Listen for the Lie Book Club Kit
Listen for the Lie is the official August 2025 pick for the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.
When I'm struggling to read, one of my favorite tricks to get me out of a rut is to grab a book in a genre that is totally different then my last few books.
When I've been deep into romance (like our book club line up has been so far this year), a fun thriller or mystery book is always a fun change of pace.
I added this month's Listen for the Lie to break up our steady pace of romances with something a little more twisty-turny. I hope this jolts you back into a great reading habit as we close out the summer!
Want to read my full thoughts and check for content warnings if you're not much of a thriller reader? You can check out my Listen for the Lie book review here.
P.S. Just joining us? Don't miss the full list of 2025 book club book picks.
Peanut Blossom Book Club
This book club pick is one of the awesome books from our eleventh year of book club.
We're still going strong! Want to join us?
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What is Listen for the Lie About?
What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?
After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.
But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.
The truth is out there, if we just listen.
Listen for the Lie Discussion Questions
I believe the best book club questions to spark a lively discussion in your group help readers make personal connections to the story.
You can read about how to write the best book club questions on your own here, but hopefully these will get you started!
Question 1:
Do you listen to true crime podcasts or enjoy true crime television? Why or why not?
Question 2:
Lucy faces a lot of betrayal throughout the story. Who causes her the most hurt?
Question 3:
Lucy escapes her small town to rebuild her life elsewhere but then has to return, literally, to the scene of the crime. Have you ever had to go back and face up to people from your past or situations you wanted to avoid? How did it go? What got you through?
Question 4:
How do you feel about this quote? "Trust me, there's no pleasing people. If they're determined to think the worst of you, they will."
Lucy faces massive public scrutiny in the story. Have you ever tried to change someone's or a group' perception of you?
Question 5:
How good are you at spotting clues in a mystery? Did you notice any giveaway hints as you read through the book?
Question 6:
Do you feel that Ben was a neutral observer? What motivation do you think he has to produce his podcast?
Question 7:
What did you think happened the night of the murder? Were you right?
Question 8:
Where do you think Lucy is in 5 years?
Book Club Party Menu
I think it is so fun to plan your book club dinner menu or dessert list based on the theme of the book.
There are a few book club dinner-friendly dishes mentioned throughout the story, here are a few I'd choose if I were hosting the party:
Use the small town in Texas backdrop as inspiration for your menu. Start with some Texas BBQ and serve up my easy BBQ chicken sliders. They're especially tasty with a spoonful of angel hair coleslaw on top.
If you're not a fan of barbecue, you could always go the Tex-Mex route and set up a little street taco bar. My tasty pork tenderloin tacos and chunky corn salsa with fresh Mexican slaw is an easy option.
Make up a batch of Grandma's cornbread (or buy some cornbread from your grocery bakery) and make my quick homemade cornbread croutons. Serve them as a party snack for dipping in this easy buttermilk herb dressing.
Any time I have an excuse to make my Southern peach cobbler, you can bet it is on the menu. Can you think of a more classic southern dessert?? But, since everything is bigger in Texas, you could go with my classic almond sheet cake, too.
You Might Also Enjoy
If you loved Listen for the Lie you might also like:
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