I enjoyed the rumour, found it predictable in places though and also a little unbelievable, overall I'd give it a 3/5

This appeared to be almost humdrum at the start. Joanna and her son move to a sleepy seaside village as she was worried about him being bullied at his other schools. After the move she is given advice by her mother to get to know the other mums which would help her son integrate and this is when the rumours start. The story line is so real and addictive from then. It is amazing how one small little statement starts a rumour that can do so much harm but it was so easy and realistic. I loved the book and all the twists as to who could be Sally but the ending was so unexpected .
This is well a written story that develops at a great pace with well divined characters. Grea5 book that I can highly recommend.

Rumours - they can ruin lives... a well written book showing how ill places rumours can ruin lives. The rumour itself is about a child killer many years later said to be living in a quiet seaside town. Is it true? Be careful when spreading rumours, they can come back to bite you...

After a slow start this book surprises you with a twist and takes you on a rollercoaster.

Single mum Joanna moves to a small town where her mother is living. Her little son Alfie was bullied in his last school and he is still not doing so well in his new one. Joanna tries to bond with the other mothers and has that stupid idea to pass on a rumour. Soon this gossip gets out of hand and Joanna finds herself getting obsessed with it.

Rumours have a life of their own and they can be dangerous. Joanna feels immediately bad about it when she takes part in the gossip. It is easy to bond with Joanna as a character but I think she does a lot of stupid things and she acts very imprudent. The first half of the book is quite slow and there is a lot about Joanna and her private life. But I never lost interest in the story. The unexpected twist puts the story on a different route than I expected this book would be. It shows not only how a rumour can ruin lives as well what it means for people who made a terrible thing in their lives to live with a new identity. It is an interesting aspect. I liked the twist, maybe not the last one but that was not so unexpected (if you are an experienced thriller reader like me). For my taste at the end everything was a bit over-dramatic. But it still is a quick and entertaining read with some interesting aspects.

Took me a little longer than usual to get into this book but I'm glad I kept reading. The danger of spreading a rumour whilst suspecting that your action will endanger the life of your child creates an fearful tension that grips you till the end.

It started with a small rumour at the school gates and spread like fire throughout the village of Flinstead. But how can you undo what trouble you can cause with a few simple words and is there a grain of truth hiding within?

The beauty of The Rumour is in the simplicity of its plot. As the rumour is so vague, the reader becomes just as much a part of the plot as the characters are – believing that anyone could be the child murderer. There’s so many red herrings and false leads that you end up suspecting any of the females within the book and your mind flits backwards and forwards many times while trying to figure it out.

Even whilst constantly trying to work out what was going on, the twist took me by surprise and the ending was a lovely extra twist as well as being nicely realistic. The realistic end twist was quite refreshing as I find a lot of psychological thrillers tend to ignore being both realistic and in the style of the rest of the book as they hurry to create a truly shocking epilogue. I enjoyed the character of Joanna and felt she was also nicely realistic and rounded. The setting of the small town was also a nice touch and added to the claustrophobic air of the plot as well. The whole book was engaging from start to finish and I found it hard to put down in places. It was nicely paced as well and really ramped up towards the action packed ending.

Overall I really enjoyed The Rumour – it’s a well-paced thriller that was hard to put down and kept me guessing (and changing my mind!) throughout. Congratulations to Lesley Kara on a fantastic debut – I will certainly keep an eye out for more of her books. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK – Transworld Publishers and Bantam Press for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book I would not of choose to read. But, when I saw people writing about it on Social Media I thought I would give it ago.
WoW.....WoW and double WoW............What a brilliant book The Rumour by Lesley Kara was. This is Lesley's first book and OMG what a cracker it was. I was hooked from the first few pages and I could not put it down.
So glad I didn't need to set my alarm for this morning last night!

The rumour just started at the school gates, whilst mums were picking their children up from school. Before you know it, everyone was talking about the a child killer who stabbed little Robbie Harris many years ago, and now she lives in a small beach town called Flinstead.

But, where does she live in Flinstead and what does she look like now? as she is living under a new identity.

Are their children safe from this child killer???

Will she strike again? OMG who is she?

I didn't see that coming! What a brilliant twist and so close to home!!

This book was one of my favourite reads of 2018 nad looking forward to read more from this new wonderful author.

I would highly recommend this book. It's full of twists and turns with a cracker of an ending,
The last few chapters was Brilliant. I loved it.

Many Thanks to Random House, Transworld Publishing Bantam Press, NetGalley and Lesley Kara for my advanced copy of this book to read. Just a Brilliant Book.

Big Fat 5 Stars from me,

Oh wow, what a fantastic book, had me hooked from the start! Such a compelling read and could so easily happen in real life. The book was well written and just dragged you in, didn't want to let you go until the end.

The characters were likeable and just ordinary people living their lives till the rumour that started to spread with just a harmful mention in a conversation. Then it seemed to crop up everywhere.

Definitely a must read and I usually prefer murders and gore etc!

When rumours are spreading about a child murdere coming to live in the seaside town of Flinstead, Joanna knows she shouldn't have joined in. When the identity of the hunted murdered is revealed, it took me by surprise. This is not just a psychological crime story, the relationship side is strong too. The author makes us feel empathy with many characters, they are not divided into goodies and baddies. Again, there was a twist at the end that I hadn't anticipated. Overall, a good read.

It’s all-too-easy to exaggerate things or engage in idle gossip, and here we see the painful consequences.
Single mum Jo moves from London to a remote seaside town to be closer to her mum and to help her young son move away from the bullies making his life miserable. Not completely comfortable with this new life, Jo attempts to ingratiate herself with the mothers in her book group by telling them of a rumour that a known child-killer lives in their town.
What follows is, perhaps, inevitable.
Jo’s partner, a journalist, wants to find the woman and get her to agree to tell her story. An innocent woman is targeted and Jo starts to question all her new friends.
As a reader it felt that some of the nudges were just too obvious, but it did take me somewhat by surprise when the truth was revealed.
Inevitably we don’t ever get the full story, but it was a well-plotted and engaging narrative that I think will please many readers.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this prior to publication in exchange for my review.

Rumours. You might have helped one spread, you might have been at the center of one. You have probably heard quite a few, given your opinion, then completely forgot about it.

We, human beings, love to know everything. And when we don’t, sometimes we make it up. It can be harmless. To me, rumours are like lies. We are surrounded by them. Is it a good thing? Well, in a world of unicorns and free popcorn, no. But just like we can’t live in a world freed of certain political figures, chocolate addiction, or global warming, we can’t escape rumours.

I remember my mother waiting for me at the school gate. Oh, the school gate. Mothers’ playground. Gather a few women and you can be sure to have juicy news and… Well, you guessed it, rumours. I felt so sorry for Joanna, who gets caught in the game on school premises. Newly back in this town, she wants to fit in, not just for herself, but for her son. And what better way to ensure a place for them both than to take part in the town’s talks? I really liked Joanna and understood her reasons. What harm can a few words do? Can you blame the person who is spreading them or should the blame only be put on the first soul who spoke the words? Often, the start of a rumour gets lost in the way and there is a snowball effect. Most of the time, the rumours are harmless and every day brings new subjects to discuss. But in this little town, the snowball effect turns into a massive black storm engulfing everyone into a paranoid kind of voyeurism. There’s a killer in town, let’s find out who it is!!! I can’t say I wouldn’t be curious if it happened around here…

That’s where the author masterfully played with my mind. I know I have sometimes talked about books challenging what would my reactions be in a certain position, but never did a novel put me in such a position. It dawned on me how easy and common rumours were, and this is scary! Anyone can say anything and bam, it becomes something real. This is where I refer to my lovely friend Kim the Bookworm’s review and confirm that Lesley’s book would be perfect for a book club. I can talk endlessly about how words can ruin a life, trigger awful behaviors, but also about how losing perspective on the context said rumour was launched is the worst. The person behind a rumour might not have meant any harm. So, what do we do? Lesley Kara skillfully lets you be the judge of this! I loved her way of letting doors open, showing and not judging, letting this latest part to some of her protagonists. I took a step back, I breathed, I feared for the characters, and I reflected on my own way of dealing with such issues. What a brilliant mix for a read!!

Oh my. I could smell the flesh of burnt flesh within each chapter. A sentence sentenced Joanna to days of glances, questions, and ‘what if’s. Everyone’s on everyone’s radar. Tongues happily curl and let out songs of misinterpreted information, source-less information, and of course, everyone enters the game. But what was supposed to open doors to Joanna and her lovely son ends up being a complete life-changing bomb. In so many ways.

I simply adored the sense of dread, the everyday life tinted by all kinds of trust issues, people coming and going with their own views on something that Joanna used once and now carries her name on it. She can’t get rid of this rumour and it impacts all aspects of her life. Lots of things are happening and a chilling rumour about a child killer was not on the list next to the laundry and groceries shopping!

Because what makes this rumour so special is the horror behind it. A kid killing another kid. One dead, one lost somewhere, living their life. Is it fair? Is it okay to let your kids run free in a town where a killer might be hiding? What’s the story behind this newspaper front page news? You need answers, the author obliges… by giving you one massive blow to the head!!!! That TWIST is as insane as the speed words can wound! I was gobsmacked. I was panicked, I even reached denial! More powerful than a rumour is the truth… But the price to pay is high! I so wanted to connect all the dots but I was caught in the narration and time flew by. I let myself be transported by the author’s prose and I have no regrets! The ending tasted even better!

The Rumour has got the buzz going for a reason. This novel is the essence of what we call a thriller; a life turned upside down because of a split second, dread, tension ratcheting up until you want to jump to the last pages to know, because YOU HAVE TO KNOW. And most of all, characters you can stumble across when you leave your house, making you shiver at the thought of what might be going around you. A brilliant read, a town tormented by sickness, and fate coming to collect its due! I ADORED IT!
Will you be the next one to spread The Rumour?

The Rumour by Lesley Kara

When her little boy Alfie is bullied at school, single mother and estate agent Joanna Critchley makes the difficult decision to move from London to the small seaside town of Flinstead. She fortunately finds another job quickly and it’s certainly useful to be living so close to her mother, a handy babysitter. But Alfie continues to find it difficult to fit in. To help him, Joanna knows she must try harder to get on with the clique of mothers who wait at the school gates.

They’re not an easy group to penetrate, with their book clubs, parties and babysitting circles, and so Joanna, almost without thinking, blurts out a particularly juice bit of gossip she’s heard – that Sally McGowan, a woman who years before, as a child, murdered a little boy, lives in Flinstead. Everyone knows her name will have been changed but that makes the mystery all the more tantalising. But, as the gossip begins to spread and women start to be suspected, Joanna realises what a dangerous can of worms she’s opened, especially when she starts to get hate tweets on Twitter – ‘Rumours can kill’. It’s too late.

As we follow Joanna around the community, we get to know a range of woman, most of whom are at the age when they could conceivably be the hated and notorious child killer Sally McGowan. There are so many red herrings and possibilities. More than once I thought that I’d worked it out but I’m so pleased to say it actually kept me guessing until the very end. This doesn’t happen often so this is very good news!

But aside from the mystery, we have the human story of Joanna and Alfie as they try to make a home for themselves in this new town. I loved the depiction of Alfie and his best efforts to make new friends while coping with the situation they’re in. The Rumour paints such an engaging portrait of a small community dealing with the spread of paranoia and suspicion while exploring the difficulty of trying to fit in. The whole novel, though, is overshadowed by the spectre of Sally McGowan and the terrible crime she committed. Can such a woman ever put the past behind her? And when names have been changed, lives have been rebuilt and reshaped into the unrecognisable, how can you ever know who you can trust?

The Rumour is such an entertaining read. I read it in two sittings during the course of one day. It’s one of those books when you read one short chapter, you immediately have to read another. There is something rather salacious about its subject matter and theme, which did slightly put me off, and, at the start the style is rather jumpy and unsettled, but I’m so glad I persevered. The book does settle down during the second quarter and the large number of raving reviews are definitely deserved. It is an utterly addictive read.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for allowing me to read this.
Jo seems a decent woman, mum to a small boy whose Dad does not live with them but takes an active role in their lives. She has moved to an English village to escape the pressures of work and has yet to become part of the community.
Sharing a rumour, part serious, part gossip, opens doors for her with the local women but it also opens other doors which are far more dangerous.
Who in the community is living under a new identity? The reader is led to several possible answers but the real answer does come as a surprise.
The final chapters felt rushed and were less satisfactory than the early pages where the leisurely pace skilfully captured and developed character and plot.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Transworld Digital for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* I must admit, I am a sucker for psychological thrillers. This is a book that had me gripped from the very first page. Not-quite-single (it's complicated...) Joanna lives in a quiet seaside town, Flinstead with her young son Alfie. The quiet of the town is shattered when a rumour is started that a former child killer, Sally McGowan has been given a new identity and re-settled in their sleepy paradise. Joanna's peaceful existence is shattered as she begins to suspect every woman in that age bracket. As one might expect, this tension leads to a devastating climax. Don't worry - no spoilers. I was very surprised to read that this is Lesley Kara's first novel as the plot development is tight and the creation of the different characters and their interlinked relationship is nuanced and believable. I look forward to more of Kara's books in the future.

I loved this book from start to finish and read it all in one day. It's like a modern-day "whodunnit", with each character a viable culprit right up to the surprising reveal. This is an excellent mystery thriller, perfect for fans of novels like "Big Little Lies" and Agatha Christia

Firstly thank you so much for letting me review this.
Gobbled it up in one sitting. Really enjoyable. Recommended to everybody!!!

Well, that ending. Flipping heck. I worked it out at about 20% on my kindle and felt a bit disappointed that I had. It didn’t halt my enjoyment of the book though and I loved cracking on to find out if I was right. And then...that last line that made me gasp.

A great debut - I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as whilst I felt it was a little slow to begin with, it soon built up towards the thrilling climax. I didn't see what was coming and loved the twists - definitely recommended and I will look for the next offering from this author.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is the authors debut novel and must confess I thought it was absolutely great and well worth reading and buying.

An engaging thriller, I found The Rumour to be unputdownable. It sees single mum Jo trying to fit in with the women in her new town, where she has moved to be closer to her mum after her son was being bullied at his school in London. In trying to be liked, more for her sons sake than her own, she passes on a rumour she has heard, that a famous child killer has been living in the area, and unwittingly releases a chain of events that sees Jo eventually fighting for everything she holds dear.
Though I did figure a great deal of the twist of this one in the first third of the book I didn't have it all worked out, so I found myself racing through the novel to see how it all came together. A good read for lovers of psychological fiction.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.