Abandon [Hardcover]

Blake Crouch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009

On Christmas Day in 1893, every man, woman and child in a remote gold mining town disappeared, belongings forsaken, meals left to freeze in vacant cabins; and not a single bone was ever found. One hundred thirteen years later, two backcountry guides are hired by a history professor and his journalist daughter to lead them into the abandoned mining town so that they can learn what happened. With them is a psychic, and a paranormal photographer—as the town is rumored to be haunted. A party that tried to explore the town years ago was never heard from again. What this crew is about to discover is that twenty miles from civilization, with a blizzard bearing down, they are not alone, and the past is very much alive.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of this bloated thriller from Crouch (Desert Places), Abigail Foster, a Manhattan freelance journalist, reluctantly agrees to accompany her father, Lawrence Kendall—who abandoned her as a child—and paranormal photographers Emmett and June Tozer, to the remote remains of Abandon, Colo. The inhabitants of Abandon all vanished without a trace on Christmas Day 1893, and Abigail thinks she'll write an article on the Tozers and the ghost town's history. The present-day hikers face a number of obstacles, starting with an unexpected blizzard and including the arrival of ex-Marines intent on finding millions of dollars worth of gold supposedly stashed somewhere in Abandon. Despite the book's intriguing premise, the action soon devolves into a Rambo-style melee, with enough blood and guts to put off weak stomachs. By the time Abandon's fate is revealed in the overly drawn-out climax, few readers will care. (July)
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Review

On Christmas Day 1893, the tiny, remote gold-mining town of Abandon, Colorado, ceased to be. No trace of the population was ever found. More than a century later, a historian, a journalist, and two paranormal investigators trek into the ghost town with varying purposes. Crouch tells his tale in alternating chapters, but the reader ultimately learns that the story of both the residents and the latter-day visitors is one of gold, greed, and murder—and a pinch of madness. Abandon is an ambitious and largely effective suspense novel. The portrayal of life in Abandon is rich with details of brutal hardship, suffering, and a gnawing sense of creepiness. The modern investigators are tried by cold, a blizzard, avalanche dangers, rotted buildings that may collapse at any moment, and the eeriness of the derelict town. But Crouch has two sets of characters, and nearly all have a backstory. Some work; some are strained. Even so, the palpable suspense just keeps building, and many thriller fans—especially those who like a touch of horror—will lose sleep to find out how it all ends. - Booklist

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First edition (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312537409
• ISBN-13: 978-0312537401
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #600,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BLAKE CROUCH is the author of DESERT PLACES, LOCKED DOORS, SNOWBOUND, and ABANDON, which was an IndieBound Notable Selection, all published by St. Martin's Press. Blake's latest thriller, RUN, his first indie release, hit the Amazon Top 50.

His short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Thriller 2, Shivers VI, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and other anthologies.

In 2009, he co-wrote "Serial" with JA Konrath, which has been downloaded over 500,000 times and topped the Kindle bestseller list for 4 weeks. That story and ABANDON have also been optioned for film. He is currently at work with JA Konrath on the novel STIRRED, the conclusion to his Andrew Z. Thomas series. Blake lives in Colorado. His website is www.blakecrouch.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars loved it!, August 13, 2009

By 

grumpydan (Andover, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Abandon (Hardcover)

Blake Crouch has written one captivating mystery with "Abandon". In 1893 the entire town of Abandon disappears under mysterious circumstances and then 116 years later, a team of explorers go to the town to do some research and take photos. When two of the guides are attacked in front of the rest of the group, the mystery becomes even more mysterious. Alternating between the two time periods, Crouch has the reader watch as events unfold in the past, and how the tension builds up as we discover what the real reason these people are here. I, at first, was skeptical, thinking this was a supernatural type of story but was completely and happily surprised that this was as suspenseful thriller based on greed. Great book.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frightening, Powerful, and Unforgettable, July 7, 2009

By 

J. A. KONRATH "Thriller Author" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Abandon (Hardcover)

I love books that revolve around a huge mystery, in this case: How did the entire population of a Western town disappear on Christmas Day, 1893?

More than a hundred years later, a group goes to investigate. And the horror begins, again.

Crouch is a master of suspense, and he creates some of the best villains in modern thriller fiction. Abandon is his best work, and it hits like a brick to the teeth. Be prepared to stay up all night reading, and make sure your doors are locked...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story, September 13, 2011

By 

MikeNY (outside Atlantic City, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Abandon (Kindle Edition)

Crouch creates a very strong storyline with lots of unexpected twists and turns. Just when you think you have things figured out, something changes! Great imagery and vivid descriptions paint a creepy and haunting setting. Speaking as a historian with a special interest in the old west and having visited many of the old west boom towns, the historical details used in the story are very accurate. Though the story itself is fiction, these details create a realistic plot. The blizzard creates a wonderful adversary and amps up the dramatic energy brought on by the human adversaries. This is a great read, especially for enthusiasts of the American old west and is especially powerful when read in the dark of night. In fact, just after finishing reading for the night and hearing a strange sound outside, I was pretty freaked out! Beware, you WILL spend hours reading and be bitten by the "one more chapter" bug!