A bit of a slow start but once it got going, it was a well plotted story. Great characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

While it took awhile to get into the story, the author has crafted a well plotted whodunit. The narrative was loaded with twists and red herrings. While I guessed the perpetrator early on I questioned myself throughout and by the end changed my mind. Once I got past the initial slow beginning the plot kept me engaged until the very end. I found the actual execution of the novel, however, subpar. This author, like so many today, has fallen into the trap of dropping an F-bomb every time he couldn’t think of anything else to say. While it seems to be a popular technique, doing so dumbs down the narrative and becomes tiring to read. It is no different than having the character constantly say, “umm, it’s like, you know.” While people may talk that way it is excruciating dull to have to read such dialogue. For this reason I can only give this novel three stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rumor of Evil is a well written, dual time-line police procedural by a new-to-me author. The two timelines revolve around a current murder staged to look like a suicide and a 19 year old murder of a young exchange student who had been branded as a "witch." Watching the layers unfold and seeing how the murders are connected was very intriguing. The two detectives on the case also were interesting and likable, not without their faults but, thankfully, not mired down with the normal detective issues either. I highly recommend this one to those who enjoy crime, detective, police books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

What this book did well:
*Created a lot of angles and possibilities for suspects
*Wove two story lines together to create the overall story
*Great primary and secondary characters

Needs improvement:
*Conversations were dull
*Many grammatical errors throughout (I realize this is most likely not the final edit)
*Seemed like there could have been more pizazz to the revelation of whodunit

Overall this would be a great book for someone who can't get enough of the mystery/suspense genre. The general plot of the book was unique to me and I found it interesting enough to keep reading. I would read more by this author.

I really tried, but the story dragged on forever. I could not finish it......................................................................................

The setting of this was so dark and tense it was so easy to see vividly in my mind. It definitely took some turns I wasn’t expecting. I love a good thriller with likable detectives, I can see these two becoming a reoccurring favorite of mine just like Cross. The very beginning was a little slow but it picks up quickly and holds that pace for the rest of the book. I didn’t have a solid suspect in mind as I flip flopped how I thought it would end more than once. While I wasn’t completely shocked at the outcome I have a love hate relationship with stories that aren’t completely wrapped up at the end. But here’s to hoping there’s a follow up!

A Rumor of Evil, by Gary Braver, is an ARC from NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for an honest review.
Nineteen years ago, a sixteen-year-old foreign exchange student was accused of witchcraft, being a Romany gypsy witch, reading palms, and doing spells on people. Vadima Lupescu was a victim of the alleged rape of the father of the exchange family. This confused the host family and the neighborhood. One night Vadima was burned to death in the tree house.

Fast forward to today, Sylvie Thornton was found dead hanging in her backyard., horribly disfigured.
The school had more unexplained student deaths than usual, and they blamed Vadima. Vadima read Justine's palm and stopped abruptly. After Justine's strange death, they blamed Vadima. After an intense investigation of Sylvie's death, they believe Sylvie was killed because she knew who killed Vadima nineteen years ago. Sylvie, Morgan, Riley, and Krista each had four-leaf clover tattoos with one leaf colored red. Vadima got a five-leaf clover and one leaf colored red.

I believe this novel can be read by anyone who loves a good mystery, suspense, or murder mystery.
This novel was one I read twice. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Thank you NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the eARC.
This was quite an intriguing read, I really liked it.
A 16-year old Romany exchange-student died in a fire 2 decades ago after being accused of witchcraft. 20 Years later a woman is found hanged, but it was looks like it was staged, probably not suicide.
When the police investigate, they hear all kinds of strange rumors about curses, witchcraft and strange behavior by the Romany girl and the recent hanging seems to have a connection with the Romany girl's death.
Excellent read, dark and tense with 2 likeable detectives. Definitely recommended!

An atmospheric and satisfying read. Very recommendable. I can’t say it was a favorite read but I fully respect the craft and skill of the author. Well-developed characters populate a carefully developed setting that almost works as its own character within this read.

Riveting read. I did find it a little difficult to get into at first, but its worth sticking with it. I would love to see more books written with these detectives, they were so easy to relate to, and to love. Some people may see the ending coming, and though I certainly considered it briefly at one point, it wasn't my first suspect. Braver did a wonderful job at that. It didn't have a totally happy ending, with still not knowing who killed Megan, but maybe we can see that resolved in a next book?!

Compared to the thrillers I typically read; this one was quite different. Fantastic writing, with well-developed characters. You'll want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next because the story involves witches, curses, exorcisms, and a whole lot of secrets. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.