This story was fairly interesting. The main character was over the top when it came to her son,but the premise of the story was very interesting. It made me keep reading to the end.

Joanna hears a rumor that famous killer, a woman who killed a small boy when she herself was a child, might now be living in her town under a new identity. When she tries to improve her own social status by passing along this juicy tidbit, she quickly finds that she is complicit when the rumor spins out of control and that innocent people are targeted by angry neighbors. Complicating matters are her journalist boyfriend, who is eager to investigate and write a book about the murderer, and the need to protect her young son from harm when it appears that someone evil--maybe the killer--blames her for spreading gossip. There is the expected thriller-novel suspense of wondering whether the rumor is true, which of Joanna's neighbors the killer might be, and whether harm might really come to Joanna's son. Beyond that, though, this book is disturbing in that it illustrates how quickly a community can turn on one of its members, and how a rumor can quickly take on a life of its own and destroy innocent people. It's the worst of social media brought to real life. The suspense is well done, Joanna has enough imperfections to make her real, and the ending is simultaneously satisfying and dark.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC.

2.5 stars rounded up. The title, the description, the cover drew me in from the start. But a lot of the luster was lost in the unnecessary descriptors. Some of the thoughts that were narrated were irrelevant, and frankly a little juvenile, and this made it a little difficult for me to read. I wanted to like where this story was going but I didn’t find myself enjoying it.

This was a brilliant book with killer twists that keep you guessing till the end .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Kept me guessing til the end! A twist that I definitely didn’t see coming. Sally McGowan made a fateful mistake when she was a child but she has been paying for it for many years, even after being released from prison. Joanna has moved back to her hometown for a better life for her and her son Alfie plus she is able to be close to her mother who helps her out immensely with Alfie. When Joanna overhears a rumor that their may be a killer living in her small town, she can’t help but pass it on. As a result, she seems to be targeted by someone who doesn’t want the rumor to go any further. As Joanna gets more paranoid for her and her son’s safety, she finds herself trying to figure out who is Sally McGowan, now under an assumed name and who is truly her friend in this small town.

The Rumor was one of the best mysteries I have read in a long time. It started at the first page and continued til the last one. There were many twists in the plot that just kept you going and not wanting to stop until you finished.
I understand this is the first novel by this author.
I will be looking forward to reading more of her work!

This book had a twist I was not expecting! Even though I was annoyed with Joanna for spreading the "so-called" rumor. I was sure I knew who the real culprit was. Turns out I was wrong. I recommend this book if you like mystery and suspense. A compelling read! I voluntarily read this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a ride! This book had me on the edge of my seat. Intense with twists and turns. I ended up staying up all night reading! Im looking forward in reading more from Lesley Kara.

In the book The Rumor by Lesley Kara, Jo wants her son to make friends in his new school, Thinking that getting friendly with other mothers is the solution, Jo resorts to the schoolgirl tactic of gossiping.
Is it pssoible that a convicted murderess is living under an assumed name in their town? Ironically,Jo with learn the consequences of rumor mongering. This book has a slow start and Jo is not someone who is interesting, but the story evolves with each turn of the page. The rumor begins to gain momentum as more people speculate who the killer could be.

Throughout the book, the reader gets a peak into the killer’s mind. The killer begins to feel anxious. Discovery will destroy the new life she has built for herself and her loved ones.The Rumor uses red herrings effectively. Each time the reader thinks of a solution, a new clue surfaces. The story has many twists and turns keeping the reader guessing right up until the last page. I was given a free advanced copy of this book. I am voluntarily writing my unbiased review.

Review:The Rumor by Lesley Kara and reviewing for Netgalley. A 10 year old little girl kills a little boy and is put into protective custody. Now years later she has grown up and has a new identity and is back in town but who is she now and will she do it again? Good story. It had a slow start but later many twists and turns. ⭐⭐⭐⭐Four Stars.

A thrilling mystery that kept me guessing until the end. This story is based on something that could so easily happen to any of us and therefore I found myself wondering what I’d do if I ever did find myself in the sameness pls r as these characters.
Sure, most of us won’t ever start a rumor that ruins someone’s life or safety, but we’ve all gossiped and caused someone pain. This story just takes it up a notch or two. It’s an easy read, the kind that makes it so smooth to burn through. You’ll wish you wrote it yourself and you’ll be jealous of just how effortless Kara makes the whole thing seem....even though we all know it’s anything but!

Again, I am quite surprised by a debut author. I found the beginning of the story and the “rumor” going around to be a little off-putting. It just didn’t captivate me. I thought that there were a lot of unnecessary characters, but most of them made their way back to claim their place in the book near the end.

There were at least 2 or three fairly large twists in this book that I didn’t see coming. I love being caught by surprise in a book and loved the fact that I didn’t see them coming. Overall, I give this book a solid 4 stars and I would definitely be interested in reading something from this author in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

The setting, the premise, and the characters are all positives for this book. I so wanted to love this book, but it is only a "like" for me. It is a mystery, and the way it plays out is well done. The main character Joanna becomes a bit of a busy-body and her inner dialogue is tedious at times. Was I surprised at the conclusion? Yes, but not enough to warrant the move from "like" to "love". I did skim a few paragraphs because of the amount of details included that were not necessarily needed to move the story along.

Would I read another book by this author? Yes, I will definitely give another book by the author a try.

Oh, My Goodness! I cannot believe this an author's first book! I do not like children, murder mysteries, thrillers, whatever genre they prefer to use! This story is a constant, Who is she? Is it so and so, what is she doing here, will she hurt my son, how did she get out of prison? It sounds like you and me! Yes! However, I see nothing wrong with the questions; it is accusing all and sundry with accusations! You will genuinely ride an up and down emotional roller coaster! The ending is a shocker; I am still beside myself! How could it end like this? I am still freaking out over it! It can't mean, what I think it means, can it? Please don't spoil this ride, by looking at the last page! It is so worth it! I love Michael, and Joanne, their son Alfie! They need their own series! My heart is still pounding! Unbelievable!
I highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

Joanna wants to weasel her way into the popular crowd of moms at her son's new school and she knows just how to do it. She heard a rumor that a woman who committed a murder and was released from prison years ago is now living in their town under an assumed name. The other mothers start to point fingers at each other, jumping on the gossip that has now spread throughout their community. Can anyone be trusted?

“A lie will go round the world while truth is pulling its boots on.” C. H. Spurgeon, Gems from Spurgeon (1859)

In "The Rumor" by Lesley Kara, a mother "accidentally" starts a rumor about a notorious killer who committed a brutal crime against a child in hopes of fitting in with the other parents so that her child can make some friends. What begins as an innocent way to assimilate into the town leads Joanna into a frightening search for the truth.

I breezed through this book. I thought it was a good read that held my interest and I particularly enjoyed the characters and the pacing. The reveal of the notorious killer caught me off-guard, which isn't always easy to do! (I read so many thrillers).

In 1969, while playing with a group of neighborhood children, ten-year-old Sally McGowen killed five-year-old Robbie Harris. She was convicted of manslaughter and when released disappeared while Harris’s family stayed in the public spotlight, the subject of scrutiny whenever a birthday or the anniversary of his death approached. His mother and sister never understood why Sally wasn’t convicted of murder and how she was able to leave prison and live a normal life.

Decades later, single mother Joanna Critchley, having relocated to the small seaside town where she grew up, struggles with finances and raising her child, Alfie, who was bullied in his previous school and who hasn’t yet made friends. Additionally, she has a complicated relationship with Alfie’s father, Matthew, an investigative journalist.

One afternoon while waiting for Alfie outside his elementary school, Joanna hears a rumor from another mother that Sally McGowen is living in their town under an assumed identity. That night at book club, she lets the rumor slip, and a few days later, another woman from book club tells her she thinks she knows who Sally McGowen is.

Determined to make friends with the other mothers, Joanna sees this information as currency, and she tells them her secret which gains her entry into the exclusive babysitting circle and access to playdates and birthday parties for Alfie. At the same time, someone has used the information to begin a campaign of terror which soon turns on Joanna and Alfie. Joanna, with help from Matthew, must find out the true identity of Sally to protect herself and her son before it’s too late.

The Rumor is a fast, engaging read with an interesting mystery that also questions if child perpetrators can be rehabilitated and how living under an assumed identity affects a person’s mental health. At times, though, I didn’t like the style. Joanna often made pronouncements, almost like she was breaking the “fourth wall” in which she would say “Oh, no” or “Oh, well.” Additionally, I felt very unmoored when it came to the setting. I could never quite figure out where the book was taking place, wondering where a small seaside town might be close enough to a large city to make sense in the context of the narrative. Ultimately, enough clues pointed to Boston as the big city. In the acknowledgements, Kara thanks someone for helping her adapt the manuscript for an American audience. I wondered if it originally was set in the UK, which might explain why the setting seemed awkward.

This is an ideal “airplane read” for mystery lovers: low commitment, entertaining, and undemanding.

The Rumor is another hit by Lesley Kara. The story grabbed my attention from the start and didn't let go. A great summer read!

I just finished The Rumor by Lesley Kara. This is an impressive debut novel that evolves from a repeated rumor in a small town. Living in a small town myself, I can appreciate how quickly rumors can spread and the subsequent damage that can happen from them. I like that this is a somewhat original storyline and I thought this book was well written. I did guess some of the ending though - but that's what I do as an avid reader of thrillers. This book was a quick read for me and I am glad to have been introduced to this author's writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Ballentine Books for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The fact that the author is not an American is crystal clear. I forced myself to get past that as I slogged through this book. (There are lakes--no seaside villages here in Michigan state as mentioned as the setting--lake side towns yes-why didn't someone tell Lesley Kara to set the book in England??) I thought the pacing of the mystery was good and the final twist pushed my rating up one star.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

EDIT-ugh, I just read the original was set in England-the conversion to set it in the U.S. does not work.. Anyone who can change this???-leave the setting alone --.