Couldn't put this one down. Author is genius level!! Well done!!! Characters were terrific. I could not guess the ending!!!

"Rumors are like fires. No one admits to starting them and before you know it, they're out of control."

Joanna is a single mom by choice. Raising her son, Alfie, just down from her mom's home. Alfie's dad, Michael, and his mom are on the best of terms, Joanna just didn't want to get married. Now Alfie is in school and Joanna needs to make nice with the other moms for her son. So when she joins the moms at the school gates she hears a juicy rumor. Which should have stayed at the school gates.

It gnaws at her. This case of a 10-year-old who long ago killed another child. And when she is invited to join the others for a book club, she blurts out the rumor. Once out of the mouth, it takes on a life of its own. Soon she has Michael on the hunt for the mysterious killer who may now be living in their tiny town.  

Soon there is mass hysteria toward a woman in town and Joanna realizes she has put her entire family in danger. This time her words may come back to bite her!

Oh my, I loved this one! I was suspicious of every female and every time I thought we (Jo and I), had it nailed down, we were wrong! There was so much tension in this thriller. Fast paced, well written, and that ending! Whoa!

Well Done!

NetGalley/ July 9th 2019 by Ballantine Books

When I read the synopsis I immediately hit the request button in NetGalley. I was intrigued by the title because, lets’ be honest, who has not heard a juicy rumor in their lives and it just kept spreading and growing? I enjoy books that are relatable and that have an element of possibility, of it happening in real life. Which is why I enjoyed this one so much.

Joanna has moved back to her hometown to start a new life as a single mother of 6 year old Alfie. The rumor begins one morning at school drop off when one of the moms tells a few others that a notorious child killer is living in their town. No one knows who it might be and speculation begins. Determined to fit in and in an attempt to help Alfie make friends, Joanna feels that by repeating the rumor, she will soon be part of the circle. Soon Joanna becomes obsessed with the case of the child killer while the town is in uproar at the thought of a killer living among them.

This book had me feeling quite confident about whom I thought the child killer might be. It then took a turn that made me change my mind only to have that new idea change again! You will assume and think you have this figured out but I will tell you that the twists in this book will leave you disoriented!

This book is a perfect example of what happens when a rumor gets rolling. How it affects lives and the power it has to destroy them. Set in a side town with your typical small community vibe where everyone knows everyone else –or they think they do. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is addicting and intriguing.

If you enjoyed Big Little Lies and love a good thriller, this one is for you.

Single mother, Joanna, finds that she desperately needs to fit in with the school moms in order to have her son, Alfie, accepted. Being multiracial, Alfie is not as well tolerated in the small town. As it is, the two of them had just moved there for a "fresh start" . Alfie - he was being bullied at his last school - he is only 6 years old. Working as a real estate agent does not allow for a lot of free time for Joanna to connect with other moms so she starts with the "school gate" rumormongers. These parents are talking about Sally McGowan, who - at the age of 10, stabbed a 5 year old to death in 1969.

Alfie's father is a news reporter and is involved with his son and in Joanna's life. Eventually he moves to be with them. Now the word is out that someone in the Witness Protection Program lives in a "dry" county. (Of which there are very few). According to rumor, that person is actually Sally McGowan. Well, the rumors fly from there! Joanna heard this from Michael - and spouted it at a Book Club meeting at her friend Liz' home. Michael is not too pleased with this. Now, Joanna gets threatening Tweets, and Sonia Martin (same initials as Sally) is threatened by vigilantes at her store.

And the story continues ... I think that the character development could have been more solid. If less characters were in the "mom club", maybe it would have helped. It was not until I got 1/2 way through that I had a feeling for a couple of the characters However, the main characters ; Joanna, Michael, and Alfie, were easy to get a "feel" for.

This story was OK, but I have to admit that I did get confused with some of the characters who did not stand out from each other very well. The plotline was excellent - something different! I hope to keep reading books by Lesley Kara in the future!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for a good read!

Rumor has it .... too many characters, not well defined and unfortunately lost interest half way through the story. Interesting premise though.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very intriguing and had me on my toes! I was NOT at all expecting the ending! Very engaging and fascinating book!

"The Rumor" is an enjoyable book. I like that Joanna struggled with sharing and feeding the rumors regarding Sally McGowan, child killer. At times she tried to downplay or squash the rumors, but other times she was unable to resist telling what she heard or she was put in a position to feed the rumor by someone publicly sharing part of the rumor and identifying her as the source. Her internal dilemma and the pressure at times she felt to gossip seemed very realistic. It was also fun trying to figure out who Sally McGowan might be, with multiple people in the town seeming like possible suspects at times. The ending is quite good, with some very surprising twists. Well worth the read.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

I gave this book for an a half stars. I had never heard of this author, I really enjoyed this book. Great dialogue between characters, who well defined in to help a I gave this book for an a half stars. I had never heard of this author, I really enjoyed this book. Great dialogue between characters, who well defined and believable. The plot had me guessing to the very end. I also really like the fact that this book took place in the US. It seems to me most domestic mysteries take place in the UK or Australia. Thank you so much for my advanced copy I will be following this author, and will certainly recommend this book to friends and family .

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE RUMOR by Lesley Kara in exchange for my honest review.***

5 THRILLING STARS

Wow! Lesley Kara’s debut was a a home run, touchdown and every sports metaphor you can imagine rolled up into one. I’ve been let down by boring, predictable thrillers of late, but not by Kara. I couldn’t put THE RUMOR down and never anticipated most of the twists and turns.

Jo is such a great character. In the beginning, she uses social capital that a rumor that a child killer from half a century ago lives in their small New Jersey town. When she hears the responses of vengeance from other mothers, she immediately regrets her decision. Soon people in the town decide a shop owner is the former ten-year-old girl who killed the little boy 50 years ago. Michael, her son’s father and on and off lover, uses his journalistic resources to determine, yes, the former killer lives in town and no, she isn’t Sonia.

Kara does a wonderful job making so many people possible suspects, the overly friendly older woman, the prickly homeowner selling her house, the shopkeeper, a few of the book club members. I was positive I knew the answer and blown away by my wrong assumption.

I couldn’t put THE RUMOR down. The pace was fast and heart thumping over the last 25%. Kara doesn’t stop until the very last sentence.

Mystery, Thriller and Women’s lit lovers will enjoy THE RUMOR.

#TheRumor #LeslieKara

The Rumor is about what happens when rumors spread and what happens when secrets are kept for decades. In this book, nothing is as it seems, but sometimes everything is what it seems.

This book is full of red herrings and false leads. I found it completely implausible and very lame. I would not recommend it.

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley.

I enjoyed The Rumor by Lesley Kara and would definitely read her next novel. The novel takes place in a sleepy little town where a woman named Jo and her son Alfie has recently moved. Jo innocently shares a rumor that she has heard about a famous child killer living in the town also. Jo shares this rumor in order to make friends with the women at her children's school. In her quest to find out if the murderer is still in town she finds herself the target of who she thinks is the child killer. Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This a gripping and entertaining read.
The plot is engaging and moves swiftly. Although at some points I had to suspend my disbelief, but hey this is fiction and some imagination adds to the fun.

I still could relate to the main character and her desire as any mother to do the best for her child.
Also the theme of how rumors could wreck havoc is very relatable, and I really did like that ending!

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was a good story,, a fast read and each chapter kept me engaged. I do feel certain parts of the story was a bit far fetched but it was definitely work of an imagination. I could easily relate to jo being a devoted mother and try to give her son the best life, and how easy rumors can start and get out of hand. Oh and that ending 😯😉

I started reading the Rumor expecting a twisty ride but had I had no idea how twisting it would be. I was totally blindsided. If you are looking for a fast paced thriller full of surprises this is it. I highly recommend it.

I wasn't impressed with this book. I got very annoyed that Michal's skin color kept coming up. There were also too many holes in the story and they story seemed to veer off course with things that were not necessary.
It just wasn't for me.

This book will keep you riveted from page one to the end and you cannot miss a page! What a totally awesome and unexpected ending! Great read for the summer.

This book was amazing! It had a well-developed plot, strong characters, suspense and drama. I am anticipating the next book from this author.

Thank you in advance for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was excruciating to get through. I found the story very tedious with too many characters who had nothing to do with the story and a whole lot of unnecessary details that led no where. Also, why was Michaels skin color constantly being mentioned? Anyway, the three main twists in the book I saw coming from a mile away. The ending was also unrealistic and once finished with the book I found that there were a lot of holes in the plot. I had high hopes for this one but it did not live up to the hype for me.
I want to thank netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Tuner is a fantastic thriller that will keep you flipping the pages till early morning hours. Fabulous writing and characters.

Joanna (Jo) lives in a cozy seaside town, a single mother raising her son with occasional visits and babysitting help from her mother, who lives nearby, and sometime visits from her son's father. One day, the title rumor crosses Jo's path: a notorious criminal, someone who murdered a child 50 years ago as a juvenile and was released with a new identity, is supposedly living IN THEIR TOWN. Who could it be, the mothers in the schoolyard buzz, while pulling their children a little closer to them. Jo brings up the rumor a few times, and obsesses over the case a bit. As strange things begin to happen to Jo, she begins to get creeped out by her solitary lifestyle. Is someone watching her? What lengths will someone go to to get Jo to stop talking about the rumor?

Lesley Kara has managed to write a town that could be in any country (well, any country that's not landlocked, since the sea is referenced often). Her characters could be people all of us know: the mother who worries about her child not making friends, the gossipy neighbors, the town scapegoats. With historic newspaper articles interspersed to remind the reader of the horror of the crime committed, Jo's tension is palpable in the telling. With an early mention of the town's population being full of retirees, the number of suspects is practically limitless. It is a book that may make parents look a little harder at the people they know- the case is reminiscent of Jamie Bulger, whose juvenile killers were also released from detention with new identities. One continues to commit crimes and is basically no secret as to who he is, while the other has essentially vanished into society. How well do you know your neighbors? Even if you live in a family compound, Kara will make you feel like you don't know them at all.