The Blame Game. C.J. Cooke

      

      

       Copyright

      Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

      1 London Bridge Street

      London SE1 9GF

       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019

      Copyright © C. J. Cooke 2019

      Jacket design by Dominic Forbes © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

      Jacket photographs © Stephanie Frey / Arcangel Images (envelope); Shutterstock.com (extra texture).

      C. J. Cooke asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

      A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

      This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

      Source ISBN: 9780008237561

      Ebook Edition © March 2019 ISBN: 9780008237578

      Version: 2019-01-21

       Dedication

       for Willow

       Epigraph

      But I know human nature, my friend, and I tell you that, suddenly confronted with the possibility of being tried for murder, the most innocent person will lose his head and do the most absurd things.

      Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

      Copyright

      Dedication

      Epigraph

      Part One

      1. Helen

      2. Helen

      3. Michael

      4. Helen

      5. Michael

6. Helen

7. Michael

8. Helen

9. Michael

10. Helen

11. Michael

12. Michael

13. Helen

       14. Reuben

       15. Helen

       16. Helen

       17. Helen

       18. Michael

       19. Helen

       20. Helen

       21. Michael

       22. Helen

       23. Reuben

       Part Two

       24. Helen

       25. Reuben

       26. Michael

       27. Helen

       28. Michael

       29. Michael

       30. Helen

       31. Reuben

       32. Michael

       33. Helen

       34. Helen

       35. Helen

       36. Helen

       37. Michael

       38. Helen

       39. Michael

       40. Michael

       41. Helen

       Part Three

       42. Helen

       43. Reuben

       44. Helen

       45. Helen

       46. Helen

       47. Reuben

       48. Helen

       49. Helen

       50. Reuben

       51. Michael

       52. Helen

       Part Four

       53. Michael

       54. Helen

       Acknowledgements

       A Q&A with C. J. Cooke

       Keep Reading …

       About the Author

       Also by C. J. Cooke

       About the Publisher

       K. Haden

       Haden, Morris & Laurence Law Practice

       4 Martin Place

       London, EN9 1AS

       25th June 2006

       Michael King

       101 Oxford Lane

       Cardiff

       CF10 1FY

       Sir,

       We write again regarding the death of Luke Aucoin. The time to meet about this tragedy is long overdue. Please do not delay in writing to us at the above address to arrange a meeting.