The Rumor Game
By Thomas Mullen

This is a novel, but it is based on true situations that arose across America during the period leading up to and following Pearl Harbor and our entry into World War II in both the Pacific front and in Europe. It exposes some hard truths about the existence of pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic factions which worked to stymie FDR and keep us out of the war.

The depth of the hatred and readiness to commit violence portrayed here is startling – as is the fact that local politicians, police, and even federal agencies were complicit. The story here involves a leftist half Jewish newspaper reporter named Anne and her interaction with Devon, a former Irish childhood acquaintance and current FBI agent in Boston. Their mutual attraction and the many stumbling blocks in the way of their relationship highlight the social problems of the time.

I found this book both captivating and eye-opening. And the abrupt ending without clear resolution made the story much more believable. I would recommend this book to readers interested in the reality of what was going on at that time.

This is an entertaining, well-written, historical fiction crime thriller., which is based on actual persons and events. It has an intelligent, strong and capable female protagonist, a flawed but likable male protagonist, mystery, intrigue, suspense, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. The author's notes are interesting and informative, and are truly appreciated. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Mr. Thomas Mullen, who provided me with an advance reader copy of this novel. This is my honest opinion.

This historical fiction novel takes place in Boston during WWII and paints a very different picture than I have usually seen in other WWII stories. Boston is filled with rumors, hatred and factions fighting each other for power. Not exactly a united effort to rally the country around the flag. Thomas Mullen has presented a compelling and thought-provoking tale, not unlike what we continue to face today. This thriller is well worth the read and further contemplation.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for the chance to read early.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The author did such a great job with capturing the time period. I enjoyed the characters. It was a good book.

As anyone can see, this novel, a fictionalized tale based on incidents that occurred in Boston in or around 1943, was very slow reading for me, not because of poor writing, but because I kept seeing much of our current history in what we were being told. Anne is a reporter who has Jewish family members and has begun investigating antisemitism and pro-Nazism in Boston. Devon is an FBI Agent who is of Irish ancestry during the days of Hoover’s FBI. They come together over the murder of a man who was involved in the theft and sale of a case of military weapons from their manufacturer. The plot is intense and the compilation well done. Thanks to Net galley and Minotaur Books for an ARC for an honest review.

The book more so focuses on the life of people left behind in the war. A suspenseful WW2 era thriller novel. Nothing groundbreaking, but an enjoyable quick read. I'll be interested to see if the author continues writing these mysteries as there's potential for a whole series if well thought out.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Rumor Game. The author really captured the feel of the time period in this historical thriller. The characters were well written and the story well laid out. I enjoyed reading from Anne's perspective and found her to be quite a daring character.

This was a bit of a slow burn as the two main characters don't connect until the book is a third complete As historical fiction, the book does a good job setting the atmosphere for WWII era Boston. However, I couldn't get invested in the characters mainly because of my visceral response to the ugliness of ordinary people depicted,. I realize that it is an accurate reflection of the time, but in Some ways it was too close to some of the current polarization in our society.

In WWII Boston, Anne Lemire, a woman reporter, is trying to make a name for herself by researching and frequently dispelling rumors going around the town on various subjects. FBI agent Devon Mulvey is assigned to preventing industrial sabotage, but on his own, he is spying on Catholic priests who may have “suspect loyalties”. When Anne’s investigation into Nazi propaganda throws her across Devon’s investigation of a murdered dock worker, the two begin a very dangerous liaison that leads them into investigating organized crime, espionage, and antisemitism in the city. Quite an original historical thriller.

Anti-semitism and isolationist groups are causing major problems in WWII era Boston in this intriguing thriller.

Anne Lemire is a college-educated, forward thinking young woman working for a Boston newspaper. She has managed to carve out a niche for herself, rising above the usual “women’s interest” topics to write a column called the Rumor Clinic. In it, she chases down war-related rumors that seem silly or downright harmful to disprove them. She has just exposed a story that WAACs are getting pregnant and receiving abortions at a military training area down in Georgia….turns out that a disgruntled would-be suitor was just making up a nasty story to get back at the girl who didn’t return his affections, but had Anne not nipped that rumor in the bud, many families might have been reluctant to let their daughters join the war effort. While she’s pleased that she straightened that out, she knows that she is capable of more meaningful work. One story that is not being taken seriously by either the press or the police is the recent rash of attacks against Jewish people in her neighborhood. Anne herself, though raised to believe she was Catholic, had discovered upon her father’s death that she was, in fact, Jewish. Her family at that time was treated unfairly by their neighbors and ended up moving, so she is quite aware of the negative view that many hold of Jewish people. When her younger brother is attacked for a second time, Anne feels she has no choice but to investigate. Her path will soon cross that of Devon Mulvey, a Special Agent with the FBI who has been tasked with keeping an eye on defense contractors in the area to prevent sabotage and espionage, as well as monitoring priests at local area churches who may hold anti-war views. The former task is not much of a challenge for Mulvey, but the latter makes him a bit uncomfortable. He and his family are Catholic, so spying on priests (some of whom he has known as a parishioner) is pulling at his loyalties. He is one of the few Catholics hired by the FBI, whose college-educated recruits have historically been Protestant, and is aware that many of his co-workers don’t entirely trust him because of his background. The local police, whose ranks include a great many Irish Catholics like Mulvey and in fact have more than a few of his relatives in their ranks, don’t think much of Mulvey for eschewing the police force in favor of the FBI. Like Anne, though for different reasons, Mulvey has a foot in two camps but is accepted by neither. Mulvey avoided being drafted for the war because of his job and is looked down on by many in his circle for not “doing his duty”…and feels guilty about it himself. The fact that he finds himself bedding more than a few women whose husbands are away fighting just adds to his self recrimination. When a Jewish man who worked at a munitions factory is found dead, Anne and Mulvey, who knew one another in their early years, meet and find that their investigations coincide. They also become immersed in possible saboteurs, organized crime and local fascists….any of whom could be involved in the factory worker’s death, and all of whom want to stop them from continuing their investigations. By any means necessary.
I found The Rumor Game to be an excellent read on two levels, both as a mystery and as a historical novel. As someone with roots in the Boston area and its Irish Catholic community, I was readily drawn into the locale portrayed here. It is a city whose problems with race relations have long been known, and in this novel those issues are much at play. The two main characters of Anne and Mulvey are interesting in their complexity, their education setting them apart from many in their own families and communities, and both also are atypical for their gender in some of their choices. Anne is not married and working a career not generally thought of as appropriate for women, while Mulvey has not enlisted in the military despite having no physical impediments. Mulvey’s family has members who do not accept Jewish people as equals and are emphatically against the US entering the war in Europe, and both of those positions run counter to Mulvey’s job. Of the two, I thought the character of Anne was more thoroughly portrayed, but as a pair they were well matched. Neither fully trusted the other, but felt a mutual attraction nonetheless. The mystery of who killed the factory worker and who is behind the attacks against members of Anne’s community is well-paced and presents a variety of possible villains and motives for the crimes. Some unexpected twists and moral ambiguities are sprinkled throughout, and I had fun trying to guess the conclusion. Readers of Mr. Mullen’s previous works will likely enjoy this outing, as might readers of Dennis Lehane, Nelson DeMille and Joseph Kanon. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy of The Rumor Game in exchange for my honest review.

Solid 3.0 stars for this one. Rather long and drawn out, but I still managed to finish it. The ending left something to be desired for me.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Unfortunately, this book could not keep my attention and it was a DNF. I’d tried for a few weeks but had barely made a dent and was just disappointed that I wasn’t able to form a connection with either of the main characters.

I could tell this book was incredibly well researched, but the pace just didn’t keep my interest and there were so many side plots it was hard to keep things straight.

Thomas Mullen writes a good but not great historical WW2 story with The Rumor Game which is hard to say because I can see that Mullen has a passion for history but his characters are lacking overall in this story.

The Rumor Game, set in WWII era Boston, has a murder to solve, several complicated characters, and a feisty heroine who reminds me somewhat of Rosalind Russell in the gender flipped version of Front Page. There is also an FBI agent who has much to hide from his employers. While the crime was somewhat intriguing, what I really liked about this was its lack of conventionality, its focus on the times and the anti-semitism rampant in Boston at the time. Definitely a different kind of novel from the usual of the genre.

Intriguing and rich in historical detail. We are able to view the predjuice and hate surrounding WWII. A captivating story.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

"The Rumor Game" by Thomas Mullen is a gripping historical thriller set in World War II-era Boston that follows the intersecting paths of a determined reporter and a reluctant FBI agent as they confront fascist elements and delve into a dangerous web of espionage, organized crime, and domestic fascism.

Anne Lemire, the protagonist, is a reporter who writes the Rumor Clinic, a newspaper column dedicated to disproving harmful rumors circulating in the town. Frustrated with chasing trivial rumors, she seeks a more substantial story. On the other side, we have Special Agent Devon Mulvey, a rare Catholic at the FBI, juggling his responsibilities preventing industrial sabotage during the week and spying on clerics suspected of disloyalty on Sundays.

Their paths cross when Anne's investigation into Nazi propaganda connects with Devon's inquiry into the death of a factory worker. This convergence sets off a chain of events leading them through a perilous trail involving espionage, organized crime, and the ominous specter of domestic fascism. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a city on the brink of violence, and both protagonists find their own tangled pasts entwined in the unfolding mystery.

The novel captures the historical atmosphere of World War II-era Boston, immersing readers in a time of disinformation, power struggles, and the pervasive threat of fascism. As Anne and Devon navigate the treacherous terrain of their investigation, the story sheds light on still-timely issues related to the spread of misinformation and the consequences of unchecked power.

Thomas Mullen delivers a powerful thriller with a rich historical backdrop and a mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The exploration of espionage, organized crime, and domestic fascism adds layers of complexity to the narrative, making it not only a gripping historical thriller but also a thought-provoking exploration of societal issues. "The Rumor Game" promises readers a riveting and atmospheric journey into the dark underbelly of wartime intrigue and deception.

“The Rumor Game” is a WWII historical fiction book by Thomas Mullen. This book takes place in Boston, Massachusetts, a very different location for a WWII mystery/thriler I must admit. The book is told in two different POVs - one from the FBI agent’s view (Devon) and the other from a female reporter (Anne). While this book had its moments, at times I felt the book was a bit too convoluted. There are a lot of minor characters in this book - a murdered worker, his wife, the people who killed him, the witness, Anne’s extended family, Devon’s family, neighbors, co-workers - there were too many people to keep track of and try to remember how they were connected to either the main characters or the storyline. I did like that Mr. Mullen included an author’s note explaining what was true and what he made up - that’s always a bonus in a historical fiction book, I feel. I liked the idea of this book, but it needs to be tightened. Overall, I'd give this book 3.5 stars. If WWII historical fiction stories set in the US are your jam - along with a bit of FBI involvement and police and reporters, this may be a book you'd enjoy.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Feb. 27, 2024
Thomas Mullen’s, “Rumor Game” is a high-intensity, World War two novel full of action, conspiracy and racial tension.
Anne Lemire writes a small column in the local paper, where she disproves rumours circulating about the war. She wants more for herself but knows that, as a female, her chances are not the same as they would be if she were a male. However, she starts to notice that the antisemitic tensions around her are increasing, and, as a half-Jew woman, Anne hopes that she can investigate where others can’t, hopefully bringing to light the violence that police officers seem to be ignoring.
Devon Mulvey is one of the few Irish Catholics in the FBI and he spends his time infiltrating Catholic churches and their representatives, to filter out those who are using their power to spread hate speech and propaganda. When a story Anne is writing coincides with one of Devon’s investigations, the two begin a dangerous journey into the dark underbelly of the Boston criminal element, in a time where fear, intimidation and racism is running rampant.
Mullen is a new author for me, although he has been around long enough to win several awards and have at least one of his novels propositioned for a Hollywood version. His talent is evident, observable in his well-developed characters and seamless flow, and his plot is creative and unique. “Rumor Game” has something for every reader; family loyalty, rebellion, police investigation, corruption, race wars and hatred and even some romance. Every page is tense, thrilling and pulse-pounding.
Anne and Devon both share narrating responsibilities, which helps connect the two characters to each other and the reader. Anne is a firecracker, adamant to bring attention to the way Jews are being treated even if it means sacrificing everything she loves. Devon is an outcast in his own right, looked down on by his colleagues for being Irish, and looked down on from his family for being a cop. These two make the perfect pair to cheer for, as both are relatable and likable.
“Rumor Game” shines a light on Boston’s history with racial tensions that are not as distant as one would like to hope for. A clever and sharp work of historical fiction, Mullen’s new novel kept me engaged and entertained. He has found a new lifetime fan!

Anne Lemire is a reporter in Boston. She writes a column to dispel the many rumors that are going around Boston during WWII. She wants to be taken more seriously by her boss and wants to write more important stories. While investigating a rumor, she stumbles on to something much more important and something that puts her in danger. She also runs into someone from her past, FBI agent Devon Mulvey. Soon the two are investigating murder, espionage and more. Mullen’s Rumor Game is a taut atmospheric thriller filled with interesting characters and a different aspect on a WWII story. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good book, it takes place in Boston during WW2 and touches on some of the heightened paranoia of the era, rumors of U Boats off the coast, lobsters being poisoned and how the American forces are faring in Europe. Some of the story is based on fact, the author provides an afterward on which parts were. Two characters, Anne Lemire, a reporter that writes a column dispelling rumors and FBI Agent Devon Mulvey who seems more interested into getting busy with women he picks up at the bar. Anne becomes aware of pamphlets that are being distributed promoting Nazi ideology and starts trying to track down where they are being printed at. Devon is assigned to investigate the murder of a man that worked at a munitions factory, Abe Wolff who has a cocktail napkin in his pocket with a swastika printed on it. Anne and Devon's paths cross and they somewhat work together to try to solve both issues, which does generate some tension when Anne takes it upon herself to investigate a warehouse where she suspects the literature is being printed. Overall this was a good book, though I found it to be a bit long at times, though I would recommend especially if you enjoy WW2 type stories that take place in America. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Minotaur books for the ARC.