The Rumour - Lesley Kara || Netgalley Review

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?

Review

When Joanna hears a rumour at the school gate, she never really intends to pass it on, its more a passing comment but when she finds it harder to fit in and her son is struggling, these passing comments become a bit of gossip to fit in with others.

The rumour? That a child killer could have been relocated to their sleepy little town, that they may have the same initials and surely the community should know? So, what follows is a change in the community and almost a witch hunt. Joanna becomes obsessed with finding out who Sally McGowan is. But Joanna starts to realise how dangerous rumours can be.

There is a lot of characters to this novel, all the mums and a busy community - its important you pay attention to who is who, i found sometimes i had to revisit parts to be reminded of who people are and who they are known to, but once i got my head around that - it made alot more sense to me. The rumour really does rely on you remembering who is who.

It was gripping, i find myself reading it at any given change, i mean i read for the less than 5 minutes in the petrol station whilst i waited for my mum..so you get the point i am making about this.

I really like Joanna, i felt she wasn't all as confident and independent as she seemed, there was an edge to her, one that wasnt so secure, that worried deeply about her son and her safety. I think that is why she was so obsessed with finding out about Sally McGowan, because she wanted to feel safe.

The rumour was full of drastic twists and turns, it leads you to different assumptions but boy i didnt actually see the outcome coming and even then, when i had finally got my head around it - the last page throws another curve ball at the reader. 

I was so delighted at how good this was - because i was so surprised, i had heard of this book, but i cant say i paid attention to the reviews and went into it blind and i am glad i did, i have tired to keep this review as spoiler free as possible because i think its so worth knowing very little.