3.5 rating for this one. It took me a lot longer to get in to this story that I usually allow but it did pick up substantially for about the last 25% of the book.
Everyone know that small towns are famous for gossip and rumors, but what if the rumor is true? If a 10 year old child killed a 5 year old child 30+ years ago and was now hiding in your town, what would you do? Was it murder like some say or what the manslaughter charge sufficient? As the accusations fly, Joanna, a single mom who recently returned to her hometown is out for the truth. As she gets closer, things get crazier around the town as locals try to do their own detective work, but the truth may cost them all more than they can ever know.

The Rumor is exactly as the title promises: a story of how rumors can influence lives. The premise is promising but unfortunately it gets lost in the proliferation of unfounded rumors running wild.
Characters are not very memorable and some not very likable.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review. Three stars

Rumor has it...a child murderer, long released from prison, has resumed life under a new identity in the small lakeside town of Flintside and single mom Joanna is obsessed with learning more. Using this gossip as a means to squeeze her way into a group of moms from her son's school, the rumors spread, and she finds herself in the center of mystery that begins to unravel leaving her and her family vulnerable to a killer.

I admittedly am harsher when reviewing the thriller genre, but this latest is really just okay. The book seemed like it was set in the UK based on descriptions and expressions used, and every once in awhile something referencing the US jolted me back to this setting. This is a huge problem. The book should have remained set in the UK because the editing on this is...bad. The overall mystery at the center of the story is not incredibly engaging or plausible, and it sparked a lot of questions from me as the reader. (I don't want to get into spoilers here.)

Red light. Sadly, I just can't recommend this thriller.

I really like the premise of this book — that a quickly spreading rumor could truly destroy a person’s life. Good idea but the book fell short for me. Overall this was a quick and easy read but it just wasn’t all that captivating. Parts were repetitive and cliche and there were many characters that were similar, making it hard to follow. I read to the end because I wanted to find out about the rumor.

When it comes to mysteries I never end up figuring out the ending and even though this one was fairly obvious I still didn’t figure it out—probably because there were so many characters. It was written by a British author but I think it was supposed to take place in the US. But there were some things in the writing that would never happen in the US (like houses having the lane behind them and using words that aren’t what we’d use in the US. It gave it a weird vibe that wasn’t British or American but just odd.) It would have been more charming if it was all British.

This was a pretty decent psychological thriller. I liked that the author threw enough red herrings into the story that I found myself second-guessing what I thought I knew. I did find parts to be a little implausible (beyond the usual suspension of disbelief), and it seemed to wrap up too neatly (although the jolt at the end was a great touch!) I also am getting tired of authors feeling like they need to throw insulting political references in when they have absolutely no bearing on the plot. If it fits a character politically, it makes sense. But having two or three references for no reason seems like pandering, and it takes me out of the book – always has, always will. Thank you to Ballentine Books/Random House (via NetGalley) for a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of this book.

If you are looking for a quick pool side read for the summer, this is it. This book definitely holds your interest. Fun characters and is based in the town of Natucket off season when it is mainly just a small town where rumors and gossip are past freely. The thing with rumors is they can sometimes be dangerous. Joanna and her son Alfie live in Natucket to be close to Joanna's mother. After learning some information about a possible child killer living in Natucket, Joanna starts a rumor that sets a blaze of gossip throughout the town, could the strange woman who runs a local store be a child murderer? I found the ending to be a suprise!

This one kept me guessing, and reading, well into the night! I never guessed it correctly but it was fun to try! This book was received as an ARC from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own

This book was a miss for me. I thought there were some interesting concepts. I liked thinking about the consequences of sharing a rumor - the ways it brings people together and how quickly it can spread/impossible it is to pull back once it started.

However - I felt like the execution lacked in this one. There were a LOT of plot threads and a lot of overlap needed to get to this ending which felt rushed and over the top to me. I did appreciate the last couple sentences though.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free advance review copy.

3.5-5

I loved the premise for this one, how seemingly innocent gossiping can turn out to be very harmful because I’m pretty sure every one of us is guilty of whispering with a friend on at least one occasion. The rumor itself is also both juicy and scary, imagine hearing there’s a killer living in your small town. Sure, the killer was only a child there self at the time of the murder, but still talk about creepy!

I kept thinking this is a really perfect summer thriller while I was reading and the main reason for my thoughts was because it was such a fast and compulsive read. I swear I flew through this one, it wasn’t even that it was super twisty or anything, I just think that the authors writing style kept me captivated and flipping the pages really quickly. There was also a great, strong sense of paranoia running throughout that added some additional tension.

Was this a fun and entertaining read for me? Sure, absolutely, but was it mind blowing and one I’ll remember in a few weeks? No, but it did hold my attention the entire time so I can’t be upset about that. I did figure out the main twist which is always a disappointment but it didn’t stop me from finishing it so clearly this had a compelling factor for me. I think those who are avid thriller readers will probably feel like I do but if you’re newer to the genre you may find it more mind blowing!

3.75*
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.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and Lesley Kara for an ARC to read and review.

This was an easy read...with some predictable twists and turns and some true surprises. I have to admit that it was hard to put down. It does qualify how rumors can change lives. This soon to be published debut novel will have everyone talking after it’s June 18th publication. You are going to want to read this suspenseful read!

As I started reading this book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Joanna hears a rumor that a woman that killed a little boy many years ago is now living her town under a different name. She tells the rumor to some of the women in her book club. Then she starts suspecting women living there with the same initials and tells the other. Then she starts to get some threatening notes - like "rumors kill". Why did she start this rumor because gossip only hurts people?

I didn't expect some of the twists in this book and was definitely surprised at the ending!

I was pleasantly surprised with Lesley Kara's novel. I have read a lot of thrillers recently, and felt that they were starting to get stale because they were al following similar plot points, but Kara's was totally unexpected and enjoyable to read. Who knew a tiny rumor at a book club would lead to stalking, kidnapping and death! The main character was relatable and easy to root for, and even the "villains" in the story could be empathized with. I look forward to reading more of Kara's books in the future

Great story about the pain spreading rumors can cause. A young mother wants to fit in with the other mothers and repeats a rumor. It snowballs out of control. Captivating tale that left me guessing until the end.

Lesley Kara's The Rumor is a solid thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train. The mystery itself was well written and had plenty of twists and turns to hold my attention throughout. The only reason I didn't rate this higher was because I did not care for the main character Joanna at all. While I could understand why she did what she did, I just still found it reckless and frustrating and therefore was unsympathetic to her when she had to face the consequences of her actions. I prefer to have protagonists that I can relate to or at least feel sympathetic towards, so if I had liked Joanna a bit more, my rating would have been higher.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballentine Books for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I must admit going into this book I was a little nervous due to reading some negative reviews. Luckily I really enjoyed this story. It was original, fast paced, and a shorter length book making this a quick read. I would definitely recommend this to others. This was a solid 4/5 and one of the better ARCs I have read this year. I definitely didn’t guess what was going to happen in this story.

The Rumor by Lesley Kara
Available Now

A simple rumor. That’s all it was. There was no proof to back it up, only conjecture. Joanna doesn’t even mean to repeat it. Repeating the rumor, will change her life.
After hearing the rumor of a child killer living in her small town, Joanna becomes obsessed with finding out who the woman could be. When the father of her child, a journalist, learns of the rumor, he too becomes fascinated with the story and is eager to pursue any lead into the woman’s identity. But finding the killer will take Joanna and her family on a terrifying journey where every neighbor is a potential threat and the people you least suspect can be the most dangerous.
I really enjoyed this book. Full of twists and turns, the story moves quickly without feeling rushed. This is one of the books that’s hard to discuss too much without spoiling the best parts. Lesley Kara gives us some really relatable characters. I really liked Joanna’s character. She is a single mom, dealing with a job she doesn’t really like but it pays the bills and gives her a cheap place to live. She has to deal with the mommy drama at school and the scenes with the babysitting circle made me really appreciate the highschool babysitters I’ve been able to use instead of that nonsense. I really loved how Joanna and Michael’s relationship was written. What started off as an easy, somewhat casual relationship turns into them living together and dealing with her mom’s disapproval. Amazing how even at 30 we still deal with our mom’s disapproval. Michael’s drive to investigate the case of Sally McGowan and write a book about her, added to the newness of living together creates some very relatable tension in the new version of their relationship.
I really thought that I had the killer’s identity figured out multiple times and each time I was dead wrong. It was really difficult to not flip to the end early just find out who it really was but I’m glad I was able to restrain myself. The ending is explosive!
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions are my own.

The rumor starts with the inner thoughts of an unknown character. So many books are starting this way. Who started this new trend? Anyway, the rumor in question-a former child killer, then a child herself, is living in the community under a new name. Almost all of the moms gathered to spread this rumor believe she should have never been allowed out again. A few believe a 10 year old child can be rehabilitated.

Joanna never means to spread the rumor but she and her son are having a lot of trouble fitting in to the small town so she shares a few things she hears. She didn't expect the town to go on a witch hunt for the woman but soon citizens are accusing others of being the child murderer and attempting to run her out of town. Pretty soon someone is stalking Joanna, in real life and online, and she needs to figure out if Sally is really in her small town.

There are several character to choose from that match the age and basic description, which makes it all the more fun to read and discover who is doing what to whom. Hey, it's a small town, everyone has secrets. Less interesting is the story between Joanna and her "baby daddy" (a term she and I share a hatred for). Regardless, the twists and turns of the story keep you enthralled until the last page. The last page is not wasted.

As you know from the blurb, this book starts with a rumor about a child killer who did this at a young age, killed a little boy and is possibly now living in the the town where Joanna, our main character has moved to because she is a single mom and her mom lives there so her mom is helping raising her son Alfie. Joanna over hears at the school where her son goes that this famous child killer named Sally McGowen is possibly living in their town under disguise. Joanna accidentally repeats this rumor a few days later which she regrets but it has far reaching consequences. The book was very slow and tedious but the big reveal at the end which I began to suspect earlier on was worth reading this book. To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a very good book for a debut writer but it was very slow going for me. Took me days to finally finish it. I gave it four stars because the twist of who this person was and a great surprise ending. I want to thank net galley for this ARC I received for an honest review.

"Rumors are like seeds, scattered on the wind. There's no telling where they'll land, but they will. Settling in cracks and crevices, the roots take hold. The seeds sprout. It doesn't matter 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 doesn’t mean any harm. One day while picking her son up from school she overhears some comments that she will come to wish she’d not repeated.

Rumor has it that someone who had committed a murder as a child, is now grown and living amongst them. Is it true? Can repeating gossip cause that much trouble? Joanna is about to learn a lesson.

Joanna is curious and determined to find out. If not for the safety of her son, but the safety of her hometown. Unfortunately, that same determination may just put her family in danger after all. Joanna’s investigating may bring the killer once again into the light.

I couldn’t put it down. Was the killer really in the same town after all this time? You can’t call on the past without some consequence. With more than one stunning twist I didn’t see coming! What happens when Joanna has to face her worst fears? The killer, or the person being accused of being that child killer, will want to seek their own revenge.

What a great ending. A cleverly crafted story from start to finish!


Thank you Leslie Kara, Netgalley, Random House Publishers, Ballantine Books.