The Blame Game by C.J. Cooke

HarperCollins | March 2019 | 416 pgs

Source: Library 

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. 

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