Listen for the Lie

Crime fiction is a popular genre of fiction in which the narrative revolves around a crime. Crime fiction is sometimes seen as synonymous with the “detective story,” in which a crime is introduced and investigated until the culprit is revealed; Amy Tintera’s Listen for the Lie broadly falls into this classification. However, crime fiction can also contain sub-genres—for example, courtroom or legal dramas, which focus on the legal proceedings and nitty-gritty of a case. Tintera’s story blends the genre of crime fiction with the genre of true crime.

True crime is historically a genre of non-fiction revolving around the story of a crime that actually took place. True crime authors expound on the details of the case and its investigation, present multiple perspectives and nuances, and work at recreating the atmosphere surrounding the original case in their books. Just like crime fiction, true crime has existed for years as a genre within nonfiction. However, it gained an exceptional level of popularity and came to be seen differently with the publication of one book in particular: Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood (1966). Capote’s famous work brought in narrative elements in the way he explored the 1959 murders of members of the Clutter family, and his book came to be seen as a nonfiction novel (“What Is True Crime?” Celadon Books).

In the 2010s, another contemporary medium rooted in crime captured public attention and interest: true crime podcasts. Podcasts like Serial (2014), Criminal (2014), My Favorite Murder (2016), and In the Dark (2016) have topped the download charts across the world (“The Surge of True Crime Podcasts and Their Societal Impact.” The Podcast Sessions, 29 June 2023). The popularity of true crime as a genre comes from its gripping element of mystery (the same aspect that makes crime fiction enjoyable) married with the sense of participation the audience feels in unraveling a crime (“The True Crime Genre Is Popular, but Is It Ethical? ” University of Oregon). This, presented in a medium as immersive as a podcast, makes it doubly appealing.

The popularity of true crime podcasts in turn led to the marriage between crime fiction and true crime. Crime fiction often features prominently investigative reporters and journalists in the roles of protagonist or co-protagonist. Now, a new type of investigative reporter has begun to inhabit this role: the true crime podcaster (“The Rise of the True Crime Podcast Novel.” CrimeReads), vis-á-vis Ben Owens in Listen for the Lie. Beginning in the late 2010s, there has been an influx of books featuring true crime podcasters, or the content of a true crime podcast, as an important aspect of the story. Kathleen Barber’s Are You Sleeping (2017), Courtney Summers’s Sadie (2018), Denise Mina’s Conviction (2019), and Kit Frick’s I Killed Zoe Spanos (2020) are some examples (“The Rise of the True Crime Podcast Novel”).

The medium of true crime podcasts is not without ethical questions. One issue raised is how some true crime podcasts focus on cases where the victims are white women, which also appears to be their largest listener demographic. There are also ideas surrounding the “right type” of victim, i.e., someone who embodies a certain kind of innocence and femininity. However, this reinforces the idea that only a certain kind of victim can exist (“The True Crime Genre Is Popular, but Is It Ethical?”). This aspect plays out in Tintera’s book as well: Savvy, the victim, is a white woman, perceived as angelic and sweet by her entire hometown. In contrast, because Lucy is less warm and has stood up for herself, violently when necessary, on occasion, people are unable to see her as anything other than a perpetrator.

The commodification of tragedy is yet another ethical issue surrounding true crime podcasts, evidenced in podcast titles such as My Favorite Murder. An argument is that such titles, and other ways in which podcasts sometimes deal with true crime, end up dehumanizing the very real people involved in the case (“The True Crime Genre Is Popular, but Is It Ethical?”). This, too, is seen in the book: After Ben’s podcast releases, Lucy becomes the target of a lot of online hate and harassment. She even loses her job and her boyfriend because of the podcast. Some true crime podcasts combat this issue by focusing on victim support instead of obsession with perpetrators, generally prioritizing the teaching of women and vulnerable groups to survive dangerous situations as a bottom line in their storytelling. Tintera also takes on this specific issue by making Ben more likable and willing to be humane toward Lucy, especially because of the romantic relationship that eventually develops between them. Ultimately, Tintera’s novel is yet another example of a rising trend in the crime fiction world: using the context of a true crime podcast to capture the reader’s interest and immerse them in the story.