Loved the sound of this book!!

This definitely caught my attention by the cover and the title!

Single mother Joanna shares a rumour at her child's school...desperate to fit in with the other moms. I don't think she knew what she was getting herself into... let's just say you can never go back.

This initially started out with a bang but I caught myself rolling my eyes and it just sort of became painful to read after awhile. I was skimming and it just became so repetitive after awhile my goodness.

There were so many characters and unnecessary information at the beginning to middle that I was just getting super confused! I also saw all of the twists playing out wayyyy before the story was revealed.

Characterization was weak and just not enough umph to the story in my opinion. I was super disappointed and unfortunately this a thriller that did not deliver at all.

This book had SO much potential but was lacking in so many areas.

I didn't overall enjoy this one and would give this a 2.5 stars.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 6/18/19
Published to Goodreads: 3/27/19

Great debut novel by Lesley Kara. The Rumor is well written, an engrossing psychological thriller.
As the title suggests, a rumor starts in a small town, with single mom Joanna doing her best to fit in. Who would think a little neighborhood gossip would have such consequences?
Not giving too much away, because the story wouldn’t have as much impact if I go through the plo! But The Rumor was an enjoyable ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased opinion.

Joanna Critchley has just moved, and is eager to make new friends. Overhearing a rumor that a woman who killed a child when she herself was just a child may well be living in her new town, she gossips to the other mothers at the school to fit in. It works. The women are quite interested in this tidbit, and invite Joanna to their book club and babysitting group. Soon, Joanna and the women begin to suspect other women in the town. When Joanna begins receiving threatening messages regarding her son Alfie, she knows she must put a stop to these rumors by finding out once and for all who the suspected child killer is. But her search for the truth leads her down a very dark and dangerous path, one that could get her and her loved ones killed.

This was a quick read, and very engrossing. It definitely kept me guessing.

I really enjoyed this book! Characters were fully developed and the story kept my interest the entire time. I didn't know "who did it" until the end and loved the last two pages with the mama's little secret! I was very entertained!

Wow. There are very few books that keep me guessing until the very last page. Lesley Kara manages to shock the reader time and again in this thriller.
Joanna passes on an innocent rumor she overheard to deflect from another woman in her book club. Before she knows it it’s take on legs and spread, as rumors tend to do. But this particular rumor leads to the unraveling of this quiet, seaside town and leaves everyone suspicious of everyone else.
Highly recommend!

A solid 3 - 3..5 star rating for a solid mystery. The book was a little slow at first, it took me time to be convinced that I should care about our heroine, Joanne, her beau, Michael and their son, little Alfie. The characters were introduced without much interest at first, but the book picked up when the mystery started to unravel. I appreciated the use of red herrings and the wide field of suspects. The author did not shy away from voicing Jo's suspicions, and no stone was left unturned - except one. I enjoyed the twist but found the ending a bit outlandish - *spoilers ahead* - that Sally would have ended up living in the same town as the niece of the boy she killed at age 10. And that the boy's cancer-ridden sister would move and try to exact her revenge. The very end of the book does question whether Sally was living the life she deserved - or did she get away with it all?

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. All I can say is wow, wow, wow followed by another wow! This book is a thriller that does not disappoint. Throughout the story I was trying to figure out "who done it". The author does a great job giving you just enough information so you think you've figured everything out to only turn things upside down and drag you down another path. The ending, holy cow, don't even get me started about the ending of the book! I sat for hours on a lazy Sunday finishing this book while I had a hundred other things I should have been doing. I not only highly recommend this book, I recommend taking your phone off hook and telling your family and friend you won't be available for the rest of the day.

'Rumors are like seeds, scattered on the wind. There's no telling where they'll land, but land they will. Setting in cracks, and crevices, the roots take hold. The seed sprout. It doesn't matte 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 is just trying to fit in with the other Moms at her son's new school, when she repeats a rumor that she has heard....that a notorious killer, is living under a new identity, in their small seaside town.

Who is Sally McGown?

Everyone becomes obsessed in figuring out who she could be...all women in the correct age range, or with the correct initials, becomes a "suspect".

Joanna shares the 'rumor with her son's father, Michael, an investigative reporter, and the two scour the internet for old stories, and videos about Sally. He wants to flush her out and offer her a chance to tell her 'version of the truth, in the form of a book. The two have no idea about what they have started when they share this rumor.

"One casual remark. One whispered secret. That's all it takes to set the wheels in motion and change the course of a life. Once, some poor woman they thought was me was driven out of her home. She lost her job, her reputation, her peace of mind. Ended up throwing herself in front of a high speed train."


Inspired by a sensational true crime story, this debut novel had an interesting premise, and an ENGAGING writing style...…..but, it had a few flaws as well....

There were too many characters, for starters. I thought I needed to make a flow chart in the beginning to keep them all straight. Come to find out, some had no real purpose in the story other than (for example) to be part of a book club meeting that Joanna attends one time, and they never appear in the story again, and since they were moms of Alfie's classmates, they were not even the right age to be viable "suspects".

The main characters were not well developed either.

Nor was Michael's investigation into the case.

The sensational ending, did not really work for me either, though to be fair, since I am not familiar with the actual event, perhaps that IS similar to how it all played out?

I think that if the author had written this as woman's fiction, instead of as a thriller, it would've worked much better. Exploring further the ramifications of how a crime committed as a child, a fresh start, and then a rumor exposing your past, makes you have to start over again, was the strong part of the story...not the "thriller" part.

I guessed who Sally McGown was pretty early on, so I was not surprised.

3.5 stars rounded down....



I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and the author for the digital ARC I was provided in exchange for a candid review! This was a version edited for an American audience from the original book published in the U.K.-available in the U.S on June 18th, 2019!

An unputtdownable and captivating read! If this is what she writes for her debut novel I can't wait to see what comes next! I devoured this one. I know many readers are going to go crazy for it too. Highly recommended!

Kept me engaged from start to finish. While some dialogue sounded overdone, the ending made it all worthwhile.

Highly Highly recommend so tense so chilling a true page turner.From beginning till the shock at the end this is a terrific read,#netgalley # randomhouse

This was a more complex novel than I was expecting. I think it did a nice job of examining the relationships we have with people and the preconceived notions we may bring to those relationships. Lots of red herrings but not too many where it became ridiculous and none that seemed far-fetched which is always appreciated. My one hang-up was the narrator's wording seemed British which had me thinking it took place in the UK but then I read that it was in the US. Upon finishing the book, I saw that the author is indeed a Brit which explains why I felt that undercurrent.

Unbelievably great book. If I did not have to sleep and eat I would not have put it down. The title saysa it call, rumors and gossip are not just hurtful but harm others. The characters and intrigue and surprises are throughout the book. I hope people read this title in the book store and pick it up and learn from it too.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

Thank you #NetGalley for an advanced copy of #TheRumor!

Oh boy, where do I start?? Overall I really enjoyed this book. This is about how spreading a small rumor amongst the women of Flintstead can have major consequences. The rumor begins at the elementary school drop-off when one of the moms tells the other moms that she heard convicted child killer, Sally McGowan, is supposedly living in their small town with a new identity living a normal life! As the rumor gets spread further, small things start to happen that threaten Jo and her family’s lives. The entire book you just keep thinking “ok this person has GOT to be Sally McGowan” and then “wait it’s GOT to be this person instead” (or was I the only one reading and trying to guess the twist at the same time?? #multitasking) The truth, while not incredibly unpredictable, was still somewhat of a surprise. And the very last page of the book... Wow!

Definitely recommend as it is suspenseful and a quick read!

Perhaps it’s because I put this book down in the middle to read a book that I’ve been dying to read for months. Or perhaps it’s because I read too many of these types of books. Or perhaps it’s just cause I didn’t read this one at the right time.. but I was not a fan. The book was ok. I guess. I do feel like that it took every single predictable psychological thriller “twist” and made the end really not good. The reveal of 'who is Sally McGowan' was good but the book quickly derailed for me after that. It was a three until that point. In my opinion there are way better books out there. 2 stars. (It would have been a three until the end. Dang that was trite and predictable.)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC that I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In Lesley Kara’s The Rumor, our main character has moved back to her home town after her son needs to leave the school where he is shamelessly bullied and tormented. When she gets to her hometown, she spreads a rumor to get in with the other moms out of desperation to keep Alfie from being victimized a second time. Predictably, the rumor spreads quickly and proves to be quite disruptive for their seaside town.

The Rumor reminded me of a cross between Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies and TJ Stinson’s The picture of Innocence. One of those comparisons helped the book; the other made me like it considerably less. The Mommy politics, drama starting, and gossip spreading in a small, seaside town was the part that was reminiscent of BLL and aside from being a bit more preachy (the admonishment of gossips was pretty consistent and a bit over done), that part worked well. It felt real and engaging, and I was very excited to find out who Sally was. Very excited that it, until I found out.

That’s the part that reminded me of TJ Stimson. I won’t go in to anymore details to avoid spoilers, but the two books were too similar for my taste.

The Rumor was a well written book, although a bit plodding at times. To have a partner who is a reporter and seems to value her intellect, Joanna seems a bit dull witted sometimes. I will say this, though: I really thought I knew who the bad guy was and I was wrong. I also was completely shocked by the twist at the end, BUT I didn’t care for it. It was too gimmicky.

3.5/5

https://bibwithblog.blogspot.com/2019/03/have-you-heard-about-rumor-by-lesley.html?m=1

Joanna , a single mother, has moved back to small beach town Flinstead with her son Alfie for a fresh new start. Trying to fit in with the other moms she engages in a little gossip and mentions that a famous child killer is living under a new identity in town to one of her friends in her club. The rumor catches on and it spreads like wildfire and things start spiraling out of control rapidly.

The Rumor is an intriguing debut by Lesley kara. Written in short chapters with plenty of twists and turns , red herrings along the way and an unexpected ending made it a gripping addictive read

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This book exhausted me.

I took me six days to finish this book.
SIX DAYS I say.

This is the longest 263 pages I have ever read in my life. You would think that with all of the skimming I did that it would have lessened the load but inexplicably it did not.

The first 70% is excruciatingly tedious with painfully unnecessary fillers, so many characters with no development (thankfully) that I challenge anyone to keep them straight.

The MC is so tiresome and never missed an opportunity to let you know that the father of her son is black.

Despite the fact that the story is rife with red herrings, I easily deciphered all three twists in this story well before their reveal.

I'm giving this one 2 ⭐ although I feel like that may be too generous.



I received an ARC from Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a really fun book......until the end. Seriously disappointing, and not believable. Feel like wasted time.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.