The blame game by Sandie Jones

Naomi, a psychologist specialising in domestic abuse-related trauma repeatedly goes the extra mile for her clients but this results in her crossing professional boundaries, reliving her own childhood trauma and jeopardising her marriage.

When Naomi’s client Jacob decides that he has to escape his abusive wife, Naomi offers him the use of their holiday apartment without consulting her husband. A series of interactions seem to lead Jacob to believe that Naomi has romantic feelings for him, and when he goes missing Naomi begins telling a string of lies to both the police and her husband in an attempt to stay in the clear.

Naomi also offers refuge in her house to client Anna and her children and at the same time a series of unexplained events occur; locked doors are found unlocked, a patient’s file goes missing. A panicked Naomi begins to fear that her murderer father and/or bitterly estranged younger sister have tracked her down from New York to her new life in England, but maybe the threat is much closer to hand.

It transpires that at least one character is not really who they say they are, and Naomi begins to question the identity and relationships of the other characters, as her deceits and misgivings take their toll.

Jones has written a fast-paced thriller, with regular unexpected twists and turns. These keep the reader engaged, if only to find the outcome of the highly implausible behaviour and unethical professional behaviour of the cast of unlikeable characters.  

Themes: Domestic abuse, Thriller.

Margaret Crohn