Detectives Kirk Lucian and Mandy Wing are charged with investigating a reported suicide of a Cambridge woman in her backyard. The death came as a shock—the woman was considered a pillar of her community and was well-liked by everyone. After further investigation, her death appears staged. Once Kirk and Mandy’s suspicions are confirmed, they make a list of suspects.

Clues begin to connect that recent hanging to the decades-old mysterious death of a beautiful 16-year-old Romany exchange student who perished when a treehouse she was sleeping in caught fire. The girl, Vadima Lupescu, had done “odd” things among her American peers that stirred up prejudices and suspicions, leading to her brutal death—and cover-up.

As Kirk and Mandy investigate the bizarre rumors—that Vadima had “gypsy powers” and put curses on those around her—they discover a cauldron of dark secrets. Will they uncover the true cause of this tangled web of deaths and horrors before it spirals out of control?

Early praise for Rumor of Evil:

“New and excellent—a fine piece of work. Detectives Kirk Lucian and Mandy Wing are up there with the best.  Very impressive.”
— Lee Child, #1 bestselling author of the Jack Reacher thriller series. 

“Rumor off Evil tells a story that is tight with suspense and peopled with characters that engage from the first to the last page.”
— Kathy Reichs, author of the Temperance Brennan thrillers, including The Bone Hacker

“All the right elements combine in this high stakes drama.  A masterful blend of dark and light and all the grays in between.  There’s plenty of pulse-pounding jeopardy, and classic on-the-run adventure, to keep you reading right up to the end.”
— Steve Berry,  New York Times bestselling author of The Kaiser’s Web

Gary Braver is a storytelling master, and he delivers yet again in an expertly crafted novel that uses all the tools of the murder mystery trade – the clues and red herrings, the character motives and impulses, the plot twists and subplots and relentlessly rising tension – all to propel us toward a shocking and deeply satisfying conclusion. Start reading Rumor of Evil and you won’t stop. 
— William Martin, New York Times Bestselling Author of Back Bay and December ’41