From the earliest stages of developing Listen for the Lie, I had the audiobook in mind. I’d listened to so many great audiobooks, and I knew how fun they could be, especially when the novel included interviews or special effects. So when I sat down to write my first adult novel, a thriller about a woman accused of killing her best friend, I knew one thing about the plot for sure — it had to include a true crime podcast.
Featuring a true crime podcast in a thriller novel provides so many storytelling opportunities in addition to making a great audiobook. It lets you convey backstory to the reader in an exciting way. You can reveal fun side characters and their personalities through interviews. Or, if you’re me, you can make the host of the true crime podcast a sexy man who is irresistible to the main character, even though his podcast is about how she might have murdered her best friend.
Putting podcasts in books has become a mini trend in the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. Here are a few novels that use true crime podcasts in fun, interesting ways:
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum
In this thriller/romance/lit-fic mash-up, best friends Benny and Joy host a very popular survival podcast, but when Joy goes missing and Benny becomes the main suspect, they start living their very own survival story. This one is a great audiobook!
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Alternating between a true crime podcast and the journey of a girl hunting the man who killed her sister, this YA novel is about abuse and power and will stay with you long after you’ve finished it. The award-winning audiobook is a must-listen!
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
In this novel, a popular true crime podcaster covers a controversial rape trial for season three of her podcast, but the mysterious letters she keeps receiving about another case hint that there’s more going on than she realizes.
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
Another book that is fantastic on audio — this one is about a podcaster who becomes the subject of her own true crime podcast after a chance meeting with a mysterious woman. In true Lisa Jewell style, it is full of twists and shocking moments!
The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao
A hilarious murder mystery about three women who discover they’re all dating the same man, with the added bonus of a comedy revenge podcast!
Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen
Out in October, this Gothic thriller is about a woman whose testimony as a child may have put the wrong man behind bars and what happens when a true crime podcast revisits the case. This one is full of family secrets and features a creepy castle with many dark corners!
By Amy Tintera
Amy Tintera is the author of Listen for the Lie.
Amy Tintera is the New York Times bestselling author of several series for young adults. She earned degrees in journalism and film and worked in Hollywood before becoming an author. Raised in Austin, Texas, she frequently sets her novels in the Lone Star State, but she now lives in Los Angeles, where there’s far less humidity but not nearly enough Tex-Mex. Listen for the Lie is her adult debut.
