The Rumor by Lesley Kara exceeded my expectations. I knew from the beginning pages that this was going to be a gripping read and it was so good. You could easily see how a rumor would grow out of control and cause trouble for multiple people.

Single mother Joanna just wanted to fit in with the other moms at her son’s school. In order to appear more interesting and hopefully secure some playdates for her son through the moms, she drops a bombshell, someone in their seaside town is actually an infamous murderer. Years ago, a ten-year-old girl murdered her friend and now that supposedly the girl is living in their small town. Who could it be? The woman down at the shop looks like she could be this child killer….or is it someone else?

I loved this engaging suspense! I felt compassion for Joanna and understood her need to impress the other woman.

Here’s the synopsis:

Joanna is desperate to ingratiate herself with a popular clique of mothers at her son’s new school. But when she tries to impress them by repeating a rumor she overheard at the school gates, there’s no going back. . . .

Rumor has it that a notorious killer, a woman who has been released from prison years after her brutal crime, is living under a new identity in Joanna’s seaside town. So who is the supposedly reformed murderer now living in their neighborhood? Suspicion falls on everyone.

Joanna becomes obsessed with the case, pawing through decades-old records in an attempt to name the killer. But her curiosity not only ostracizes her from the community, but exposes her son and his father to a heartless psychopath who has killed–and may kill again.

How dangerous can one rumor become? And how far will Joanna go to protect those she loves from harm, when she realizes what she’s unleashed?

I could see this one as a series like Big Little Lies!

Due out in July.

This book is about a young woman who is trying to help her son make friends at school by trying to fit in with the mothers. In order to get their attention, she overhears a statement and decides to use that to help her get in with the other mothers. AND it works. What she does not plan on is the impact this will have on her and her family.

I really enjoyed this book and the plot had me guessing throughout the whole book. I like how the author had me second guessing who was responsible for what rumor and just who really was the villain. Just when I think I had it figured out, it would change.

These are my favorite type of books and I would recommend this book to those who like an easy and fast paced thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review:

Ahhhh the rumor mill of small towns, as one small town girl, I get how rumors spread like wildfires. I thought rumors spreaded fast when I was in high school, but trust me when I say that no rumor gets spread faster than those that are said amoungst Moms!

Though this rumor could destroy a life and put other lives in danger. Joanna is no stranger to this small seaside towns (I always think of a NJ seaside town or boston). She grew up there but moved away and as fate would have it, has moved back to town with her young sons. She has a good story (gossip) from her old days and mentions it at her book club and then another time when she's with other moms (And like I said, us moms and bookclubbers know how to spread gossip) but this rumor has dangerous consequences for Joanna. It seems that there is a killer living amoung this small town. Someone one who, no doubt, people know and may even be friends with.
Great read, great characters and it does keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this book!

I was given an AR copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My review will show up on Goodreads.

The one word I would use to describe The Rumor by Lesley Kara is MORE. I wanted more of everything throughout the story. I wanted more suspense, more clues, more semi-traumatic-your-child-may-be-in-danger events that left me turning pages well into the night. Knowing that someone in the town had been a child killer made me, obviously, suspicious of everyone. I loved all the details and hints that Lesley Kara dropped about each resident of the small sea-side town through the book but I wanted more of them! This was a quick read for me and left me on the edge of my seat. I loved how the ending worked as I had thought it might be possible but hadn’t worked out the kinks as Kara had done. I also loved the second ending that I definitely didn’t see coming! I’ve already recommend this book to several friends who are on the lookout for its release date. Overall, a great read and I’m excited to read more from this author!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Rumor by Lesley Kara - this could be a movie - are good check flick...

If you say something behind someone's back, make sure you are willing to own it.. But that's not how it goes. There is a conversation or a "rumor" that a murderer is living among a small neighborhood. Joanna has just moved to a new town and she wants to fit it with a group of women like herself. She isn't a gossiper, not her, but she so wants to fit in. So Joanna tells a story about how many years ago, a child was killed and the person who did it is right here in their own community. But who is it and how did she get away with murder?
Joanna will learn that her words cannot be taken back and she may find herself in the middle of a crime drama that she never intended to be part of - but now she really is...!!!
Good book, lots of characters, quick and easy read.

I can't believe this is a debut novel! It is so good. Full of twists and page turning suspense. This psychological thriller is a must read! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Joanna hears a rumor outside her son's school while waiting to pick him up. One thing leads to another and this rumor takes life. Joanna starts investigating the rumor, is there really a child killer living in their community under another name? Who could this be? Who can she trust? I thought I had figured out who it was several times and was suspicious of everyone. I was surprised when details started being given! Wow, what a web this book weaves! If you are looking for a book that keeps you guessing and turning the pages this is the one for you! Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this great book. This is my honest review of The Rumor.

The power of word of mouth. We've all done it, mentioned to a friend "oh did you hear" - a harmless whisper. But what happens when that friend tells another friend and a rumor spreads like wildfire? This situation is exactly what Lesley Kara examines in her psychological thriller, The Rumor. Just hoping to fit in and make some friends in a new area, Joanna is lightly gossiping with a group of moms, but before she knows it - she's started the entire town on a witch hunt - one that will have consequences she never intended.

Utterly unique and completely compelling, I loved every word of Kara's novel and cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

I received an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Joanna has taken her young son to be raised in moved to the small town where her mother lives in Michigan. While trying to get her son acclimated to the new school, she meets up with some of the moms, hoping to build relationships through them. It’s at one of the “mom” get-togethers that a rumor is started; a rumor that continues to get fed and spread across the town like wild-fire. Although I liked parts of this book a lot, I was distracted by some of the obvious mistakes. When I finally read the author’s acknowledgements at the end of the book, I wasn’t surprised to find out that this story was originally written for the UK before it was “Americanized” in a US state. Some of the sayings, the references, the continuity of the story all read a bit flat and false for me, to the point where I didn’t care about the ending as much as I would’ve liked. I’m sure others will not find the same flaws I did (or at least, not mind them as I did), but this one just wasn’t for me.

I loved this book, it reminded me so much of living in a small town! It had plenty of twists, chills, thrills, drama to keep my hands flipping the pages and my brain emerged! A must read for those who love psychological thrillers that could be reality!
I will be highly recommending and using in a challenge, as well as reviewing (closer to publish date) in Chapter Chatter Pub’.

Okay, so I have to give the writer credit because this is a debut novel. But...it was a little contrived, a little much at times. I understand the damage gossip and a rumor can cause to a person - most people these days do with social media, so the premise - is there a child murdered hiding in plain sight in the town - is a good one. The writing was good, the pacing a bit slow at times with more explaining that I usually like.
Overall, a good effort for a first one.

I wanted to like this, but I couldn't finish it. The writing style just didn't hold my attention. I wasn't able to get into this one.

What would you do as a parent if a rumor said there was a dangerous neighbor going incognito in your town? What would you do to fit in with everyone? How do you sift through truth and the many layers of hysteria that rumors spin? The Rumor has Joanna race to figure out who’s who, what’s what, and protect herself and loved ones from a sinister danger hiding right in plain sight. For readers of thrillers, this is a competently written summer read, not on par with others I’ve read, but worth checking out.

Omg, what an amazing book! I've heard of it, but never really thought it would be my thing. Boy, was I wrong! The writing simply flows and draws you in, and you are simply powerless to stop reading.
I felt that the main characters are regular people we all meet at the school gates, and so this is not a far-fetched story.

Fans of books like Big Little Lies, or A Simple Favor may appreciate this quick read. I think there should be a name for a genre that incorporates the fears of Mothers. This seems to be a common theme among thrillers these days, and I have to admit, I dig it. The Rumor was a quick read that kept me guessing. I was ping ponging around in my mind trying to determine a suspect. Nothing chilling happened until a little over a quarter of the way in, and even then it was pretty tame to my standards. This book is definitely more of a slow burn rather than a wild ride. It just was not particularly eventful. However, the main character was relatable and I just HAD to know how it would end. Overall, it was an OK story and served the purpose of a quick read mystery. (I wouldn’t really call it a “thriller”). 2.5/5 stars rounded up to 3.

Right away this book jumps in to gossip- did a killer move in to their neighborhood? I love that it was instantly intriguing and I didnt have to wait several chapters to get in to it. I loved the plot, the main character, & the fact that it made me think. Lesley Kara is an excellent writer. I highly recommend The Rumor.

Wow! What a great first book by Lesley Kara.

Joanna is a part time real estate agent in a small seaside town. She grew up in the town but only recently moved back with her young son. They are trying to adjust and fit in. When she hears a rumor about a child murderer possibly living in her town under a new name she uses that to start a conversation at a book club and again with a group of moms at school. Strange things start happening and she feels her son is being threatened. Any woman of the right age could be the killer.

This was a great book. I can't wait to read more from this author. I could not put it down and did not figure it out until the author was ready to share the answer.

Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC of #TheRumor

This was a well written narrative attempting to coerce a thriller from a work of general fiction. The storyline descriptives were conflicting as to geographical setting, as a range of regional terminology was used. In addition, the plot pace was slow at times, alleviating any sense of anticipation or suspense. The character development for our main character was strong, however, everyone else felt as if the author was only scratching the surface. Perhaps genre expectations take precedence but in comparison to similar works in this category it falls short of the mark. 3 stars.

Rumors and the laws of unintended consequences. Very good debut suspense thriller that revolves around single mom Joanna and a scary piece of gossip. Joanna lets it slip at the school gates trying to ingratiate herself into the local moms group. And then mentions it again and then it becomes a topic of conversation all over town. Just when you think you've figured out their identity, another one comes along to tempt you away.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Just couldn’t get into this one. Felt like a slog through and I didn’t care about the characters, and the book seemed very confused about wether it was set in the UK or the American South (we don’t have “seaside towns” in the South, nor do public school kids wear uniforms, but we do collect mermaid’s purses, yes). Might be interested in a re-read with some more solid editing. Also, not really much excitement in the twist, which seems to come from nowhere.

The old game of Gossip, or Telephone is just as thrilling for adults as it is for children, but everyone knows that the more the story is told, the more distorted it becomes. A rumor outside a school is repeated, and repeated and gets more and more disturbing with each telling. It would appear that this small town has been invaded by a killer, a woman released from prison and now living under a new name in a nice normal town with nice, normal people. Joanna cannot leave the story alone, she’s determined to uncover the truth, not realising that her detective work is putting those she loves most at risk. This is a wickedly observed book on social mores and sociopathy. I guarantee it will make you think twice before repeating that bit of juicy gossip you just heard at work