PLOT & PACING:
Lucy Chase has been acquitted of murdering her best friend, but the public’s verdict isn’t as kind. When a wildly popular true crime podcast decides to revisit the case, Lucy is dragged back to her hometown—and into a truth she’s not sure she’s ready to uncover. The plot moves fast, but never feels rushed. The alternating podcast transcripts add momentum and intrigue, and the mystery stays twisty without ever feeling manipulative.

CHARACTERS & VOICE:
Lucy is everything. Sarcastic, sharp, self-aware, and emotionally complicated. Her voice carries the novel, and Amy Tintera makes her impossible to pin down in the best way. The supporting cast—podcaster Ben Owens, the town that turned on her, her grandmother (oh! her grandmother!) and even the late best friend—are vivid and memorable. Trust no one.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Tintera’s writing is clean, witty, and packs an emotional punch when it needs to. The podcast transcript sections are smartly done and help give readers a sense of the public’s perception without pulling you out of the story. The atmosphere is classic small-town claustrophobia: gossip thick in the air, secrets around every corner.

THEMES & DEPTH:
This isn’t just a whodunnit—it’s a story about how trauma distorts memory, and how quickly public narratives are shaped by hearsay and media. The podcast angle feels fresh and current, but never gimmicky. And Lucy’s internal struggle (how do you trust yourself when you’re not even sure what happened?) gives the book real weight beneath its sharp voice.

PERSONAL TAKE:
I loved this book. Lucy is one of the most compelling protagonists I’ve read in a thriller in a while. I laughed. I gasped. I flipped pages like a maniac. This is the kind of book that could easily translate into an excellent audiobook (and probably already has). It’s a rare thriller that balances real emotional complexity with pure entertainment.