Mullen’s new novel takes place in Boston, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  With the US set to join the war effort, anti-Semitism is at an all time high as fearful citizens look for a scapegoat to blame for America’s ground offensive in Europe.  Anne, a reporter for a Boston newspaper, is trying to root out and eliminate the source of hate-speech propaganda against the Jewish population while Devon, an FBI agent, is looking to track down a stolen shipment of rifles from a wartime munitions plant.  Are the two cases connected?

I’m a big fan of Thomas Mullen’s Darktown trilogy and was lucky enough to meet the man at Bouchercon a few years back, albeit briefly.  When I saw his newest novel up for grabs on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance.  That said, a few years ago, I had hit my limit on books surrounding the Second World War and needed an extended break.  Given that this one takes place in Boston, I figured that was far enough removed from the horrors of the front lines and concentration camps for me to re-enter the era. 

A population scarred by the tremendous loss suffered from the first World War is reluctant to send their best and brightest to fight in Europe again. Rather than find an enemy in Germany, the rage is directed at the victim as anti-Semitism rises in the community. That’s not to say it’s less heartbreaking than some of the books I’ve read in the past, but it’s an easier read that some of the heavier experiences I’ve had in the last few years.

As I read on, I was happy to see that THE RUMOR GAME is at its heart a detective novel with the struggles and strains of the war effort as a backdrop.  The twists and turns throughout the story had me intensely focused on who knew what and when, who was involved, and how this would shake out for Devon and Anne.

THE RUMOR GAME is a strong mid-20th century era whodunnit featuring good old fashioned “boots on the ground” detective work on the part of the two leads.  Given that I cut my teeth as a reader on mystery novels, it was nice to revisit the genre with such a solid outing on the part of an experienced author.