Abandon is different to all the other Blake Crouch books I've read. It's not scifi or futuristic thriller, it's thriller with some serious spook.

At first, I wasn't sure I had the chops for the level of scary unease I was experiencing because I'm a level 8 wuss. But I persevered and it got easier to cope with after that very jolting start.

If you like a ghosty feel, an eerie abandoned village, historical crimes and high level tension then this is a great read to dive into.

I really enjoyed Abandon but it definitely wasn't my favourite book from Crouch. I'm used to twisty turny psychy sci fi thriller and this was more a ghosty spooky ready.
One thing Crouch always does well is atmosphere. He teases it out and enthrals the reader into his snare, the early chapters of this book were really creepy for me and that's not a usual occurrence! I enjoyed the build up for the characters and I was kept guessing up to the end. My interest did wane slightly with the marines but actually in the end the whole thing was executed well.

If I had read this without having the author revealed, I never would have believed it was written by Blake Crouch. I’ve become used to pulse-pounding, brain-frying ideas and this wasn’t that. I now realise this was an earlier one of his books. It was still enjoyable but my pulse and brain were very relaxed!

Abandon by Blake Crouch was not quite what I was expecting- here is my review of this historical fiction.
I received a copy for a free and unbiased opinion.
I’ve enjoyed Blake Crouch’s books in the past. His books feature complex plots, twists, action and fascinating science-fiction concepts. But I’m not sure how I missed the fact that Abandon was actually historical fiction.
The book is well-written with Crouch’s twists and plenty of action. I could feel some of the character’s dread as the book progressed and the author captures the growing paranoia and instability of the some of the men caught up in their greed for gold.
I really warmed to Abigail’s character and did keep reading till the end to see how her story ends. I liked she was not obsessed with gold and has to deal with the aftermath of her father’s obsession.
I didn’t like the other characters both in the present and the past. Some of the people in this book are truly awful and seem to get more despicable as the book progressed. When I thought things couldn’t get more violent, they did- often in gruesome ways.

Abandon is one of those strangely frustrating stories, with some really good elements and sections that meander awhile before not really going anywhere. At its heart this is a story about greed, secrets and guilt.
The story takes place over a number of time periods and the setting is the remote town of Abandon. Ever since the residents of the town disappeared on Christmas Eve people have wondered what happened there. Rumours abound, and nobody has been able to establish the truth.
Over the course of the book we learn what happened.
Initially, the feeling was that paranormal events were behind this occurrence. As the book progressed we learn a much baser truth…it’s all about desire for untold wealth, and the extent to which people are prepared to do awful things in the pursuit of it.
I found the modern story rather frustrating, but as we learn more of the past it made more sense. The parallels between key characters were poignantly drawn out, though nothing seems to end well for anyone. I was angry on behalf of Lana’s character…a woman who’d suffered so much to try and help others, cruelly abandoned so a frustrated man could get his hands on the gold. Thankfully, we see that doesn’t really work out for him (or his descendants). I can’t help but hope that the ending had its own secrets!
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.

I'm grateful to the publisher for allowing me to read this prior to publication, as I'm a fan of Blake Crouch and I've always been impressed by his imagination and superb books.
This book is no exception as it quickly evolves into something special, really coming alive in the final quarter. If I'm honest, the middle section is perhaps forty pages too many, but otherwise a very good read. Whilst it isn't difficult to guess some plot developments, the story is generally taut and enjoyable.
I loved the flowing and divergent timelines and perspectives and as I've previously said, the final third of this book is just exceptional.

I really struggled with this book. Firstly, I hadn’t realised it was actually a title that the author had released some time ago, back in 2009.. Secondly, there were just too many characters for my (small) mind to cope with. Thirdly, the story was written in a style that just didn’t appeal - like some old fashioned horror story mixed in with a latter day western.

I tried reading the book and then I even purchased an audio copy on release date and attempted to listen to it - thinking I might cope better with it. Unfortunately that didn’t work any better for me.

I won’t be adding my review to Goodreads/Amazon/Waterstones as I don’t feel I got far enough into it to fully do it justice. I just know it didn’t suit me.

I’m a huge fan of Blake Crouch, this was the seventh book I’ve read by this author and so far they’ve all been brilliant.

This books is 4.5 stars for me rounded up. It gets five for tension and plot. It was a little too horrifying for me in a couple of places otherwise it would have been five. This is just personal preference though and I’m sure for some people they’ll really enjoy these two unnerving moments. This leans more horror thriller than sci-fi thriller like many of other Crouch novels. The sci-fi thrillers are my favourite.

This genuinely is such a clever book! I was wondering how he was going to resolve the disappearance of the town and right up until he explained it I was still guessing and looking in the wrong direction! Very thrilling! This author really does know how to keep you on your toes!

I thought the transition between the two time periods of modern day and 1893 worked really well as the modern characters are investigating what happened to the town that disappeared. The Colorado isolated mountain town setting just worked so wonderfully well! So creepy and atmospheric and yet eerily beautiful at the same time.

I will continue to read anything Blake Crouch writes, he has become one of my favourite authors!

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to Blake Crouch, Net Galley and the publisher for allowing this.

In 1893 every resident in a town called Abandon disappeared, never to be found again. Journalist Abigail and her father Lawrence are determined to find out what really happened but their journey becomes more dangerous than they ever expected.

Every Blake Crouch book that I have read has been amazing, but I think Abandon might just be my new favourite.

Be prepared to be on edge for the entirety of this book, I am certain that your heart rate won't come back down until you've finished reading! The plot was fast-paced and constantly kept me guessing at what would happen next. I really enjoyed its unpredictable nature.

My favourite part of the book was the remote winter setting. It was harsh and unforgiving, making everything a real challenge for the characters. The story is told across both past and present which was really exciting to follow both sets of characters and their journeys.

Abandon is a rollercoaster of a read that would make a fantastic film.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The most recent releases by Blake Crouch have had a science fiction element to them, and have been fast moving thrillers with big ideas. This book (Abandon) has a different feel to it and falls more into the literary thriller category. It has a split narrative, jumping between the present day exploration of the ruined and empty mining town of Abandon, and the unexplained events over a hundred years ago that led to the disappearance of its inhabitants. The two timelines run in parallel, creating interesting counterpoints and observations about the human condition, notably about greed and how it can consume. There is also a subtle comparison of the fate of soldiers when they are no longer needed to wage war. Overall, this was a thought provoking page turner, a change in direction for the author but a successful one, proving that he is a skilled writer, offering far more than just your typical thriller. Recommended.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Crouch has written some of my all time favourite books and I was incredibly excited to read Abandon having never read the original release - and I really enjoyed it. Abandon was a gripping and often quite dark story with several twists and turns along the way; and although there were a multitude of characters and I sometimes struggled to keep track, they were all well developed. My favourite aspect was the inclusion of dual timelines and how all the stories intertwined and connected throughout the story. On the contrary, I felt the book often dragged and sometimes lacked the energy to keep me turning pages. Although it doesnt quite live up to the blurb, I would recommend Abandon if you are looking for a gritty and suspenseful read. 4/5.

This was a bleak and eerie read and I was unaware tmwhen I requested that this was a reissue of an older book.

Blake Crouch will always be one of my favourite scifi authors. It’s good to know he can also write suspenseful thrillers too!

There was a steady pace to this dark gritty tale of greed. All carnage broke loose at the 50% mark and when I think the horrors of money hungry men couldn’t get worse… let’s just say, brace yourself for some shocking moments!

A great read. Looking forward to discovering more of Crouch’s earlier work.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

it sounded interesting and i tried to like it...there were some elements that pulled me in but i started to wonder when it would finish and thats not good....

so for me its a dnf... i tried to give it a good go but i was forever putting it down... so this one is not for me but others i can see have liked it...

"Abandon" is the title of the book and not an invitation for what to do with it. My 3 stars is purely for the parts set in the 1890s. I really enjoyed these parts of the story, along with the characters and the setting. The modern day chapters really let the whole thing down for me and I didn't enjoy them at all. Good writing, though - good enough to let me finish the book.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

An earlier novel of Blake Crouch is a mystery focussed on an abandoned mining town in the Rockies in present day and the events a century earlier leading to the disappearance of its residents. I found the story bleak and depressing, claustrophobic and the pace very slow. Readers anticipating a high energy thriller will be disappointed. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This is an older title that was republished, and I'm so glad it was!

I'm still so confused by how supernatural or magical elements were integrated into the story. I love the concept of a whole town disappearing and everyone investigating also disappears. This book was written well, but some of the descriptions were quite info-dumpy.

Overall, and interesting story that was eerie and left me intrigued to read older works by Blake Crouch!

This is one of Blake's earlier works being re-published this year and Netgalley has kindly given me an opportunity to read it.

I love the concept a small montain town completely vanish with no trace. A hundred or so years later a journalist and her dad along with some ghost hunters are visiting the abandoned town called Abandon.

I really enjoyed reading about the town and the lead up to what happened that fateful night they all disappeared along side the modern day ghost/treasure hunt.

However there was a lot going on - so many characters, sometimes I don't think the author knew what he wanted this book to be.

A little slow in places but over all enjoyed the action adventure and mystery of this story.

In the remote town of Abandon - originally named Hope - an inexplicable event that took place over a century ago set in motion what would turn out to be an enduring legend.

On Christmas Day in 1893, all the townspeople vanished, never to be seen again. Leaving behind half-eaten meals and abandoned houses, the mysterious disappearance earned the town a reputation for being haunted.

In 2009, a small group consisting of an academic, a journalist, two guides, and a husband-and-wife team of "paranormal photographers" sets forth for the one-time gold mining town in the mountains, intending to find out what really happened to earn Abandon its reputation.

What they find is not what they anticipated. It is, in fact, not what any member of this rather diverse group expected to find. But it is indeed an explanation of those long-ago events. And it isn't that, after all, what they all really wanted?

I had mixed feelings about this book. It was well written and atmospheric. But the explanation for the Christmas Day incident at Abandon did not entirely do justice to what had been an interesting premise; nor did the paranormal elements hinted at materialise as expected. I can't help thinking that there was more potential in this story than what was delivered by the writer. I give it 3.5 stars, but it could have been so much higher.

Atmospheric, Bleak..
A genre bending tale of adventure, suspense and horror as the reader follows the characters in a relentless search for the truth. What really happened in that desolate mining town in 1893 - and is history about to repeat itself? With an atmospheric and appropriately bleak setting, a plot populated with a well drawn cast and an intriguing tale this is an interesting read although the crossover of genres becomes, perhaps, a little wearing.