The Rumour by Lesley Kara Book Review

Book Title: The Rumour

Author: Lesley Kara

My Rating: 4*

Publisher: Corgi

Publication Date: 25/07/19

Genre(s): Thriller, Mystery

Pages: 416

Format Read: Paperback

Goodreads: When single mum Joanna shares a rumour at the school gates – desperate to ingratiate herself with the clique of mothers at her son’s new school – there is no going back...

Rumour has it that a notorious child killer is living under a new identity, in their sleepy little town of Flinstead-on-Sea.

Sally McGowan was just ten when she stabbed little Robbie Harris to death over 47 years ago – no photos of her exist since her release as a young woman.

So who is the supposedly reformed killer who now lives amongst them? How dangerous can one rumour become? And how far will Jane go to protect her loved ones from harm, when she realizes what it is she’s unleashed?

Joanna is going to rue the day she ever said a word...



I flew through this book in 2 days it was that good!

Joanna accidentally starts a rumour that there is a child killer living in her home town of Flinstead to try and fit in with the other mum's to help her son Alfie fit in at school and make more friends. Little does she know that one rumour can change lives forever.

Sally Mcgowan killed a child while still only being a child herself and after being released from a child’s centre, her identity was changed so no one knows who she is or where she is. Until Joanna hears some interesting information about her hometown and unintentionally begins the spread of a damaging rumour that disastrously affects many residents of the village.The rumour starts off small, slowly building momentum until the crescendo and I was certainly not disappointed with how it all pans out!

This book was full of twists from beginning to end and when I thought I'd figured out who it was another twist came along and changed everything! The gossiping mum's and their circle was portrayed brilliantly and I can just imagine this is exactly what it's like at every school gates in a morning. Joanna goes through a lot of the residents suspecting each one for suspicious acts and with every reveal you begin to wonder who it really is and trying to figure it out is the fun part.

I liked Joanna’s character and sympathised with her need to feel settled in the home town she had once left for London but decided to come home for the sake of her child and mother. Alfie keeps getting bullied and she will do anything to keep him safe and protected even if it means having to endure a mum’s group.

You may think this is just another modern day thriller but this book definitely stands out in the way certain issues are portrayed and then dealt with and the reader is encouraged to think about what they would do in these situations.

The ending is full of suspense and the book really lives up to its name of being a thriller. You are left on the edge of your seat throughout trying to finish it as soon as possible to get to the answer! The reveal was intense and even though by the end you may have an inkling about who it is, you still aren’t 100% sure due to all the twists and the author does a great job in building up the tension to keep you hooked and needing to know who the culprit is!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and was surprised at how quickly I read it because I just could not put it down. If you are a fan of thrillers with plenty of twists, this is definitely the book for you!

Have you read this book?

Or is it going straight onto your TBR now?

Let me know in the comments!