3.5 stars. I've read a few really great books from this author and was lucky enough to listen to him previously chat about his Darktown series. So I knew there would be a lot of good research, based on facts and real moments and have interesting characters and tough topics.

And this one is really good! There were a few pacing slow parts but, otherwise, I felt really drawn into the story. I didn't love either of our main characters but I did appreciate their POV and I liked the search about the crime along with the hunt. It was compelling and felt like a unique story, even though we hear many about these topics.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

The beginning was slow for me. I wasn't drawn in. I did stick with it and about halfway through I was finally interested in the characters stories. The story itself was good but needed more excitement to keep a reader interested.

I think I would have been better served if I had read this in a more concentrated time period. Instead I read it in small snippets and it made for following the plot, which is complex, difficult. Mullen is a solid writer and is able to construct a complicated mystery, but here the interesting historical time period he is writing about overshadowed his characters and the plot. I didn't feel particularly strongly about any of the characters and was not interested in their potential romance but I found myself googling different historical tidbits throughout and finding myself down different rabbit holes.

Pros:
Timely read
Historical Fiction
Learned new historical events
Multiple viewpoints

Cons:
Slow burn
Unlikeable characters
More mystery than a spy thriller

I received an advanced electronic copy from publisher Minotaur Books and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book.

Rumors to be confirmed or exposed as lies lead reporter Anne Lemire to a story about Nazi propaganda. Her fact-finding overlaps with the investigation of Devon Mulvey who is looking into the death of a factory worker.

This is definitely a plot-driven story. The characters were more about action, less about heart, making it impossible for me to sympathize with them. This is perfect for some readers, but I had to find my interest elsewhere.

The tightly plotted story has plenty of twists and turns. The history of WWII America highlights what was going on in America while war waged in Europe and the Pacific – much of what I did not learn about in my history classes. Throw in relevant topics such as antisemitism, disinformation, fascist sympathizers, and bullying and you have a fascinating thriller.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

I had a hard time getting into this novel. It started off very slowly as the two characters are introduced in seemingly unrelated activities. I didn't like Devon from the beginning. He is not the kind of man I appreciate as a hero. Anne was more attractive to me, tracing rumors to their source and disproving them. Some were just rather silly but some had roots in anti-war feelings. That aspect of the novel is similar to the disinformation promoted today.

This is the first book I had read by Mullen. The atmosphere of the era was presented well, especially the prejudice towards Jews. I can tell a great deal of research went into the book and I appreciate the Author's Note and the end identifying aspects of the novel based on historical fact. I thought the novel rather uninspiring, however, and not compelling. The plot moved slowly and I found myself skimming after a while.

This novel would be of interest to readers who enjoy books centered on WW II.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

DNF at 21%. I kept waiting to be drawn into the story, to feel connected to the characters, but it never happened. I expected this historical mystery to feel higher stakes, but I was struggling to figure out what the mystery actually was. Maybe it would have clicked eventually, but I had no interest in continuing on with the book.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the e-arc of The Rumor Game. Sadly, this one was just not for me. I am realizing that mysteries are just not my genre for boooks.

I liked this a lot. Set in Boston during World War II, this provided a look at this time that I have not read about previously. There are multiple POVs, and Anne and Devon are great characters. I liked how the stories intertwined, and how it all came together. The ending was satisfying. At the end, the author went through his sources and what was true in the book and what was fiction, I love when authors do that. Will definitely read this author again.

I really enjoyed this mix of historical fiction and crime thriller The story and pacing were so intriguing and kept me captivated until the end. I also loved the little author notes.

The Rumor Game will keep you on the edge of your seat! Anne Lemire is a young reporter who writes a column debunking false information and lies in Boston during WW II. It's an uphill battle against Nazi spies, American collaborators and just plain racist and xenophobic locals. Anne decides to do a major expose about Nazi propaganda circulating, in an effort to rally Americans to fight the Nazi's together. Her investigation brings her into contact with FBI special Agent Devon Mulvey charged with finding spies and preventing industrial espionage. When a factory is murdered (or is he?), the two team up to find the truth.

The Rumor Game is fast paced, exciting, with lots of twists and turns. A great book for an airplane ride or a vacation!

This was an enjoyable and well written historical mystery set in Boston during WWII. The story centers around Anna, a journalist working to disprove rumors and Nazi propaganda, and Devon, an FBI agent investigating a murder.

The setting and time period were very well written and made me feel like I was really there. It was like having a snapshot of 1940s America. I liked reading about what life would have been like for the people not actively serving during the war in this country. It's a perspective I don't often come across in books. Thomas Mullins does an excellent job bringing the American atmosphere of the time to life.

Anna is a strong-willed character that was easy to root for, and Devon, while not as serious, was equally likable. The mystery itself was gripping and kept me interested all the way through.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

THE RUMOR GAME takes place in Boston during WWIi. The reader follows two main characters. In a male dominated journalism field, Anne Lemire who is Jewish writes a column for the newspaper called THE RUMOR CLINIC. She tries to find the truth behind rumors she hears being spread around and then writes her story based on facts. The second main character is FBI Special Agent Devon Mulvey who is Catholic in Hoover’s rather waspish FBI. The first 25-30% of the story moved quickly as I learned about these characters and I felt like I was on my way to be fully engrossed in finding out how their stories intersect. The story began to slow down for me with fairly long chapters. I found that I was having to go back and read paragraphs over again….at about the 55-60% mark the book picked up again for awhile but then I struggled again. I think the book needs some more editing to make the story tighter. My thanks to St.Martin’s Press Minotaur and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

The Rumor Game is set in Boston during WWII and explores what was going on with Americans as many were divided about the U.S. becoming involved with the war. This novel is told from two different points of view. One is that of an FBI agent and the other of an idealistic young journalist who wants to stop the antisemitic and other hateful rumors targeting marginalized groups. The story revolved around Anne and Devon trying to discover what was really going on in Boston as pamphlets and then ultimately a murder begins to show some serious crime is happening and the local cops are doing nothing about it.

This book had some good moments but ultimately wasn't for me. I did like Anne, who was a strong female character but Devon, the FBI agent was a little off putting to me. I wanted more connection between these two characters. This book was well written and did move along but it felt like more of a true crime novel than a thriller. The author did include an author's note which told what events were true and what was not. I always appreciate this in a historical fiction book.

This book was so well written I couldn't put it down. I like how it starts out with Anna.Writing Is a rumor Call. C o l u m n For a newspaper called star in Boston in the 40s.. She was a Anti fascism Because she felt the christian league was up to no good. She also ran across a man she wen She used to play his name was devon. F b I guy trying to figure out this murder which took place in the boston north end based on factory who made ammunition and guns for the war. This is really interesting because there's a lot of things in this book which hit home. How the jews were being attacked in dorchester and how they were trying to figure out why this was happening. People in the factory really do not want to talk to him. But there was so many different plots and twist. S it was like a love story. Mixed in with like a murder mystery. Devon's father was also part of the christian league with a lawyer named nell. They were spreading hate around the community through pamphlets. I Anna wanted to be a writer and she graduated from radcliffe. She wrote a column called rumors for the newspaper called the stars and she wanted to see if they were two or faults. She did a lot of crazy things to prove herself. She had a brother named Sammy and somehow he got involved in this murder. You're talking about the dirty cops as well. D e v o n was irish and he had a Cousin named Brian , who is part of this christian leg. I like how the story We'll through different aspects of the time in the 40s..

A little bird flew onto my windowsill to tell me all about this fantastic historical thriller called The Rumor Game. Set in Boston in the year 1943, the story follows two characters: one, Anne, is a newspaper reporter who has a gossip column dedicated to the dispelling of wartime rumours. When her 17-year-old brother is attacked by a young gang targeting him for being half-Jewish, Anne wants to write about the story in her column, only to meet resistance at every level (including that of her source, who doesn’t want to see his name in print). Investigating these beatings further takes Anne down a whole new rabbit hole of treachery and corruption. The other main protagonist is Devon, a philandering, Irish Catholic FBI agent who is investigating the murder of a Jewish man who worked at a federal munitions factory. Soon, a crate of machine guns goes missing from the factory, leading Devon and his brass to think that there’s a connection between the killing and something possibly much more nefarious — though the Bureau seems reluctant to find out by just how much. Anne’s and Devon’s worlds seem to be very different, but they soon collide as both stories overlap with the other’s. And, yes, the birdie said excitedly, “There’s even romance!” So, as you can probably tell, there’s an awful lot of plotting in this book as red herrings get uncovered and plot twists involving disparate subjects such as union politics, pro-fascism leagues, and the Italian mafia get thrown into the mix.

There are a few things that are striking about The Rumor Game. One is that Boston is as much of a character as the human inhabitants of this story. We go to the dockyards where German threats may be lying in wait, we visit the various ethnic neighbourhoods where people of diverse ethnic origins exist in uneasy relationships with each other, and we even get a mention of “The Town,” or a certain area that’s known for being predominately Irish. However, that’s not all that the book has going for it. As the book is heavily driven by its roller-coaster plot, the tone of the book is conversational. While some may frown at author Thomas Mullen’s penchant for telling more than showing, it’s almost a necessity given the whiplash pacing of the book. As a thriller, the book succeeds, and perhaps too much as one is never sure where the plot is going, and, if you looked too closely, you might find some dangling plot threads or the odd MacGuffins that crop up and go nowhere.

Still, there is much to enjoy about this novel, including its characterizations. Anne is tough, yet vulnerable, and is likable as well as being tenacious in her job. And Devon is a man who wants to redeem himself for not signing up for the war effort. Anne’s and Devon’s coupling is pleasant enough and goes into some non-clichéd places. And this is also a book about family ties, and the bonds of loyalty that permeate through them through bloodlines and ethnic lines. (Devon wants to douse water on any flames that might be stirred up in his Irish community by getting to them first.) However, if you looked closely, this is a book that forwards the agenda of film noir (even if it isn’t a film — at least, not yet!) In film noir, we had protagonists working outside of corrupt institutions, such as the police, seeking to right wrongs outside of the system. In The Rumor Game, the main characters either work for major newspapers or federal departments, which are seen to be influenced by outside forces. It turns out that everywhere the characters turn, corruption and crime are everywhere and go hand in hand. To get things done (and move that zippy plot along), the characters have to act independently of the system, bending or outright breaking the rules — even if doing so could cost them their jobs or worse. It is the extent of the corruption that is striking here — there are no safe harbours — which is probably apt as the nation of the book’s setting is in wartime. To that end, the book is relevant even today — the overtones of antisemitism being felt in the current world are an echo of what is faced by Anne in this book, a problem that has never quite seemed to successfully go away.

All in all, that little birdie was right to be chipper about this read. Although it is a little long and goes into places that it doesn’t have to — we’re taken into a union meeting even though it has hardly anything to do with the main plot — overall, the book is a success and is wildly entertaining. A lot of research went into this (as detailed by the author’s note at the end of the novel) and it shows in spades in this wonderfully vivid recreation of World War II America. This is a book that knows how to grab readers by the throat and never let go, but it also has an educational function to it as well — to remind people of what it was like to live in the middle of a global conflict. Believe all rumours that you might hear about this book: The Rumor Game is a lively thrill-ride romp through the streets and alleyways of 1940s Boston, and proof that one should never be afraid to listen to the birds when they drop by on your windowsill with book recommendations for those who like this sort of thing. Worth examining by history and World War II buffs.

Book Review: The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen
Published by St. Martin's Press & Minotaur Books, February 27, 2024

★★★☆☆ (3.25 Stars!)

Dorchester, Boston, MA

It is wartime. Out at sea, German U-boats are lurking as "The Battle of the Atlantic" rages on.

Enter Anne Lemire, raised Catholic with a French Canuck /Jewish working class background. She's a young gossip columnist for a fictional Boston daily called the "Star". Her gossip column called "The Rumor Clinic" picks up news tidbits based largely on hearsay (see excerpt below). Think NY Post Page Six, a fledgeling Rona Barrett or Cindy Adams, sans the gravitas and clout.

With the country in war footing, she tries to make herself relevant by taking on more serious matters, as in exposing the sexual abuse of the women of the WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps) in army bases, and instances of racism, treason, religious strife and antisemitism particularly those which fall close to home, being Jewish herself.

// Excerpt:
"....It had taken two days to chase this particular rumor down, but the gist was: the barkeep in Scollay Square said he’d heard it from a lawyer. The lawyer had caught wind of it from the secretaries. The secretaries all blamed Doris, the new one. Doris told Anne she’d heard it from a friend of hers, Marty. Marty? He lived in Central Square. He’d heard it from his buddy Joe, who’d heard it from his pal Mikey, who’d heard it from Hank..." //

Enter the novel's "Mulder", Devon Mulvey, Lemire's former neighbor, now a FBI Special Agent. He, in turn, is Irish, Catholic, comes from a wealthy family and is the son of John Joseph Mulvey, an isolationist (who still has IRA cousins in Ireland with severe grievances against the Brits), and a former business associate of prominent businessman and US Ambassador to Great Britain Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., who'd lobbied to keep his country out of the war with Nazi Germany.

The protagonists have their first date, despite the fact that he felt he was making a big mistake. // "She was some rabble-rousing leftist and a muckraking journalist..." //

It's neighborhood against neighborhood, tribe against tribe in author Thomas Mullen's fictional wartime Boston. At almost every turn, a clash of religions, races, colors of skin and countries of origin.

Replete with racial epithets, slurs and offensive cliches, the author uses the most despicable terms in his writing which I can't include in this review lest I violate the community guidelines of most book review sites.

The bigotry and hatred in this book is so palpable, dripping with vile, you could taste it.

And so tiresome too.

-----

Mullen's historical fiction genre appears to be molded on a divisive bend, fixated on systemic racism and identity politics. His 2016 novel "Darktown", set in 1948 Atlanta also explores "...race, law enforcement, and the uneven scales of justice..."

I'm fairly certain that there is an audience for this book, but it isn't exactly the type of historical fiction novel I'd care to read.

As I close the book, a certain war story comes to mind. The inspirational true story of Private Desmond Doss.

Private Doss was the Seventh Day Adventist conscientious objector, Medal of Honor awardee and hero of "Hacksaw Ridge", who, on that dreary night at the Maeda Escarpment (前田高地) in the Battle of Okinawa, at the risk of his own life, without carrying a gun, saved 75 American brothers-in-arms, inexhaustibly climbing up and down a rope. In the end, Doss cried. He wanted to save even more.

Among those he saved were his own captain, Jack Glover, a white protestant who'd put him in jail on non-aggression charges as he refused time and time again to carry a weapon. Along with 74 other brethren without regard to race, color, religion or national origin, exactly the same lot whom Mullen portrays in tribal warfare in wartime Boston.

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley.

Thank you so much to @macmillan.audio @minotaur_books and @netgalley for the ALC/ARC!

📰 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 📰
If you are looking for a very well researched, historical fiction mystery story set during the WWII era, look no further! The events in this book were very well thought out and researched by the author, based on similar events taking place around the Boston area.

The story features two characters Anne and Devon, both entangled in different aspects of the politically charged climate of the time. Devon is an Irish Catholic and Anne is half Irish and Jewish, in an area where a lot of anti-Jewish propaganda was going around. Devon works for the FBI and Anne is a reporter with a column called The Rumor Clinic, where she hunts down wild rumors of the time to prove them false.

A murder in the area draws both of these characters together, partly by circumstance and part from a shared history. They both have resources to help the other out and they both have reasons to not trust one another!

I admired Anne’s strong willed nature to chase down a story and to try to bring the correct information to light. I didn’t connect as well with Devon, although that may be because he had more character flaws to work through, and I think that was how he was supposed to learn and grow in the time period and climate he was in.

The ending of the book left me wanting a bit more information about the characters futures, but I can also understand why it ended how it did… during a time period of uncertainty.

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
📰 WWII Historical Fiction
📰 Boston in 1942
📰 Murder Mysteries
📰 War-fueled Propaganda
📰 Dual POV - FBI Agent and Female Journalist

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review The Rumor Game on NetGalley.

Published: 02/27/24

Stars: 1

Disappointing. I was exhausted, mentally fatigued. I was drawn to the Boston backdrop. However, I didn't anticipate such language. Every slang for every ethnic group, culture is used.

I was uncomfortable. I feel like there was a hidden agenda. I'm not giving the book any more credence.

The Rumor Game reads like a murder mystery historical fiction mashup. Based on actual events, the book takes place in the Boston in the 1940's. There are lots of interesting characters ranging from the FBI, reporters, the mafia and I found this to be an informative and entertaining read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.