Stop, wait, this book could have been so important, but to throw out a quote “There were many kinds of mistruths…” and the protagonist, reporter Anne Lemire doesn’t hesitate to use them when it suits her purpose. Mullen depicts the primary characters with many stereotypical flaws - Irish need not apply - Jews leaning toward communist ideology - neither being well done and did not strengthen the story. There was a length diatribe about ‘the duration” which started out strong and interesting but quickly became a tired mantra that went from nowhere to who knows where.

While the story may be historically correct it felt flat with too many factors intersecting with little successful resolution. Swatikas, anti-Jewish propaganda, Irish teenagers and men victimizing neighborhoods with antisemitic attacks, cops and powerful men inciting what we recognize today as white supremacy and the ugliest side of Boston leading up to World War II.

Organized efforts to attack one group because of the war. It isn’t just the Jew, the Irish Catholics, Italians, the mob, the immigrants all take literary hits throughout this book. It was really a struggle to get through it.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy.

I don’t read a lot of historical fiction that deals with war and politics and more, but every once in a while one slips in, such as The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen. There were elements about the story that struck me personally and it helped me to see the possibilities.

I loved Anne Lemire, because she does not back down. She puts herself front and center, digging and investigating, making herself a target. She writes for The Rumor Clinic, disproving harmful rumors. I thought for sure she was going to get her or someone close to her killed.

FBI Special Agent Devon Mulvey,….caught between a rock and a hard place. His job is to find those working against the government and sabotaging the war effort. I tried not to be judgmental, but….and I didn’t see the choice he would make, but I saw the reason why he made it.

I had to keep telling myself that this is 1943. Things were different then, yet current events prove that history repeats itself, over and over again. I find it puzzling, how those who were treated so badly when they immigrated to the United States could turn around and do the same thing to others. Why are they not more empathetic, seeing they can relate?

Everything felt so real. Whether it’s the Irish chasing and beating Jews or underground organizations printing hat sheet pamphlets inflaming the populace against those different from them and against the war in general, ration stamps, chauvinism, sexism, the union meetings, discrimination and threats in the factories, the USO dances, even religious leaders contributed to the discontent, police corruption, custodial detention, fascism, communism, murder…

….entrenched economic system forced people into roles….Negroes are lazy. Irish are drunks. Italians are criminals. Jews are bloodsuckers.

I found The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen very disturbing…because it felt so real and made me think….too much…making my brain hurt, or at least giving me a headache. AND…that is why I don’t read a lot of historical fictional war and politics stories.

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In World War II Boston, people are not as united on the home front as we would like to believe. Reporter Anne is concerned that her younger brother is getting beaten up due to their Jewish heritage. Meanwhile, her best friend disappears after she assists her in one of her investigations. Devon, who she knew from her old neighborhood, reappears in her life and is very appealing. At the same time, Devon's investigations as an FBI agent uncover some uncomfortable truths about his own family.

A taut atmospheric historical novel, unromanticized (for the most part) by how people would like to think things were. #TheRumorGame #NetGalley

The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen is a World War 2 novel set in Boston. Like most of these novels, it highlights heroic efforts and the story was enjoyable over all. I love the city of Boston and I enjoyed the references to the city in this book. However, I found it difficult to get into this book. The plot moved a bit too slowly. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This is historical fiction that sadly feels all too pertinent to things happening in today's world. Set in Boston during WWII, there's a lot going on here when a young female reporter crosses paths with an FBI agent - both are somewhat dissatisfied in their chosen professions, as they each want to move on to more important stories and cases. Childhood acquaintances, when the run into each other as adults they form an uneasy alliance when they find common ground in one of their investigations. What follows is a look at classism, racism, the rise of unions in the military-industrial complex, and the growth of the Mafia in Boston. Mullen does an excellent job of weaving all these elements together in a story that held my interest throughout, with flawed but likeable characters whose backgrounds were both interesting and pertinent to the events going on in the book. It was my first book by Thomas Mullen, but it definitely won't be my last.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

3.5 stars. I've read a few really great books from this author and was lucky enough to listen to him previously chat about his Darktown series. So I knew there would be a lot of good research, based on facts and real moments and have interesting characters and tough topics.

And this one is really good! There were a few pacing slow parts but, otherwise, I felt really drawn into the story. I didn't love either of our main characters but I did appreciate their POV and I liked the search about the crime along with the hunt. It was compelling and felt like a unique story, even though we hear many about these topics.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

The beginning was slow for me. I wasn't drawn in. I did stick with it and about halfway through I was finally interested in the characters stories. The story itself was good but needed more excitement to keep a reader interested.

I think I would have been better served if I had read this in a more concentrated time period. Instead I read it in small snippets and it made for following the plot, which is complex, difficult. Mullen is a solid writer and is able to construct a complicated mystery, but here the interesting historical time period he is writing about overshadowed his characters and the plot. I didn't feel particularly strongly about any of the characters and was not interested in their potential romance but I found myself googling different historical tidbits throughout and finding myself down different rabbit holes.

Pros:
Timely read
Historical Fiction
Learned new historical events
Multiple viewpoints

Cons:
Slow burn
Unlikeable characters
More mystery than a spy thriller

I received an advanced electronic copy from publisher Minotaur Books and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book.

Rumors to be confirmed or exposed as lies lead reporter Anne Lemire to a story about Nazi propaganda. Her fact-finding overlaps with the investigation of Devon Mulvey who is looking into the death of a factory worker.

This is definitely a plot-driven story. The characters were more about action, less about heart, making it impossible for me to sympathize with them. This is perfect for some readers, but I had to find my interest elsewhere.

The tightly plotted story has plenty of twists and turns. The history of WWII America highlights what was going on in America while war waged in Europe and the Pacific – much of what I did not learn about in my history classes. Throw in relevant topics such as antisemitism, disinformation, fascist sympathizers, and bullying and you have a fascinating thriller.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

I had a hard time getting into this novel. It started off very slowly as the two characters are introduced in seemingly unrelated activities. I didn't like Devon from the beginning. He is not the kind of man I appreciate as a hero. Anne was more attractive to me, tracing rumors to their source and disproving them. Some were just rather silly but some had roots in anti-war feelings. That aspect of the novel is similar to the disinformation promoted today.

This is the first book I had read by Mullen. The atmosphere of the era was presented well, especially the prejudice towards Jews. I can tell a great deal of research went into the book and I appreciate the Author's Note and the end identifying aspects of the novel based on historical fact. I thought the novel rather uninspiring, however, and not compelling. The plot moved slowly and I found myself skimming after a while.

This novel would be of interest to readers who enjoy books centered on WW II.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

DNF at 21%. I kept waiting to be drawn into the story, to feel connected to the characters, but it never happened. I expected this historical mystery to feel higher stakes, but I was struggling to figure out what the mystery actually was. Maybe it would have clicked eventually, but I had no interest in continuing on with the book.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the e-arc of The Rumor Game. Sadly, this one was just not for me. I am realizing that mysteries are just not my genre for boooks.

I liked this a lot. Set in Boston during World War II, this provided a look at this time that I have not read about previously. There are multiple POVs, and Anne and Devon are great characters. I liked how the stories intertwined, and how it all came together. The ending was satisfying. At the end, the author went through his sources and what was true in the book and what was fiction, I love when authors do that. Will definitely read this author again.

I really enjoyed this mix of historical fiction and crime thriller The story and pacing were so intriguing and kept me captivated until the end. I also loved the little author notes.

The Rumor Game will keep you on the edge of your seat! Anne Lemire is a young reporter who writes a column debunking false information and lies in Boston during WW II. It's an uphill battle against Nazi spies, American collaborators and just plain racist and xenophobic locals. Anne decides to do a major expose about Nazi propaganda circulating, in an effort to rally Americans to fight the Nazi's together. Her investigation brings her into contact with FBI special Agent Devon Mulvey charged with finding spies and preventing industrial espionage. When a factory is murdered (or is he?), the two team up to find the truth.

The Rumor Game is fast paced, exciting, with lots of twists and turns. A great book for an airplane ride or a vacation!

This was an enjoyable and well written historical mystery set in Boston during WWII. The story centers around Anna, a journalist working to disprove rumors and Nazi propaganda, and Devon, an FBI agent investigating a murder.

The setting and time period were very well written and made me feel like I was really there. It was like having a snapshot of 1940s America. I liked reading about what life would have been like for the people not actively serving during the war in this country. It's a perspective I don't often come across in books. Thomas Mullins does an excellent job bringing the American atmosphere of the time to life.

Anna is a strong-willed character that was easy to root for, and Devon, while not as serious, was equally likable. The mystery itself was gripping and kept me interested all the way through.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

THE RUMOR GAME takes place in Boston during WWIi. The reader follows two main characters. In a male dominated journalism field, Anne Lemire who is Jewish writes a column for the newspaper called THE RUMOR CLINIC. She tries to find the truth behind rumors she hears being spread around and then writes her story based on facts. The second main character is FBI Special Agent Devon Mulvey who is Catholic in Hoover’s rather waspish FBI. The first 25-30% of the story moved quickly as I learned about these characters and I felt like I was on my way to be fully engrossed in finding out how their stories intersect. The story began to slow down for me with fairly long chapters. I found that I was having to go back and read paragraphs over again….at about the 55-60% mark the book picked up again for awhile but then I struggled again. I think the book needs some more editing to make the story tighter. My thanks to St.Martin’s Press Minotaur and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

The Rumor Game is set in Boston during WWII and explores what was going on with Americans as many were divided about the U.S. becoming involved with the war. This novel is told from two different points of view. One is that of an FBI agent and the other of an idealistic young journalist who wants to stop the antisemitic and other hateful rumors targeting marginalized groups. The story revolved around Anne and Devon trying to discover what was really going on in Boston as pamphlets and then ultimately a murder begins to show some serious crime is happening and the local cops are doing nothing about it.

This book had some good moments but ultimately wasn't for me. I did like Anne, who was a strong female character but Devon, the FBI agent was a little off putting to me. I wanted more connection between these two characters. This book was well written and did move along but it felt like more of a true crime novel than a thriller. The author did include an author's note which told what events were true and what was not. I always appreciate this in a historical fiction book.

This book was so well written I couldn't put it down. I like how it starts out with Anna.Writing Is a rumor Call. C o l u m n For a newspaper called star in Boston in the 40s.. She was a Anti fascism Because she felt the christian league was up to no good. She also ran across a man she wen She used to play his name was devon. F b I guy trying to figure out this murder which took place in the boston north end based on factory who made ammunition and guns for the war. This is really interesting because there's a lot of things in this book which hit home. How the jews were being attacked in dorchester and how they were trying to figure out why this was happening. People in the factory really do not want to talk to him. But there was so many different plots and twist. S it was like a love story. Mixed in with like a murder mystery. Devon's father was also part of the christian league with a lawyer named nell. They were spreading hate around the community through pamphlets. I Anna wanted to be a writer and she graduated from radcliffe. She wrote a column called rumors for the newspaper called the stars and she wanted to see if they were two or faults. She did a lot of crazy things to prove herself. She had a brother named Sammy and somehow he got involved in this murder. You're talking about the dirty cops as well. D e v o n was irish and he had a Cousin named Brian , who is part of this christian leg. I like how the story We'll through different aspects of the time in the 40s..