‘Shocking and wickedly funny’ Neil Hegarty'A raw, startlingly honest novel about family, love and redemption’ Matthew Norman

It is the summer of 1989 when Lucas witnesses an event that will tear his family apart. Over a decade later, his estranged father succumbs to a suspected heart attack.

Lucas shuns grief and escapes to New York with his colleague Mariana. However, a dark secret from his past threatens to re-emerge and destroy the burgeoning relationship before it has even begun.

When his father’s girlfriend fails to reappear after reporting his death, the true cause of his demise falls under scrutiny. And as the startling truth comes to light, Lucas must confront the fact that father and son may not have been so different after all.

‘At a time when high-quality contemporary literary fiction is rarer than ever, Paul Read’s novels are a much-needed tonic’ Matt Thorne, author of the Man Booker Prize-longlisted ‘Cherry’

‘The details in the story immediately struck me as cleverly and astutely observed.’ Eben Venter, author of ‘Wolf, Wolf’

‘By turns shocking and wickedly funny, Blame tells an absorbing tale of guilt and grief, and of the toll that the past can take on the present.’ Neil Hegarty, author of ‘Inch Levels’

‘Blame is a raw, startlingly honest novel about family, love, and redemption. Through keen insight, nostalgia, and humour, Paul Read reminds us that although we can’t escape who we are… we can at least strive to make the best of it.’ Matthew Norman, author of ‘Domestic Violets’ and ‘We’re All Damaged