The Rumour
The bestselling must-read thriller with a killer twist
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3.8 • 169 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
***SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SERIES ON CHANNEL 5!***
'In this chilling tale of paranoia, suspicion and accusation, Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page' - Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Blue Hour
When single mum Joanna hears a rumour at the school gates, she never intends to pass it on. But one casual comment leads to another and now there's 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 years old when she stabbed little Robbie Harris to death forty-eight years ago - no photos of her exist since her release as a young woman.
So who is the supposedly reformed killer who now lives among 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?
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'Everyone is going to be talking about The Rumour. An intriguing premise, a creeping sense of dread, and a twist you won't see coming!' Shari Lapena, bestselling author of The Couple Next Door.
'Captivating . . . a subtle examination of the damage that gossip can do' ? Daily Mail
Readers can't stop talking about The Rumour:
***** 'So good ... The twist is amazing and really caught me out.'
***** 'Downloaded it last night before bed and have stayed up all night reading it! Could not put it down.
***** 'I couldn't devour this book quickly enough ... The surprises didn't stop til the very last page.'
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
When a rumour begins to make its way around the school yard, single mother Joanna Critchley can think of little else. As she obsesses over the possibility that a killer lurks nearby, she unravels a tangled web of suspicion and begins to realise her sleepy seaside town is far less innocent than she thought. Dripping with intrigue, this thriller will have Big Little Lies fans revelling in its themes of gossip, secrecy and female friendship. Debut novelist Lesley Kara leads us down several deliciously blind alleys before hurtling in an unexpected—and satisfying—direction.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1999, single mother Joanna Critchley, the narrator of Kara's suspenseful debut, and her six-year-old son, Alfie, move from an unnamed city to her hometown of Flinstead, which appears to be on the coast of New England. Anxious to be accepted by the other parents, Joanna thoughtlessly repeats a rumor that Sally McGowan, who at age 10 stabbed a six-year-old playmate to death in Dearborn, Mich., in 1969 and was released from a juvenile detention center in 1981, lives in the town under a new name and that the convicted child killer could easily be anyone's neighbor. When the rumor mill starts to run rampant, a noose of suspicion begins to tighten around Flinstead, where the residents' idyllic lives soon begin to crumble amid a firestorm of conjecture. Joanna, despite receiving warning messages from a well-meaning friend, is determined to find out whether the rumor is true. Meanwhile, a kidnapper targets Alfie. Well-developed characters and a twisty plot will keep readers turning the pages. Those who stay to the very last sentence will be doubly surprised. Kara is off to a promising start.
Customer Reviews
Loved every second!!
As soon as I’d finished it, I had to start again to see where I might have missed the clues. Highly recommend!!
The Rumour
What a great read! Believable characters, a tangled and twisty plot, and an unpredictable ending. You will feel compelled to keep reading!