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?

I received this book from #Netgalley for an honest review review. The book #the rumor took me awhile to read. The plot reminds me of the case of child killed by another child.. I would not recommend this book if asked.

“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 --.

Joanna is new to her old town, trying to create a fresh start for her and her young son. When she overhears gossip while dropping him off at school, she can't help wonder if it's true...a child killer who has a new identity is living in her small town. Things get worse when she inadvertently shares the rumor.

This is an unputdownable, gripping debut thriller from author Lesley Kara. I have to say I was hooked from page 1, and never saw the ending coming. Very highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Angel Eicher's review 

May 14, 2019  ·  edit


liked it


I didn't care for the plot of this book or the characters, especially the narrator who was unreliable and unlikable. There was way too much emphasis on the mixed relationship that added to my distaste with the narrator.  At less than 20% in, I was pretty sure I knew the twist, and I ended up pretty close, so far too predictable. The was not poorly written, but it was very simple and the dialogue was weak.  Several characters were mentioned and tossed away. 

No clear setting.  I was confused because I saw the title spelled as both The Rumor and The Rumour, so I assumed it was based in UK, but then there was a note about the author getting help make the book ready for US readers.  Not sure that was effective. 

This read like a poor self-published Paula Hawkins or Ruth Ware knock-off with a sprinkle of Liane Moriarty.  Would not suggest.

I loved this book! Roller coaster ride with constant twists and turns. So many potential suspects in this sweet lil enclave where seemingly everyone is your friend, but everyone has something to hide. The ending was a complete shock - I was left slack jawed.

Perfect summer read! P.S. I always know a book is great when I’m reading under the covers for hours after my husband and I go to bed :-)

An enjoyable read. This book left me thinking throughout the whole book, which in turn, had me hooked. Realistic story line and character development.

The rumor is set in a small coastal town and centers around a group of Moms. Very reminiscent of Big Little Lies.
A rumor is started about a former child killer now living in their town and the ladies all resort to gossip to try to figure out who the killer is.
This book kept me guessing until nearly the end and didn’t go the way I guessed.
I felt like there was too many characters introduced, with many not being relevant to the story.
Nevertheless, I would recommend this book.

I was provided an advanced copy for Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.

For fans of Little Big Lies that just cannot get enough small town drama. A thoroughly engaging read that begs to be a movie. Will recommend for fans of thrillers, particularly Liane Moriarty.

The edition I read was “translated” into American English, location and idiom. The reason I gave it four stars is that, in my opinion, it lost something in the translation and relocation.

The story takes place in a very small town or suburb where almost everyone knows each other. Jo and her son, Alfie, recently moved there from a city where they had been living because the mixed race boy was being bullied there. Both were having a slow time being accepted into the town’s social life and Jo repeats a story she heard about a woman who, as a child was convicted of the death of a 5 year old boy. She spent time in a juvenile detention facility and eventually was released and put into the equivalent of witness protection. Supposedly this woman was living in their community. Jo begins to research this and it leads to more untenable situations for her and her son. I won’t go further into it because of spoilers, but will recommend it to anyone who appreciates psychological thrillers. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for an ARC for an honest review.