Blame

by Jeff Abbott

Overview

A BOSTON GLOBE BEST BOOK OF 2017
AN AUSTIN CHRONICLE TOP READ OF 2017
A SOUTH FLORIDA SENTINEL BEST MYSTERY NOVEL OF 2017
AUTHORS ON THE AIR 2017 BOOK OF THE YEAR

"Mesmerizing, gripping...the perfect blend of complex characters, plot twists galore, and great psychological suspense." -- Harlan Coben

Sometimes the person you thought you knew best...
Turns out to be someone you never really knew at all.

The crash that killed him
Two years ago, Jane Norton crashed her car on a lonely road, killing her friend David and leaving her with amnesia. At first, everyone was sympathetic. Then they found Jane's note: I wish we were dead together.

A girl to blame
From that day the town turned against her. But even now Jane is filled with questions: Why were they on that road? Why was she with David? Did she really want to die?

The secrets she should forget
Most of all, she must find out who has just written her an anonymous message: I know what really happened. I know what you don't remember...

Don't miss Jeff Abbott's most chilling thriller to date--perfect for readers of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, or The Woman in Cabin 10.

PRAISE FOR JEFF ABBOTT
"One of my favorite writers."--Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author

"If you like Harlan Coben, read this book. Taut, twisty, and elegantly-written, with an ending you won't see coming."--Sarah Pekkanen, bestselling author of The Perfect Neighbors

"Jeff Abbott is a master...I am, and always have been, a devoted fan."--Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455558452
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	07/18/2017
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	9,308
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Jeff Abbott is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels. He is the winner of an International Thriller Writers Award (for the Sam Capra thriller The Last Minute) and is a three-time nominee for the Edgar award. He lives in Austin with his family. You can visit his website at www.JeffAbbott.com.

Editorial Reviews

2017-05-02
An amnesiac accident victim has to investigate her own past in Abbott's (The First Order, 2016, etc.) tense psychological thriller.The Austin, Texas, suburb of Lakehaven is shaken when two teenagers drive off a cliff; driver Jane Norton survives while high school hero David Hall is killed. Jane comes out of a coma with part of her memory lost, beginning with her father's mysterious death three years earlier. After a note is found at the accident scene that suggests Jane caused the accident in a suicide attempt, she becomes an outcast and is especially hated by David's mother, Perri. But all may not be what it seems, as a mysterious internet poster taking the name Liv Danger threatens both Jane and Perri, claiming that "all will pay" when the truth comes to light. Over time Jane becomes less sure she can trust her therapist, any of her friends, or even her mother, who is trying to have her committed to a mental institution. As Jane pieces together her own history, she becomes convinced she wasn't trying to kill herself, and the accident starts looking more like murder. The unconventional plot, the constant surprises, and above all the psychological depth of the characters all make this a first-rate crime novel.

Kirkus Reviews

05/01/2017
In this engrossing standalone from Thriller Award–winner Abbott (The First Order), a car crash in Austin, Tex., steals 17-year-old Jane Norton’s memory and kills her best friend’s boyfriend, David Hall. Investigators find Jane’s suicide note at the scene, turning sympathy for the survivor into blame. Jane can’t imagine intentionally wrecking her vehicle, let alone doing so with David as a passenger, but since she can’t remember the last three years, she’s unable to offer an alternative explanation. Two years later, when “Liv Danger” posts a message online claiming to know what really happened that night and pledging vengeance, the guilt-ridden Jane assumes it’s a cruel joke—until someone starts targeting those connected with the crash. The closer Jane comes to unlocking her memories and unmasking Liv Danger, the more certain she becomes that everyone in her life is conspiring to rewrite history and hide the truth. One soapy and superfluous subplot aside, this is an emotionally complex tale replete with finely drawn characters, shocking twists, and convincing red herrings. Agent: Peter Ginsberg, Curtis Brown. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"I could not tear myself away from Jeff Abbott's mesmerizing, gripping, and claustrophobic novel. BLAME is the perfect blend of complex characters, plot twists galore, and great psychological suspense. Don't miss it."—Harlan Coben

"Blame is a masterful suspense novel, full of dread, lies, and deceptions. Abbott is one of our finest writers, and Blame takes his talents to new levels. Sinister and twisting, this is hands-down the best book you'll read—and re-read—this year. Absolutely top-notch."—J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author

"Abbott does a stellar job...this story is in the hands of a true thriller master. And the payoff is glorious."—Associated Press

"[A] tense psychological thriller...The unconventional plot, the constant surprises, and above all the psychological depth of the characters all make this a first-rate crime novel."—Kirkus Reviews

"Engrossing....an emotionally complex tale replete with finely drawn characters, shocking twists, and convincing red herrings."—Publishers Weekly

"Jeff Abbott...is fantastic."—Meg Gardiner, bestselling author

"If you like Harlan Coben, read this book. Taut, twisty, and elegantly-written, with an ending you won't see coming."—Sarah Pekkanen, bestselling author of The Perfect Neighbors

"Jeff Abbott is a remarkable writer and storyteller, and brings his skills to the realm of psychological suspense with this absolutely captivating book. Emotionally compelling, tense and packed with shocking plot twists, this book makes me have to use a word I hate: Unputdownable. I loved it."—Alison Gaylin, USA Today Bestselling Author of What Remains of Me

"Blame [is] the most addictive thriller of the summer...This book belongs on that short list of novels that demand to be read in one sitting...[and] will live on in reader's minds for a very long time to come."—BOLO Books

"Last year, Harlan Coben's Fool Me Once was our highest-rated thriller of 2016. Abbot's BLAMEis every bit as good and packs even more surprises along the way, leading up to a shocking ending that nobody, not even veteran readers of the genre, will ever see coming. Abbott's lightning-quick pacing and constant twists and turns make his latest offering impossible to put down. A one-sit read that'll have readers up way past their bedtimes, BLAME is Jeff Abbott's best novel so far—and a strong contender for best psychological thriller of the year."—TheRealBookSpy.com

"From the moment I set eyes on the viscerally magnetic Jane, I was spooked and positively riveted. Jeff Abbott proves, with this richly satisfying novel, that he is a master of suspense and tension."—Sara Blaedel, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Forgotten Girls

"Thrillmeister Jeffrey Abbott has tackled a new kind of suspense novel in Blame."—The Austin Chronicle

"Jeff Abbott is one of the most versatile authors in the crime fiction genre, and his broad story-telling talents are on full display in his latest thriller. The deeply psychological Blame has it all...Jeff Abbott is a master storyteller."—Mystery People

"Abbott is a master craftsman, an architect, Racehorse Haynes building a case for reasonable doubt, brick by brick. Blame left me shaking my head in admiration for his mad skills."—Lone Star Literary Life

"Abbott leaves you wanting more...I tried putting [Blame] down, but just couldn't."—The Mystery Site

"Jeff Abbott bundles raw emotions together and lights them on fire...Blame is a cut above the average thriller...a feat of pacing and timing."—Shelf Awareness (STARRED REVIEW)

"Bestselling Austin mystery author Jeff Abbott spins a captivating tale."—The Eagle

PRAISE FOR JEFF ABBOTT'S PREVIOUS SUSPENSE NOVELS:

"Lots of action and plot twists make this a literary roller coaster."—USA Today on Inside Man

"One of the best ongoing series in the thriller genre. Readers will be hooked from the start...INSIDE MAN jumps into the action right away, and the last 100 pages are downright terrifying. Abbott has a gift for creating great character-driven thrillers, and readers will clamor for more, especially given the cliffhanger ending." —Associated Press on Inside Man

"Thriller Award-winner Abbott draws on Shakespeare's King Lear for his outstanding fourth Sam Capra novel...Abbott injects enough of Sam's back story to make his intricate plot believable, judiciously spices his tale with tasteful but usually interrupted romance, and convincingly makes Sam a genuine contemporary 'chevalier.'" —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on Inside Man

"Bestseller Abbott packs a lifetime of thrills and suspense into a mere five days...Abbott excels at spinning complex webs of intrigue combining psychological twists and abundant action."—Publishers Weekly on Downfall

"Abbott knows how to slowly ratchet up the tension while maintaining great characters and terrific plot twists...The Sam Capra series gets better with each outing, and Downfall is a "must read" for the action-thriller fan."—Associated Press on Downfall

"Abbott is one of the best thriller writers in the business, and he delivers action and complex characters in an explosive cocktail. The next Capra novel cannot come fast enough."—Associated Press on The Last Minute

"Like Adrenaline, this is a fast-paced thriller with a likable, morally conflicted hero. Sam is in a difficult situation, seemingly forced to commit murder to find his son, and—this is a testament to Abbott's skills as a storyteller—we really don't know whether he will follow through. The book ends on an upbeat note, giving Sam a certain amount of closure. Still, let's hope Abbott isn't through with Sam. He's a very well drawn character, and it would be nice to see him again."—Booklist on The Last Minute

"The Adrenaline rush that won't stop."—San Antonio Express-News

"Twisty, turny, and terrific."—USA TODAY on Adrenaline

"[An] edgy, seat-of-your-pants spy caper."—Entertainment Weekly on Adrenaline

"Outstanding . . . genuinely moving . . . Abbott hits full stride early on and never lets up. Readers who thrive on a relentless narrative pace and a straight line to the finish won't be disappointed."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Adrenaline

From the Publisher

10/15/2016
Another Sam Capra thriller from this three-time Edgar nominee? Actually not. Abbott has decided to write a stand-alone psychological suspense novel, for which there are no plot details but at least a setting: Austin, TX. With a 25,000-copy first printing and a five-city tour.

Library Journal

This unconventional thriller features four different characters who are portrayed by Bailey Carr, Lauren Fortgang, Vanessa Johansson, and Greg Tremblay. Teenager Jane Norton is still suffering from amnesia from a car accident two years ago. Faced with questions about what happened and the mystery of an anonymous note from someone who appears to hold the answers, she strives to discover the truth as the story delves into the importance of memory. The theme of the mystery doesn’t disrupt the flow of the story but doesn’t contribute to it greatly either. In addition, the voices of the female narrators are so similar that it’s not immediately apparent that different narrators are being used. Regardless, this is an intriguing listen. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2017 - AudioFile