Blood Secret by Jaye Ford

Author: Jaye Ford
Publisher: Random House Australia
ISBN: 9781742756776
Review By: Sandy Curtis
Book Synopsis: Jaye Ford’s title of master of psychological suspense is well-deserved. Blood Secret is a taut thriller that draws the reader into the lives of Rennie Carter and Max Tully. After spending most of her life on the run, never staying more than six months in any one place, Rennie has found the kind of security in Haven Bay that she’d thought was only possible for ‘normal’ people. Ford expertly reveals parts of Rennie’s previous life, leading the reader to wonder exactly what Rennie is running from, and these small dollops of information finally give a picture of a woman who has never know the kind of security she craves but now feels has been snatched from her.

When Max disappears and his past is exposed, Rennie begins to doubt what they’ve shared for the past five years, and wonders if their love and life together has all been a lie, but she becomes determined to find him and know the truth. Her fears that the man who has kept her on the run has once again found her seem to be confirmed, but as the past lives of their friends are revealed, she suspects one of them could have been involved in his disappearance. Her search is further complicated by the unexpected arrival of Max’s angst-ridden teenage son and she then has to contend with not only his attitude and distrust of her but her need to keep him safe.

While the first half of the book centres on Rennie and her search, the second half finally gives us a clue as to where Max is. His memories come in small portions, keeping the reader guessing, building tension.

Ford has created a brilliant psychological drama, creating characters who come to matter to the reader, and a plot that draws the threads in to a nail-biting climax.