This is a story about what happens when a rumor spreads that is not true. Rumors can destroy lives. This book was pretty good, but didn't blow me away.

Joanna and her son Alfie are new to a small town and are having a bit of trouble fitting in. Alfie was hounded at a past school, possibly for being biracial, so the move was to change the surroundings and find him a place where he could be accepted. When it didn't happen, Joanna's mother suggested she try to fit in with the other moms and have the kids play together.

Joanna's only "in" topic of conversation with these other moms was relaying the rumor that a former child killer was possibly living in this little seaside town. That rumor got her accepted to the crowd, but Joanna has misgivings when a local resident is targeted as the possibly murderer. Her efforts to undo the rumor only seem to make it worse. Is the murderer someone known to them? Why is Joanna getting threatening tweets?

Good story, probably a high 3 stars is what I'd give it. One pet peeve of mine is that in the US, we use terms of me and I, her and she for example, a bit differently than those across the pond. It is jarring to me to see these terms used "incorrectly" and it throws me off the story temporarily. Of course the author used the terms correctly based on where she lives, but none the less, it bothers me, the child of an English teacher.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not gonna lie, it took a while for me to get through this, to the point where I just had to power through the rest of it. Maybe it's just me but I didn't find it to be much of a thriller/mystery because I found it kind of predictable. I didn't figure out the plot twists immediately, but I predicted them to the point where I was unfazed by the revelations.

Overall, the premise of the story was interesting, but the execution and the characters, especially Joanna, to be a miss. The way Joanna approached the whole rumor situation got on my nerves because you know and she knows that she should just keep her mouth shut, but she doesn't. Also the character development was weak because I didn't find myself siding with any character or caring for any of them. I can see the potential, but it just felt too lacking in the plot execution and character development that this just didn't hit the mark for me.

I must echo the sentiment of other reviewers and say that I found myself skimming paragraphs at a time, which is disappointing for such a short book. The premise intrigued me, and I admit that I did not see the twist coming. I also finished the book quickly, so take that how you will. I wish the characters had been more fully developed, as I found it somewhat hard to keep track of who was who, or care what happened to any of them.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I gotta get this funny bit outa the way: someone needs to let the editor fixing this up to be set in the states that 1)we're really more coffee people over here 2)we don't typically own a kettle lmaooooo
Anywho, this had me in it's claws for most of it's gnashing. I successfully guessed at one aspect, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.

This was only okay for me. I thought the pacing was a little slow (though the opening was engaging -- it started strong and then slowly petered out), and I just didn't connect with any of the characters (especially not Joanna, which was a problem, seeing as she's the narrator). I thought the mystery itself was fairly intriguing, but there's another place where the pacing minimized the tension. It simply took too long to get to the point, in my opinion.

I finally skipped to the end, and the fact that I was able to easily pick up the story thread illustrated how many extraneous details there were...so I didn't love it or hate it; it's simply 'meh.'

I love mysteries and I especially love a good writer's deft hand at tossing in red herrings but it bugs me when the mystery is solved completely out of the blue. The old, "the butler did it" solution but there was no butler in the whole book! The answer to the burning question throughout the novel, "Who is the criminal, all grown up and hidden away in a small town?"was very...unconvincing. Not only did the answer surprise me, it also made me go, "Huh?" I saw no hints at it anywhere, ever. The reveal was a major letdown after a really great chase.

While I wasn't crazy about the resolution of this novel, I would definitely read this writer's work again. This was absolutely page-turning and I couldn't wait to read it. Just not the best ending.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

What is the rumor? It is something that was started by Joanna, a sort-of single mom. Joanna, trying to fit in as a newbie in a small seaside town, speculates that a child-killer has moved into town under a new identity. The child-killer was 10 years old when she killed a 5-year-old boy with a knife. Now a grown-up, Joanna and the town become obsessed with finding out who the child-killer is so they can run her out of town, at a minimum.

There is not much to the plot in this book. You are introduced to a lot of characters, but there is not much action involving them until fairly late in the book. The characters are nor particularly compelling.

Just an average book. Good, clear writing with a little bit of suspense. But mediocre plot and characters.

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.