s resurfacing might just provide her with that. 

But something isn’t right with Ellie. She won’t say where she has been, or who she is protecting. Instead, it is up to Chelsey to uncover the truth behind what happened to Ellie. She needs to get to the bottom of things for Ellie, for her sister and for herself. The Return of Ellie Black is the debut thriller book by Emiko Jean and is the sort of feminist tour de force that any fans of Listen for the Lie are sure to love. 

The Cheerleaders (The Cheerleaders #1) – Kara Thomas 

Another one of the best dark YA thrillers like Listen for the Lie, Kara Thomas whisks readers to the town of Sunnybrook where there are no longer any teenagers in The Cheerleaders. First, there was the car accident – two girls gone after swerving off in the rain and hitting a tree. Then, the murders. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die, taking her own life. Sunnybrook High disbanded their cheerleader team after that, with no one wanting to be reminded of what had happened. 

Five years on, everyone at the school is keen to forget and move on. Except for Monica. The letters on her stepfather’s desk, an old mobile phone, a strange new friend at school. Whatever happened those years ago clearly hasn’t finished. People within Sunnybrook know more than they’re saying. And, somehow, Monica is about to find herself at the centre of the mystery. 

Darling Girls – Sally Hepworth 

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah and Alicia have all been told how lucky they are. As young girls, they were rescued by Miss Fairchild from their family tragedies and given a second chance at a happy life on a pleasant farming estate. 

Yet their quaint childhood wasn’t the fairy tale ending everyone believed it to be. Miss Fairchild had rules, could be unpleasant and unpredictable and was never, ever to be crossed. The three girls escaped and had hoped to put their upbringing on the farm behind them. But, when a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters soon find themselves thrust back into the spotlight. Similar to Listen for the Lie, they are forced to grapple with being both key witnesses and prime suspects. 

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One Of Us Is Lying (One Of Us Is Lying #1) – Karen McManus 

Five students at Bayview High walk into detention on a Monday afternoon: Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, Cooper and Simon. But, before the end of detention, Simon is dead. It soon comes to light that he’d planned to release all of the most juicy secrets about his fellow detention attendees the following day, meaning that all four remaining students had plenty of reason for wanting him dead. 

When Simon’s death isn’t ruled as an accident, the four all find themselves in the crosshairs as prime suspects. Could one of them be a killer? Or is the true perpetrator still out there? Karen McManus’ One of Us Is Lying is the perfect YA mystery novel like Listen for the Lie, jam-packed full of unreliable narrators and jaw-dropping reveals behind every chapter. 

Sadie – Courtney Summers 

Sadie hasn’t had the easiest of lives. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in a lonely small town, struggling to provide a normal life whilst keeping both of their heads above water. But, when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s whole world shatters. A botched police investigation leads to her setting out to bring her sister’s killer to justice.

When West McCray, a radio personality working on a feature about small, isolated towns, overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He begins his own podcast, documenting Sadie’s journey, attempting to work out what happened, and praying that he is able to find her before it is too late. Propulsive, harrowing and the perfect follow-up for any fans of Listen for the Lie, Sadie is an Odyssey Award-winning novel by Courtney Summers.