Blame

By: Jeff Abbott

Narrated by: Bailey Carr, Lauren Fortgang, Greg Tremblay, Vanessa Johannson

Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

Sometimes the person you thought you knew best...

Turns out to be someone you never really knew at all.

A seemingly idyllic, close-knit suburban neighborhood hides deeply buried secrets in this emotionally intense new suspense novel from New York Times best-selling author Jeff Abbott.

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....

©2017 Jeff Abbott (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"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)

Bananas!

Sooooo much happened in this story. Ultimately, it was pretty convoluted and somewhat confusing, but at the same time it was a blast. I really enjoyed listening to this. I couldn't stop listening, because I HAD to figure out what in heck was going on with everyone.

Jane's senior year of high school, she and her best friend are in a car accident. He dies and she wakes up four days later from a coma having lost her memory. She is the town pariah because she was driving, and a note is found at the scene leading everyone to believe it was a murder-suicide. She finally gains most of her memory but still no clue of the previous three years, including the accident.

The story plays with multiple characters and how they are affected in the aftermath. There was a lot of tension relating to her vulnerability regarding learning who she was at time of accident based solely on others' accounts, especially as it becomes clear not everyone is being honest with her. The book starts at the 2 year anniversary of the accident and bizarre events begin happening which push her to try and piece together what actually happened that fateful night.

And all out crazy ensues.

It isn't all about the soap opera, though. What kept me hooked was how much I liked Jane and the exploration of the consequences of blame, especially in the digital age when it is so easy to "troll" someone one deems worthy of scorn.

Wow

Kept my drives to and from work a blur.... did not want to turn it off.... every time iI thought I had it figured out a new twist came in focus. Unlike so many mystery thrillers written today it was not just an end to the book, but brought everything together.... like the Sixth Sense the clues were there if you opened your eyes....

Loved this one!

I am so impressed with this book. I encourage anyone reading this to get this one now. definitely worth a credit. such great story telling, suspense, and narration. will definitely be looking for more from this author!

Who do you blame?

What did you love best about Blame?

There were a few twists that I a hint about, but did not see the whole picture right away. I like finding a twist unexpectedly.

What did you like best about this story?

When Jane, the main character wakes up, not from the coma, but her self-imposed lifestyle. When she takes control of her life and learns the truth!

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Jane was definitely my favorite character, but I found myself drawn to David, Adam and Trevor's story lines as well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither.

Any additional comments?

I felt this book was well worth the credit. I listened to it in two days, during a health recovery situation. It was entertaining and did have me guessing a few times.

Grueling

This was one of the hardest books to endure. The stupidity of it made it hard to listen to. The female narrator was equally hard to listen to. The constant, dramatic whisper made it hard to get into the story. This is one of only a couple books I have returned in 5 years out of hundreds in my library.

Wow

I loved this book! Super intriguing! I couldn't stop listening, I just needed to know what was going on! Twists on twists on twists! The characters are well-developed and you get the feel of their personalities through the wonderful readings of each narrator. Honestly 5 stars, definitely one of the best mysteries I've read this year! Anyways I loved it. Read it!!

Addicting!

Be ready to set aside time to listen to this book because you won't be able to stop listening. The story is compelling and keeps you guessing all the way through. Great read!

Repetitive!

The main character said “I can’t remember” at least 100 times. We get it! She has amnesia. Needed to move faster.

Not a bad story but....

The performance was over exaggerated - especially Jane’s mother - and it detracted and actually irritated me while I listened. I’m certain I would have enjoyed reading the book much more than I did listening to it.

Overly Dramatic Narration

Intriguing commentary on finger pointing in our society, but the execution of the story wasn't there in my opinion. In addition, the histrionic narration of Jane and her mom's characters almost caused me to abandon the Audible version. I have listened to hundreds of Audible books and rarely write a negative narrator review.