3.5 stars for this very readable story that draws you in to the mystery and makes you need to know what truly happened. There were many red herrings, and you kind of suspect everyone, which is the mark of a good whodunnit. I didn't necessarily like how the twist played out and had myself a bit of an eyeroll. However, the very very end - the last sentence - packed a bit of a punch. Moral of the story on this one is be very careful of idle gossip. You never know who is listening and what might happen if your rumor turns out to hit a nerve of truth.

I'm a little torn on this one....

On one hand, its one great plot twist after another. But on the other one, it makes you think about a person - how do you really know a person? Could someone who did something horrible once do it again?

If this book teaches you anything it’s to never start a rumor. Ever. Oh man that’s all I can say. Loved it from beginning to end! The twist shocked me, but at the same time didn’t. It wasn’t really overwhelming but it got my heart pumping.

Rumors can be a nasty thing. A few years ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to stop gossiping- and while I’m certainly not perfect, there’s been a positive impact on my life.

This novel reveals just how quickly a rumor can spread and how many people’s lives can be affected by a careless comment. Joanne hears that convicted child-killer Sally McGowan may have moves to the sleepy, beachside town of Flinstead. And when the nuggets of information fed to her by her son’s father, a reporter, earns brownie points for her and friends for her son, she wonders whether sharing what she knows can really be that bad.

Turns out, it can. Soon, she’s suspicious of every older woman in town- and she’s not alone. One woman in particular is targeted, and her shop is vandalized. Is this the deserved treatment for a murderer? Or a horrible act on an innocent woman?

Lesley Kara’s writing ensures that you suspect everyone and trust no one.

I really liked this one. It was pretty intense. And a few good twists. I liked the main character and found her to be very relatable.

Lesley Kara’s The Rumor, is a thrilling mystery that left me guessing until the end. Each time I thought I had figured it out, the plot shifted. The many twists and turns kept me reading-The Rumor was hard to put down!

Kara got me invested in her characters and believable storyline. The ending was not at all what I expected!

I look forward to more from Lesley Kara and highly recommend The Rumor.

All I can really say about this book is, I completely did not see that ending coming. Because of my busy schedule this did take me awhile to finish, but this book had a great plot twist.

I literally suspected everyone and their dog, and still ended up being surprised by the ending! The Rumor starts with our protagonist, Joanna, trying to get to know other moms in the neighborhood so her son can make friends. She hears a rumor that a former child murderer comes to the neighborhood and spreads it to gain her new friend's interest. Well, it seems the murderer has found out! This was an interesting book that I stayed up way too late to finish.

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

The Rumor, by Lesley Kara, pulled me into the story from the start. I kept trying to figure out who the guilty party was but I didn't see it until it was revealed and then as I thought back, I saw how the clues were introduced cleverly throughout. All of the characters serve their purpose and are interesting in their own ways. This is an intriguing read and I highly recommend it.

A solid mystery story focusin on a 50-year-old murder case that rocks a small town in present day. A strong female protagonist is the focus of the story as she finds herself embroiled in rumors and innuendors related to the murder. With the help of her journalist partner, she uncovers secrets long burried that changes the way she sees her world. Quick read.

What starts with a little harmless gossip among mothers at the school drop off spreads quickly. The story moves a little slow at first but then picks up dramatically to the end. Stay with it.

A great psychological thriller. The characters are fantastic and I really related to Joanna. This book was cleverly written, the clues throughout keep you guessing without spoilers. Thanks for the arc copy.

Fast-paced thriller with lots of twists. An easy read, but not great character development. I didn't see the big twist coming, but it was somewhat unbelievable.

A little harmless gossip among the moms waiting at the school drop-off.
Did you hear? Rumor is, there’s a child killer now released from prison living in their seaside town. Could that be true? If so, the obvious next question is, are their children safe from this predator?

This particular feed of gossip peaks the interest of one of the mom in particular, Joanna.
Curious, later that night she googles the story. Gripped with fear, she realizes she may have just met this person! Maybe she needs to warn everyone...maybe it’s not just a rumor anymore!

Lesley Kara writes an intriguing and suspenseful thriller that I flew through in just a few sittings. Though I guessed most of the twists fairly early, I still enjoyed throughout.

What a suspenseful read! What a little town full of some big secrets! Although I guessed the twist from the beginning, I don’t know why, it was just a feeling. I don’t think it was obvious. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

The Rumor
A Novel

by Lesley Kara

Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

Ballantine Books

General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 18 Jun 2019

I am reviewing a copy of The Rumor through Ballantine Books and Netgalley:

There is a rumor that a notorious killer, who committed heinous crimes as a child is now living under an assumed identity in the seaside town Joanna lives in. Who is the criminal hidden in their midst? No one is above suspicion!

Just as Joanna becomes obsessed with the case her curiosity will put her Son and his Father on the radar of the notorious killer who just may be ready to kill again. Joanna will come to the realization just how dangerous a rumor may come, and she’ll learn how far she is willing to go to protect those she loves. She will soon regret having ever said a word.

I give The Rumor five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

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I loved the premise of this book and a thriller based on what seems like an innocent rumor is intriguing and extremely readable. The character development was good and kept the plot moving. I was surprised to see that this was a debut novel. I will definitely be looking for further work from this author and appreciate the chance to read this one. It did not disappoint.

#TheRumor #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #BallantineBooks

2 stars ⭐️⭐️

My gosh this book was so boring for the first 200 pages. So many characters that I just couldn’t keep up and by then, really no longer cared to try.

Maybe I’ve just exhausted my mind with psychological thrillers. Maybe I keep falling for these blurbs that promise “jaw dropping twists” or “the twist you never saw coming”. Who knows. What I do know is that The Rumor did not fit those descriptions.

I skimmed the last 150 or so pages, just because I did not want to DNF it. I simply lost interest in waiting for the big twist and my mind became frazzled from the dragging storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House - Ballantine and Lesley Kara for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

What would you do if your sibling, parent, child, friend were killed and the killer spent minimal time in jail? What would you do if you found out the killer was released into witness protection to live their life out as if nothing happened? What if one rumor spread innocently can bring the whole world of that killer down? This is what the story is about. There were interesting twists and turns. The book started off a tad slow, but sped up at the end. A good read.

Anyone who played the rumor game as a child knows how a simple statement can be twisted until what escapes is nowhere near what was said. That's the central them of the story, but the circumstances of spreading a rumor come home to have terrible results. A community reacts and consequences are meted. An excellent thriller from Lesley Kara.