What a brilliant book. Definitely keep you guessing who Sally McGowan is . Your thinking it’s one person then something happens and it’s someone else and I never guessed who she was . Will definitely read more from this author

I really enjoyed this salutary lesson about how even a simple rumour can come back and bite you in the behind. Suspects aplenty, although I'd worked out the twist. Loads of red herrings and an interesting conclusion.

I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it very highly on my YouTube channel Drinking By My Shelf!

Brilliant and full of suspense. I did not guess the ending of this at all - I think I suspected every other character than who it actually was. Fantastic.

This book had a really interesting premise and I think it was executed well. A nice twist which I always like! Would recommend this to fans of thrillers - not up there with the Gillian Flynn's but a nice, pacey read.

An absolute corker of a debut! Extremely well written and captivating novel, the characters are perfectly cast to tell this tale of rumours and the harm that can be done by them. The small seaside town is a great setting for this book. Excellent.

I really enjoyed this book. Single mother Julia and her son Alfie have moved to a small seaside town, and both have trouble making friends. Julia carelessly repeats a rumour that a child killer lives there, and suddenly she’s put herself and her son in danger.

There’s quite a few characters to get to grips with - most of them have secrets; but which one is the child killer? The author cleverly kept one step ahead of my suspicions, and I didn’t guess any of the twists (except for the very end).

Recommended for anyone with an interest in this type of crime, or a who-dun-it fan.

Really enjoyed this book a very good debut it was really well written, it had you wondering who the person was and never in a million years would I have guessed the ending definitely recommend.

A Debut thriller/chick lit novel, which, from the first page had me hooked.
This had so many twists and turns i was excited to read more.
A rumor started at the school gates, a child killer (who was a child themself when they commited the murder) has been relocated to the town, this book is full of suspicion, and kept me riveted until the very end.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to read in return for an honest review.
4 stars.

Joanna finds herself struggling to fit into her new life since moving to the small town of Flinstead with her son. They are both struggling to make new friends. When she hears a rumour at the school gates she casually mentions it to one of the other mums and it quickly spreads. A child killer lives in amongst them and they have a new identity. Who is this person.

This story shows us how quickly a rumour starts and how fast it can spread. It also shows the damage that can happen to innocent people. Also the danger lives can be put in. I liked Joanna and found myself sympathising with her predicament. She instantly regretted saying what she had said. The story is full of tension, suspense and twists. The pace is set fast. It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel, it's so well written. The ending I never saw coming. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Lesley Kara for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent debut book which I couldn't put down! It is a cross between a thriller and chick-lit but it works extremely well with the suspense building up throughout the book and a satisfyingly unexpected twist at the end.

I found this book to be thought provoking and compelling reading, showing how gossip and rumours can have a devastating effect on not only the person they are about, but the community as a whole.

A definite 5 stars, I can't wait to read more from Lesley Kara!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book, even if I did guess the ending. There were lots of suspects though which added to the intrigue and the tension towards the end built nicely. Nice twist at the end!

Remember Mary Bell? A real-life child who strangled two little boys, then was given a new identity. This is a very well-crafted novel on this theme. It kept my attention and was taut if not exactly thrilling. The characters were true to life and the ending truly surprised me - right at the last sentence. Kudos to the author for that. It is a fairly light read, so only four stars.

Wowsers…. Just goes to show you what rumours can and will do… the butterfly effect from a case of Chinese whispers which can turn someone’s life upside down… this was a rollercoaster of a book, my head is still spinning from all the twists and turns, every time I thought I had figured it out…. BOOM my theory blown out of the sky! A fast paced, thrilling psychological page turner that you will not want to put down. Lesley Kara is an author to put on your watch list… will definitely be reading more from her.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

It all started as gossip at the school gates and spread like wild fire!! Is there a child killer living amongst them?

I could have bet money on who I thought was the culprit, but I was constantly changing my mind. I couldn’t rest until I knew the truth!!

A very thrilling book that spellbound me with its many twists, full of tension and suspense. The house could have been on fire but I was so engrossed I wouldn’t have noticed!!

A must read debut book, definitely an author to look out for.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Wow, a really thrilling read that had me hooked but also makes you think about gossip and the people with new identities. You will keep guessing all through the book! Altogether a very good read #NetGalley #TheRumour

This is a great read, compelling and unputdownable. Joanne is chatting in the school playground, one morning, and is told of a rumour about a convicted child murderer being relocated to the area under the witness protection scheme.

Playground gossip spreads and there is paranoia, suspicion and mistrust – a riveting read with lots of twists

Brilliant book and that last page kept me up at night! Holy wow!
Overall a great mix of thriller and chick lit, can't believe this is the authors debut novel it's so good!

This was an interesting story partly about the dangers of throwaway remarks and the problems with protection programmes. Also how quickly rumours can spread, especially when people think worst of each other.. A cliff hanging conclusion. A great book for a Book Club, lots of contentious issues for discussion.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.
Oh....this is just so good!
Sally McGowan, a single-mother moved from London to be near her mother in Flinstead-on-Sea, and to alleviate bullying problems her mixed-race son had at school - a fresh start. Working part-time in an Estate Agent's, her son's father, a journalist, remains her 'best friend with benefits', though not entirely approved of by Sally's mother. In an effort to secure school friendships for her son she purposefully joins-in with some school-gate gossip in an effort to appear friendly, except one piece of gossip points to a child murderer anonymously leading her life there in Flinstead. Unfortunately, Sally blurts this out in the midst of her book club meeting one evening. The rumour-mill gathers pace, and fear and suspicion abound; premises and people are targeted - how could she had been so stupid?
There are no 'wasted' words, the writing and dialogue flows inexorably forward and my goodness, my heart was racing as I read towards the conclusion - and then of course the final twist................
What an amazing debut!