Blame

Blame is the latest offering from one of my favorites, Jeff Abbott, and it does not disappoint. The last few years have been all about the Sam Capra series and, while I love Sam's ongoing adventures and escapades, I was so ready for a new standalone Abbott novel.

Nobody does suspense quite like Jeff Abbott. He has a way of sucking you in to the story and just refusing to let go. The only bad thing about this book was how long it took me to read it. If I'd had my way, I'd have probably read through it cover to cover in one sitting. Sadly, I have responsibilities so I found myself having to take my time with it.

Blame is the story of Jane Norton and her memory. Imagine you woke up one day and didn't know who you were. There are people all around telling you they're your family, they're your friends, but you don't remember anything. That's what happened to Jane. After a devastating car crash that killed David, the boy next door and put Jane into a coma, she wakes up with severe amnesia. Slowly she recovers the memories from the first 14 years of her life, but the last 3 are a blank. All she knows about the accident that nearly killed her is that everyone thinks it was her fault - that she tried to kill herself and David. Two years later, she gets a disturbing message - "I know what you claim you don't remember, Jane. I know what happened that night. And I'm going to tell. All will pay."

Jane resolves to find out what really happened that night. Did she try to commit suicide? Is she guilty of murdering her oldest friend? Or is something much more twisted going on?

I can't gush enough over how much I loved this one. If you're a fan of suspense, don't miss this book. It's fantastic.

The First Order

Jeff Abbott is quickly becoming one of my favorite suspense authors. I've always liked him and I've read nearly all of his books at this point. His standalone novels are great (Panic being a particular favorite of mine), but his Sam Capra series  is where he really shines.

The First Order is the fifth Capra book and (spoiler alert!) I highly doubt it will be the last. Capra is a classic good guy who's not afraid to kick ass and I don't think anyone will be getting tired of him anytime soon - hopefully Abbott has many more great Capra stories to tell.

The First Order picks right up from the cliffhanger ending of the previous installment, Inside Man. Sam has discovered that his older brother Danny may not have been dead for the last 6 years after all. The novel takes us through his search for his long lost brother and inside the politics of the new Russian oligarchy. The book starts out heavy on adrenaline and never lets up until the end.

I look forward to the next Capra book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.