Annie Lemire’s job is to primarily debunk rumors. She is a reporter in Boston, struggling to break through the male-dominated journalistic profession. Annie has a knack for getting people to open up to her despite their initial hesitancy. Recently, her proving or disproving rumors relates to the US war effort.

The hawkish position of the United States after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor has inspired the patriotic fervor of the citizenry in Boston. However, Annie has noticed that another feeling has begun to pervade the city as attacks on Jewish citizens have been reported. Hate tracts and the rantings over the radio have led to theories about a Jewish conspiracy fueling the US entry into the war. Annie is alarmed when one of the assaults happens to her brother.

"...an intriguing combination of mystery and historical fiction... Mullen’s latest novel brilliantly showcases how a war was being fought globally but that indifference and bigotry were often as close as our backyard."

Devon Mulvey is an FBI agent working in the Boston field office. His daytime duties consist of investigating anti-war or isolationist rhetoric surfacing in the public, whether it be at munitions factories or even the Church. At night, Devon’s activities veer toward the caddish as he capitalizes on the dearth of men in the area and the surplus of lonely women due to the war. The tone of his work begins to change with the discovery of a murdered factory worker in the North End. The presence of a napkin with a drawn Nazi symbol in the deceased’s hand further perplexes Devon as to the motive of the crime.

Annie’s concern with the anti-Semitic attacks is coupled with alarm about anti-Jewish propaganda being slipped into shopping bags at local retailers. She decides to investigate on her own as her boss hasn’t sanctioned this line of inquiry. Annie soon finds something more sinister involving an organized group of hatemongers pursuing an agenda that could tear Boston apart.

Despite diverging paths in their respective careers, chance brings Devon into Annie’s orbit. The pair share a previous acquaintance from their youth living in the same neighborhood. Devon’s investigation and Annie’s prospective story have points of intersection, which leads to a reconnection between them. But the secrecy inherent in their jobs may extinguish any romance before it develops.

THE RUMOR GAME is an intriguing combination of mystery and historical fiction from talented author Thomas Mullen. Annie and Devon were once united by proximity, but the sting of intolerance led to the exile of Annie and the Lemire family. Annie is driven by her ambition to break into the boys club of journalism and write meaningful news stories. A strong woman desirous of justice and fairness in the world, she is also distinct in her devotion to her family, as seen in how she handles her brother’s assault. Devon is a charismatic rogue who divines purpose with the case of the murdered factory worker. In spite of his FBI position, he perceives that he is viewed as a coward for not signing up for military service. Consequently, he has something to prove to himself as much as to others. The character arc for both Annie and Devon will absorb the reader’s attention.

Mullen’s latest novel brilliantly showcases how a war was being fought globally but that indifference and bigotry were often as close as our backyard.