The Rumor takes place in a sleepy seaside town outside New York. Jo is a single mom whose son Alfie has been bullied in the past . She hopes by going home, not only will she be close to her mother’s childcare support, but the friendlier pace of a small town might be better for him. It is close enough to the city that Alfie’s father can stay engaged in his life.

Eager to ingratiate herself with the mom’s whose kids she wants to befriend Alfie, she unwisely passes on a bit of gossip about a woman who committed murder when she was ten living in their town. This created a bit of a sensation and gave her entree to the Babysitting Club, but it also stirs up suspicion and attacks on a local business and some blowback on Jo herself.



The Rumor works as a suspense thriller. There is real jeopardy for Jo’s family and she has a reason to be afraid, even though in the end, there were true surprises. It’s not often I am completely taken in by red herrings and misdirection, but I was. So that made me happy.

On the other hand, the murder happened decades ago and the girl was just ten when she killed a younger boy, the brother of a playmate. The girl and her mother were abused by her father. It seems ridiculous to me that there would be this kind of fearmongering with so little compassion for the child. She was ten, everything we know about mental and moral development would inform even the laziest bigot that she was a CHILD. So, that seemed not credible to me. People in large groups can be stupid, but not that stupid.

The Rumor will be published June 18th. I received an e-galley for review from the publisher through NetGalley.

I want to thank Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. Let me tell you, this book did not disappoint!

I was so surprised by the twists in this book, and when I really thought I had it figured out, a new twist came along and showed me how wrong I was, up until the very end!

To me, this book was kind of like a slow boil. It kept at a steady pace and kept me hooked into it, and then all of the sudden it just really did come to a boil.

For anyone that likes books with well established characters, and that explores different relationships-family, friends, children and significant others, and has some good plot twists, this is a must read!

Oooo the cover of this book is SO good. I can't help it.. sometimes I want to read a book because the cover is just so good. I loved this book. Please go read it! The writing is excellent and the suspense will keep you reading all night long.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
I found this book to have a bit of a slow start...not in a boring way but just slow. I really enjoyed the story line and the characters were believable and real. The Rumor was well written for a debut and definitely had some twists. I thought I knew what was going on about half way through but nope I was wrong...and then wrong again! I am glad I had the chance to read this and I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Joanna makes a really bad decision when she decides to spread a rumor thinking it will make her more popular, right? Well, I bet some readers would have done the same thing, although more out of concern that a child murderer is in the small community than to get in with the cool moms. Either way, she compounds that with more bad choices when the mystery person targets her. So of course, she's going to figure out who it is and that's at the root of this fairly twisty novel. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. No spoilers.

Kudos to anyone who was able to figure out the final twists!

Lesley Kara’s writing was entertaining...especially for a debut. It was fairly fast-paced and I look forward to reading her next book.

What causes people to spread gossip? Do they believe what they’re saying...or are they simply trying to fit in? Do they consider the harm they might cause? Or is it just too tempting to gather like piranhas at feeding time?

<b>Excerpts: </b>
<blockquote>”A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes—Mark Twain”</blockquote>

Jo decides to leave the city and return to her hometown with her young son—Alfie. They have a cottage around the corner from Jo’s mother and close to Alfie’s school. But Jo and Alfie find it hard to fit in, so Jo joins some other mothers in a gossip session to try to connect with them. She swore she wouldn’t be one of “those mothers” when she moved back to Flinstead, but she wants to help Alfie make friends.

The rumor is...that a notorious killer, that committed a brutal crime as a child, relocated to Flinstead decades ago under a new identity. After Jo makes a comment to her book club, the rumor spreads like wildfire and it doesn’t take long before it gets out of control. I started out really liking Jo, but she was becoming irritating towards the end.

With a large cast of characters, I had a hard time keeping track of them all. I did have some suspects narrowed down, but was shocked to find out the identity of the killer.

I found the bits about witness protection very interesting. I’ve never thought about everything that was involved in the process of changing identities. Not only are you leaving your old life, friends and family behind, but you are responsible for “learning” your new life. I can imagine how it takes a toll on your mental health.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!

<b>My Rating: </b> 3.5 ⭐️’s (rounding down to 3)
<b>Published:</b> June 18th 2019 by Ballantine Books
<b>Pages:</b> 336
<b>Recommend:</b> Yes

<b>Excerpts: </b>
<blockquote>”Rumors are like seeds, scattered on the wind. There’s no telling where they’ll land, but land they will. Settling in cracks and crevices, the roots take hold. The seeds sprout. It doesn’t matter if they’re true or false. The more times they’re spoken, the faster and stronger they grow. Like weeds, waving in the air.”</blockquote>

Rumors can kill...

Let me begin by saying, this reads very British, though it's set in a seaside American town. The way the characters speak and interact, the descriptions of the small town...it all sounded as though the characters were in a London suburb. I suppose it makes sense, though, as the author, Lesley Kara lives in the United Kingdom.

Generally speaking, this is a decent little mystery novel. It's quick, precise, and a very easy read. Are the twists fairly obvious? I'd say yes, but not immediately so. There are quite a few decently placed red herrings, which threw me off the trail for at least the first half the novel. Is the plot a bit contrived and somewhat implausible? Again, I'd say yes...it tries a little too hard to tie everything together. And, unfortunately, the characters aren't well-developed. There are just so many--a whole town's worth, in fact--it doesn't truly allow the author to really get down and dirty with any of their stories/histories.

So...my final thoughts:
If you're looking for a very light, not terribly hard-to-figure out mystery...this one is for you. It's entertaining, if nothing else.

**A special thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Lesley Kara for my ARC.

Very good translation to address American readership. The story kept you guessing and interwove varying possibilities so that it was not revealed too soon. Thoroughly enjoyed the read! Suspenseful, kept my mind engaged , and would recommend to my reading friends!

Flinstead is a small & quiet coastal town....the perfect place to raise a family. Jo moves there with her son Alfie, to be close to her mom. One day outside the elementary school, one of the moms mentions a rumor that a child murderer is living in the town under an assumed name. Suddenly, in Jo's mind everyone becomes suspect. When veiled threats to stop the rumor get aimed at Jo, she becomes desperate to keep her son and herself safe.

This book was SO good. I admit I had suspected pretty much everyone by the time I finished the book. Without giving out any spoilers, I will say that it ended with a shocker. I highly recommend it!

About halfway to three-quarters of the way in, I was convinced I knew who the killer in hiding was a few times. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong. The reveal surprised me, and I was even more surprised and delighted when the surprises kept coming in the last third of the book.

This book was a decent domestic drama/neighborhood drama with a bit of suspense/thriller thrown in. I did enjoy the exploration of how rumors thrive in small towns. A solid novel. Unfortunately I did not connect with the characters very well which hampered my experience. Another reader very well may have a different opinion and I would definitely read another book by the author.

It all started with a rumor. Could there really be a child murderer in their quaint little town by the sea? As the mystery unfolds lives will be altered and the reader is left guessing with the many red herrings Kara has thrown in. With a strong beginning, it did become a bit repetitive as the story progressed and while there were three rather big twists, this reader did figure them out before hand. An interesting plot and a good debut novel from Kara. Looking forward to what she has in store for us next.

Do you pass on gossip? What if you did and found out you were the reason your child is at risk. That is the basis of this novel. People are not always who you think they are. How well do you really know your neighbors? What if they did something as a child? Would you know? Read this pulse pounding book and see things in a whole new light.

The Rumor was such a twisted and addictive read, I couldn't believe that this was Lesley Kara's debut novel. I was hooked right from the start as the characters and plot took me on a rollercoaster ride full of twists and turns.

I think we all know the power of a rumor and how they can spread like crazy in a matter of minutes. Well, Joanna, a single mother, discovers just how deadly and powerful a rumor can be. So desperate to fit in with the popular school moms, Joanna repeats a rumor she overheard by another group of school moms, and now she can't take it back. The rumor has everyone on edge and suspicious of each other. Just how dangerous can this one rumor become? Let's just say she might regret the day she ever opened her mouth...

This is definitely the perfect read for those who like a good thriller and/or women's fiction. I am definitely going to keep this author on my radar.

I had been looking for a good thriller, as many have been disappoint lately, and I found one in the Rumor. It's like the game of telephone in a book, and will keep you guessing until the last page. Reminiscent of Big Little Lies, Lesley Kara's novel is a must read for this summer.

Lies travel faster than the truth and once released can rarely be contained. Joanna Critchley learns how harmful unsubstantiated gossip can be in Lesley Kara’s debut novel, The Rumor. Jo returns to her old hometown of Flintstead to be closer to her mother, but she has been away long enough to feel like she is starting over since most of her old friends have moved away. As a Real Estate agent, she wants to make some new connections in town and wants to ensure that her young son Alfie is accepted by his peers at school. She fears that her unmarried status and casual relationship with Alfie’s father combined with their son’s mixed race may affect his acceptance in the small town. Her mother suggests she join a Book Club to meet some new people and gain friends. Jo overhears a woman talking about the possibility that a famous child murderer from 30 years ago might have moved to Flintstead under an assumed name. In order to diffuse an emerging conflict, Jo relates the news at a club meeting. Later, when she feels rebuffed by the other mothers at Alfie’s school, she repeats it again-attracting attention and receiving entry into the babysitting exchange and invitations to playdates and parties. Unfortunately, the rumor begins to take on a life of its own, and a local shop owner becomes the target of outraged locals who suspect her of being the released killer. Things become increasing complicated when Alfie’s father, a tenacious reporter, decides he wants to move to town to write about the story. Jo tries to remedy her mistake, but it is too late to reverse the damage. She also feels compelled to find out the truth, and in doing so comes to suspect various residents of being the real perpetrator. The reader is taken along many twists and turns as Jo works through her list of potential suspects. Interspersed are chapters narrated by the anonymous target as Jo gets closer and closer to discovering her identity. The novel has some too-convenient connections and stretches credulity when Jo occasionally seems more naïve than her character would indicate. Still, The Rumor has some wonderful characterizations and manages to also introduce some incisive topics like prejudice and vigilantism imbedded in its nicely paced plot. For her debut, Lesley Kara has provided a solid suspense thriller that will entertain summer readers and attract a fan base that will eagerly await her next effort.

For fans of Liane Moriarty, Nora Roberts and Laura Lippman.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an objective review.

This book felt stiff to me. The dialogue in particular was awkward and didn't feel natural. I saw a lot of the twists coming and honestly, everyone seemed to be overreacting to everything happening. I think my overall problem was that this book was trying very much to be the next GONE GIRL orBIG LITTLE LIES when it probably would have been better as a family drama.

The Rumor, by Lesley Kara

Short Take: Great story messed up by a weird editorial choice.

(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

You guys, this summer is the gift that keeps on giving. First the cicada swarm, then a whole bunch of not-very-summery weather, and lastly, finding not one but TWO dead bloated raccoons in the pool. I want a do-over, but will have to settle for some fun twisty thrillers instead. Like The Rumor.

Joanna is a single mom who’s recently returned to Flinstead, the small town where she grew up. Having left the city to raise six year old Alfie in a safer, quieter place, she’s beset by a whole new set of stressors.

There’s the much smaller income of a real estate agent in a very limited market, and her complicated on-again, off-again relationship with Alfie’s journalist father Michael. And speaking of Alfie, he’s having a hard time making friends in his new school, much as Joanna is among the adults.

So when Joanna happens across a juicy piece of gossip, well, that’s the richest kind of currency for a certain type of mom group. There are whispers that Sally McGowan, notorious for killing a little boy at the tender age of 10 in the 1960’s, is now living in Flinstead under an assumed identity.

The moms aren’t the only ones who are enthralled by the rumor. Michael finds the idea of an exclusive sensational story (and by extension, Joanna) irresistible, and begins spending more and more time with Joanna and Alfie. Joanna’s acceptance into the “cool” mom clique means that Alfie is being invited to parties and playdates.

But this particular rumor isn’t just a bit of harmless fun. The people of the town, especially the mothers, are horrified that a child killer might be living among them - no matter if the crime occurred over 50 years ago, and the ten year old who committed it is now a senior citizen.

With no real information on who Sally McGowan might be now, paranoia ramps up to Salem Witch Hunt levels, and oh my nerdlings, do you need me to tell you that everything quickly Spirals Out Of Control? Because it does, in spectacular fashion.

I really loved the twists, and the fictionalizing of the Mary Bell case, which is still one of the most captivating stories I’ve come across. That the porcelain-doll looking child with extraordinary dark eyes could do something so horrific… well, I can understand why the people of Flinstead freaked the heck out. And the final scenes had me breathless.

But there was one glaring problem with this book: its nationality. It’s my understanding that it was originally written and published in the UK under the name The Rumour. But for some reason, upon being published in the US, someone made the decision to change the setting of the book to the US.

This is problematic on a couple of levels. First, I’ve read plenty of British books, and as a US citizen, I’ve never had an issue with it. Sure, calling fries “chips” is weird, but eventually, lifts, flats, lorries, telly and so on is no big deal.

The real obstacle to enjoyment of The Rumor is that the Britishisms keep creeping in. I understand that my version was an uncorrected ARC, but when the name of the town changes between Flinstead (American) and Flinstead-On-Sea (British), it’s pointlessly distracting. Why not just leave the setting alone?

Have publishers decided that Americans are so intolerant of ANY cultural differences that they assume we’ll reject works that come out of ENGLAND of all places??? Frankly, it’s a little insulting, not to mention annoying.

But man, that final reveal, when we learn what REALLY became of little Sally McGowan… just whoa.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and some American-type chips. Because while British slang doesn’t twist my knickers, the food could definitely be problematic.)

This is the second book in a row I've read where a British author wrote an American character (or in this case, exclusively American characters, and setting) in a completely inauthentic way. By the time I was 10% of the way into the book, I was confused by how British it sounded when it was purportedly set in the US. After reading some other review, I learned that the original was set in the UK, but the American version takes place in the US. And I have to say, that was a terrible decision. You can't just change the names of places, and presumably, some words and expect it to sound authentically American, and this doesn't. It felt very British, and I spent a lot of my time reading looking for British and phrasing, or places where words had likely been changed. And it seemed to signify a lack of confidence in readers--that we wouldn't be able to relate to a book set in another country. But we Americans read books by UK authors all the time, so this didn't make a lot of sense, and really took me out of the story. For American readers who want to read this book, I would recommend trying to get your hands on a copy of the original version.

Other than that, this was a fun and entertaining thriller. Joanna has recently moved back to the small town she's from, and hears a rumor that a woman who killed a little boy when she was a teenager is living in their town. She would have a new identity now, so any of the older women Joanna knows could be this killer. Joanna spreads the rumor in an effort to connect with the other women she knows, and her actions have consequences she hadn't anticipated.

I think I will forget this book pretty quickly, but it's a fast read, and I would recommend it if you're looking to get lost in a thriller and this piques your interest. It's not a must-read though. And please, British authors/publishers, have enough faith in your American readers that we will enjoy the original, without having to read an American-ized version.

The Rumor by Lesley Kara is an easy read that's compelling from the start. It has not one, but two twists at the end. I was mildly surprised by the first one and more surprised by the second! The characters are well developed and I cared about all the major players. It also made me think about certain issues long after I put the book down ... damage done when we gossip, relationships, trust, identity. I will definitely check out this author's other books. Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC for my honest and unbiased review.