I received an advance readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I like thrillers and so this sounded like a book that I would enjoy. It was a very quick read and while it wasn't an edge of your seat, can't put it down, thriller, it was an enjoyable book. There were a lot of characters in the book that were a little bit hard to keep track of, but I think that was mainly intended to offer several possibilities of who the killer might be. However, it's also about a small seaside town and how rumors can spread. How the town handles the rumor really gives you reason to think and shows what can happen when rumors are repeated.

I give this book 4 stars because I was desperate to find out if the rumor was actually true, and if it was, to what extent. It's a great plot for a book. But if I had to rate this book solely on the author's ability to explain events without confusing the reader, I would have to only give this book 3 stars.

Joanna's no different than the rest of us. She wants her son to fit in with the kids at his new school, so she knows she has to fit in with the moms. Her way in? The rumor. Joanna's personal guilt at "starting" this rumor is exceptionally relateable. We've all told a whopper or exaggerated fact to get someone's attention. It happens without you even thinking sometimes. And we've all felt the crushing guilt right after, or we've reaped the consequences.

I loved Joanna and Michael's relationship. Casual sex between best friends that leads to a child and they just make it work. It's a modern storyline, obviously. It doesn't add anything to the plot or explain any of the characters' motives. It's just there, probably the author's personal choice for a personal reason. She hints that Joanna chooses to live that way based on her upbringing, but she doesn't elaborate enough to make that connection work. In fact, there are times when the characters' own actions undermine this plot point.

This brings me to my biggest criticism of this book. The author writes in such a way that there were moments I thought I missed the first book in a series. But this isn't a series. She just sets up certain plot points very poorly. For example, I have no idea where these people live. She uses a combination of British slang and American standards (such as "bits" instead of parts, but using American dollars instead of pounds). Also, where does Michael live? At first, the author implied he was a flight away; later, he was a drive away. Things like this annoyed me.

Overall, I enjoyed this mystery. It is not the next "Girl on the Train", as it's described in some blurbs, but then again, nothing will be the next Girl on the Train.

Being the new person in town can make it difficult to make friends so when Joey finds herself searching for a way to connect with her book group, she shares a rumor she heard with the group. Is there a murderer living in their town? Rumor has it that a woman convicted of killing another child moved to the same safe town where Joey and her son have relocated for a fresh start and Joey has found herself in the middle of the gossip and possibly in the sights of a murderer. With plenty of potengtial suspects, will Joey uncover the killer’s identity before she is targeted?

Lesley Kara’s The Rumor is a well crafted story That kept me engaged and I found the book hard to put down. I have never read anything by this author before but will be checking out other titles by Lesley Kara. While the reveal was a bit expected, the well told story made up for the predictable ending.

I read enjoyed this book! Kept me guessing until the very end. I was completely shocked! A must read for anyone who likes a suspenseful thriller. Highly recommend

When a groups of mums were waiting to take their kids into school, one of the mums mentioned that there may be a female child killer who killed a little boy living in their town under witness protection. Alfie's mum, Joanna, picked up on this and then mentioned it at her Book Club get together. Joanna was worried because Alfie did not seem to have any friends so when meeting to take the kids into school again, she again brought up the rumor and added another fact to it that she had found out from her reporter boyfriend. From there, this story takes on a lot of twist and turns with a surprise ending. This book kept me captivated from the very first and it definitely is a page turner. I really enjoyed this quick, easy read and I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this very enjoyable book.

Highly intriguing. It felt like every chapter, I changed my mind about who the criminal might be. The book showed the power of rumors and suspicion, and how you can twist things that happen to make them fit what you want to believe. Very suspenseful, even though the main crime was committed decades ago.

Intriguing story of one family who lost a child who wants justice and never stops fighting, and another family who lives with a secret and a new identity.

The story begins with a casual comment while mothers are dropping their children off at school. Someone has heard that a child murderer may be living in Joanna's town under an assumed name. Joanna, in her eagerness to fit in with other mothers, repeats the rumor at her book club, and the whole town begins to speculate on who the person could be. I thought the author made the small town setting realistic. There were a few suspects as to who the murdered could be but I didn't see the end result coming.

All in all, this was an entertaining book.

When a single mother hears a shocking rumor outside her son’s school, she never intends to pass it on. But one casual comment leads to another . . . and now there’s no going back. Rumor has it that a notorious killer, who committed a brutal crime as a child, has been living a new life under an assumed identity in Joanna’s seaside town. So who is the criminal hidden in their midst? Suspicion falls on everyone.

As Joanna becomes obsessed with the case, her curiosity will expose her son and his father to the supposedly reformed murderer—who may be ready to kill again. She will learn how dangerous one rumor can become . . . and just how far she must go to protect those she loves. She is going to regret the day she ever said a word.

It's crazy what a rumour can do once started. Great book with all kinds of turns throughout the plot.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheRumor
Pub Date: 18 Jun 2019

5 out of 5 stars!

First off I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher Ballantine books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchanged for an honest review.

Jo isn't the type of woman who spreads rumors. Well, at least not normally but then again a woman will do anything to help her child to fit in and belong! You see, she hears a little rumor and though she has no desire to mention it to anyone she lets the rumor slip at a book club. It seems that there may be a child killer in their midst. A woman named Sally stabbed little Robby Harris when she was a child. She has been released for years and living under an assumed name. It seems she MAY have settled in their little town! Though Jo promises herself that she will not mention it again. It is a promise she plans to keep until she finds out her son Alfie who was once bullied in the city they lived in before she moved to the small town to be hear her Mom and to save Alfie from bullying is being bullied again. She hears from her partner that there is a very good chance that Sally really is here. The reason it makes sense? It seems Sally moved to a dry town. Jo wants Alfie to be accepted and that means that she must be accepted by the other Mothers so she drops more juicy gossip. Before she knows things get out of hand. A woman in town is accused and mob mentality takes hold.

Jo also starts to get veiled threats from a twitter account and then a class photo is digitally changed to show Alfie with a knife in his chest! As Jo and her partner Michael set out to find out the truth we watch a small town begin to fall apart. Because their town is full of retirees there are many suspects. I pretty much narrowed it down to two people and zoned in on the correct culprit about halfway through. Did that weaken the impact of the reveal? Not at all! In fact it made me more excited to get to the confrontation/reveal and boy was the ending fantastic! Even the final sentence in the novel is great!

This is a stellar 5 star book. Each character is well rounded and the story is strong. Though you are disappointed with the way many of the residents act the town does seem like a nice little town. We are only human and we do not always act perfectly so you can forgive the residents for acting out of fear.

If I had to give one con it would be that you could clearly tell that this book was originally a UK set mystery. It felt a little off in that aspect and there really was no need to change the location for the northern American audience, Please don't let that stop you from picking this up though!

This is a gripping tale of how a simple rumor can have devastating consequences. Joanna is a single mom living with her son in a quaint seaside town. While chatting with some of the other mothers one afternoon, Joanna mentions a rumor that she has heard of a former child killer living in their town. This killer would now be the mother of a school age child in their community. Could this really be true? Could there be a murderer in their sleepy community, maybe even posing as one of the moms in the school?

As the rumor spreads, the damage begins. The other moms begin to speculate who the killer could be, and a target is put on the back of one of the women. As time goes on, Joanna begins to regret the day that she opened her mouth. For the fear is that the killer may have identified who Joanna is, and she may want revenge. As Joanna continues to investigate the rumor, the list of potential suspects begins to grow. Could it possibly be that the killer is closer to Joanna than she could even imagine?

Riveting book, with some definite twists. I definitely did not see the ending coming....highly recommend this for a thrilling and easy beach read!

WOW.....what a book. I literally cant think of what to say because I don't want to give anything away about this amazing thriller! The storyline was epic and the characters were WOW. The twists and turns provided by Lesley will give you whiplash in the best possible way and kept me guessing until the very end!
I can not wait to read more from Lesley Kara

The Rumor by Lesley Kara is an intense thriller about a single mom, Jo, moving back to the town she grew up in with her son. When Jo has a difficult time fitting in with the other cliquey moms at school and her book club, she blurts out a rumor she heard about a woman living in their quiet sleepy town, who was released from prison years ago for a horrific crime she committed as a 10 year old child. With the help of her mom, Jo and her son Alfie seem to like where they live, away from the bullies from Alfie's previous school, however Jo soon finds out how one little rumor could spread like wildfire.

Soon Jo is receiving threatening tweets, and subliminal threats at Alfie’s school. She is frightened for the safety of her son. Jo becomes paranoid and anxious, she fears the people in the town, always wondering if one of them could be the child killer of the 60’s. There seems so be many secrets each character holds on to, and with the downside of social media...we see how this rumor has started to effect everyone in the town.

The book has Short, fast paced chapters which helps the story move along nicely. The twists, turns and suspense make this difficult to put down. You will be shocked by the outcome, and even more so by the ending. Ms Kara will keep you wondering right up until the very last sentence...no joke! The characters are a little difficult to embrace, except for Alfie who seems adorable, but Jo is more of a busybody. Although each character seems to be “the one”, the actual unfolding of the story will astound you.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

New author for me but pleasantly surprised. Thank you for the approval and look forward to a book relationship with other reads in the future,

This is a solid thriller that was a fast, easy read. The plot-line is unique and had me invested immediately: a rumor begins among mothers in a small that a former child murderer may be living amongst them with a new identity. While it's a mystery at heart, it's also an exploration of human nature, and how people react to gossip.

This book was originally published in the UK then "translated" for an American audience. This feels obvious and inconsistent, at times the word choice was distracting. Likewise how often the main character mentions the fact that her love interest is black and their child mixed race, (way too often.)

I liked the story-line a lot until the last 20%, it felt rushed and confusing. There are a lot of characters to keep track of but the gadded to the frantic-ness of the rumor spreading and people acting out. In general, I'd say it's worth reading if you're looking for a quick beach read.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

A great book for a debut. Lesley Kara's writing style did not feel came from someone who writes a story or a book for the first time. As the title says it, the whole thing starts with a rumor! Joanna is a single mom to Alfie & they live in London but decides to move back to a quiet town where her mother lives after her son has been bullied in his school in London. What happens in that small town later is because of that rumor going around. Things from the past come again to the surface. The rumor of a murderer that has committed a crime in the past has been released and is living in the town under a new name & identity.

Pros:
- The storytelling is very gripping here. Thanks to the author's way of keeping the reader thinking and guessing all the time. You will keep thinking who that person is going to be. Like the main protagonist, you are not going to trust any of the characters.
- The last two pages of the confession were just great, they ended the story on a high note.
- Loved how the book was neatly structured. The chapters were short & that made reading them a lot easier and faster.

Cons:
- It took me some time to get used to the characters living in the town. Especially because most of the characters were females. So having many female characters might make it overwhelming and a con at first but hang on because things will get better.

Final Thought:
The Rumor is a debut thriller that does not feel like a debut. I think Lesley Kara will have a great career ahead if she continues to write such interesting stories. I give this book a solid 4 stars out of 5. Don't miss it out when it is going to be released in June, 18th 2019.

Many thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for providing me with an advanced reading copy (ARC) of this book and this is my honest unbiased review in return.

Sometimes rumors can get out of hand. After all, everyone has to put their own spin on it. Joanna's innocent rumor she'd started took on a life of it's own. Eventually, everyone she knows becomes suspect.

I honestly didn't expect a story about rumors to be as interesting as this novel was. It was jaw droppingly suspenseful and left me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I absolutely loved it and look forward to more writings from this author.

Joanna has moved back to her small hometown to get her young son, Alfie, away from bullies. Desperate to make Alfie's new life happier, she tries to befriend the local moms at a book group, where she lets slip a rumor that a child murderer from 1969 has taken up residence in their small town. As the rumor mill spreads the word, the fallout is quick and brutal, and Joanna's at the heart of it. The more she tries to fix things, the worse things seem to become: she and Alfie have found their way into someone's sights.

The Rumor is SUCH a good thriller, with plot twists and big reveals up until the very last page. I was committed from the first page. Lesley Kara takes the power of a rumor and weaves a gripping tale of revenge with it, complete with smart characters and a plot that works with our social media- and reality TV-obsessed society.

So I liked the general idea on how a rumor can catch fire and burn innocent people. However, I think Kara didn't go far enough with it. Also some of the book read as repetitive after a while with Joanna thinking everyone was the child killer Sally McGowan in hiding. And then we have the reveal (which was ridiculous by the way) and the book went downhill from there. I was disappointed since the first parts of the book were very well done.

"The Rumor" follows single mother Joanna Critchley. Joanna has returned to her hometown of Flintstead to raise her five year old son Alfie. Alfie was bullied in his previous school and Joanna is hoping that with her mother nearby that she will have more time for him. Joanna though feels like an outsider and starts gossiping in her book club meeting about a rumor she heard that day in order to feel closer to the other women. Apparently, someone believes that Sally McGowan, who killed Robbie Harris in 1969 is living in the town of Flinstead under a new identity. Sally McGowan was only 10 years old when she killed Harris, and it sounds like her childhood was the stuff of nightmares. Many people in the town of Flinstead are horrified that a killer could be living among them. Too soon suspicions turn to those around them with one woman bearing the fallout of being accused. Joanna feels guilty because she spread the first rumor and from there it grew. Soon after it seems a mysterious person is stalking Joanna, hell-bent on teaching her how much harm rumors can have.

I felt ambivalent and then disliked Joanna. She was hysterical through most of the book and I thought that her explanation for why she spread the rumor was lame. Also why she becomes obsessed with unmasking Sally McGowan felt odd. Joanna is also still into the father of her child, Michael and goes round and round about that. Frankly, Joanna's mother was the only one with common sense about spreading mixed signals to her son when she lets Michael stay over. Either you are together or not, don't mess with kids. Michael through luck (or plot) also happens to be an investigative journalist who wants to find McGowan in order to tell her story. So Joanna weirdly feels like she should be helping with his case though feels resentful that is the only reason why he seems to want to get back together to her. Joanna barely seems to be at work and runs around thinking every neighbor or woman she knows could be McGowan who she believes wants to hurt her for spreading the rumor.

The other women in this book are barely developed beyond Joanna's mother. Every kind of blended together and I think it's because every couple of pages Joanna believed someone else was secretly McGowan. It got old.

Frankly in that situation I would have minded my own business. McGowan was a ten year old girl being physically and sexually abused by her father. She says it was an accident that she stabbed Robbie Harris. She was locked up until she turned 18 and slipped away to make a new life. Why everyone in the town is suddenly wanting to find her and burn her at the stake definitely showed that people had zero sympathy for the character.

The writing read as flat to me after a while. I think Kara can definitely set a mood though. Some of my favorite scenes were when the author describes a house, a mood, a place that Joanna was at. I thought this would be a perfect Halloween read at times due to Joanna feeling claustrophobic and scared after she feels threatened. Also things get very repetitive with Joanna practically having a breakdown every five minutes.

The flow was initially very good, and we get hints in between about Sally McGowan written in another voice. However, that voice felt wrong after we get to the reveal so I don't know what that was even about in the end.

The setting of Flinstead made me think of Salem during the Salem Witch Trials. We have everyone under the sun being accused. I think it would have worked better to get the whole town in a panic and have more and more people accused. Just keeping it to this small circle of women didn't really work. And one wonders why McGowan would even be concerned since it seemed a very small chance she would be discovered. I thought it was lame how Kara tied up everything up. Talk about coincidence after coincidence.

The ending was a letdown. There's a small twist thrown in the last line of the novel, but at that point I didn't care at all about it.

A suspenseful book with a nice little twist at the end. The author did a good job of making everyone seem suspect and building up the tension. A good book to read to on a rai.ny weekend