The book is a perfect example of how a tiny spark soon can flare up into a rampant fire. Joanna hears one rumor at the school gates that Sally McGowan, who killed a 5 year old boy when she was a kid of 10, has come to stay in her small town. To make friends with the other mums, Jo spreads this rumor without confirming the story. It takes a life if its own and innocent people are cast under suspicion and their livelihood wrecked. Till Jo comes to know the shuddering truth. How will she protect her son?

The story by Lesley Kara, was a bit rocky. It went fast through some pages and slowed a bit in some. The entire atmosphere of dread and suspicion and fear was held in most parts. The writing did seem fast paced but could have been tighter.

I loved the way the book came to a massive unexpected finish, I liked the feelings of urgency and trepidation it evoked in me. The last few pages literally made me come alive. And the book ended in an exciting last line!

Jo as the main character could take the story further down the road, but somehow something about her niggled me, I couldn't connect much with her. Her emotions didn't come across as believable, at least for me.

On the whole, I enjoyed the book, as it was a different story and it kept to a fast speed in most of its pages.

This was a decent read, but coming as it did, on the heels of the much better-paced ‘The Flower Girls’, by Alice Clark, also about the decades-later emergence of a child killer, it suffered by comparison.
Basically there were too many red herring candidates for the mysterious, now middle-aged murderess; too many ‘suspicious’ single women with grey hair and the same initials, as if child killers couldn’t possibly grow up and get (gasp) married.
The twist was actually surprising though so props for that, but the ending was trite in setting and catered to a film buff’s taste rather than a reader’s, I think.

An interesting read but sadly it didn’t live up to the hype. Definitely worth a read but not the best of its genre,

The Rumour is a solid, intriguing and fun debut which I really enjoyed!

The characters are likable and convincing, and though parts of the novel are fairly slow, I never found myself bored or losing interest - I really wanted to know what was going to happen to every character, and who might not be quite as they seem, so I got through it really quickly. Joanna and Alfie are really likable characters, and although one of the unexpected twists felt to me just a little too far-fetched, I still hugely enjoyed the story in general. It kept me speculating throughout (I certainly didn't guess correctly), and created a truly intense atmosphere; I could really imagine this kind of harmful gossip and speculation spreading like wildfire through a small town or village. The book highlights how this kind of gossip and accusation can ruin lives, as well as focussing on how revenge and grief affects people so many decades later.

The Rumour is an punchy and fun read as the chapters are short, the pace is quick and the plot is really fun (although a tough subject matter at times). I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be looking out for future releases from Lesley Kara.

What an absolutely brilliant debut
A cleverly written, fast paced book, with a very unpredictable plot, plenty of twists turns and red herrings.
What's not to love.

Thank you netgalley, Random House UK and Lesley Kara for allowing me to read and review this book.

Great debut novel by this author. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout. Any number of people in this book could have been the perpetrator.
Looking forward to reading more from her.

Lesley Kara's debut novel is an intense, well written and beautifully plotted psychological thriller, set in the small seaside town of Flinstead. Single mother, Joanna Critchley has recently located here with her son, Alfie, the victim of bullying in London. Her mother lives in town, and Joanna is working as an estate agent, hoping the Alfie will settle here without problems. In her efforts to integrate in the community, Joanna does what anyone might do to become accepted in a group, engage in gossip and tittle tattle, the life blood of small towns, irrespective of whether its true. She has heard a rumour, that a child killer with a new identity lives in Flinstead. With little awareness of the consequences, Joanna breathes life into this rumour by sharing it, after which it takes on a life force of its own as it spreads like wildfire, taking no prisoners as the fingers of suspicion are pointed here, there and everywhere, regardless of innocence.

In 1969, 10 year old Sally McGowan killed 5 year old Robbie Harris. She was imprisoned and served her time, to eventually be released into the community with a new identity. The infamous Sally McGowan is now living in Flinstead, and she is far from happy at the prospect of her identity being revealed. Joanna is faced with the insecurities and dilemmas of being a parent, the need to protect Alfie, anxious, worried and paranoid at the dangers that swirl around her. There are a host of potential suspects out there, people with their own secrets, battered by the repercussions of the rumour, given extra fuel through social media. Lesley Kara outlines with expertise the power of rumours, the damage they can wreak on people, particularly in small towns where they are impossible to escape.

In a fast paced story with short chapters, there are plenty of twists, red herrings, and high levels of suspense and tension. This is fascinating reading, dark, atmospheric, with Kara skilfully capturing the nature and anatomy of living in a small town. A novel with plenty of intrigue and completely unexpected whilst touching on a number of important issues such as crime, punishment and what constitutes justice. Oh and beware of spreading gossip and rumours! Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

The rumour gripped me from the first page and I spent chapter after chapter trying to figure out who was Sally! I did guess who she was but it was such a good twist I didn’t mind I’d guessed first. Jo, Alfie and Michael are all likeable characters and you want them to get a ‘happy ever after’ but you’re never convinced they will. I really enjoyed this book!

Adored this story- sinister, gripping... I was on edge throughout and they twists and turns of the plot were unpredictable and enjoyable. There was lots of contemporary cultural references in the story, which I always wonder why they are added, as I would reread this story in a few years time and I don’t want it to feel dated! Loved the setting, reminds me of the small seaside town I have family in and the gossipy nature of its residents. Will definitely be looking out for more from this author!

I was excited to read this as I love the premise, which has so many possibilities and the cover is really excellent.

The story starts with a rumour that a child-killer, who was released from prison many years ago, is living incognito in the sleepy seaside town where Jo has come back to live. She grew up here, but has been in London for fifteen years and now she's back she's struggling to connect with people. Inadvertently, as a way of diverting a conversation, she sets the rumour on fire.

I liked Jo as a character and it's refreshing to have a mixed race family for a change. I felt the author did a great job of winding up the tension and making us believe that a whole host of characters could potentially be the child-killer. There were lots of red herrings, but the truth, when it comes out, is a shocker!!! All winding up to a fraught ending. Phew! All the stars from me.

This was an unputdownable, thrilling read. I simply had to finish it within 24 hours it was so engrossing. This is an assured debut novel from Kara and I would certainly purchase more of her books.

The premise is that Joanna has moved with her son, Alfie, to a quiet, seaside town not too far from London so that she can be near her mother and can also get Alfie out of what sounds like a toxic school environment. In Joanna's quest to ensure she and Alfie fit-in, she naively assists in spreading a rumour about a convicted child killer who is thought to live in their same town.
One of the quotes from the book, attributed to Mark Twain: "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes", but actually here the word "lie" can be replaced with "rumour".

In some ways, the structure reminded me of parlour game Mafia (or Werewolf). For the first 40% of the novel I suspected everyone and was busy looking for inconsistencies in the characters' back-stories. Even once I thought I had worked out who it was, it was thrilling to see where suspicions were going to land.

There were two moments in the last 20% of the book that I found unbelievable which is why I haven't given it the full 5 stars. For pace it definitely gets top marks.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishing, Bantam Press and Lesley Kara for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Joanna has moved back to the town she grew up in with her young son. She unwittingly spreads rumours that a child killer - now an adult living under an assumed identity - is living locally, and a fast-paced set of events begins that soon starts to feel very personal.
Kara knows how to plot - this thriller is full of twists and turns and keeps you reading: you’re desperate to know which of the locals was the child murderer.
There’s also that sense of dread that something bad will inevitably happen to joanna and her son - that feeling of ‘it’s behind you!’
As with a lot of thrillers, her characters are a bit one-dimensional and I never really got a feel for who the main character is or really distinguished one of the local mums from the other. But this is counterbalanced by a great story that will keep you guessing, and I’d recommend it if you like a pacey page-turner of a thriller.

3.5 stars. This was a good enjoyable book with a few twists and turns. However it didn’t keep me hooked and I found there were so many characters introduced that I got confused who was who. I will definitely look out for more by this author.

The Rumour is an excellent debut novel by Lesley Kara. It Is thrilling and full of lots of twists – some I saw coming to a certain extent, but others were a complete surprise.

“It starts with a rumour. Whispers at the school gate.”

When Joanna repeats a rumour, she hears when collecting her son from school she doesn't realise she is putting herself and her son at risk.

Supposedly notorious child killer Sally McGowan is living in the seaside town of Flinstead-On-Sea. She was just ten years old when she stabbed Robbie Harris to death.

Now Jo is receiving threatening messages and wonders just what she has unleashed in her search for the truth.

One of the things I enjoyed about this book was that it constantly had me second guessing myself. I would settle on one character as being the real Sally McGowan and then something would happen to make me suspect someone else.

I also liked the way Lesley Kara explored the relationship between Jo and the rest of the characters, in particular Michael, Alfie and her mother.

I felt that each of the characters within the novel were believable and made me think of people I know in real life.

In some books like this there is a tendency to tell the tale from the perspective of multiple points of view and over complicates it too much. I liked that The Rumour was mostly told from the perspective of Joanna with only the occasional area written from the perspective of Sally McGowan or in the form of a newspaper article.

What does it take for a rumour to start. A whisper in someone's ear. An idea in someone's mind.
When someone mentions that a child murderer with a new identity is living in their town everyone is under suspicion. When the rumour reveals itself to be true two families are torn apart.

A great start to a debut book, this author is going to one to watch, the plot was strong and gripping and the characters were likeable.
Joanna returns to her home town to be closer to her mum and to get help with her son. Alfie is struggling to fit in at his new school so joanna will do anything to help fit in for Alfie's sake, even if that means spreading a rumor that gets totally out of control.
This started as a slow burner of a book, however the ending packed a punch.

School gate gossip is a dangerous thing, when Joanna moves to a new town with her young son, all she wants is to have a happy life away from the troubles she left behind. But when school gate gossip turns in to vicious rumours and the tale going round that a woman among them has killed a child and is now living under a new identity, Joanna decides to share the rumour in the hope it will help her and her son make new friends. The rumour soon spirals out of control and someone is out for revenge.

An excellent thriller with some fantastic twists, and I think there’s also an important lesson about idle gossip. A well written and exciting book that keeps you guessing until the end, I’ll definitely be looking out for more by this author.

Well earned 5 stars

Wow, what a debut Lesley Kara has written, the rumour is a fantastic psychological thriller surrounding Jo, a single mum who has moved to a quiet seaside town from London with her son Alfie, giving up everything because he was being bullied and she hopping a smaller town will help Alfie fit in, but when she finds out that Alfie is still having troubles at school Just to try and fit in and make friends with the mums, she rashly repeats something Alfie's dad, Journalist Michael has mentioned, about a child killer from the 60's possibly living an anonymous life in a quiet town like Flintstead, but Jo finds her self becoming increasingly obsessed with the killer Sally McGowan and as the rumour gathers pace the fingers are being pointed in all directions. But the big question remains who is Sally McGowan and where is she now.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

this book was filled with red herrings and intrigued...i couldnt put it down as i was trying to figure out who what where...masterfully done i thought and the twist at the end..never saw that coming at all...

for a debut book i think this author is one to keep an eye out for...she knows how to develop her characters so that you basically could recognise a few from your own circle of friends..well maybe not all...and the action never really stopped

i will be adding this author to my list of favourites from now on...cant wait for the next book

This is a fantastic debut novel by Lesley Kara. It had me gripped from start to finish with a great ending.

Joanna has moved back to her small seaside hometown, Flinstead, to be closer to her mother. She’s a single parent to Alfie but has an amicable relationship with Alfie’s father, Michael..

At the school gates Joanna hears a rumour that Sally McGowan, who killed a young boy when she was ten years old in 1969, has moved to Flinstead under a new identity. Joanna is finding it hard to settle into Flinstead and so foolishly blurts out this rumour during her book club session in an attempt to gain attention and friendship. Things escalate from there as the rumour spreads and many in the community come under suspicion or point the finger at others.

The writing is great. It makes you want to keep reading to find out the truth while also being a very well-written story showing you how dangerous a bit of gossip can prove. I am looking forward to more works by Lesley Kara and will be putting her on my favourite authors list.