Intriguing, Suspenseful, but Predictable

Little Rumours is a dramatic thriller by Bryony Pearce. The story is told in three different perspectives, all mother's from the small quiet town of Exton Cross. Kelly and her son Joe recently moved to Exton Cross due to being placed in the witness protection program. Kelly avoids friendships, drinks heavily, and is disliked by the locals. Aleema moved to Exton Cross 3 years ago to help take care of her mother in law. Aleema doesn't quite fit the mold because she is Muslim. Naomi has lived in Exton Cross her whole life and knows everything about everybody. They all have their flaws and don't get along.
The children of these women become close friends, but one day one of them goes missing. One of the things I appreciated about this book was the representation of a Muslim woman. Aleema's character was the most genuine and likeable. However, there are parts of this book that are very cringe such as unnecessary focus on a 10 yr old child's sexuality, Kelly and Naomi's unlikable personalities, and the predictable and unrealistic nature of the story. From the beginning, it was clear who the book wants you to suspect, but too many obvious signs proving otherwise are presented. The writing provided some intensity and kept the story interesting, but there are so many parts that were uncomfortable in a bad way. This wasn't the pick for me, but readers who like multiple povs and thrillers with small town drama might enjoy this.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Three mothers take their children to school, and watch them from inside of the gate. Naomi knows everyone and is involved in PTA, church, and neighborhood events; she has lived in Exton Cross for her whole life. Aleema has come in recent years with her husband to be closer to an ailing mother-in-law. She has yet to make a friend, and knows people whisper about her Pakistani Muslim heritage behind her back. Kelly is the newest mom in this trio, and Aleema, being an “outsider” herself, has tried to be her friend, but Kelly want no part of anyone’s friendship, and largely ignores everyone. Their three children, Leon, Mia, and Joe, respectively, are all in Year Six, the best of friends, and always together, three peas in a pod. By the end of the day, one of their children will be missing, and aspersion will be cast on another.

This is an intense, compelling psychological thriller, with plenty of twists, turns, questions, and gut punches. The cast of characters is a colorful, vibrant, somewhat xenophobic group of gossipy, nosy neighbors and business owners, looking to “spill a little tea” with and about each other. Its prose is intelligent, vibrant, and interesting, and the glossary in the front with terms and definitions throughout the book that the reader may not be familiar with in the beginning pages is most appreciated. I highly recommend this incredible novel to all fans of the psychological thriller genre with a trigger warning for murder, abuse, loss, and an attempted suicide.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Avon/Harper Collins Publisher, and Bryony Pearce for the ability to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It started off a bit slow but picked up after the first third of the book. We learned about all the secrets the mothers are hiding, which was very Interesting and kept my interest. It wasn’t the page turner I was expecting , but like I mentioned it did kept my interest and wanted to know how it would end.

3 mothers in a small town. 3 kids who are friends but their mothers have animosity. One of the kids goes missing, and in trying to find her, suspicion abounds and secrets are revealed. The story unfolds in alternating chapters between the 3 women, which took me a minute to get into without mixing them up, but once I did I enjoyed it.
Although there’s not a lot of super surprises, there are a few decent twists, and the bottom line of the story is the lengths mothers will go to for their kids. Decent story, but nothing that will really stand out in my memory.
Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Little Rumours was an engrossing and emotional read. It was twisty and kept me guessing throughout. I really enjoyed the writing style and the various POV. A unique plot will well developed characters that any thriller/suspense reader will enjoy!

One thing I love is a multi-POV book. My only gripe is how slow it is. For me specifically. Though I like multi-POV, I did not connect with the characters as much. Nonetheless, the story in itself is okay.

Little Rumours is the story of a missing child. It take a bit of time to get the story going. Lots of characters and their respective back story told. The story is told from several perspectives, Naomi, Aleema and Kelly. The characters are well developed and believable. It also covers abuse and bullying. It was easy to see how fear escalates into a mob mentality so quickly.

Kelly and her son Joe have been relocated for their own safety. William Anderson, Kelly's husband was a serial killer and wouldn't tell the police where all the bodies were buried. The families of the victims don't believe Kelly didn't know anything. They also suspect Joe is like the father. With no evidence to prove their theories they take their anger and fear out on both of them. Struggling in a new town and unable to make friends, they are easy targets after a young girl goes missing, their true identities are revealed.

I found the plot to be totally believable especially with today's social media presence and everyone thinking they have the right to spew garbage because they think they can.

Out in the U.S. on June 21, 2022 [Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Three women—Aleema, Kelly, and Naomi—each have their own secrets and losses, all of which collide when Aleema’s daughter Mia suddenly goes missing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I frequently find myself infuriated by characters in thrillers, and while these characters were no exception, I also felt for them and their unique struggles, losses, and motivations. I especially enjoyed the supporting characters, all of whom were well-rounded (and some of whom were surprisingly but refreshingly wholesome!)

I would have loved a few more misdirects in the plot (I love multiple twists!) but I was also generally surprised by the whodunit (and certainly intrigued by the “whydunit” aspect as well), so I can’t really complain. I will absolutely be checking out Pearce’s backlist and whatever she writes next!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: missing-person thrillers; thrillers with lovable characters; small-town settings.

CW: Animal cruelty/death; suicide attempt/self-harm; domestic abuse; mentions of sexual assault/rape; mentions of torture/murder; bullying/Islamophobia/homophobia; alcoholism; miscarriage/pregnancy loss.

The story is told from the perspective of three women living in a small town. Naomi has lived in Exton Cross her entire life, Aleema has moved there with her husband and daughter to help care for her husband’s ailing mother, and Kelly who arrives to town with her son and a huge secret. The children of the 3 mothers are best friends. One of the children goes missing and everyone starts pointing fingers at Kelly and her son, as her secret is revealed. The author did an excellent job of portraying a small-town mentality.

I felt a lot of empathy for the children who just wanted to be best friends, but bigotry, ignorance, and bullying from the other parents got in the way. The characterization of the children was well done, and I found them relatable.

I thought the ending was very satisfying and was shocked as the perpetrator was revealed. If you are a fan of the missing child trope, you will love this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC.

I loved this book! Lots of twists and turns with a totally satisfying ending. Don’t start this book unless you have time to finish because you won’t want to put it down. An incredible thriller! I want to read more by this author. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Little Rumours by Bryony Pearce is a highly recommended domestic thriller concerning three very different women searching for a missing child.

In Exton Cross everyone knows everyone else and their family and new comers are basically unwelcome. Little Rumours follows three different mothers and their children. Naomi, who grew up in Exton Cross, is an accepted member of the community. Aleema has lived here for three years and hasn't made a single friend even though she's married to a local, but she's a newcomer and Muslim, therefore suspect. Kelly is an outsider and wants it to stay that way to protect her privacy. When Aleema's daughter Mia disappears, the whole community starts looking, but the rumours and accusations also start flying.

The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of Naomi, Aleema, and Kelly in alternating chapters. Aleema and Kelly are fully realized and complicated characters with secrets and fears they want to keep hidden. Their children are all best friends, which is what pulls the three women together in searching for Mia, but also tears them apart. Most of the characters aren't always easy to connect with because they aren't all that likable. The alternating viewpoints, however, work well in the plot.

Little Rumours didn't immediately capture my complete attention during the slow start, but this did serve as a time to introduce all the characters and set up the action. There are all manner of social problems thrown into the mix along the way and the tension and suspense rises as the search for Mia continues. While it is a compelling concept for a plot, it did feel like it ran a little long and could have been tightened up. 3.5 rounded up.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Avon via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, Google Books, and Amazon.

Wow what a ride! This book was not what I was expecting & in the best way. I was left always questioning who could have possibly taken Mia. We’re lead to believe it could have been anyone, especially William Addison’s own son. The theme of loss really resonated through this entire book & I couldn’t put it down. Very well written and very well executed!

In almost every small town or village there are those who are "local" and those who are "from away". This story tells an important tale of how these attitudes shape individuals and why they close ranks. It is also a story of loss and how young children can show us a better way. Highly readable!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC!

This is a very mysterious story involving three families with three secrets and one missing child . It is a very exciting story following each family and how they are involved with the missing child. I would recommend this book to everyone.

Three women, Three Children, but one missing. I will say I was intrigued by the synopsis of the book. The characters are very well developed. It alters between all three characters, which can become confusing when trying to figure out who is who. Theme centers on what a mother will do for their child. However, I was able to predict the culprit right away, not surprising. Very suspenseful and keeps you intrigued.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

We follow three different characters, Naomi, Aleema, and Kelly along with each of their families. At the end of the school day, one of their children has gone missing and the blame game gets started as to who might have been involved in the disappearance. Each one of them has secrets that slowly come to light.
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Let me first start by saying the beginning of this book starts out really slow. We follow three different MC along with their family, so there are a LOT of character names and it can be difficult at times to remember who is who and how they are all connected to one another. It definitely got a little confusing at times, but once I hit about 30% of the way through, it got a little easier and the pace of the book picked up.

Once the pace picked up, I didn’t want to put the book down because I was so invested as to what was going to happen and figuring out who took the child. You become gripped with the characters and I love how Pearce makes some of the characters so unlikable at times. My heart strings were definitely pulled for one family in particular because of their history and what they were currently going through (I don’t want to add too much due to spoilers). Overall, I really enjoyed this book and if you can stick through for the first 30% of the book to get to know the characters and their backstories, then I think you will really enjoy it!

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Little Rumours
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (Rounded Up to 4 Stars for Rating)
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 6/21/22
Author: Bryony Pearce
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 416
Goodreads Rating: 4.08

TW ⚠️: Child abduction, abuse, and bullying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: In a small town, three mothers wave goodbye to their children at the school gates. Naomi has lived Exton Cross since she was born, and she knows everything there is to know about everyone. Aleema hates it here. It’s been three years and she’s yet to make a single friend. And she’s sure the other mums whisper about her behind her back. Kelly is an outsider. New to the town, she arrives with nothing but her son – and a dark secret. By the end of the school day, one of their children will be missing. And rumours will swirl that one of them knows why…

My Thoughts: The book is narrated by Naomi, Aleema, and Kelly, from their perspectives, which was nice to see the different views. The story starts slowly, as the facts and backstories are filled, and then heats up to a page turner. Bare in mind that the first few chapters are the backstories with a lot of family members being thrown at you, I wrote them down so I could remember who and what. The characters are developed really well with depth, intensity, and then you have likable characters and then characters that annoy you or you don’t like. The author’s writing was intense, twisty, and left you with a sense of despair and uneasiness, especially considering this is a missing child book. The plot was kind of complex and difficult to understand and I had to reread a few sections for it to click. Overall, I did enjoy this read.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK, Avon for the copy of this book. This was a pretty quick read and I liked the story. Lots of red herrings though I did have a feeling about who was involved kind of early on. I didn't like the characters and could not connect to any of them because most f them felt like caricatures, not real people. People who don't need to like or connect to the characters might enjoy this book, but sadly, it wasn't for me.

Everyone in Exton Cross has secrets. But for three women, their secrets cross and involve a missing child. Will the child be found in time?

This story is told from the point of view if three different women who bring three big secrets to the story, yet they are all woven together and the ultimate goal is to find the child.

I struggled getting through the 25% of this book. It seemed a little slow. But Once the child went missing, the action really picked up. You could feel the mother’s grief and anguish through the screen. And just when you think you’ve figured out what has happened to the child, something else happens that will blow you off course.

I would rate this book a 3.5 star review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon for an advanced copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This was interesting and I can’t say I like it or hate it. The story has 2 parts and I wish the chapter would say who is who. So that was confusing when you start reading. Story does keep you on your toes and wanting to know what happens next. Some parts were dragging but picks up quickly.