Blame Game

by C.J. Cooke

ONE DIED. WHO LIED?A horrific car crash in Belize has devastated Helen Pengilly’s family, leaving her daughter in a coma and her husband Michael missing.Alone and terrified, Helen’s memory is dragged back to that day 22 years ago. To protect their family, Helen and Michael both said they would forget what happened. But now it seems that there is someone who will stop at nothing to make them remember…Who is playing the blame game?What readers are saying about The Blame Blame Game‘addictive and powerful’‘A cleverly crafted thriller with a unique story’‘a great read’‘A heart-wrenching story of grief, guilt and family, and the extreme lengths you’ll go to save those you love’‘This is a book all psychological thriller lovers should read… addictive’‘A fantastic, edge of the seat family expedition turning into a gripping read’‘A real page-turner’PRAISE FOR C.J. ‘Grip-lit at its best’ ELLE‘Stunning’ C.L. TAYLOR‘Will keep you guessing the whole way through!’ C.J. TUDOR

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

416 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 2019

About the author

C.J. (Carolyn) Cooke is an acclaimed, award-winning poet, novelist and academic with numerous publications as Carolyn Jess-Cooke and Caro Carver. Her work has been published in twenty-three languages to date. Born in Belfast, C.J. has a PhD in Literature from Queen’s University, Belfast, and is currently Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she also researches the impact of motherhood on women’s writing and creative writing interventions for mental health. Her books have been reviewed in The New York Times, The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, and the Daily Mail. She has been nominated for an Edgar Award and an ITW Thriller Award, selected as Waterstones’ Paperback Book of the Year and a BBC 2 Pick, and has had two Book of the Month Club selections in the last year. She lives in Scotland with her husband and four children.

Reviews

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blame Game was an atmospheric family drama with a psychological thriller twist, a story about the aftermath of a tragedy that affects the whole lives of those involved.
We follow one family, on holiday, where things start to become a little strange. It becomes obvious that this is a family hiding from a past that is about to come back to haunt them…
Often an emotional read, C J Cooke explores themes of survivor guilt and responsibility, family ties and inner personalities, at the same time offering an intriguing mystery element that keeps you turning the pages.
I immersed myself in this one, following avidly as it headed towards an emotionally resonant finale, The Blame Game is character driven and fascinating, as such it was an utterly compelling read.
Recommended.

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen and Michael are holidaying in Mexico with their children, Reuben and Saskia. But they can’t relax, they have spent the last 22 years looking over their shoulder and running from town to town trying to flee their guilt.

When a horrific crash occurs at the end of their holiday Helen realises that it’s time to confront the past, no matter what the consequences.

A really interesting thriller with secrets galore. I especially enjoyed the parts set in Mexico as it was really evocative. My slight criticism would be that I thought the incident that caused Helen & Michael to run didn’t really warrant them running (I felt) and I thought Michael’s reaction to it quite extreme. On the positive side though, I really enjoyed the book; strong characters (I loved Reuben), atmospheric locations and an intriguing plot. If we can ever lie around the pool in a hot country again then I think this would be the perfect accompaniment.

[Jasmine Jams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think books about families are for me. Lots of pages were dedicated to the parents crying about their children. This book was also quite hard to get into and I had to wait until about halfway in for it to pick up.

I’m glad her new books are so different from her first two!

Smell review: 1/5 sadly it smelled old :(

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun and easy to read thriller.

This book started of quite slowly and I struggled to get invested at the beginning but as the book went along, the plot started to pick up and I became more interested in the story.

I enjoyed the different perspectives and timelines. The short chapters and changes kept me intrigued in the plot.

The characters were slightly annoying but I don't expect much else in a thriller.

The plot was interesting. I enjoyed the fact it was set in a different country, it made it more interesting and different from other thrillers out there.

There were lots of parts of the story which kept me guessing till the very end and plenty of twists which I did not see coming.

Overall, this was an entertaining and enjoyable thriller, I'll definitely read more from this author in the future

TW: death, fire, murder, suicide references, violence and mental illness

[Kaitlyn Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some thought-provoking themes and suspense but also some really unlikable characters. I wasn’t super pulled in but the story kept me intrigued. I think there were a lot of routes trying to be explored and most of them didn’t resolve in a way that was satisfying to me as a reader. This is one of Cooke’s older books and I am a way bigger fan of her writing and subject matter now in her newer books.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a 3.5 for me..

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this months ago and couldn’t get into it, but about a third of the way in, the pace picked up and it turned into a really interesting story!

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

C. J. Cooke is one of my favourite authors so I always look forward to a new book from her and I’m happy to say her latest book was fab! It follows a family who are on what seems to be a dream holiday but odd things start to happen. They feel they are being watched, and something just isn’t quite right. Then on their way home an accident happens and from there things begin to unravel. The novel is told in two timelines – the present day and then 22 years ago when Helen and Michael met and a tragedy befell their group. I was equally hooked on both timelines and was desperate to find out how these two events were connected. It’s a thrilling read, and a real page turner. I think what I loved most though was that at its heart it’s a novel about why we keep the secrets we do, and the power they can have over us when perhaps things might have been different if we’d not kept quiet at the time. I love books that are thrilling but also give me pause for thought and this book certainly did both! I recommend it!

This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com

[Carol Peace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was definitely a fast paced and compelling page turner. It has taken me a few days to get my comments together after finishing the book so here is my opinion of the book.
Helen and Michael are on holiday trying to put behind them a fire that has ruined their livelyhood but the surprising thing is that they seem to have someone following them and whilst they had a great holiday with the children Reuben and Saskia they were on edge the whole time and when it came to returning home there were mixed feelings. It seems they could have been right when on the way to the airport they are in a tragic and critical accident that will change their lives forever. It seems they have a lot to hide and when this all unravels who will you believe? I found myself on the edge of my seat and racing to the end but then didn't want the book to finish. I really enjoyed this and found myself reading until the early hours to finish it. It's a fantastic read and I would tell everyone to read it.
Thank you to Lovereading for my copy.

[David Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a tense thriller about family, and about how much we really know about each other.
It starts as being just edgy discomfort. Something is not quite right. Why are to so defensive and slightly paranoid.
But then it get deeper and you being to realize perhaps they are right to be paranoid.
Ultimately, the only people that can shock you are the people you know, or think you know.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of twists

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helen and Michael on a dream holiday with their children, Reuben and Saskia. The family believe they are being watched and on their way to the airport for their return journey home, there is a tragic accident which has life changing consequences.

Whilst in hospital their family and lives begin to fall apart. As the story moves between Helen and Michael’s past and the whole family in the present, we slowly discover the underlying plot when Michael and Helen initially met. This has a dramatic impact on the present day. The story explores many aspects of the fallout from this earlier event and is told from by Michael, Helen and Reuben.

It is a cleverly crafted thriller with a unique story. I especially enjoyed the story told from Reuben’s point of view and how it explores the relationships he has. I would have liked this book to grab and draw me in more and I would have preferred it to have a quicker pace, having said that, I did enjoy reading it.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helen and Michael are spending a wonderful vacation at Belize with their two children when Helen starts to feel they're being watched. On their way to the airport upon returning home, a van crashed onto their car and the accident left Michael injured and their young daughter, Saskia, in a coma. Although Helen and their teenage autistic son, Reuben, are left unscathed, Helen couldn't help but to wonder if the accident has something to do with her hunch of someone watching them.

Well, Helen has reasons behind her paranoia. It all happened during her college years when a hiking expedition had gone wrong. To complicate matters, Helen's then-boyfriend, Luke, was buddies with Michael and they'd all planned the hiking trip together with Luke's twin brother, Theo. Michael didn't know Helen then but he knew she had sort of spoilt their trip by tagging along. But as the days go by Michael soon see a new side of Helen. He didn't want to put himself between the couple but at times he wondered if Helen was being abused by Luke after he saw some bruises on her. His questions never got answered as Luke had fallen to his death. Till this day Michael and Helen still question themselves if what they'd done was right.

But that's not all, throughout the few years Michael has been receiving some letters from the lawyers pertaining Luke's death and all the while he's been ignoring them as they move about. They didn't really think about this until the car accident. Is the accident even connected to Luke's death? And where did Michael go after he's secretly left the hospital?

The Blame Game wasn't what I expected in the first place. Yes, it's a thriller but it also explores the family dynamic and how an act from the past may make an impact to the present, which in turn lead to some life changing consequences. The story is narrated by Michael, Helen and Reuben and there are flashbacks as well. Though I was curious where this story will take me, truth be told it was Reuben's POV and how he viewed things outside his world and the relationship he's had with others is what I enjoyed the most among the three characters. Overall it was an OK read; I think I'd have liked it more if the pace was faster and more gripping

[Kerry Bridges · Rating 2 out of 5]

Helen, Michael and their children are on holiday but their lives are changed dramatically when they are involved in a road traffic accident. Suddenly, there are questions? Was the accident really an accident and, if not, was it to do with what happened to Helen and Michael 22 years ago?

This is a very light read which promised much but just didn't set the world on fire for me. I think the trouble is that the big "secret" isn't really a secret and was not only predictable but actually should never have been a secret in the first place.

The book is written from multiple points of view (Helen, Michael and their son, Reuben) which can be a great device when it adds to the story but, again, appeared to be neither her nor there in this one.

I think perhaps the big issue is that there isn't enough character building going on and so I struggled to like any of them. Jeanne has a "secretive" boyfriend who isn't secretive at all and Helen and Michael just aren't that interesting.

All in all, this is a pleasant read for a time when you don't want to think very much - I recommend taking it on holiday to read around the pool and leaving it there!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen and Michael are on holiday with their children in Belize when they are involved in a horrific car crash. Helen is insistent that the collision wasn't an accident and that someone is out to kill her family. But what could this middle class suburban family have done to invite such terrible retribution? The answer lies in their past, and in the tragedy that Helen and Michael have been running from for more than twenty years.

With their daughter in a coma and Michael missing from the hospital, Helen must dig through their long-buried secrets. Can she find out who is trying to kill her family, before the would-be murderers finish what they started?

I loved this twisty thriller from C.J.Cooke, with its well-paced story and genuinely surprising revelations (I did gasp aloud at one point!). The way the backstory is gradually revealed through flashbacks is deftly done, and I found myself riveted (and genuinely winded when we were eventually made privy to what had happened on the fateful climbing trip two decades before the central story).

This is a story about revenge and retribution, about family and love, and about how the consequences of our decisions can impact us - and others - for years to come. I loved it. Another brilliant thriller from one of my favourite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, who provided me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jess A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm nearly finished the book and it's pretty average so far ngl. I'm on page 345.

I have a few points that I want to bring up.

Number 1: I have been waiting in anticipation to find out Luke's cause of death, and it's because Michael cut the rope when they were climbing, letting Luke fall to his death. He did it because Helen, Theo and himself were on the same rope trying to hang on, and he was unconscious.

I was unimpressed with this because they could have just written off Lukes death as an accident that happened while climbing. Instead, they thought 'oh shit' and ran away and hid for the rest of their lives.

I can't remember what my other point was so ill come back and update when I feel like it 😃

WAIT I remember my other point. I like how Jeannie is actually acting like Helen's sister and not taking advantage of her anymore. She's being really helpful in Helens recovery.

And why the frick did Helen start the bookshop fire? That just seems so so dumb to me- she didn't gain anything from it (that we know of) and it blew way out of proportion and did a lot more damage than she originally thought.

I've just finished, I was definitely not expecting the plot twist at the end 😱

I also found the q&a section at the back really intresting. The contrast between the hot Belize climate and the freezing mountains symbolises the contrast between younger Helen + Michael, and older Helen + Michael.

Anyway 3 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blame Game by C. J. Cooke
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From the moment I turned on my e-reader, I was totally absorbed in this book! I loved that it was written from the perspective of different characters who find out that maybe they didn't know each other as well as they first thought. The Blame Game was a powerful and very suspenseful story with increasingly surprising twists and turns. Set in Belize, it was an atmospheric family drama with a great psychological thriller element and a story about the aftermath of a tragedy that affected the lives of all those involved.

Often an emotional read, the author, C J Cooke, explored themes of survivor guilt and responsibility, individual personalities and family ties. The intriguing mystery kept me turning the pages throughout. I fully immersed myself in this one, following avidly as it moved towards an evocative finale, The Blame Game was character driven and hugely fascinating, making it an utterly compelling read.

This is an addictive, fast-paced and creepy psychological thriller that I highly recommend.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from HarperCollins UK/ HarperFiction via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I initially liked this one. But I realized that the book was already way past the 50% mark and nothing was happening. Sure there was a mystery but I wasn't particularly interested. I felt that something was lacking and I only really wanted to know who the f was messing with them.

I disliked the characters. They were boring and could have been any other person in the story except for their relationship with one another, which was their only defining feature. I think it's this one that did it for me. Plus, the extra descriptions of each scene before anything was really played out. Why??? I skipped all of those setting building. And I survived. I didn't miss anything.

What did win this 2 stars was the ethical dilemma posed in this novel and the mountain hiking bit. I love novels that give you difficult situations and the characters fumble about trying to solve it. And solve it they did. After reading this, it made me sad for everyone involved. How I wish this exciting shit could also have spilled into the earlier pages because the story only got kicking in the last few chapters.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can't escape the past, Helen and Michael, but may people give it a good go, so why not you?
Helen and Michael seem to have more past to escape than many people. A dream holiday in Belize is supposed to act as a balm on a fire at their Northumberland home. The holiday turns into a near-fatal car crash. Helen is injured and her daughter Saskia on life support. Her older son Reuben has trouble adjusting to being almost constantly at the hospital and the tension between his parents. I'd like to say Reuben's Autism isn't overplayed but not my call to make. I'll say it isn't overwritten.

Can Helen trust Michael and his family? What happened on Mont Blanc two decades ago? Helen and Michael can't outrun this secret. Does Helen now have to outrun Michael?

Each chapter raises more questions than it answers which would be annoying if the writing wasn't so good. Quite the journey, this. I look forward to more from this author.

[Emmie Must · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILERS

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What a fucking mess these two got themselves into, this is more like real life though and people act like this because of past trauma I get that, I feel so sad and feel Bad for poor Michael, he didn't deserve Helen at all, what was she still pinning over her cheating ex and why did she never clarified with her husband that he wasn't guilty but her. I think all comes back to that, that I think that the responsable person was Helen. I didn't like it she got away with it at the end, I feel frustrated by that but on the other hand C.J Cooke is a great author that knows what She's talking about, and this was a great type of book club pick.

Poor Michael I'm so sorry for everything, that fucking Helen messed up everything after burning the coffee shop. Argh!!

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, a very different book, which I read in the course of one day! The story is told from the perspective of Helen and Michael in 2017 but with flashbacks to 1995. What happens in 1995 dictates the rest of Helen and Michael's lives. It impacts on Reuben, their autistic son and Saskia, their young daughter, It is fascinating that because they did not deal with what happened in 1995 there are serious consequences and a lack of honesty. They seem to spend their lives running from themselves.
Many thanks to Netgalley/C.J. Cooke/Harper Collins for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Janet Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. From the get go all I did was eat, sleep and dream this book.

The author has made sure the book is well researched all aspects and because of this you feel the real life situations as if living them.

The plot for the story holds you fast. With each twist and turn of the story you feel that you have some ideas of were the story is going. The complexity of the characters and their reasons for being bring home a deeper understanding of just what you will do for those you love.

Brilliant.

[Gillian Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blame Game by C.J Cooke 🖤
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
‘They both said they would forget what happened Twenty two years ago. But it seems that there is someone who will stop at nothing to make them remember’. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
My second novel from this author and it was another cracker. An absolute crazy thrill ride set in the Beautiful country of Belize, which was a nice refreshing change. A family on the run but from whom? A fast paced and creepy psychological thriller. Highly recommended xx

[Pollies · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book on audible because I saw that it was narrated by Bea Holland and I am a fan of her work.

Unfortunately, I didnt enjoy this book. It was too slow for me. If you are reading it and find yourself nodding off and just want to get it over with, skip to the end. She summarizes the whole book in the final two chapters.

Helen's character was annoying to listen to. She always seemed out of it and confused about the simplest things. I wanted to hand her a coffee and tell her to wake up.

Nope, not a fan of this one. Next!

[Anne Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book with a lot of twists and turns. A family - mother, father, son (with ASD), daughter - appear to be on a holiday in South America. Things seem to be fairly conventional and then events happen which overturn everything. Interwoven with a traumatic past, the book switches between the present and the historic point of view and the plot accelerates to a gripping conclusion. It is difficult to say much more without giving too much away.

As a mother of a son with ASD, I found the portrayal of this very interesting and useful for the plot!

[Fria Hiemstra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audioread. The book starts a bit slow but it is well written. I didn't find the unraveling of 'who lied' satisfactory.

Michael sounds very compos mentis and then suddenly it's revealed that he tried to kill his own family?! And Helen burns the bookshop because Mike didn't talk to her?! Their reasons for not going to the police after Luke's accident also doesn't make sense.

I thought Mike being Malfoy was clever and I liked the 1995 flashback but a lot of Helen's angst in the 2017 era was just too much. I'm hoping CJ COOKE'S other books are a bit better.

[The_Lost_Bookmark · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF for me. More than 30% of the way through and still nothing of significance has happened, just the same thing on repeat and the main character see sawing from confusion to "fear" with a dash of entitlements all the while alluding to something that happened 20 years previously. None of the characters, and I include the kids in this, are particularly likeable, it moved too slow and was completely uninteresting. No. Just no.

[Charlie Morris (Read, Watch & Drink Coffee) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of CJ Cooke but I've only read her more recent gothic historical fictions, so I was intrigued to go back to one of her earlier books which is primarily a thriller.

And it's just as twisty as I was hoping for! The plot seems quite YA but it's really not, focusing on a set of parents who will do what they can to protect their family.

Overall, an entertaining thriller with quick chapters and interesting characters.

[Keith Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unbelievable plot has to be made believable for it to work and a character-based novel has to have characters to which one can relate. For me this novel failed on both counts. On every occasion that I felt, perhaps this is startiong to grip me, I turned the page and thought ... Oh no! The family seemed me no more than pegs to hang that plot. Disappointing.

[Pauline Pickles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well....a very disappointing read! Started off strong and had me hooked but got to halfway mark and it totally lost me. I found myself skipping pages just to get through it. Found the characters uninteresting and couldn’t connect at all to be honest the only reason I persisted was to find out the ending, which giving credit did pick up on the pace and get back to its plot. ☹️