Bookseller Reviews
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A Superb Debut!
This is an absolutely cracking debut, I was completely engrossed throughout.
In this addictive read it really shows you the consequences of telling tales,... READ MORE
Fast paced!
The Rumour jumps straight into the plot and has you wanting to devour the book in one sitting! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a fast pace... READ MORE
Rumour has it...
This is a fantastic debut! I was captivated by this book and read it in less than a day.
This is a thriller centred around a rumour-that a notorious chil... READ MORE
powerful
Lesley Kara writes a gripping tale. With just the right amount of suspense, this is a novel that explores ideas of relationships, truth, and identity. Jo h... READ MORE
Secrets can kill
I really loved the twists and turns in this, it kept me guessing and the whole thing was well spun.
A definite recommend for anyone that loves an excellent... READ MORE
Top notch debut!
A thrilling debut that will have you on the edge of your seat. I couldn't put this one down and as things began to piece together I was amazed by how seaml... READ MORE
The final twist you won't see coming
I could not put this down! What an absolute page turner! The premise of the book is genius, the school gates are rife with gossip and back stabbing and to ... READ MORE
Beware Idle Talk!
Just finished at a break neck speed the last 50 pages were worth waiting for.
Jo heard a rumour in the playground that a child killer may be living In the... READ MORE
Synopsis
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 Joanna go to protect her loved ones from harm, when she realizes what it is she's unleashed?
Publisher information
- Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
- ISBN: 9780552175500
- Number of pages: 416
- Dimensions: 198 x 128 x 25 mm
- Weight: 281g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allYou have heard the rumour...
This tale will have you on the edge of your seat. Joanna returns to the small town of Flinstead-on-Sea. This is where the drama unfolds. Some say it is hau... READ MORE
Strong debut with a relatable theme
My thanks to Penguin Random House/Transworld for an eARC, via NetGalley, of this debut novel by Lesley Kara. The ebook edition is now available with its pu... READ MORE
Really enjoyed The rumour.
Just finished reading The rumour, I couldn't put it down. Brilliant twist at the end that you just didn't see coming . Excellent book !!
Intriguing and dramatic
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... READ MORE
Best thriller I've read all year!
I usually take about a week to finish a book but I finished this one in just 2 days, I just could not put it down. The Rumour was an addictive, fast paced ... READ MORE
Rumours can kill
Joanna and her 6 year old son, Alfie, have moved back to the sleepy seaside town she grew up in for a fresh start as Alfie was being bullied at school. Wh... READ MORE
Magnificent. Kept me guessing until the end
A rumour goes around a small seaside town that a child killer - who was a child herself - is living in their town, under a new name and protected by the la... READ MORE
An excellent debut
This novel felt relevant, fresh and interesting, with a voice that was extremely engaging. It was a true pageturner - I found it hard to put down and hones... READ MORE
Great!!! 4.5 stars....
"The Rumour" is Lesley Kara's debut novel and it is a thoroughly enjoyable, twisty and compelling thriller that held my attention from the very first page.... READ MORE
Be careful what you say
I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Rumour’ by Lesley Kara and it is her debut novel so I will be looking out for more from this author. Joanna is a single mum to A... READ MORE
A great thriller
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC copy in return for an honest review.
This was a really interesting thriller, the focus being something unusual for the ... READ MORE
Well written exploration of the devastating impact of gossip on a small town
Who doesn’t love a quick gossip? It’s part and parcel of any friendship; passing on those snippets of information or sometimes speculation that you’ve enco... READ MORE
Sharply written
This is a story that starts most benignly and then slowly but surely you realise that you are firmly in its grasp and can't possibly stop or put it down. E... READ MORE
Who likes to gossip?
Firstly, thank you to the publishers for this review copy.
After reading this debut I am now very much looking forward to meeting Lesley in Waterstones Dur... READ MORE
Fabulous debut novel
This is a fabulous debut novel about a child killer who, rumour has it, may be living in a seaside town, many years after serving her sentence for the murd... READ MORE
A great debut
What a great debut and yet another author to keep my eyes on and a British one too
The Rumour
It’s rare that I review a book when it is a few months away from being published, but for this book I was happy to do so. I imagine that this book will be ... READ MORE
A very good debut novel
I really enjoyed Lesley Kara's impressive debut novel, The Rumour. The quality of the writing was excellent and the characters felt real. Set in Flinstead,... READ MORE
Fairly solid debut novel
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for the ARC of The Rumour by Lesley Kara.
When Sally McGowan was convicted of killing Robbi... READ MORE
A fabulous debut
This is a fabulous debut novel about a child killer who, rumour has it, may be living in a seaside town, many years after serving her sentence for the murd... READ MORE
Brilliant debut
What a brilliant debut novel. Filled with more than enough tension, red herrings and twists to keep me up way past my bedtime!
Full of Twists and Turns
Wow this was a real page turner that hooked me! I really liked Joanna, the main character and could totally understand how she ended up in this situation. ... READ MORE
Excellent Book.
Just finished reading the rumour,I couldn't put it down. Brilliant !!
A brilliant debut
It started with a small rumour at the school gates and spread like fire throughout the village of Flinstead. But how can you undo what trouble you can caus... READ MORE
Have you heard The Rumour....?
My first 5 star read of 2019!
Single mum Joanna has moved from the hububb of London to a rural village so that her son can make a fresh start away from bu... READ MORE
A brilliant book that will have everyone talking....
'The Rumour' is one of those books you have to read and then eagerly press on your friends, random strangers, frankly anyone who will listen.
It is a time... READ MORE
Great Debut Novel.
What a fantastic debut novel. I read this book in one sitting.
Rumours are dangerous. This one started at the school gates, the mums heads together, startl... READ MORE
A Sting in the Tail
A really brilliant read. A lot of thought must have gone into this wonderful book. From the first chapter I was totally hooked. The plot twists and turns a... READ MORE
Enjoyable plot twists!
Well crafted thriller. Many twists and turns in the plot and not easy to predict the outcome. Characterisation could have been stronger and the character... READ MORE
Excellent read!!
I have very much enjoyed this book, lots of twists and turns, a book which makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation. A murder takes place ... READ MORE
Recommended to all Broadchurch fans.
It's what you expect in a way, given the title. There's a rumour about a child killer living locally so everyone starts guessing and accuses someone, (wh... READ MORE
The Rumour
"I'm the hunted. I'll always be the hunted." Now you're hooked! The almost resigned words of a child killer, herself a child at the time, whom many years l... READ MORE
Full of twists and turns
When single mum Jo 'up sticks' from London to sleepy Flinstead on the Essex coast, it's in hope of a fresh start. Closer to her mum and a better place for... READ MORE
A page turner of a debut
This is a fabulous debut novel about a child killer who, rumour has it, may be living in a seaside town, many years after serving her sentence for the murd... READ MORE
Excellent
This is a story that starts most benignly and then slowly but surely you realise that you are firmly in its grasp and can't possibly stop or put it down. E... READ MORE
A READ NOT TO BE MISSED!!
What an astonishing debut novel this is!!
Can honestly say this is the most astonishing debut novel I have ever read.
Moves at an astonishing and breathl... READ MORE
Rumour has it - I love this book!
I absolutely loved reading The Rumour! It’s an easy, addictive read which has a very good ending. If you enjoy murder / mystery I highly recommend this boo... READ MORE
Page turner
I was extremely excited to start this book and it didn’t disappoint.
It plants clues along the way - some red herrings too!
Who is Sally??
Great twis... READ MORE
A Great Page Turner
An excellent thriller with a very fast pace that leaves you guessing until the very end. These days, thrillers seem to always promise, "A Twist You Won't S... READ MORE
The damage rumours can do!
Just finished reading The Rumour - what a debut - what damage can be caused by fuelling rumours - a lesson to be learned! Joanna moves to Flinstead with he... READ MORE
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