Little Rumours

This is a sensational thriller that immediately brings you in and hold the reader captive until the last page. I absolutely didn’t know what to expect but was giddy play the ending. I would highly recommend this for any reader that likes a thriller.

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and a great who done it! The storyline was very interesting and flowed nicely! I will definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

When I read someons review that said basically to not have plans because you will not want to put this book down I kind of chuckled like ... sure ok... I should have listened to them. The ride home from my daughter's ballet class was abolute torture. However, reading while I was driving is highly frowned upon. so I endured.

This book, told in multiple point of views, is completely captivating. I was drawn in immediately. The way the author gives you a little of the picture at a time in a sort of flashback kind of way, keeps you fully invested needing to know what happens. I have three girls, so the thought of one going missing literally makes my legs go weak. I can't even imagine the pain, and worry. So when Aleema and Noah's chapters were up my heart just broke for them. The chapters where they are just having to sit tight and wait are excruciating. Kelly's chapters were hard because I had no idea what to think. About 80% of the way in is when I had the gist of what was going on figured out, but there were sitll a few twists that I did not really see coming. These characters are relatable. They are well developed and very different.. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I have never rushed to finish a book as quickly as I did this one.

So again I will echo the other reviewers advice. Do not start until you are certain you have time to finish.

Fast-paced and suspenseful from start to finish. This thriller stunned me. Twist after twist I did not see coming. A fantastically well crafted whodunit. You must read this one!

Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced copy!

As I read in the reviews, this book you will not want to put down. It found true for me as well, I finished within 24hrs of starting! In a small protective town, we follow three mothers, though they may not be best of friends, their children are. One evening when a child does not come home at her expected time, her parents Aleema and Noah retrace footsteps and are unable to locate their daughter. They of course go to her two best friends, Liam and Joe, who are also unaware of where she may be. A search party immediately commences and we follow the perspective of Naomi, Aleema and Kelly. Of course, each mother has their owns secrets they want to keep private, but they slowly begin to unravel. Kelly in particular worries for her and her son, who we quickly learn are in witness protection due to their family trauma years prior. When this news makes its way into Naomi's hands, the secrets begin to spill out quickly, causing additional turmoil. So many twists and turns keeping you guessing until the very end! Highly recommend!

Loved this one!! It was a quick, easy and entertaining read. The characters were all realistic and the storyline was excellent. I enjoyed all the small hints for big things upcoming in the book. Highly recommend!!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review - - Three mothers watch their children wave goodbye - one will not return
Did she run away, was she taken?? Rumors fly -
Kelly and her son are in witness protection as her husband was convicted of murder.
When Aleema's daughter goes missing , of course the rumors start for Kelly and her son. Are the rumors true? Can they survive the towns anger? Will they find the missing girl?

Kellys and Joe have moved into witness protection. When a girl Joe knows from school ( also one of his best friends) goes missing, he is automatically a suspect. A page turner from the first page.

Book: Little Rumours
Author: Bryony Pearce
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: June 21, 2022

This book started out slow for me and I almost quit reading it. But I am so glad I didn’t! The different use of words was hard for me in the beginning and I think that was what was off-putting. I can’t even put my finger on what changed but at some point I became invested in this story and couldn’t put it down. It turned into a fast-paced, intense, gripping thriller that will make your pulse quicken as you get closer to the end. The storyline was very believable and all of the characters were relatable. I honestly wouldn’t have titled the book “Little Rumours” because the rumours completely change the course of direction for these people’s lives. I figured out who had done it before it was revealed and maybe you will also but it doesn’t change the intensity of the book at all. This would make a great movie!


Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me this sneak peek! Publication date is June 21, 2022.

I loved this one! Three families, three secrets, one missing child. That is my worst nightmare, for my child to go missing.

It is told through Aleema, Kelly and Naomi’s point of views, so you got a great idea about what they are thinking and feeling as the plot thickened.

Naomi has lived in Exton Cross her whole life and knows everyone. Aleema moved there three years ago and hates it. She is a muslim woman that the women shut out. Kelly and her son are new to the town. There is also a character named Abi that is friends with Naomi and has an older son. At the end of the day, one of their children is missing.

I felt many emotions reading this. Pain at the thought of a missing child. Frustration at how Aleema and Kelly are treated throughout the book. The anger one of the boys feels about a situation I don’t want to spoil.

I figured out the twist of where the missing child was before it came to be on the novel, but not the why.

If you want a quick read, pick this one up!

Three women live in a small town. Kelly, Aleema, Namoi. A town that has trouble accepting outsiders, where two of these women are grockles (as outsiders are called by the locals).

But they are all facing losses that inform their characters, and the actions they take as they search for a missing girl. Nature vs. nature, relationships between husbands and wives, neighbor vs. neighbor - all the good and bad of a small town comes together over a couple of dark nights.

Then there are the children: Joe, Leon, Seth, Mia. The boys are having a crisis of identity, while Mia is firm in knowing who she is and who her friends are. But when she goes missing, presumed dead, there are secrets revealed that lead to rumors of the worst kind - rumors that will put people in grave danger and distract from the search. Rain, darkness of night, and high emotions all contribute to this taut thriller, and if you're like me, you will shed tears at the grief, bravery and hope of these three women.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360/Avon for an advanced reader's copy.

Little Rumours is a solid mystery and while it wasn't hard for me to figure out the culprit I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. I'm interested in reading more of the books by the author based off this one!

I liked the small town feel and I love books set outside of the US. As a mom, I love books that give me perspective of how other moms live because being a mom can be quite lonely. Thank you net galley for this book!

The only thing that Aleema, Naomi and Kelly have in common is that their three children, Mia, Leon and Joe, are best friends. Aleema and her husband Noah have moved to Exton Cross to help his mother after a stroke. Aleema and Mia are the only Muslims in the village. Kelly is a single mother with a dark past that she protects by avoiding even the smallest attempts at friendship. Naomi has lived in Exton Cross her whole life and knows too well the rumour driven gossip that fuels small town life.

When Mia doesn’t come home from the park one day and the townspeople frantically search for the missing eleven year old girl, all secrets will be revealed. And some people have been lying for so long that no one will believe the truth.

In an author’s note, Bryony Pearce explains her characters. All the women are dealing with loss. Other themes in Little Rumours are bullying and abuse. Pearce deals with all of these in a small town setting. This psychological thriller is well written and fast paced with realistic characters and a plot that keeps you turning the pages until the surprising epilogue. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Bryony Pearce for this ARC.

Ok! THIS book. It took me a bit to get into it. I put it to the side a few times and finally just said I was going to finish it.. It really picks up in the middle! After a certain point I could not put it down. I love how there were three womens perspectives. I don't think I have read many thrillers set up like this so it made it fun trying to figure out the twists with three point of views and oh boy are there some twists! The book also deals with some themes like bullying, abuse and racism. The characters felt so real and really fleshed out.. Sometimes, like in the beginning some of the characters really annoyed me but I like that Byrony took the time in the first falf of the book to explain their backstory and to see their motives throughout the book and why. This book also had some emotional punches thrown in! Overall this was a fun read that I wil be sure to grab a physical copy of! Thank you for the arc!

Amazing book that hooks you from the first few lines. I read this one in a day. I loved all the little twists that make you think as you read the story. Great ending!

This is a heart wrenching story about grief, loss, and what a mother would do to protect their child. We follow three different families dealing with discrimination in different way. We have Kelly who is an outsider trying to keep a family secret while dealing with the heavy pressure of public opinion, Aleema who is a practicing Muslim dealing with racism, and Noami who is trying to stay connected with her son who is being bullied at school. When one of their children go missing the village heavily relies on rumors being spread.

The beginning is a little slow as we are introduced to all of the different families but once things get going I did not want to put it down! The ending I did not see coming and everything connected in a way that made sense and was satisfying!

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 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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Little Rumours by Bryony Pearce was quite twisty. It is sad how people treat and gossip about each other, and this really showed those dimensions with the characters and the storyline.

The story shows how lives are turned upside down and the resilience that some can find to move forward. The story was told from three different perspectives, which sometimes can jar you out of the story. And it took a while for the story to really get going. Overall, a good story with a good mystery.

A 3.5 out of 5 stars for me.

#LittleRumours #NetGalley @Harper360

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.

Little Rumours by Bryony Pearce 🎈

Thank you @netgalley & @harpercollins360 for the eARC! Little Rumours releases June 21!

In a small town, three mothers drop off their kids at school. Naomi has lived there her whole life. Aleema has lived there for 3 years, but is still struggling to fit in. And Kelly is an outsider who is new to the town. By the end of the day, one of their kids will be missing. Rumors, secrets, and lies come to light as they search for the missing child.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ; this book was so twisty and an amazing page turner! I was engaged from the first chapter and it left me guessing all the way until the end! I couldn’t read this book fast enough! I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoyed big little lies! ⭐️ and can’t wait to read more by this author!

I’m a sucker for thrillers and this one exceeded my expectations 110%. What a suspenseful ride this took me on. Absolutely loved it

This one kept me on my toes and though I did guess the ending pretty early on, I was impressed with the way the author made me question what I thought I knew. I would definitely recommend this to thriller lovers.

I’m ready to read Little Rumours again. It was satisfying and impossible to put down. A relentless page turner that had me on the edge of my seat. Multiple points of view add to the suspense. Follow the breadcrumbs and don’t forget to buddy read with a fellow booklover.

Highly recommend this psychological thriller by Bryony Pearce.

I love the multiple povs. I love the raw triggers and how you can feel the emotions. I felt like I guessed The Who dunnit oretty easily because I read so many thrillers but I liked this book a lot! I look forward to reading more from pierce !

This book went above and beyond my expectations! I was so excited to read this one and it was amazing! Kelly is the wife of a serial killer. No one believes that she had no knowledge of the killings so her and her son, Joe, go into witness protection. A little girl, Mia, goes missing, and she's friend of her son's. All of a sudden she's under suspicion again. Is her son like her ex husband? Or did someone find out who they were?

Well written and easy to read. Hard to put it down to go to bed. Once you start this book you have to keep reading!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy. This was a pretty good book. It was a quick read with a good storyline. And the characters weren’t all horrible. It’s the first I’ve read by this author and already added her other book to my tbr. Definitely recommend.

On the surface this is a book about a missing child, however when you peel back the layers it's so much more.

Little Rumours is about a small town in the County of Devon told from the point of view of Kelly, a woman in an identity protection program related to her ex-husband's infamous and sociopathic crimes. She has a son, Joe, who is eleven. Naomi is native to the town and don't you forget it! Her son Sean is Joe's best friend. Kelly doesn't want friends, which is a good thing when it comes to Naomi, who will not let some incomer into her circle. In fact, she is considering forbidding Sean from playing with Joe. None of US like Naomi. Aleema, a Muslim woman who is married to a local man, Noah, eels like a fish out of water. They moved to the village from a larger city to care for her mother-in-law, Mary who suffered a stroke. Although Mary now seems fine, Noah is reluctant to go back "home." Their daughter is Mia. As with Kelly, people are less than welcoming to Aleema. Mia forms the third best friend with Joe and Sean. They are all in the sixth form at the local school and are inseparable.

As with any thriller, it's hard to say much about Little Rumours without inadvertently putting in spoilers. So with my usual, "a bad thing happens," the dynamics among these women and others in the town shift in dramatic ways because of the bad thing that happened. Suspicion of the incomers (we'd call them outsiders) and small mindedness lead to rather horrible behavior and all the while, the bad thing continues unsolved, poisoning the village. Pearce is a great plotter, giving us lots of information to conclude who did it and why. We know some things for sure, but the behaviors of the characters can cause us to doubt the for sure information, with good reason. Who is the woman in the red coat? This is a fast-paced, entertaining, sad, fairly scary but not a way in the deep end thriller where I have to stop reading for a few hours to calm down. In face, it's fair to say I couldn't put it down. I got a great picture of the language and culture of a village in Devon with a fun glossary of unfamiliar words up front in the book. . While there are cops and family members and friends and eleven year olds trying to solve the "bad thing that happened," and every single character is stressed out through the roof, the resolution is both surprising -- and not. I can highly recommend this one!

A well-written, entertaining suspense novel that keeps you guessing! This is easily one that you'll want to devour in one sitting!

An absolute must read thriller! So many twists and turns that you don’t see coming! I’m so happy I was able to receive a copy of this!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an early copy of Little Rumours.

What would you do to protect your family?
In Little Rumours we follow 3 families, all with small children, who are best friends whom live in a small village. Joe, Leon and Mia.
When one of the children goes missing all the families deep dark secrets come to light. The village rallies together but are they doing it for the right reasons?
I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. A thrilling, page turner.