One of the best books of 2017 for me!! I love that another story or character didn't really enter the novel until 1/3 of the way through. I was pulling for Jane the whole novel against a slew of other broken but not very likable characters. This book is a home run. I loved all the layers and peeling each one back. I'll recommend to every thriller lover out there. Well done!

I can’t remember (I couldn’t help myself) how many books I’ve read in the past year about amnesia victims, but “Blame” is one of the best. Following a car crash, Jane Norton can’t remember anything from the past 3 years. Forced to rely on information from her family, friends, and therapist, she doesn’t know who or what to believe. What really happened and why are people hiding the truth from her? The surprises Jeff Abbott reveal at exactly the right time kept the suspense high and I couldn’t stop reading until the astonishing conclusion. But “Blame” is not just a perfectly paced thriller. Abbott’s thoughtful examination of the mental, emotional, and psychological effects of losing your memory and a part of yourself added a powerful dimension to this superb book.

My review was posted on Goodreads on 7/23/17

Very excellent plot driven psychological thriller that's just in time for the summer travel season! Jane's amnesia after the accident that killed her friend David is well portrayed and makes her a sympathetic character to the reader, if not to his parents and others. This is a well constructed book- with just the right amount of twists, secrets, and creepiness at appropriate times. I read this in a gulp and you will too. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, Two thumbs up and recommend as a fast, engrossing read.

Life is fragile. We're all hostages to fate. Blaming someone makes us think we have more control than what we do."

Jane Norton's life changed the night of the car accident that killed her neighbor, David Hall. She was just 17 and in the aftermath has amnesia -- she's forgotten all of high school and even her dad's death at beginning of her freshman year. Now, two years on, she's flunked out of college and still has memory problems. On the anniversary date of David's death she opens her social media page to find a threat from someone known as Liv Danger. Everyone blames Jane for the death of David since she was driving. Now this Liv Danger purports to know "what happened that night. And all will pay."

The setting is around the area of Austin, Texas but the author has taken liberties with the locale. The social media site is called "Faceplace" and the plot device of amnesia really is overused in fiction these days. Reading this novel will require a huge measure of suspension of disbelief. I really never connected with any of the characters and did not feel any of the tension or suspense usually found in this genre. The conspiracy, coverup, etc. was largely predictable and had the expected ending. I would classify it as domestic drama with Jane acting as amateur sleuth as she seeks answers to explain the accident and events that are connected to it.

This is the first book by Jeff Abbott that I have read and I requested it from NetGalley based on some previous reviews. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the e-book ARC to read and review.

A crash
one walks away
not quite
in coma for four days
the other doesn’t
dead
and then there is forgetting the names
the feeling of shame
being the one to Blame.
Something strange afoot.
Amnesia steals from her memories things needed to go forward, she is under siege by her temporal lobe, the whirlwind of her mind trying to piece together and unravell pandoras box of mystery to things past, deaths past, and the need for these things to be clear, her road, her resolution, you hope is near.
This tale brings me be back to a past must read book of fiction Before I go to Sleep that was also adapted to movie, which i see this book Blame playing out on the screen well.
Suspenseful with a memorable very human female lead with complications, empathically and unconventional told, handled with great craftsmanship in an immerssive psychological tale that has the reader captivated with ‘The Girl Who Doesn’t Remember’ to a finale of some resolution from the gaining momentum to the unraveling of truths of the insidious evil that plagues her blame.

Jane Norton, age 17, has survived a terrible car crash that took the last 3 years of her memory. Her childhood friend and neighbor, David Hall, died in the crash.

Now, on the second anniversary of the crash, Jane attends school at St. Michael’s in Austin, Texas, but not as an official student. She stays in the dorm room of her friend, Adam, and uses his meal card. He is trying to get her to enroll in classes again. But today, someone identified as Liv Danger on Faceplate warns Jane that she knows what she’s done and she’s going to tell. But Jane doesn’t know what that means because she can’t remember. Another threat has called her a murderer. Today, Jane just wants to visit David’s grave.

David’s parents, Perri and Cal Hall are getting a divorce. Their son’s death has driven them apart and now it appears Cal is with another woman. When they visit David’s grave, they find someone has written the words “All Will Pay” on his tombstone. As Jane walks up to leave flowers on David’s grave, Perri attacks her. She believes Jane is guilty of killing her son and does not believe she has amnesia. She believes that Jane was trying to kill herself that night and ended up killing David. A suicide note was found near the car. She hates Jane with all her might.

Jane’s father passed away 3 years ago and her mother, Laurel, still lives in her big house. Laurel is trying to get Jane to see a counselor to try and get her memory back. Jane prefers to not live at home because her mother tends to “smother” her.

Kamala Grayson had been a close friend of Jane’s but she doesn’t remember her. But Kamala instigates trouble which upsets Jane. Kamala had been dating David. She acts like she wants to help Jane but Jane feels like she is lying.

As Jane struggles to regain her memory, other incidents erupt showing someone is out to destroy people’s lives. How do they all interconnect? Jane begins a quest to discover things about the night of the car crash that don’t make sense, but whom can she trust?

This is a very good mystery that keeps the reader’s interest. I liked how the author didn’t interject vulgar language or scenes. Readers are sure to enjoy this book.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Oh, this book is good. Blame is the kind of book that I felt right from the start will turn out to be great. I've read a book by Jeff Abbott before (The First Order book 5 in the Sam Capra series) and I knew he can write, and I was eagerly awaiting the day I could start reading this book. I was however when I started to read the book a bit surprised about how young Jane was, only 17. I had after reading the blurb imagined her older.

Jane's memory loss is not just from the accident two years ago. She can't remember the last three years of her life, not her father's death neither the new friends she made in high school. So, all she can go after is what all the people, her mother and the friends she has left tell hers. Her life isn't easy, memory loss and almost everyone thinks she is responsible for the death of David in the car crash. That she meant to kill them both. But, was she really suicidal? It's time for Jane to find out what really happened two years ago, was it an accident, or was she trying to kill them both? Or was someone else involved in the crash?

I love the fact that pretty much everyone acted so mysterious and suspicious in this book. From Jane's mother to her friends. Jane can't be sure whom to trust and it doesn't help that so doesn't remember more than glimpses the last three years of her life. It's a thrilling book to read, fast-paced, and I had a hard time figuring out how it all would end. They all seemed to have secrets.

Blame is a great book. If you like psychological thrillers will you love this one!

I'm going to be honest here: I probably didn't pay much attention to the blurb when I requested this book. I started reading it thinking that the book would be about neighbors and secrets in a community, so when I discovered that it was about a 19-year-old suffering from memory loss, I was quite disappointed. Another one? It was not what I was expecting at all.

However, next thing I know, I put the book down and I had already read 30% of the book. And I wanted more. I was complete addicted and I needed to know what was going on. I absolutely loved Jeff Abbott's writing skills and the way he portrayed Jane's search for the truth. Sure, I didn't like Jane that much at first, but as soon as she got over that "girl on the train" state, I was completely on board. I wanted to join her and help her investigate. Sneak into private detective offices and steal secret files. Oh yes.

I usually struggle with the "middle" section, but this was one of those cases where I just couldn't put the book down. The middle was my favorite part. So many characters, so many suspects. And everyone had a story to tell. The mystery was fascinating and it was clear that there was something sinister going on. The suspense was there the whole time and small details were introduced in every chapter: the missing note, the anonymous comments, the medical records...

As much as I loved the book, I didn't like the ending at all. There were many storylines and clues that made for an excellent mystery, so when the big reveal came, I think I felt a bit underwhelmed. It didn't exactly click. I had been expecting a different conclusion so that everything else made sense and I thought the author's choice didn't live up to the expectations.

Despite my reservations about the ending, when I later reflected on my impressions, I realized I had immensely enjoyed Blame so I had to give it a great review anyway. It was a gripping psychological thriller and the mystery was well-crafted and twisty, just the way I love them.

I requested and received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jane, a college student (sometimes), suffers from amnesia brought on by a car accident she had two years prior. In that same accident he good friend, David, died. Jane was driving. For some reason, after two years have passed, Jane wants to figure out what happened right before the accident, why she was alone with David, and where they had been and were going. Jane believes her family and friends are keeping things from here.

To me the book seemed like a first attempt. Imagine my surprise when I read Abbott had authored 17 novels. He didn’t keep me in suspense. In fact during many sections I was bored. Then there were so many characters, I couldn’t keep them straight. A little tag as to who they were would have helped.

If you’re a Jeff Abbott fan, maybe you can clue me in to what I’m missing.

Easily my favorite book of Mr. Abbott's. Except for the Jordan Poteet, who I really miss.
Anyway, this is a standalone. Jane Norton emerges from a coma with amnesia. She was in an accident that killed her friend and neighbor and everyone blames her. They say there was a suicide note found at the scene and she killed her friend while trying to kill herself.
Jane wants the truth. At the same time, bad things are happening to people who had anything to do with the accident and the aftermath. As jane begins questioning people, lives are put in danger.
I went back and forth in my mind over who was responsible. I sort of saw the ending coming but not the why behind it .
Well written page turner.

Two years ago Jane Norton was involved in a car crash that took the life of the boy that had lived next door and been friends with her for most of her life. There were so many unanswered questions after the accident and Jane never could help answer them as she lost her memory of that night along with most of her high school years between the time her father had passed and the accident.

The biggest questions was why were David and Jane even together in the car that night. Jane had become withdrawn from her friends after her father’s passing and wasn’t as close to David as she once had been so it made no sense. Then there was the note that had been found at the scene in Jane’s handwriting stating I wish we were dead together. Did Jane take David to that cliff on purpose??

Blame by Jeff Abbot was easily one of those thriller reads that I never wanted to put down until I got some answers as to what had really happened that night. There’s nothing quite as intriguing with a mystery as when your main character really and truly has no idea what happened and why for me I suppose. Jane having amnesia of the events leading up to and of the crash itself left so many questions to be answered during the story which had me hooked from the start.

This would be one story that I spent most of my time reading making a mental list of suspects and I would also be happy to say that at the end I don’t believe there would be a way to piece together the entire story by guessing early on. Full of twists and turns as secrets of that night and the events leading up to that night are revealed the story was full of action and surprises at every turn of the page. Would definitely recommend checking this one out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This fast-paced and riveting drama had me immersed and mesmerized with all that was going in this intense psychological novel that ratchetted up a steep notch keeping me in suspense until the last chapter was read. The author knew the way to pull me in with a narrative so gripping, I couldn’t put this book down. When I thought I had a finger on what was going on, the author changed direction with strategically placed twists and turns that gave me pause as I followed along with Jane on her journey of self-discovery where secrets were meant to stay buried, and someone was determined to keep it that way.

Thank you for the opportunity to read BLAME for Jeff Abbott. I do like Abbott's books, and have read the Sam Capra series.
This is a stand alone novel about a young woman, Jane, who is involved in a fatal car accident.. She is accused of killing her friend, David, who was the passenger. Jane, wanted to kill herself, and she failed to take her own life, but killed her best friend. Jane cannot remember what happened - she now suffers from amnesia and no one, not even her mother, is able to piece together what really happened on that fateful day.
The story line goes back and forth with Jane, her mother, the victims mother and father, and a cast of characters that are too many to mention.
I struggled getting thru this book - characters were not relatable and I just didn't like Jane. I was disappointed and think this book could be shortened for a better impact.
Just ok for me.

The first chapter is very ominous, and it sets an overall dark tone for the novel. This is the first book I have read by Jeff Abbott, and I thought it was fascinating. This is a gripping psychological suspense novel with complex characters that are nicely developed, and numerous plot twists that will keep you guessing.

Jane is determined to figure out what happened the night of the crash, along with any events that led up to it. She is relentless in her search, leaving no stone unturned. Snapshots of her memory slowly surface, and she tries desperately to fit the pieces together and stay ahead of the danger. Secrets are exposed and lies uncovered, causing the tension in this novel to ratchet up to a shocking conclusion.

I recommend this book to fans of psychological suspense and thrillers. I received this as a free ARC from Grand Central Publishing on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Norton had an accident 2 years prior, killing her friend David and leaving her with amnesia.
Everyone blamed her and now she received an anonymous message "I know what really happened. I know what you don't remember".
Jane begins an investigation and discovers lies and buried secrets.
The plot was well done and moved at a good pace with the characters realistic and believable. Lots of action and suspense with twists and turns that kept the identity of the criminals unknown to the end. The culprit was one I did not expect. Well written Jeff Abbott, I highly recommend it to others.

Jane remembers nothing about the crash that left her in a coma and her childhood best friend, David, dead. As a matter of fact , the then 17-year-old, remebers nothing after her 14th year. Police found what appeared to be a suicide note written in Jane’s hand in the wreckage thrown from the vehicle, and ever since, David’s parents and the entire town have blamed Jane for David’s death. Two years after the accident, Jane still remembers almost nothing, but she still struggles to find the truth. When someone begins posting cruel and inflammatory remarks on social media targeted at everyone who was involved with the accident, Jane decides she’s going to uncover the truth, no matter where it leads her. This was a complex and twisted mystery that will appeal to a sophisticated YA audience just as easily as an adult one