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A century-old mystery—and a desperate battle to survive—unfold in this standalone thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter and Recursion.On Christmas Day in 1893, every man, woman, and child in a remote mining town disappeared, belongings forsaken, meals left to freeze in vacant cabins, and not a single bone found.
Now, journalist Abigail Foster and her historian father have set out to explore the long-abandoned town and learn what happened. With them are show more two backcountry guides—along with a psychic and a paranormal photographer who are there to investigate rumors that the town is haunted.
But Abigail and her companions are about to learn that the town’s ghosts are the least of their worries. Twenty miles from civilization, with a blizzard bearing down, they realize they are not alone.
The ordeal that follows will test this small team past the breaking point as they battle the elements and human foes alike—and discover that the town’s secrets still have the power to kill.
Part journey into old-West history, part nail-biting survival thriller, Abandon is a bloody, darkly surprising tale as only Blake Crouch could deliver.
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On Christmas day in 1893, the entire population of Abandon disappeared without a trace. The town has remained empty ever since and is believed to be haunted. Because of its inaccessibility, and the dangers of crossing through the mountains especially in winter, it is almost impossible to get permission from the authorities to enter it. But, in 2009, a group including a history professor, his estranged journalist daughter and a married couple with psychic credentials have gained permission to explore the area and have hired two guides to lead them. They all claim to be searching for answers to what happened to the town but some of them are there for another reason, another mystery, one they are more than willing to kill for but the show more question they should be asking themselves: is it one they’re willing to die for.
Abandon by author Blake Crouch is one hell of a ride. There are no monsters except of the human variety and no ghosts or ghoulies but this is definitely a horror story and a very bloody one at that. The novel switches back and forth between the two time periods and in many ways they mirror each other: sorrow, betrayal, murder, greed, madness, even the weather is unremittingly bad. Character development gets short shrift here. There a lot of characters in both time periods and, as a result, the reader doesn’t really get a chance to get to know and empathise with anyone which did tend to reduce the amount of chills. However, this lack is offset to a great extent by the amount of action and atmosphere which keeps the adrenaline pumping and the tension rising. Besides I suspect the lack of likeable characters in Abandon may have been intentional – after all the town is Abandon and, if you go there, you should be prepared, to quote Dante, to
Abandon hope all ye who enter here. show less
Abandon by author Blake Crouch is one hell of a ride. There are no monsters except of the human variety and no ghosts or ghoulies but this is definitely a horror story and a very bloody one at that. The novel switches back and forth between the two time periods and in many ways they mirror each other: sorrow, betrayal, murder, greed, madness, even the weather is unremittingly bad. Character development gets short shrift here. There a lot of characters in both time periods and, as a result, the reader doesn’t really get a chance to get to know and empathise with anyone which did tend to reduce the amount of chills. However, this lack is offset to a great extent by the amount of action and atmosphere which keeps the adrenaline pumping and the tension rising. Besides I suspect the lack of likeable characters in Abandon may have been intentional – after all the town is Abandon and, if you go there, you should be prepared, to quote Dante, to
Abandon hope all ye who enter here. show less
Holy $%@# this book. Let's start with a synopsis:
In 1863 every inhabitant of the mining town Abandon disappeared without a trace. In present day, several people are exploring the ghost town to see if they can figure out what happened. The weather quickly turns nasty and they are trapped out there with a past that seems ready take more victims.
"Oh, let's just read a quick thriller after a heavier book" I said to myself. "Something fast paced and a quick pick me up to recover from something dark," I said. And then I read Abandon and I regret everything.
Look, this book was great. You think you know where things are going to go, but you are so wrong. It starts out at a decent pace, and then like a snowball rolling downhill things pick up show more speed more and more until you get a crashing finale. But it was definitely dark. There are gory bits. Things don't go well for a lot of people. There were things that made me gasp in horror. I don't want to give any details about the books end to avoid spoilers, but at the end I closed the book and just stared at it for a minute and said "What did I just read."
If you like Blake Crouch, I think you'll find this setting very different from his other works, but his style will feel familiar. My only criticism is the relationship between the father and daughter. I think we're supposed to feel more connected or invested in their reunion and the drama of their past, but I wasn't. That didn't really connect for me. But it was fine, because the plot was definitely enough to hook me.
I read this entire thing in a day (road trips are great excuses for blowing through books) and it was great, but it is HEAVY. I recommend it, but be ready for some messed up stuff y'all. show less
In 1863 every inhabitant of the mining town Abandon disappeared without a trace. In present day, several people are exploring the ghost town to see if they can figure out what happened. The weather quickly turns nasty and they are trapped out there with a past that seems ready take more victims.
"Oh, let's just read a quick thriller after a heavier book" I said to myself. "Something fast paced and a quick pick me up to recover from something dark," I said. And then I read Abandon and I regret everything.
Look, this book was great. You think you know where things are going to go, but you are so wrong. It starts out at a decent pace, and then like a snowball rolling downhill things pick up show more speed more and more until you get a crashing finale. But it was definitely dark. There are gory bits. Things don't go well for a lot of people. There were things that made me gasp in horror. I don't want to give any details about the books end to avoid spoilers, but at the end I closed the book and just stared at it for a minute and said "What did I just read."
If you like Blake Crouch, I think you'll find this setting very different from his other works, but his style will feel familiar. My only criticism is the relationship between the father and daughter. I think we're supposed to feel more connected or invested in their reunion and the drama of their past, but I wasn't. That didn't really connect for me. But it was fine, because the plot was definitely enough to hook me.
I read this entire thing in a day (road trips are great excuses for blowing through books) and it was great, but it is HEAVY. I recommend it, but be ready for some messed up stuff y'all. show less
This book was a raw, brutal, visceral experience in the best way. I was utterly captivated by Crouch's ability to paint such a vivid picture of life in an 1800s mining town. Reading about Abandon of old made me infinitely grateful to live in today's modern era with all its amenities: central heating, running water, women's rights.
Crouch has an uncanny skill when it comes to painting pictures with words--especially the gruesome, gory, and bone-chilling. I loved the short chapters and the fast pace and ended up staying awake way past my regular bedtime on a few occasions because I was desperate to find out what happened next.
The story continues to haunt me, long after I've turned the last page.
Crouch has an uncanny skill when it comes to painting pictures with words--especially the gruesome, gory, and bone-chilling. I loved the short chapters and the fast pace and ended up staying awake way past my regular bedtime on a few occasions because I was desperate to find out what happened next.
The story continues to haunt me, long after I've turned the last page.
The tale opens in 1893 when a mule skinner, leading a 15 mule pack train, enters a once thriving mining town in the high country of Colorado on December 28th shortly after Christmas to find it abandoned. No smoke issued from the chimneys of the town buildings, nor the snow-bound shacks or cribs dotting the mountainside. Not a person or critter about. After stepping into the local saloon and finding it as if everyone had just walked away, he leads his team down main street toward the stable to feed and quarter them for the night. It’s 27 miles back to Silverton and though the eerie quiet disturbs him, his mules are trail worn.
Before he reaches the stables a six-year-old girl steps out before him. He gets down and as he approaches her, show more she brings out a six shooter from her cloak and shoots him. As he lies there bleeding from a grievous chest wound, she shoots him in the head.
Leap forward to 2009 where 30 year old Abigail, a successful journalist is invited by her father, who had walked out on her and her mother when she was four and hadn’t been or heard from since, invites her to Colorado to explore the mystery of a ghost town called Abandon, with him and a ghost hunter couple.
Thus begins this dark tale of desperation and misery, of deception and betrayal, madness and greed, heavily laced with fear and heart-stopping scenes. For Abandon holds two secrets, both drenched in blood.
Chapter by chapter the tale shifts from the last days of Abandon to 2009 where Abigail’s father leads a small team attempting to decipher the mystery of why the 123 townspeople appeared to have vanished on Christmas day, leaving all their possessions and cooked meals on the tables. Underlying this is another search. The kind of search that brings out the evil in men’s souls.
Crouch draws scenes so graphic that you cringe at the despair bleeding from people desperately living impoverished lives in a dying town that once glittered with gold, that met the needs, depraved or otherwise, of thousands of miners, desperadoes and conmen. Scenes of biting cold, deep snow and the constant terror of avalanches.
This adventure novel is, above all else, a horror story. A very well written tale at that, but with an ending as despairing as the lives of the characters and as refreshing as a lump of coal in your Christmas stocking.
I was waiting for just one small glimmer of hope to be wrung from this sordid story, but I was ruefully denied even this. To be honest, it pissed me off. I’d read another novel many years ago that offered just such an ending. I don’t hold grudges, but that one still rankles and I had hoped never to experience that again. Yet, for another reader the ending may be as incredible as the high country vistas of Colorado. show less
Before he reaches the stables a six-year-old girl steps out before him. He gets down and as he approaches her, show more she brings out a six shooter from her cloak and shoots him. As he lies there bleeding from a grievous chest wound, she shoots him in the head.
Leap forward to 2009 where 30 year old Abigail, a successful journalist is invited by her father, who had walked out on her and her mother when she was four and hadn’t been or heard from since, invites her to Colorado to explore the mystery of a ghost town called Abandon, with him and a ghost hunter couple.
Thus begins this dark tale of desperation and misery, of deception and betrayal, madness and greed, heavily laced with fear and heart-stopping scenes. For Abandon holds two secrets, both drenched in blood.
Chapter by chapter the tale shifts from the last days of Abandon to 2009 where Abigail’s father leads a small team attempting to decipher the mystery of why the 123 townspeople appeared to have vanished on Christmas day, leaving all their possessions and cooked meals on the tables. Underlying this is another search. The kind of search that brings out the evil in men’s souls.
Crouch draws scenes so graphic that you cringe at the despair bleeding from people desperately living impoverished lives in a dying town that once glittered with gold, that met the needs, depraved or otherwise, of thousands of miners, desperadoes and conmen. Scenes of biting cold, deep snow and the constant terror of avalanches.
This adventure novel is, above all else, a horror story. A very well written tale at that, but with an ending as despairing as the lives of the characters and as refreshing as a lump of coal in your Christmas stocking.
I was waiting for just one small glimmer of hope to be wrung from this sordid story, but I was ruefully denied even this. To be honest, it pissed me off. I’d read another novel many years ago that offered just such an ending. I don’t hold grudges, but that one still rankles and I had hoped never to experience that again. Yet, for another reader the ending may be as incredible as the high country vistas of Colorado. show less
Christmas Day, 1893 in Abandon, CO.....What should have been a warm holiday for the residents of the backwoods mountain mining town was a tragedy instead. Every resident -- every single man, woman and child -- living in Abandon disappeared. Never to be seen again. More than 100 years later an expedition to the ghost town arrives, led by a history professor. His daughter, a journalist, is intrigued by the legend surrounding the town. A psychic and paranormal photographer are also part of the group. It has been said that the abandoned town is haunted. They want to discover what happened that snowy Christmas night in 1893. Little do they know that the professor has ulterior motives for hiking into the mountains to Abandon. His secret might show more just kill them all.
I love a good thriller, and Blake Crouch delivers yet another thrill ride with Abandon. The storyline alternates between the tale of the mining town residents from 1893 to the present day expedition, drawing out the tension and suspense until the very end. The action is perfectly paced and there were lots of surprises and tension-filled moments along the way. Sometimes stories that hop back and forth in time can get convoluted and confusing, but not this time. I liked how the action flashed back and forth between the past and present. When I finally finished the entire tale and closed the book, all I could think was "Holy Crap! That was intense!" Great story.
Blake Crouch is the author of many books including the Wayward Pines series and Dark Matter. Discover more about the author and his books on his website at http://www.blakecrouch.com/ show less
I love a good thriller, and Blake Crouch delivers yet another thrill ride with Abandon. The storyline alternates between the tale of the mining town residents from 1893 to the present day expedition, drawing out the tension and suspense until the very end. The action is perfectly paced and there were lots of surprises and tension-filled moments along the way. Sometimes stories that hop back and forth in time can get convoluted and confusing, but not this time. I liked how the action flashed back and forth between the past and present. When I finally finished the entire tale and closed the book, all I could think was "Holy Crap! That was intense!" Great story.
Blake Crouch is the author of many books including the Wayward Pines series and Dark Matter. Discover more about the author and his books on his website at http://www.blakecrouch.com/ show less
Another Kindle freebie. Though I don’t do a ton of it myself, abandoned places photography has always been something I love to look at. Ruins are fascinating. Imagining what came before the place was left is always fun and who doesn’t love decay? How natural elements work to undo all of what humans take pride in is humbling and puts us and all of what we think is important into perspective. So of course a novel called Abandon, with a cover featuring a derelict and weather-beaten old building, would catch my eye. Plus it was a freebie. Would it be worth it?
Mostly it was.
The present day and the past are interleaved and the parallels between stark. At first it seems like the missing gold is the reason for the trouble in both timelines, show more but soon it becomes clear that Abandon in the 1890s is cleared of its citizenry for a different reason. I laughed when no one but a child could see who and why, but there it is. The adults in Abandon were strangely trusting and ended up being herded to their doom, even the feisty and foul-mouthed bar mistress. The little kid turns to her newly appointed evil task a bit too quickly in my estimation, but she was creepy.
The modern story is about straightforward greed and the lengths that people will go to for a little bit of money. There are a lot of people after the lost gold and they turn on each with gusto. The villains are over-the-top and the chase scenes (through waist deep snow) are grueling. Some characters go in for some speechifying that rings a bit false as well as some out-of-the-blue and uncalled for emotions. But as a thriller, it thrills a lot of the time and that’s what’s important. Keeping the reader engaged and curious.
Abigail is a strange character, ostensibly a city girl, she unaccountably writes for an outdoors magazine. I also didn’t entirely buy her desire to reconnect with a virtual stranger who happens to be her biological father. She was by turns desperate with a touch of maudlin and unaffected by her father’s proximity. I guess his requesting her to cover the story of his expedition was too flattering for her to refuse. Lawrence (never referred to as dad) comes off as stiff and unreachable, but then there’s this whiny, self-serving little speech toward the end and that just made him pathetic.
The dialogue from the historical time is full of obscure jargon that I assume came from a dictionary of the old west that is cited as a research source. It did a lot to establish time and place, but boy it was laid on thick. Especially toward the end, either that or I became more sensitive to it. At first it was interesting and amusing, but after a while it became a distraction. Some of the words, while unknown, could be parsed from context, but not all and having to piece together ancient slang just got annoying. Here are some examples -
“She may be light in the timber, but she’s lady-broke and she’s got bottom.” - in reference to a horse, thankfully.
“Are you daunsy?” A doctor trying to discern the mental health of a companion.
“They’re on the peck.” Description of a band of “heathens” swarming toward the town, bent on mayhem.
“Don’t be ringey.” Used to convince someone to accompany him away from town.
“Mind your hair, Stephen.” Calm down? Get straight? Fix your comb-over?
And there’s lots more like arctics (boots, presumably), shadowgee (a lantern??), webs (snowshoes), shootin-iron (long gun), wrist irons (shackles/handcuffs), reata (lasso), stackwad (???? the predecessor of dickwad? ). It’s crazy and disruptive to the story flow because so much of it was mystifying. I think if it was used more sparingly, or if say the author defined some of these obscure words with either a glossary or directly in the text it might have been better. Maybe writing something about someone having a shadowgee in one sentence, and adjusting the lantern’s flame in another, that would have helped. At any rate, overall it was entertaining. show less
Mostly it was.
The present day and the past are interleaved and the parallels between stark. At first it seems like the missing gold is the reason for the trouble in both timelines, show more but soon it becomes clear that Abandon in the 1890s is cleared of its citizenry for a different reason. I laughed when no one but a child could see who and why, but there it is. The adults in Abandon were strangely trusting and ended up being herded to their doom, even the feisty and foul-mouthed bar mistress. The little kid turns to her newly appointed evil task a bit too quickly in my estimation, but she was creepy.
The modern story is about straightforward greed and the lengths that people will go to for a little bit of money. There are a lot of people after the lost gold and they turn on each with gusto. The villains are over-the-top and the chase scenes (through waist deep snow) are grueling. Some characters go in for some speechifying that rings a bit false as well as some out-of-the-blue and uncalled for emotions. But as a thriller, it thrills a lot of the time and that’s what’s important. Keeping the reader engaged and curious.
Abigail is a strange character, ostensibly a city girl, she unaccountably writes for an outdoors magazine. I also didn’t entirely buy her desire to reconnect with a virtual stranger who happens to be her biological father. She was by turns desperate with a touch of maudlin and unaffected by her father’s proximity. I guess his requesting her to cover the story of his expedition was too flattering for her to refuse. Lawrence (never referred to as dad) comes off as stiff and unreachable, but then there’s this whiny, self-serving little speech toward the end and that just made him pathetic.
The dialogue from the historical time is full of obscure jargon that I assume came from a dictionary of the old west that is cited as a research source. It did a lot to establish time and place, but boy it was laid on thick. Especially toward the end, either that or I became more sensitive to it. At first it was interesting and amusing, but after a while it became a distraction. Some of the words, while unknown, could be parsed from context, but not all and having to piece together ancient slang just got annoying. Here are some examples -
“She may be light in the timber, but she’s lady-broke and she’s got bottom.” - in reference to a horse, thankfully.
“Are you daunsy?” A doctor trying to discern the mental health of a companion.
“They’re on the peck.” Description of a band of “heathens” swarming toward the town, bent on mayhem.
“Don’t be ringey.” Used to convince someone to accompany him away from town.
“Mind your hair, Stephen.” Calm down? Get straight? Fix your comb-over?
And there’s lots more like arctics (boots, presumably), shadowgee (a lantern??), webs (snowshoes), shootin-iron (long gun), wrist irons (shackles/handcuffs), reata (lasso), stackwad (???? the predecessor of dickwad? ). It’s crazy and disruptive to the story flow because so much of it was mystifying. I think if it was used more sparingly, or if say the author defined some of these obscure words with either a glossary or directly in the text it might have been better. Maybe writing something about someone having a shadowgee in one sentence, and adjusting the lantern’s flame in another, that would have helped. At any rate, overall it was entertaining. show less
Okay, so here's the deal:
This really wasn't a bad book. It was actually good, but I can't forgive the author for what he did to one of the best characters. He put her in a nightmare situation with no way out. He gave her the best chance for survival, then he destroyed her and left her no chance of redemption. On one hand, I hate this book, but on the other, it was definitely memorable. I will probably never read Blake Crouch again, but I can't say it's because his books are forgettable.
This really wasn't a bad book. It was actually good, but I can't forgive the author for what he did to one of the best characters. He put her in a nightmare situation with no way out. He gave her the best chance for survival, then he destroyed her and left her no chance of redemption. On one hand, I hate this book, but on the other, it was definitely memorable. I will probably never read Blake Crouch again, but I can't say it's because his books are forgettable.
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Blake Crouch is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the novel, Dark Matter, for which he is writing the screenplay for Sony Pictures. His bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy was adapted into a television series for FOX in 2015. With Chad Hodge, Crouch also created Good Behavior, the TNT television show starring Michelle show more Dockery based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He has written more than a dozen novels that have been translated into over thirty languages and his short fiction has appeared in several publications including Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2009-06-18
- People/Characters
- Abigail Foster 'Abby'; Dr. Lawrence Kendall 'Professor, Larry', 'Lar'; Sheriff Ezekiel Curtice 'Zeke'; Gloria Curtice 'Glori'; Jerrod Spicer; Oatha Wallace (show all 50); Jocelyn Maddox 'Joss'; Stephen Cole (preacher); Emmett Tozer 'Em'; June Tozer; Jessup Crider; Brady Sykes; Isaiah (former Marine); Scott Sawyer; Lana Hartman; Billy McCabe; Bartholomew Packer 'Bart'; Harriet McCabe; Bessie McCabe; Quinn; Molly Madsen (Mrs. Madsen, Mrs. Engler); Stu (former soldier); Sheriff Jennifer Primack 'Jen'; Dr Russell Ilg 'Doc', 'Russ'; Jack Engler; Dr Julius Primack; Rosalyn; Gus Curtice; Deputy Al; Emma Ilg; Eleanor (Stephen’s old girlfriend); John Hurwitz; Sarah Foster; Mason Stetler; Nathan Curtice; Maria; McClurg; Undersheriff Hans; Milton; Tyler Tozer 'Ty'; Shari (Isaiah’s wife); Bethany; Margot the editor; Vic and Jen; Brady Sykes older brother; Dr. Stout; Benjamin (Eleanor’s husband); Special Ops Colonel; Arnold McCabe; Bruce Price
- Important places
- Colorado, USA; Sawblade Pass; Durango, Colorado, USA; Leadville, Colorado, USA; Front Range of the Rocky Mountains; Baghdad, Iraq (show all 40); Roanoke Island, North Carolina, USA; Central Park, New York, New York, USA; Cascade Creek; San Juan County Courthouse, Silverton, Colorado , USA; Silverton, Colorado, USA; Abandon, Colorado (Hope, Colorado); New York, New York, USA; San Juan Mountains, Colorado, USA; Animas River, Colorado, USA; Grizzly Gulch, Colorado, USA; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona, USA; Godsend Mine; Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado, USA; Southern Iraq; Kut, Iraq; Tennessee, USA; Montana, USA; Ouray, Colorado, USA; Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA; Grand Imperial Hotel, Silverton, Colorado, USA; Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Monterey, California, USA; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Silver Plume, Colorado, USA; Emerald Lake; Emerald House; Virginia, USA; Gulf Coast, Mississippi, USA; New York Public Library, New York, New York, USA; Sangre de Cristo Mountains, USA; East Village, Manhattan, New York, New York, USA; Crested Butte, Colorado, USA
- Important events
- Iraq War; Desert Storm; Iraqi Freedom; The Lost Colony
- Epigraph
- In the West, the past is very close. In many places, it still believes it's the present. -John Masters
- Dedication
- This book is dedicated to Aidan Crouch.
- First words
- Wind rips through the crags a thousand feet above, nothing moving in this godforsaken town, and the mule skinner knows that something is wrong.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)At length, Lawrence folds the backpack into a pillow and settles down beside the bones of Gloria, whose shattered heart quits beating.
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.6
- Canonical LCC
- PS3603.R68
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- Reviews
- 43
- Rating
- (3.34)
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- ISBNs
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- UPCs
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