The Blame Game is a book about boundaries: the boundaries in a marriage, the boundaries between a doctor and their patient, and the boundaries we’re willing to cross to protect what we consider ours.

Naomi has been in trouble before. She hates the rules that keep psychologists from offering actual help to their clients in need, and she’s crossed bounds in the past to provide physical aid to someone she thought deserved it. Which is why she is now running her own practice rather than working at a clinic. And why she is lying to her husband Leon and letting a patient use their cottage without his knowledge. Jacob, an unlikely victim of domestic abuse, just needs a place where he can hide from his wife and start over. Naomi sees no reason why she, as a therapist who happens to own a rental property, can’t provide that place. Even if Leon thinks that crosses lines and even if her profession severely frowns on such behaviors.

Then things start to go terribly wrong. Naomi’s office is broken into, Jacob’s file goes missing, then reappears in her house. Her aunt calls to tell her that her mother’s murderer has been released from prison. Her deeply troubled sister seems to be looking for her. Another client shows up on Naomi’s doorstep, wanting somewhere to stay. A drunken Jacob makes a pass at her. And then the police arrive.

The writing here is clear and descriptive and the structuring of the enigma surrounding Naomi is solid and straightforward. The pacing is excellent – I didn’t feel the narrative lagged at any point – and the mystery is intriguing. It centers less around what is happening than around who is causing it. Is Jacob a master manipulator who has somehow gotten Naomi caught up in a web of dangerous deceit? Is Naomi’s sister seeking vengeance for the past? Is what happened to Naomi’s mom being reenacted by her killer, with Naomi either being framed for the crime or being set up as the final victim? Is Leon, who has righteous cause to be angry, behind it all? I found this conundrum interesting because any/all of these scenarios are conceivable. Everyone is seen from Naomi’s point of view, whose unreliability makes their (possible) criminality plausible. She’s so focused on herself and the role she played in her mother’s death that she doesn’t always see the world as it is. At various points in the novel, that makes for a fascinating whodunit-and-why that captures the imagination of the reader despite the heroine’s often ill-advised bumbling.

Which leads me to my issues with this book. A lot of the thrills and chills of a mystery/suspense/thriller novel come from the idea that it could happen to you. The thought that the reader could find themselves meeting a dangerous, seductive person and be beguiled by them or that they could simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time and find themselves amid a horrific mess not of their making is often what gives the story impetus. The Blame Game didn’t work that way for me, however. I didn’t feel a connection to the problems Naomi faces because I couldn’t imagine too many people being stupid enough to put themselves in that situation. I think I was meant to find Naomi a caring soul but instead, she comes across as careless and cavalier. It doesn’t take long for most psychiatrists and psychologists to figure out that the laws/ethics that separate them from doing more than being a concerned, conscientious guide for their clients exist for their protection. A drowning person, aka the client, will often pull their rescuer down with them. You have to be trained not just on how to get the victim out of the water but also on how to keep them from victimizing you along with them. I could write pages on this issue but my point is simple – the rules protect the vulnerable client and the provider. Naomi’s dismissal of these stipulations bugged me from the start, especially since it also involves treating her husband coldly and ignoring every ounce of input he gives. She invites people onto their property and into their home against his expressed wishes and then seems genuinely startled that it causes problems in their marriage.

Another quibble I had about Naomi and her practice might just be an American thing but I was confused as to how payments and taxes for her business work. At one point she tells Jacob, “I won’t take your money if you’re going to spend the hour imagining a relationship we don’t have.” At another, when she tells Leon she’s booked extra sessions with a client he says, “I suppose it’s all money in the bank.” A client says she’s been skimming money from the housekeeping to pay for her weekly sessions with Naomi (she must have a heck of a housekeeping budget because these appointments typically cost a fair amount.) So Naomi is doing paid work. She is in England, where the NHS doesn’t offer long-term therapies of this sort, meaning that her patients would be paying for her services from their own pockets or via their private health insurance. But two of those clients conceal their identities from her – which made me wonder how she was actually being reimbursed? Unless they’re paying cash – extremely unlikely – surely their names would be attached to the transactions, whether by credit or debit card or other means which would leave a paper trail? And in order to begin treatment, surely she’d have had to have checked ID and medical histories? Even if the clients had presented fake IDs, they would, surely, have proven her innocence to the police? These questions kept plaguing me as I read, and I had to wonder how Naomi was actually allowed to continue practicing when she doesn’t appear to be complying with the basic legal requirements around her job

That said, smooth prose, consistent characterization, and an interesting mystery make The Blame Game an easy-to-read story that is moderately enjoyable despite its foibles. Fans of the domestic thriller or anyone looking for a suspense novel with an emphasis on intrigue over violence/psychosis will probably like it.

Naomi is a therapist with a tendency of getting too close to her clients. Her marriage is stale, and she finds herself drawn to a client so much so that she offers him a place to live. Then another client tugs at her heart strings and she offers this one another place to live….all without telling her husband. When one of the clients turns up missing and a finger is pointing at Naomi, she goes to the cops, no attorney in tow, and many lies.

Naomi is the worst type of therapist; unobjectionable, unethical, no boundaries, unprofessional all the way around. I can’t say I like any of the cast of characters. Writing was ok, would give this author another try. Just found the storyline had many holes. Ending didn’t live up to my hopes.

Thanks to Ms. Jones, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I was picked to read an ARC of The Blame Game in exchange for an honest review.

This book really disappointed me. There was too many characters and not enough depth and character development in my opinion. I feel like some will really like this book and other’s will not. That’s ok each of us have our own likes and dislikes. Not every book you pick up will be your absolute favourite. I was expecting more thriller and I felt it was more just a mystery with characters I didn’t like at all. I really wanted a showdown at the end and more reasons as to why the characters were doing what they were doing. I felt there was a lot of blanks that needed to be filled.

A big thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one.

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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of THE BLAME GAME for in exchange for my honest opinion!

This is my first that I have read by Sandie Jones, but I am happy that I got the chance to read it! It was quick paced and kept me on my toes. I was very much invested in the main character Naomi and wanted to see her story line through!

The only thing I was not the biggest fan of, was the ending. I feel like it ended too abruptly and was too fantastical. It did not follow the same pace as the rest of the book had. I would have been more than happy if a couple of additional chapters were added in to flesh some details out/make the ending slightly more realistic!

This book was a little disappointing compared to previous works I’ve read from this author. It felt a little sloppy in terms of character development - many of the main characters actions didn’t seem natural or believable. And the “twist” was somewhat predictable since there were so few characters to choose from, though it was still fun to read and guess at.

Naomi is a psychologist who specializes in domestic abuse. She loves helping her clients in any way she can. Even if it means giving too much of herself, and overstepping a bit much. One of her clients, Jacob, is in an abusive marriage and wants out. Naomi wants nothing more but to help him. Then when he winds up missing, Naomi turns into the number one suspect of his disappearance...and weird things keep happening to her. Can she help Jacob...and how do you know when you've gone too far?

I listened to the book a bit more than I read, I really enjoyed the narrator. I think she did a fabulous job.

Overall, I thought the book was good. I wasn't as invested as I thought I would be. There wasn't any reasoning behind it. It just didn't hook me. I thought Naomi was a bit dumb. She put herself in some of the weirdest situations. As a psychologist I feel like she overstepped a lot. I get why, with her past, but still. I'm not going to go into too much detail and spoil anything, but I shook my head at her a lot.

The twists I didn't 100% see coming. I called part of it, but in the end I was wrong with the majority of it. I love books where you think you know what is happening then bam, you were wrong. The end of the book left me with a few questions.

The first 80% of The Blame Game was very strong, but I found the last bit confusing. A lot going on, and a lot to keep track of. Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed it!

Reading Between the Wines book review #70/135 for 2022:
Rating: 3 ½ 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Blame Game
Author: Sandie Jones
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: I was really excited to read this one. It was just okay for me. It was one of those where the characters frustrates you to the point that you are eye-rolling and sucking your teeth after every idiotic move. I think the reveal was decent but not mind blowing. The last 15% climaxed and really pulled me in and there were other points in the story where I didn’t want to stop reading but overall it was just okay.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for and advanced copy of @TheBlameGame.

#TheBlameGame #SandieJones #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

I would firstly like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for providing me an ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This 3 star read was my first book by Sandie Jones and I got into it immediately. I liked the plot and all the twists and turns that I did not expect. Each time I thought I had guess the answer I was proven wrong. Our protagonist, Naomi was an interesting character and unlike any other therapist I have ever read about or known. While I enjoyed the writing I found it difficult to come to terms with how unethically Naomi practiced and it was one of the things that made this a tough one to believe or imagine. I do like how we kept visiting her family home in New York when Naomi was a child. Seems she was a liar as a child and brought that into her adult life too.

I think this is a good psychological thriller and it did keep me in suspense right up until the very last sentence.

I think folks should make up their own minds about this book and I will not say more except that I would like to read another Sandie Jones book to compare.

This book is about Naomi, a psychologist who specializes in domestic abuse patients. She feels an intense responsibility to protect her patients, even if it means crossing professional lines. After helping a patient leave his abusive wife, he goes missing, leaving Naomi as the number one suspect.

Naomi makes bad decision after bad decision, and her dark past leaves her not knowing who she can trust. You will find yourself second guessing your predictions throughout the entire book!

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy for review. The Blame Game is out now.

What in the?!?!? 😳
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Sandie Jones, you got me!! What the heck!? Admittedly, I’m not a super sleuth but holy cats this was wild! Naomi, Jacob, Anna, Leon -who can I trust?!? These four are the stars of the show but then the author threw in a couple of estranged family members and I couldn’t put the book down! Naomi is the doting therapist who wants to be able to save her clients from abuse while her husband, Leon, thinks she goes above and beyond. Naomi gets herself into a web of lies by letting a client move into her former flat. Before long, lines are blurred and she’s questioning her sanity. All while the police are questioning her whereabouts. Who committed the crime though….especially when there’s no body…..yet?
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TW: domestic violence, death of a child (past tense), infedelity.

In The Blame Game, protagonist Naomi is a psychologist specializing in counseling victims of domestic abuse. She chose this line of work due to things in her own dark, tragic past. While she enjoys her work, in her eagerness to offer help and comfort, she often finds it difficult to maintain the ethical line between doctor and patient. When her patient Jacob shares with Naomi that he wants to leave his abusive wife, Naomi strays into the gray area and then crosses the line by offering Jacob a safe place to stay at a place owned by she and her husband. Soon, another client tells Naomi of her fear of her abusive husband, and Naomi also intervenes by giving her a place to stay. Naomi's husband cautions her, but she ignores him. However, when files go missing, and doors she knows she locked are found unlocked, Naomi has to wonder if she's gone too far or if her past has finally caught up with her. When the police come knocking at her door asking a lot of uncomfortable questions about the whereabouts of a missing Jacob, Naomi fears her secrets are about to be exposed. Has she gone too far?

As a reader, I found it interesting that Naomi crosses all ethical lines with her patients and yet she appears to maintain a personal Do Not Cross line with her own husband. While we know her past was dark, I wanted more of Naomi's backstory in order to better connect and establish empathy for her especially since the past proved to be relevant to her life choices. Jones has provided readers some details, but Naomi may have come across as a more likable, sympathetic character if readers could see more interactions of her with her estranged sister and convict father and if she actually had found some kind of closure. I'm left feeling a critical piece of the puzzle plus motivation for the main character's actions are rushed.

The Blame Game is exactly that as readers are charged with delving through the bits and pieces of the story and following the twists and turns until the final reveal occurs. I'll admit to seeing it coming which rendered less shock value, but I continued reading seeking answers to other questions raised. The author does a great job spotlighting the issue of domestic abuse and violence while showcasing the stereotypes often associated with abusive relationships especially a less typical female against male abuse. I applaud her for taking this approach and feel she did an expert job drawing much needed attention to the subject of domestic violence as a whole.

The Blame Game is well written, tense and at times quite riveting. While I enjoyed reading it, The Other Woman remains my favorite work from the talented Sandie Jones. I look forward to seeing what this author releases next. Highly recommended to fans of mystery and suspense.

This one was wild; had me questioning everyone. Who do you believe? Who do you trust? I liked how everyone had suspicious behaviors.

At the same time, I didn't like any of the characters to be honest. This wasn't a character driven plot or not liking them might have ruined it for me. This was about the mystery and figuring out what actually happened versus what we think happened versus what they say happened.

I listened to this one while following my daughter around at the fair and I've got to say, it had me looking at people like, what do you have hidden?

Thank you to @macmillanaudio and @stmartinspress for the gifted review copies.

Review of The Blame Game by Sandie Jones

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoy most books but this author and I definitely enjoyed this one overall as well. It had a few twists I didn’t see coming. My main complaint is that I did not care for the main character and because of that it dragged in bits for me. I’m still a big fan and will absolutely keep reading all of her books in the future.

Quick synopsis: Naomi is a therapist with a big heart and a secret past. She can never turn away someone in need and I’d say gets too directly involved in her clients’ lives. She is trying to help Jacob safety leave his abusive wife when she starts noticing really odd things happening like her notes go missing and doors are unlocked etc. Is this due to Jacob’s wife or to her past life she would rather forget?

A huge thank you to @minotaur_books and @betgalley for my copy of this one which was out last week!

The Blame Game turned out to be a bit of a letdown. I’ve read and liked previous Sandie Jones books, but with this one, there wasn’t anything special that stood out and made me enjoy it. The police investigation felt very unprofessional and amateur and it really bugged me. Some parts of the story I don’t feel like added up correctly and it felt so far fetched, that I found it hard to connect to. The characters were basic and very unlikable. Even though this one didn’t work for me, I will try this author again in the future and give her another try since I liked some of her previous work.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Net Galley for an ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I absolutely love Sandie Jones writing. A delightfully twisted thriller that will have you questioning everything. Naomi is a psychologist that specializes in domestic abuse. She often struggles with demons from her own past, which leave her crossing the line to help her personal clients. Now she finds herself trying to help her client, Jacob, leave his abusive wife. But then, Jacob goes missing and the police are questioning Naomi.

The Blame Game by Sandie Jones came out yesterday - August 16th!

I'm honestly not sure what I read with this book! This is a fast paced domestic thriller about a psychologist who gets too invested with her patients and when one goes missing Naomi's worried she's gone too far.

I liked this and there was a good twist but I wanted more! Also at times you're really questioning the ethics of Naomi and the boundaries she crosses multiple times. I needed more character development as this was a short book at 256 pages and I felt like I just needed more.

Having read a few of Sandie Jones books, I really enjoy her writing style. This book, though, may be my favorite of her published novels so far. I liked the organized chaos of the story. The main character, Naomi is hectic in her own way. When we're first introduced she seems to have it all nicely organized and put together but really she stretches herself too thin for her patients and perhaps hasn't dealt with her past trauma.

She's secretly moved a patient of hers, Jacob, into her and her husbands rental property without divulging this to her husband (she's knows he'd object at the blurred lines here). He's a victim of domestic violence and has finally gotten enough figured out to leave his wife without a trace. But he calls one night frantic because his wife has found him. Naomi meets Jacob at a hotel she recommends to him and he confuses their relationship. Naomi leaves having firmly established they have a professional relationship and heads home.

But the little seemingly white lies she's told to get Jacob into a safe house have now unraveled. Jacob is missing and Naomi is the main suspect. She's at a total loss as to what is going on, especially when the police start producing evidence that imply Naomi and Jacob DID have an illicit relationship.

Naomi quickly begins to distrust everyone, even perhaps herself. As the book comes to a tumultuous climax I felt even Naomi couldn't be trusted as a reliable narrator. In fact, there is a part of me that is still a little uncertain about what we actually learned at the end. I can see readers interpreting the ending in a variety of ways and all are valid. This vague ending makes it all the more engaging in my opinion.

Ok, this one… I really enjoyed reading this and it kept my interest and I was curious, but ultimately it’s another one I found very predictable (even though there is a LOT going on to distract you). And all the same, I’m still not EXACTLY sure what ended up happening. The end was a little murky for me.

So to keep this short and sweet, I did enjoy the journey but I’m still up in the air on the destination!

I’d read this if you’ve read others by this author and enjoyed them. In that case, I’d say it’s work taking a chance on!

Sandie Jones has truly become a wonderful novelist! I have enjoyed every book I’ve read! Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Minotaur for the review copy!

Psychologist Naomi knows she isn’t going crazy but, things are happening and they’re being tied back to her. After the trauma of her Moms murder, she does anything she can to help her clients; so when a man Jacob comes in saying his wife abuses him, she believes him and actually lets him take refuge at an unused flat her husband and she own. Things take a drastic turn after she meets him for a drink at a hotel bar and that’s the last anyone sees of him. She’s now being looked at as the last person to see him. Where did he go and how does this all tie in to her life?

This book kept me reading, I’ve been in a slump lately while trying to juggle college coursework and I actually made time to finish this. It was good, interesting and the tiny details are what made the story. I enjoyed it and the setting was perfect for the story. Four stars!!