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The Rumour
The Rumour
Oct 2, 2024 6:23 PM

Author:Lesley Kara

The Rumour

__________

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?

__________

'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.

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.'

IF YOU'VE ALREADY DEVOURED THE RUMOUR THEN LOOK OUT FOR THE DARE, THE CAPTIVATING NEW THRILLER FROM LESLEY KARA. **OUT NOW!**

Reviews

In this chilling tale of paranoia, suspicion and accusation, Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page.

—— Paula Hawkins, No.1 bestselling author of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and INTO THE WATER

A great debut with a slyly clever premise and a rollercoaster ride to the very last sentence.

—— Fiona Barton, bestselling author of THE WIDOW and THE CHILD

An intriguing premise, a creeping sense of dread, and a twist you won't see coming! Everyone is going to be talking about The Rumour.

—— Shari Lapena, bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR

A brilliant premise with a killer twist. The Rumour depicts the prejudices and secrets that simmer in a small seaside town to devastating effect.

—— Colette McBeth, author of AN ACT OF SILENCE

Pssst, have you heard... #TheRumour is a cracking thriller about the damage that idle gossip can wreak in a small town. I thought I had the twist worked out. Boy was I wrong!

—— Tammy Cohen

A brilliantly addictive debut...with a reveal that caught me completely by surprise.

—— Good Housekeeping

Shocking and convincing.

—— Literary Review

Suspicion and lies, paranoia and anguish follow in this twisty psychological thriller.

—— Choice Magazine

Gripping...the evocation is beautifully done.

—— Observer

Whip-smart . . . every well-crafted page simmers with tension and menace.

—— Sunday Mirror

Tense and very twisty . . . will have you hooked.

—— Fabulous Magazine (Sun)

Captivating . . . a subtle examination of the damage that gossip can do.

—— Daily Mail

This is one of those novels that sweeps you away and doesn't let go until the final killer blow.

—— Heat

As he flexes the ample muscle of his imagination, you will be left pondering as often as you are page-turning.

—— i paper

Harris weaves a smart, intriguing story that cements his reputation as, in the words of the cover, 'master of the intelligent thriller'. He's that perfect combination of equally fine writer and storyteller; the narrative is satisfying and the prose is evocative. The world of The Second Sleep is plausible and richly imagined.

—— Darragh McManus , Irish Independent

A wholly convincing alternative world in which a few brave heretics are determined to uncover the truth. The result is a brilliantly imaginative thriller.

—— READER'S DIGEST

It's hard not to credit Harris's writing, no matter when and where it is set, with some sort of sidelong prescience.

—— Irish Times

Blisteringly intelligent, gripping thriller

—— Daily Express

[T]here is a twist so shocking and surprising in Harris' most recent work The Second Sleep that I don't want to say anything more than: prepare to be amazed [...] Writing is deeply tricky. Harris, over decades of practice, manages to craft all the elements to ensure reader satisfaction. The description is articulated in a clear way with the dialogue managed suitably. Characters sound like real people instead of clunky dialogue which is all too common. Most importantly, events actually take place. Exposition of place, setting and context is essential [...] Harris without doubt continually does this and creates a refreshing sense of relief, which will ensure I continue to read his works for many decades to come.

—— The Boar

Knight builds tension in this page-turning story about misplaced loyalty, secrets, manipulation, and class . . . slowly revealing what happens when one woman’s desire to be helpful and needed ruins her life. Highly recommended.

—— Library Journal

[T]here is a twist so shocking and surprising in Harris' most recent work The Second Sleep that I don't want to say anything more than: prepare to be amazed [...] Writing is deeply tricky. Harris, over decades of practice, manages to craft all the elements to ensure reader satisfaction. The description is articulated in a clear way with the dialogue managed suitably. Characters sound like real people instead of clunky dialogue which is all too common. Most importantly, events actually take place. Exposition of place, setting and context is essential [...] Harris without doubt continually does this and creates a refreshing sense of relief, which will ensure I continue to read his works for many decades to come.

—— The Boar

Totally engrossing and I kept on thinking, one more chapter... an intelligent page-turner that makes you question everything

—— Araminta Hall

Truly horrifying in the most delicious way. Samantha Downing sucks you in with a great story, pitch-perfect prose and disturbingly dead-on insights into the dark side of human nature. I hope I never meet her in a dark alley....

—— Nick Petrie

I couldn't pull myself away from this story - a terrifying and riveting window into the mind of the perfect suburban mother with a taste for murder. Make sure you clear your schedule before you pick it up. Absolutely unputdownable

—— Liv Constantine

It's no mean feat to find something fresh in the crowded thriller field, but Downing pulls off an indisputable triumph with My Lovely Wife. Exemplary writing and outstanding pacing confirm Downing's talent, but it's her deliciously depraved characters that kept me flying through the pages. Couldn't get enough of this subversive love-gone-sideways tale!

—— Sophie Littlefield

Deliciously dark and twisted... It's a remarkable achievement, full stop.

—— Shelf Awareness

Best new books to read this March

—— Cosmopolitan

A highly original and dark look at the shifting power structure in a modern marriage. . . A funny, smart book

—— Daily Mail

Darkly witty and strangely plausible, it's a read-in-one-sitting firecracker of a thriller, laced with explosive twists

—— The People

A marital, psychological thriller with darkly comedic undertones

—— The Wrap

Bold and brilliant

—— Big Issue

This is a ringer of a yarn, shot through with enough tooth-clenching moments to make you have your dentist on speed dial

—— Connaught Telegraph

With a twisty plot that will leave you gasping, this deliciously dark thriller is on a par with Gone Girl

—— That's Life Monthly

One of the best thrillers I've ever read

—— Judy Finnigan

What. A. Book! 2019’s best thriller and a one-sitting read.

—— Red Magazine

Brilliantly dark and unsettling, Lisa Jewell’s latest novel might just be her best yet.

—— Culturefly

A work of utter genius ... you’re going to love it.

—— Mark Edwards

Lisa Jewell is the most wonderful writer, and funnily enough we've written about a similar theme with our new books - cults, in microcosm and macrocosm. I can't rant enough about how brilliant The Family Upstairs is.

—— Alex Marwood

I absolutely loved The Family Upstairs. Intriguing, absorbing, unputdownable with characters so real they jump from the page.

—— Laura Marshall

Couldn’t put it down. Wish I’d written it. With characters that light up the pages, a twisty plot which unravels at perfect pace, and a house rammed with the darkest secrets, it’s brilliant.

—— Amanda Jennings

Brilliantly dark and disturbing ... Absolutely couldn’t put it down, it’s so good!

—— B.A. Paris

Outstanding. So compelling, twisty-turny and riveting. I just couldn’t stop reading.’

—— Mel Sherratt

All I want to do for the rest of the day is find out what’s at the bottom of it all. Too good.

—— Fanny Blake

Utterly compelling. Deliciously dark and twisty with characters who live on in your head. Lisa Jewell just keeps getting better and better.

—— Jane Corry

Compelling and suspenseful for a long and chilly autumn night’s reading.

—— My Weekly

A gripping psychological thriller.

—— Choice magazine

This is without a doubt one of my favourite reads of the year.

—— Ronnie Turner (Blog)

Featuring two entangled families and a house with the darkest of secrets, this is a compulsive new thriller from Lisa Jewell.

—— Sheer Luxe

From the first page we were hooked. If you’ve got a lazy day planned over the Christmas break, this is the type of novel you could read in a day…It makes us shiver just sharing the plot and we guarantee you’ll be on the edge of your seats throughout.

—— Yahoo! Style UK

Of the crop of great thrillers out this year, this is my pick [...] Lisa Jewell is brilliant at creating a menacing atmosphereand this is almost unbearably tense at times, with a knock-the-wind-out-of-you ending.

—— Good Housekeeping

An enthralling tale rich in psychological suspense that mixes family saga with domestic noir.

—— Vouchercodes

Part family saga and part-psychological thriller, this is an exceptional read.

—— Sunday Express

Breathtaking thriller

—— i Paper

Perfect book to inhale by the fire. Had no idea how creepy and nuanced it would be but couldn’t put it down and stayed up half the night reading it. Highly recommend.

—— iNews
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