This book was high on my wishlist so was delighted to receive a copy in exchange for my review
I’m a sucker for a police procedural and love most I read.
This certainly fell into that category. But this was no ordinary police procedural
The book mainly centres around sexual abuse of young women so can be a tough read at times. But if you’re a hard nut to crack (like me!) it’s an intense, gripping, crime thriller with literally a killer twist!
When I read these kind of books I always think about them being made into a tv series and this is one id most definitely like to see adapted. It made me think of line of duty with all of the corruption
Whilst the book is disturbing in places, the characters are so realistic and relatable in some way or another
This book is an excellent debut and comes highly recommended from me

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It was a fabulous read drawing you in at the beginning and keeping you hooked until the end. It had so many twists and is difficult to believe it is a debut, I look forward to reading more from this author.

Amazing story that kept me guessing till the end. Well written and easy flowing. This is the first I've read from this author and I can't wait to read more.

Fast paced,exciting, lots of diverse characters and plenty of twists and turns. As the story unravelled I was surprised that it didn’t go where I was expecting. This debut police procedural book was a great read which kept me hooked. Highly recommended if this is your genre. I look forward to the next book from this author

The Blame is the first book in a new police series with great potential. Detective Erin Crane is one of the detective's on the case of discovering the disappearance and murder of a young girl. As the case evolves, Erin is shocked when findings point the finger towards a fellow colleague, also on the case and linking it to previous sexual assaults and murders too. Erin could be in grave danger herself as she tries to discover the truth, but will this stop her or make her more determined?
This was such a great book and opens your eyes towards corruption within policing. The atmosphere and pace is perfect and I could visualise this becoming a great TV series! I really look forward to reading the next instalment!
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This was a really good debut book. It kept me gripped from the beginning and with lots of twist and turns had me glued. Definitely think this would make a good series.

this is such a multi-layered head-spinner of a story, I almost needed a police whiteboard of my own to track all of the suspects and links between them!

'The Blame' is a fantastic addition to one of my favourite genres, police procedurals and investigations.

The pace of the story doesn't let up from start to finish; it is a real page-turner with red herrings and misdirection at every turn.

The main character, Erin Crane is fantastically complex, still battling her own childhood demons and insecurities. The fall out of a badly made professional decision that may come back to bite her is hanging over at all times too.

The story is told across a series of timelines, past and present, with multiple points of view, building the picture of what is going on but providing the opportunity for more twists and turns.

The focus on police corruption and cover-ups is a very timely one; the story has a distinct Sarah Everard feel to it which is utterly chilling and unfortunately all too possible.

I can't believe that 'The Blame' is a debut novel, it is so assured, well-considered and confidently written. It would make a fabulous TV drama, all of the elements are there

What a fantastic debut from Charlotte Langley, I’m really hoping this book will be the first of many!

When a distressed teenager makes a 999 call whilst being attacked DI Erin Crane is assigned to the case and a search is begun to find missing teenager Sophie. Whilst a search of the woods is taking place Sophie’s body is found and a murder investigation is launched.

Soon matters become complicated as Detective Tom Radley becomes a prime suspect in her murder, and to make matters harder for Erin her and Tom were at the beginning of a love affair.

As the book goes on Tom discovers Erin’s secret, that she put an innocent man behind bars to avenge traumas of her past. Weirdly this draws the two of them closer together as they both have secrets they want to stay hidden from the rest of the force.

Further challenges are faced when Erin realises a more senior officer is also involved in hidden crimes witch have been kept hidden from the rest of the force, and with the head of anti-corruption DI Walker taking up his own investigation it’s only a matter of time until secrets and lies are exposed.

What I loved about The Blame was there was plenty of suspense, you had murders, sexual exploitation, drugging and throw in bent coppers trying to cover their own backs to make this thriller different to any I’ve ever read before, and I loved it! Every time I thought I had work out who was behind the crime I was thrown in another direction.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review. Really hoping that the blame will be part of a new series.

This book was so gripping from the very start that I didn't want to put it down. I don't read many books centered around the police but I really loved this one. There were so many twists and turns, and just when you thought you'd worked it out, there would be another piece of evidence that knocked it all down. The only reason this isn't a 5 star is because I just wanted more, I kind of wish the epilogue was split into a few chapters instead. However, I'd 100% recommend this one!

This was exquisite!

Sharply written, intelligent to the max and great characters that I hope I will see again.

I think the pacing helped make this one of the best debuts I’ve ever read.

If you like procedural with extra thrills this is the author for you.

This is an excellent debut novel from the author, featuring Detective Erin Crane. It started at a fast pace, with the murder of a young girl but then slowed as the plot became more complex. It focuses around police corruption and sexual abuse of young women. There were plenty twists, although I was desperate to find out the truth, and I would have liked more depth of character. it's a promising start to a new series and I hope there is a follow up. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

What a cleverly written story! It's complex and has a lot going on but I loved that about it. The premise was so original and although I've read a lot of police procedurals, I've never come across one like this before so I was immediately invested! I literally couldn't put it down, it really does get under your skin and leave you wanting more

A fantastic debut by Charlotte Langley.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this arc

The start of another police series which suits me down to the ground as I love reading them.
I will be queuing up for the next story involving Erin Crane as I need to know what she does next

4 stars

I love a psychological thriller so was straight away drawn to this book as soon as I read the blurb! It was honestly like nothing I have ever read before (in the best way) and I cannot believe this is only Charlotte Langley’s debut. The twists and turns had me guessing throughout and honestly I cannot recommend the book enough! I cannot wait to read more books by her in the future and have been busy recommending to everyone - telling them to purchase it when it comes. If I could rate it higher than five stars, I would do!

Three bent coppers in one nick - what are the chances?
I enjoyed the start of this crime thriller but the plot became very complex without enough anchoring, particularly with the red herring characters, who were thrown in but very lightly sketched.
The three cases are connected, and the plot revolves around two of the three officers trying to find evidence to nail or exonerate their colleague(s), or face prosecution themselves. It became confusing when previous cases became involved, and the original murder that launched the novel, that of gymnast Sophie Madson, seems to recede into the distance.
I was surprised that there didn't seem to be any public interest around police corruption, when the likelihood of three officers in one force being convicted of crimes including murder and tampering with evidence would surely provoke an outcry.
The pacing was slow and I began to despair that we would ever see the truth dragged out of one of the protagonists, who underwent a complete personality change during the novel.