A solid 3 - 3..5 star rating for a solid mystery. The book was a little slow at first, it took me time to be convinced that I should care about our heroine, Joanne, her beau, Michael and their son, little Alfie. The characters were introduced without much interest at first, but the book picked up when the mystery started to unravel. I appreciated the use of red herrings and the wide field of suspects. The author did not shy away from voicing Jo's suspicions, and no stone was left unturned - except one. I enjoyed the twist but found the ending a bit outlandish - *spoilers ahead* - that Sally would have ended up living in the same town as the niece of the boy she killed at age 10. And that the boy's cancer-ridden sister would move and try to exact her revenge. The very end of the book does question whether Sally was living the life she deserved - or did she get away with it all?

'Rumors are like seeds, scattered on the wind. There's no telling where they'll land, but land they will. Setting in cracks, and crevices, the roots take hold. The seed sprout. It doesn't matte if they're true or false. The more times they're spoken, the faster and stronger they grow. Like weeds, waving in the air."

Joanna is just trying to fit in with the other Moms at her son's new school, when she repeats a rumor that she has heard....that a notorious killer, is living under a new identity, in their small seaside town.

Who is Sally McGown?

Everyone becomes obsessed in figuring out who she could be...all women in the correct age range, or with the correct initials, becomes a "suspect".

Joanna shares the 'rumor with her son's father, Michael, an investigative reporter, and the two scour the internet for old stories, and videos about Sally. He wants to flush her out and offer her a chance to tell her 'version of the truth, in the form of a book. The two have no idea about what they have started when they share this rumor.

"One casual remark. One whispered secret. That's all it takes to set the wheels in motion and change the course of a life. Once, some poor woman they thought was me was driven out of her home. She lost her job, her reputation, her peace of mind. Ended up throwing herself in front of a high speed train."


Inspired by a sensational true crime story, this debut novel had an interesting premise, and an ENGAGING writing style...…..but, it had a few flaws as well....

There were too many characters, for starters. I thought I needed to make a flow chart in the beginning to keep them all straight. Come to find out, some had no real purpose in the story other than (for example) to be part of a book club meeting that Joanna attends one time, and they never appear in the story again, and since they were moms of Alfie's classmates, they were not even the right age to be viable "suspects".

The main characters were not well developed either.

Nor was Michael's investigation into the case.

The sensational ending, did not really work for me either, though to be fair, since I am not familiar with the actual event, perhaps that IS similar to how it all played out?

I think that if the author had written this as woman's fiction, instead of as a thriller, it would've worked much better. Exploring further the ramifications of how a crime committed as a child, a fresh start, and then a rumor exposing your past, makes you have to start over again, was the strong part of the story...not the "thriller" part.

I guessed who Sally McGown was pretty early on, so I was not surprised.

3.5 stars rounded down....



I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and the author for the digital ARC I was provided in exchange for a candid review! This was a version edited for an American audience from the original book published in the U.K.-available in the U.S on June 18th, 2019!

An unputtdownable and captivating read! If this is what she writes for her debut novel I can't wait to see what comes next! I devoured this one. I know many readers are going to go crazy for it too. Highly recommended!

Kept me engaged from start to finish. While some dialogue sounded overdone, the ending made it all worthwhile.

Highly Highly recommend so tense so chilling a true page turner.From beginning till the shock at the end this is a terrific read,#netgalley # randomhouse

This was a more complex novel than I was expecting. I think it did a nice job of examining the relationships we have with people and the preconceived notions we may bring to those relationships. Lots of red herrings but not too many where it became ridiculous and none that seemed far-fetched which is always appreciated. My one hang-up was the narrator's wording seemed British which had me thinking it took place in the UK but then I read that it was in the US. Upon finishing the book, I saw that the author is indeed a Brit which explains why I felt that undercurrent.

Unbelievably great book. If I did not have to sleep and eat I would not have put it down. The title saysa it call, rumors and gossip are not just hurtful but harm others. The characters and intrigue and surprises are throughout the book. I hope people read this title in the book store and pick it up and learn from it too.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

Thank you #NetGalley for an advanced copy of #TheRumor!

Oh boy, where do I start?? Overall I really enjoyed this book. This is about how spreading a small rumor amongst the women of Flintstead can have major consequences. The rumor begins at the elementary school drop-off when one of the moms tells the other moms that she heard convicted child killer, Sally McGowan, is supposedly living in their small town with a new identity living a normal life! As the rumor gets spread further, small things start to happen that threaten Jo and her family’s lives. The entire book you just keep thinking “ok this person has GOT to be Sally McGowan” and then “wait it’s GOT to be this person instead” (or was I the only one reading and trying to guess the twist at the same time?? #multitasking) The truth, while not incredibly unpredictable, was still somewhat of a surprise. And the very last page of the book... Wow!

Definitely recommend as it is suspenseful and a quick read!

Perhaps it’s because I put this book down in the middle to read a book that I’ve been dying to read for months. Or perhaps it’s because I read too many of these types of books. Or perhaps it’s just cause I didn’t read this one at the right time.. but I was not a fan. The book was ok. I guess. I do feel like that it took every single predictable psychological thriller “twist” and made the end really not good. The reveal of 'who is Sally McGowan' was good but the book quickly derailed for me after that. It was a three until that point. In my opinion there are way better books out there. 2 stars. (It would have been a three until the end. Dang that was trite and predictable.)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC that I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In Lesley Kara’s The Rumor, our main character has moved back to her home town after her son needs to leave the school where he is shamelessly bullied and tormented. When she gets to her hometown, she spreads a rumor to get in with the other moms out of desperation to keep Alfie from being victimized a second time. Predictably, the rumor spreads quickly and proves to be quite disruptive for their seaside town.

The Rumor reminded me of a cross between Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies and TJ Stinson’s The picture of Innocence. One of those comparisons helped the book; the other made me like it considerably less. The Mommy politics, drama starting, and gossip spreading in a small, seaside town was the part that was reminiscent of BLL and aside from being a bit more preachy (the admonishment of gossips was pretty consistent and a bit over done), that part worked well. It felt real and engaging, and I was very excited to find out who Sally was. Very excited that it, until I found out.

That’s the part that reminded me of TJ Stimson. I won’t go in to anymore details to avoid spoilers, but the two books were too similar for my taste.

The Rumor was a well written book, although a bit plodding at times. To have a partner who is a reporter and seems to value her intellect, Joanna seems a bit dull witted sometimes. I will say this, though: I really thought I knew who the bad guy was and I was wrong. I also was completely shocked by the twist at the end, BUT I didn’t care for it. It was too gimmicky.

3.5/5

https://bibwithblog.blogspot.com/2019/03/have-you-heard-about-rumor-by-lesley.html?m=1

Joanna , a single mother, has moved back to small beach town Flinstead with her son Alfie for a fresh new start. Trying to fit in with the other moms she engages in a little gossip and mentions that a famous child killer is living under a new identity in town to one of her friends in her club. The rumor catches on and it spreads like wildfire and things start spiraling out of control rapidly.

The Rumor is an intriguing debut by Lesley kara. Written in short chapters with plenty of twists and turns , red herrings along the way and an unexpected ending made it a gripping addictive read

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This book exhausted me.

I took me six days to finish this book.
SIX DAYS I say.

This is the longest 263 pages I have ever read in my life. You would think that with all of the skimming I did that it would have lessened the load but inexplicably it did not.

The first 70% is excruciatingly tedious with painfully unnecessary fillers, so many characters with no development (thankfully) that I challenge anyone to keep them straight.

The MC is so tiresome and never missed an opportunity to let you know that the father of her son is black.

Despite the fact that the story is rife with red herrings, I easily deciphered all three twists in this story well before their reveal.

I'm giving this one 2 ⭐ although I feel like that may be too generous.



I received an ARC from Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a really fun book......until the end. Seriously disappointing, and not believable. Feel like wasted time.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

The Rumor by Lesley Kara exceeded my expectations. I knew from the beginning pages that this was going to be a gripping read and it was so good. You could easily see how a rumor would grow out of control and cause trouble for multiple people.

Single mother Joanna just wanted to fit in with the other moms at her son’s school. In order to appear more interesting and hopefully secure some playdates for her son through the moms, she drops a bombshell, someone in their seaside town is actually an infamous murderer. Years ago, a ten-year-old girl murdered her friend and now that supposedly the girl is living in their small town. Who could it be? The woman down at the shop looks like she could be this child killer….or is it someone else?

I loved this engaging suspense! I felt compassion for Joanna and understood her need to impress the other woman.

Here’s the synopsis:

Joanna is desperate to ingratiate herself with a popular clique of mothers at her son’s new school. But when she tries to impress them by repeating a rumor she overheard at the school gates, there’s no going back. . . .

Rumor has it that a notorious killer, a woman who has been released from prison years after her brutal crime, is living under a new identity in Joanna’s seaside town. So who is the supposedly reformed murderer now living in their neighborhood? Suspicion falls on everyone.

Joanna becomes obsessed with the case, pawing through decades-old records in an attempt to name the killer. But her curiosity not only ostracizes her from the community, but exposes her son and his father to a heartless psychopath who has killed–and may kill again.

How dangerous can one rumor become? And how far will Joanna go to protect those she loves from harm, when she realizes what she’s unleashed?

I could see this one as a series like Big Little Lies!

Due out in July.

This book is about a young woman who is trying to help her son make friends at school by trying to fit in with the mothers. In order to get their attention, she overhears a statement and decides to use that to help her get in with the other mothers. AND it works. What she does not plan on is the impact this will have on her and her family.

I really enjoyed this book and the plot had me guessing throughout the whole book. I like how the author had me second guessing who was responsible for what rumor and just who really was the villain. Just when I think I had it figured out, it would change.

These are my favorite type of books and I would recommend this book to those who like an easy and fast paced thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review:

Ahhhh the rumor mill of small towns, as one small town girl, I get how rumors spread like wildfires. I thought rumors spreaded fast when I was in high school, but trust me when I say that no rumor gets spread faster than those that are said amoungst Moms!

Though this rumor could destroy a life and put other lives in danger. Joanna is no stranger to this small seaside towns (I always think of a NJ seaside town or boston). She grew up there but moved away and as fate would have it, has moved back to town with her young sons. She has a good story (gossip) from her old days and mentions it at her book club and then another time when she's with other moms (And like I said, us moms and bookclubbers know how to spread gossip) but this rumor has dangerous consequences for Joanna. It seems that there is a killer living amoung this small town. Someone one who, no doubt, people know and may even be friends with.
Great read, great characters and it does keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Rumor by Lesley Kara - this could be a movie - are good check flick...

If you say something behind someone's back, make sure you are willing to own it.. But that's not how it goes. There is a conversation or a "rumor" that a murderer is living among a small neighborhood. Joanna has just moved to a new town and she wants to fit it with a group of women like herself. She isn't a gossiper, not her, but she so wants to fit in. So Joanna tells a story about how many years ago, a child was killed and the person who did it is right here in their own community. But who is it and how did she get away with murder?
Joanna will learn that her words cannot be taken back and she may find herself in the middle of a crime drama that she never intended to be part of - but now she really is...!!!
Good book, lots of characters, quick and easy read.

I can't believe this is a debut novel! It is so good. Full of twists and page turning suspense. This psychological thriller is a must read! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Joanna hears a rumor outside her son's school while waiting to pick him up. One thing leads to another and this rumor takes life. Joanna starts investigating the rumor, is there really a child killer living in their community under another name? Who could this be? Who can she trust? I thought I had figured out who it was several times and was suspicious of everyone. I was surprised when details started being given! Wow, what a web this book weaves! If you are looking for a book that keeps you guessing and turning the pages this is the one for you! Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this great book. This is my honest review of The Rumor.

The power of word of mouth. We've all done it, mentioned to a friend "oh did you hear" - a harmless whisper. But what happens when that friend tells another friend and a rumor spreads like wildfire? This situation is exactly what Lesley Kara examines in her psychological thriller, The Rumor. Just hoping to fit in and make some friends in a new area, Joanna is lightly gossiping with a group of moms, but before she knows it - she's started the entire town on a witch hunt - one that will have consequences she never intended.

Utterly unique and completely compelling, I loved every word of Kara's novel and cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

I received an advance copy. All opinions are my own.