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Blood Secret
From a master of suspense and author of the bestselling Beyond Fear, Blood Secret is a teasingly crafted, nail-biting thriller that's impossible to put down.
Nothing ever happens in Haven Bay, which is why Rennie Carter – a woman who has been on the run for most of her life – stayed there longer than she should.
However, that illusion of security is broken one night when Max Tully, the man she loves and the reason she stayed, vanishes without trace.
Rennie, though, is the only person who believes Max is in danger. The police are looking in the wrong places, and Max's friends and his business partner keep hinting at another, darker side to him.
But Rennie Carter understands about double lives – after all, that's not even her real name …
And she has a secret too – a big, relentless and violent one that she's terrified has found her again … and the man she loves.
Nothing ever happens in Haven Bay, which is why Rennie Carter – a woman who has been on the run for most of her life – stayed there longer than she should.
However, that illusion of security is broken one night when Max Tully, the man she loves and the reason she stayed, vanishes without trace.
Rennie, though, is the only person who believes Max is in danger. The police are looking in the wrong places, and Max's friends and his business partner keep hinting at another, darker side to him.
But Rennie Carter understands about double lives – after all, that's not even her real name …
And she has a secret too – a big, relentless and violent one that she's terrified has found her again … and the man she loves.
448 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2013
4 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Jaye Ford
11 books161 followersJaye is the award winning and bestselling Australian author of five psychological thrillers. Her first novel, Beyond Fear, was the highest selling debut crime novel in Australia in 2011 and won two Davitt Awards for Best Debut and Readers’ Choice. Her books have been translated into nine languages and are now available everywhere.
Jaye loves to thrust ordinary women into extraordinary circumstances and make them dig deep to survive. Her thrillers are set in the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia, where she lives (and loves to turn into crime scenes).
When she’s not writing, she’s interviewing other authors in libraries and at writers festivals, running writing masterclasses and talking to readers. Occasionally she needs a break from the dark stuff and writes romantic comedy under the pen name Janette Paul.
Before turning to fiction, Jaye was news and sport journalist, becoming the first woman to host a live national sport show on Australian TV, and later ran her own PR consultancy.
Sign up to her newsletter for a free copy of her novella Already Gone, plus giveaways, author interviews and sneak peeks of upcoming releases. https://bit.ly/2R4SRPJ
Jaye loves to thrust ordinary women into extraordinary circumstances and make them dig deep to survive. Her thrillers are set in the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia, where she lives (and loves to turn into crime scenes).
When she’s not writing, she’s interviewing other authors in libraries and at writers festivals, running writing masterclasses and talking to readers. Occasionally she needs a break from the dark stuff and writes romantic comedy under the pen name Janette Paul.
Before turning to fiction, Jaye was news and sport journalist, becoming the first woman to host a live national sport show on Australian TV, and later ran her own PR consultancy.
Sign up to her newsletter for a free copy of her novella Already Gone, plus giveaways, author interviews and sneak peeks of upcoming releases. https://bit.ly/2R4SRPJ
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
August 31, 2022
Rennie Carter is a woman who has been running all her life. At first when she was young it was with her mother and sister and then it was just Rennie and sister. Now she’s living in the quiet small town of Haven Bay on Lake Macquarie where nothing much happens. After five years there she finally feels safe and hopes to stay. She has a good job in a coffee shop, has met and moved in with Max, a good man and has started making a name for herself as an artist. But when Max suddenly disappears from a party Rennie worries that the past has finally caught up with her and she may need to leave again.
This is a well written, fast paced suspense. It’s hard to know who’s telling the truth and who to trust. Fortunately, Rennie trusts no one and is determined to find Max using all the strength and resilience she has built up from her life on the run. An intriguing and engrossing thriller.
This is a well written, fast paced suspense. It’s hard to know who’s telling the truth and who to trust. Fortunately, Rennie trusts no one and is determined to find Max using all the strength and resilience she has built up from her life on the run. An intriguing and engrossing thriller.
November 24, 2020
Aussie author Jaye Ford is fast becoming another favorite author of mine. Her writing style really catches the readers attention and I love that when I’m reading a thriller, mystery or a crime novel. I have found all of Jaye’s books to be fast paced, intriguing with lots of suspense and Blood Secret was right up there with the rest of them. In fact, I believe this is her best book so far in my opinion. I can’t wait to see what she writes next, but whatever it is I know I will enjoy it.
If you’re looking for a new author or your next book to read I strongly suggest you get your hands on a copy of this book I promise you won’t be disappointed. I really enjoyed this book and I do not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who likes to read thrillers, suspense or crime novels.
With thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.
If you’re looking for a new author or your next book to read I strongly suggest you get your hands on a copy of this book I promise you won’t be disappointed. I really enjoyed this book and I do not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who likes to read thrillers, suspense or crime novels.
With thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.
September 5, 2022
This was a solid mystery set north of Sydney, I do love reading local settings, recognising many of the suburbs by name. Rennie and Max head out one evening for a 50th birthday, but Max never makes it home. They encounter a bratty teenager with bad driving skills, and a small road rage incident occurs, but this isn’t ever enough to assume this would form part of the mystery. I feel this was meant to be a non convincing hook.
Rennie has her demons, a dark family past; she’s a woman that doesn’t lay down roots. But she loves Max, and he is her exception to the rule. She will let nothing get in her way in her search for the man she loves.
I guessed the baddie from the outset and found this to be quite a mild read. Rennie was a strong female lead though, and I do like Jaye Ford’s use of this strong protagonist in other books I have read of hers. I didn’t like this one as much as others, I wasn’t propelled into being excited to pick up the book between sessions, and I really wanted to love it more than I did. I’m in the minority here, so I feel others will be more satisfied. I found the use of Rennie’s nick name and her full name on and off a little unbalanced, but this isn’t important, just an observation but a noticeable one for me.
I still have more titles from this author to read and I look forward to them.
Rennie has her demons, a dark family past; she’s a woman that doesn’t lay down roots. But she loves Max, and he is her exception to the rule. She will let nothing get in her way in her search for the man she loves.
I guessed the baddie from the outset and found this to be quite a mild read. Rennie was a strong female lead though, and I do like Jaye Ford’s use of this strong protagonist in other books I have read of hers. I didn’t like this one as much as others, I wasn’t propelled into being excited to pick up the book between sessions, and I really wanted to love it more than I did. I’m in the minority here, so I feel others will be more satisfied. I found the use of Rennie’s nick name and her full name on and off a little unbalanced, but this isn’t important, just an observation but a noticeable one for me.
I still have more titles from this author to read and I look forward to them.
October 28, 2020
Firstly I would like to Thank Jaye Ford the author for a Free copy of her book,This book was certainly worth the four star rating,I enjoyed this book the most, so far of the books I've read of hers.This book starts with Max and Rennie on there way to a party when a young lad cuts them off the road giving them abuse and following them but later on after the party,Max disappeared what happened to max?was it something to do with the young Lad.blood was found was it anything to do with Max or an innocent fight.Great thriller recommend this book.
December 25, 2020
4.5 stars Thanks to Jaye Ford for sending me a copy of her book to read and review. Published in the US October 20, 2020.
What a great mystery writer. This is my third book by Jaye Ford and I have loved every one of them. She writes on a believable level - a level that you can actually see this happening. Horrific as the story would be, something out of a nightmare, it is plausible.
Rennie, not her real name, has a lot of secrets. She never stays put - never stays in one place for very long - Rennie is on the run. However, when she settled in this small town and met Max, she fell in love. Should she stay or should she go? Would going break her heart or would staying get her, and probably Max, killed?
Then one night at a party Max ends up missing. Has her past caught up with her? Did she get Max killed? Now she can't leave. She has to find Max. The police are working all the wrong leads - they won't listen to her. And to complicate the issue Max's teenage son shows up - the kid, who with problems of his own, vehemently dislikes Rennie.
Throw in a few more complications and this novel is a pot burner. Ford brings just the right suspense and tension to this story. Another good mystery written by Jaye Ford.
What a great mystery writer. This is my third book by Jaye Ford and I have loved every one of them. She writes on a believable level - a level that you can actually see this happening. Horrific as the story would be, something out of a nightmare, it is plausible.
Rennie, not her real name, has a lot of secrets. She never stays put - never stays in one place for very long - Rennie is on the run. However, when she settled in this small town and met Max, she fell in love. Should she stay or should she go? Would going break her heart or would staying get her, and probably Max, killed?
Then one night at a party Max ends up missing. Has her past caught up with her? Did she get Max killed? Now she can't leave. She has to find Max. The police are working all the wrong leads - they won't listen to her. And to complicate the issue Max's teenage son shows up - the kid, who with problems of his own, vehemently dislikes Rennie.
Throw in a few more complications and this novel is a pot burner. Ford brings just the right suspense and tension to this story. Another good mystery written by Jaye Ford.
October 20, 2020
Blood Secret is the third psychological thriller by Australian author Jaye Ford, following the success of Beyond Fear and Scared Yet? Having enjoyed her previous two novels, I was anxious to read this novel. Blood Secret is a nail-biting thriller that's impossible to put down.
Nothing ever happens in Haven Bay, which is why Rennie Carter – a woman who has been on the run for most of her life – stayed there longer than she should.
Max Tully and Rennie Carter were on their way to a friend’s birthday party being held at their café, when a kid tailgated them to the car park and tried to run them down in a silver five-door four-wheel drive, a late model Subaru. Road rage had come to sleepy Haven Bay.
The erratic young driver pulled up and threatened Max…” I know what you drive.”
Rennie is relieved when they get to the party as she feared that the other driver was going to attack Max. They put this event behind them and joined their friends at the 5oth birthday party for her friend Trish organized by her husband Pav. Max’s cousin and business partner, James was also at the party with his pregnant wife, Naomi.
Rennie helps Pav out in the kitchen and doesn't see much of Max during the party. When she is ready to go home Max cannot be found and nobody saw him leave. Max had disappeared!
Was Max a target of road rage? After a long search Max is still not found and Rennie assumed the worst and called the cops, searched the road and the house…but no Max. The man she loves and the reason she stayed, vanishes without trace.
The only person who believes Max is in danger is Rennie. The police are looking in the wrong places, and Max's friends and his business partner keep hinting at another, darker side to him.
Rennie is a strong person and had lived with pain all her life. She was three years old when her mother fled with Rennie and her older sister, escaping their father’s abuse. For the last eleven years Rennie and Joanne had been free of their father’s pursuit, but even now she was still fearful.
Rennie Carter understands about double lives – after all, that's not even her real name …
And she has a secret too – a big, relentless and violent one that she's terrified has found her again … and the man she loves.
This was a compelling psychological thriller with well-developed characters, a strong female protagonist and a plot that gripped me from beginning until the end. Great read!
Nothing ever happens in Haven Bay, which is why Rennie Carter – a woman who has been on the run for most of her life – stayed there longer than she should.
Max Tully and Rennie Carter were on their way to a friend’s birthday party being held at their café, when a kid tailgated them to the car park and tried to run them down in a silver five-door four-wheel drive, a late model Subaru. Road rage had come to sleepy Haven Bay.
The erratic young driver pulled up and threatened Max…” I know what you drive.”
Rennie is relieved when they get to the party as she feared that the other driver was going to attack Max. They put this event behind them and joined their friends at the 5oth birthday party for her friend Trish organized by her husband Pav. Max’s cousin and business partner, James was also at the party with his pregnant wife, Naomi.
Rennie helps Pav out in the kitchen and doesn't see much of Max during the party. When she is ready to go home Max cannot be found and nobody saw him leave. Max had disappeared!
Was Max a target of road rage? After a long search Max is still not found and Rennie assumed the worst and called the cops, searched the road and the house…but no Max. The man she loves and the reason she stayed, vanishes without trace.
The only person who believes Max is in danger is Rennie. The police are looking in the wrong places, and Max's friends and his business partner keep hinting at another, darker side to him.
Rennie is a strong person and had lived with pain all her life. She was three years old when her mother fled with Rennie and her older sister, escaping their father’s abuse. For the last eleven years Rennie and Joanne had been free of their father’s pursuit, but even now she was still fearful.
Rennie Carter understands about double lives – after all, that's not even her real name …
And she has a secret too – a big, relentless and violent one that she's terrified has found her again … and the man she loves.
This was a compelling psychological thriller with well-developed characters, a strong female protagonist and a plot that gripped me from beginning until the end. Great read!
January 1, 2021
Well I closed the year with a bang of a book, Blood Secret by Jaye Ford.
It's easy to see why Jaye Ford is an award winning author. This is the 3rd book I have read of hers and although I enjoyed them all "Blood Secret" is my favourite so far. What a page turner!
The author writes about ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances and their will to survive.
Rennie Carter is a survivor with a tragic past who has settled in quiet Haven Bay. She enjoys her job, discovered a love of painting, made friends and has fallen in love with local Max Tully.
When Max suddenly disappears Rennie is compelled to find him regardless of what others may be presuming. Full of twists, turns and suspense this story is a fast-paced ride right until the end.
Highly recommended!
It's easy to see why Jaye Ford is an award winning author. This is the 3rd book I have read of hers and although I enjoyed them all "Blood Secret" is my favourite so far. What a page turner!
The author writes about ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances and their will to survive.
Rennie Carter is a survivor with a tragic past who has settled in quiet Haven Bay. She enjoys her job, discovered a love of painting, made friends and has fallen in love with local Max Tully.
When Max suddenly disappears Rennie is compelled to find him regardless of what others may be presuming. Full of twists, turns and suspense this story is a fast-paced ride right until the end.
Highly recommended!
September 29, 2018
Blood Secret is about secrets, greed and the love between two people. Rennie Carter thought that Haven Bay a beauty seashore community would be a place for her to settle down finally. However, this was not the case. Rennie Carter boyfriend Max Tully went missing, and her life was turned upside down again. No one believes Rennie that Max is in danger, not cops or the small community of Haven Bay. Rennie had no one to help her, so she decided to look for Max on her own. The readers of Blood Secret will continue to follow the twist and turns in Rennie investigation into Max's disappearances.
I was recommended to read Jaye Ford books, and I have fallen in love with her books. The way Jaye Ford incorporates her suspense and romance ensure that I will always engage with her books. Blood Secret continues my love affair with Jaye Ford books. I loved Jaye Ford portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other. Blood Secret was well written and researched by Jaye Ford. I enjoyed Jaye Ford description of her settings that allow me to feel part of the story.
The readers of Blood Secret will learn about another side of family violence and how it affects everyone who is involved. Also, the readers of Blood Secret will see what greed and jealousy can do to a person and what they would do to achieve their dreams.
I recommend this book.
I was recommended to read Jaye Ford books, and I have fallen in love with her books. The way Jaye Ford incorporates her suspense and romance ensure that I will always engage with her books. Blood Secret continues my love affair with Jaye Ford books. I loved Jaye Ford portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other. Blood Secret was well written and researched by Jaye Ford. I enjoyed Jaye Ford description of her settings that allow me to feel part of the story.
The readers of Blood Secret will learn about another side of family violence and how it affects everyone who is involved. Also, the readers of Blood Secret will see what greed and jealousy can do to a person and what they would do to achieve their dreams.
I recommend this book.
September 1, 2016
Blood Secret opens with a very graphic and palpably tense episode of road rage visited on 30-somethings Max and Rennie as they go to their friend Trish’s birthday party one Saturday night, in the peaceful hamlet of Haven Bay. An angry teenage boy driving a compact 4x4 harasses them, threatening violence. Later that evening Max is seen going out to his car in the carpark, but never returns. Thus Jaye Ford sets up the events of this gripping psychological thriller.
When Max fails to return home, Rennie searches in vain for him, then decides to report him to the local police as a missing person. We learn gradually, as the narrative progresses, that she has good reason for her fears. I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil it for new readers, but it is an intriguing and all-too-feasible set of suppositions on which this taut story is based.
This novel is a really fraught mystery tale. There is surprisingly little action throughout the story until the dramatic climax, and the powerful sense of foreboding builds almost entirely because of the inner tensions and turmoils of the main characters, Rennie, Max and James. Most of the narrative is seen through Rennie’s eyes, and we learn much about how her tragic past now contributes to her thoughts and actions, as she tries to deal with the disappearance of her partner. She has to balance her well-learned knee-jerk urge to flee with her wish to preserve the relationship with Max and the good life she has in Haven Bay. James’s interference does not help her to maintain trust in Max, as she contemplates the possibility that he might, in fact, have run away from her.
Rennie’s history unfolds gradually, as the author peels away layers to reveal the sick story at the core of her life. Similarly, Max’s previous life is disclosed slowly, and we learn that there are cogent reasons to suspect him of misdeeds. Only Rennie’s absolute faith in her partner keeps her focussed on finding him and sorting out the mess that they find themselves in.
Ultimately this is a story about truth, lies and secrets. It is also a story about keeping faith, belief in oneself and the power of love. It was a real page-turner for me. I was engrossed from the opening pages, and could not put it down until I’d learned the fate of Max and the reasons why his life and Rennie’s turned to nightmare so quickly one pleasant Saturday night in a sleepy NSW town.
An absolute five star read for me...I'd give it more if I could.
5★s
When Max fails to return home, Rennie searches in vain for him, then decides to report him to the local police as a missing person. We learn gradually, as the narrative progresses, that she has good reason for her fears. I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil it for new readers, but it is an intriguing and all-too-feasible set of suppositions on which this taut story is based.
This novel is a really fraught mystery tale. There is surprisingly little action throughout the story until the dramatic climax, and the powerful sense of foreboding builds almost entirely because of the inner tensions and turmoils of the main characters, Rennie, Max and James. Most of the narrative is seen through Rennie’s eyes, and we learn much about how her tragic past now contributes to her thoughts and actions, as she tries to deal with the disappearance of her partner. She has to balance her well-learned knee-jerk urge to flee with her wish to preserve the relationship with Max and the good life she has in Haven Bay. James’s interference does not help her to maintain trust in Max, as she contemplates the possibility that he might, in fact, have run away from her.
Rennie’s history unfolds gradually, as the author peels away layers to reveal the sick story at the core of her life. Similarly, Max’s previous life is disclosed slowly, and we learn that there are cogent reasons to suspect him of misdeeds. Only Rennie’s absolute faith in her partner keeps her focussed on finding him and sorting out the mess that they find themselves in.
Ultimately this is a story about truth, lies and secrets. It is also a story about keeping faith, belief in oneself and the power of love. It was a real page-turner for me. I was engrossed from the opening pages, and could not put it down until I’d learned the fate of Max and the reasons why his life and Rennie’s turned to nightmare so quickly one pleasant Saturday night in a sleepy NSW town.
An absolute five star read for me...I'd give it more if I could.
5★s
September 20, 2013
On the night Rennie Carter and Max Tully drove along the beautiful shores of Lake Macquarie toward a friend’s 50th birthday party, the atmosphere in the car was a little tense. But when a teenage driver cut them off at a roundabout then tailgated them to the bottle shop and restaurant, tensions escalated alarmingly. The road rage incident was so over the top, if it hadn’t been so scary the attitude of the young driver would have been laughable. So when they finally stepped inside and joined their friends, Rennie breathed a jagged sigh of relief.
Working in the kitchen, circulating amongst her friends, Rennie only spotted Max a couple of times during the course of the evening; but when she went to find him to head home, no-one had seen him for at least an hour. Someone said he’d gone out to check on the car - Max had disappeared; all their searching of surrounding bush and parkland found nothing. Finally, having nowhere else to turn, they called the police….
As the hours passed by, the questions mounted; Rennie seemed to be the only one concerned about Max. Suddenly rumours began circulating about him; horrible rumours Rennie knew couldn’t possibly be true – could they? Max’s cousin and business partner plus the police were just so off base, she knew she’d have to search herself. But with her past one she couldn’t and didn’t talk about, was the danger coming from another direction entirely? The secrets from her past seemed set to collide with the secrets from Max’s….
Suddenly danger, violence and horror were all around her! What was going on? Would she find Max before it was too late? Or was it finally too late for Rennie?
I absolutely loved this third book by Jaye Ford. I’ve been waiting anxiously for the release, and it certainly didn’t disappoint! The setting is in beautiful Lake Macquarie where I live, and the descriptions of the landscapes and small lakeside villages is so true to life, I could easily visualize where events were happening. The pace was fast, racing from one gripping happening to the next, I just found I was unable to put it down. A fantastic psychological thriller by an author who is definitely a master at her game! Highly recommended.
Working in the kitchen, circulating amongst her friends, Rennie only spotted Max a couple of times during the course of the evening; but when she went to find him to head home, no-one had seen him for at least an hour. Someone said he’d gone out to check on the car - Max had disappeared; all their searching of surrounding bush and parkland found nothing. Finally, having nowhere else to turn, they called the police….
As the hours passed by, the questions mounted; Rennie seemed to be the only one concerned about Max. Suddenly rumours began circulating about him; horrible rumours Rennie knew couldn’t possibly be true – could they? Max’s cousin and business partner plus the police were just so off base, she knew she’d have to search herself. But with her past one she couldn’t and didn’t talk about, was the danger coming from another direction entirely? The secrets from her past seemed set to collide with the secrets from Max’s….
Suddenly danger, violence and horror were all around her! What was going on? Would she find Max before it was too late? Or was it finally too late for Rennie?
I absolutely loved this third book by Jaye Ford. I’ve been waiting anxiously for the release, and it certainly didn’t disappoint! The setting is in beautiful Lake Macquarie where I live, and the descriptions of the landscapes and small lakeside villages is so true to life, I could easily visualize where events were happening. The pace was fast, racing from one gripping happening to the next, I just found I was unable to put it down. A fantastic psychological thriller by an author who is definitely a master at her game! Highly recommended.
December 27, 2020
*4.5 stars rounded up. Jaye Ford has been kind enough to provide me with copies of her thrillers, which I've enjoyed immensely! The books just keep getting better!
In Blood Secret, Rennie Carter has been on the run for most of her life but has finally settled into Haven Bay for the past five years, living with a man called Max. On their way to a birthday party at the cafe where Rennie works, they narrowly avoid a collision which escalates into road rage. After the party is over, Rennie cannot find Max--in fact, no one has seen him for a couple hours. The car is still in the parking lot, but no Max! Does this have something to do with the road rage incident? Eventually Max is reported missing and, as the investigation gets underway, strange facts about him start coming to light--like the fact that money is missing from his company. Did he do a runner? Or is Rennie's past finally catching up with her?
This story is very intriguing and well written with interesting characters and setting. I did guess what was going on at 40% but that didn't detract much from the suspenseful read. Thanks again to the author for providing me with a digital copy. I'll look forward to more from you, Jaye!
In Blood Secret, Rennie Carter has been on the run for most of her life but has finally settled into Haven Bay for the past five years, living with a man called Max. On their way to a birthday party at the cafe where Rennie works, they narrowly avoid a collision which escalates into road rage. After the party is over, Rennie cannot find Max--in fact, no one has seen him for a couple hours. The car is still in the parking lot, but no Max! Does this have something to do with the road rage incident? Eventually Max is reported missing and, as the investigation gets underway, strange facts about him start coming to light--like the fact that money is missing from his company. Did he do a runner? Or is Rennie's past finally catching up with her?
This story is very intriguing and well written with interesting characters and setting. I did guess what was going on at 40% but that didn't detract much from the suspenseful read. Thanks again to the author for providing me with a digital copy. I'll look forward to more from you, Jaye!
November 16, 2013
This is an excellent book. The story is gripping and well written. I loved seeing a really strong female lead character who actually made genuine life saving decisions instead of blundering into silly situations in order to help the author write a story. It was enjoyable too that the book was set locally in an area which I know well! I will certainly read more by this author.
September 2, 2013
I found this a very engaging and satisfying thriller. I was hooked by the action in the first few pages – Ford creates tension by using a situation many of us are familiar with - road rage; we can place ourselves in this picture, the tension is real. What a great hook!
This novel is fast paced, action packed and nothing is as it appears on the surface. The characters are likable, earnest, hardworking and real – this is a community that appears perfect, secure and benign to those looking from outside in. All it takes is one rotten apple and the life blood of community, trust, starts to clot and decay in a spectacular fashion. Everyone has secrets they do not wish to share.
I liked that the main character Rennie Carter is a strong, self reliant woman with many hidden talents – some she would prefer to remain hidden – along with her gun! Rennie knows her own mind and takes responsibility for her own actions and safety and is compelled to find her missing partner regardless of what the community or the police may be presuming. This narrative accelerates down a twisting path of lies and assumptions, greed determines the journey and we do not find the truth until the very end.
A fantastic, absorbing and fast paced read. This book is best enjoyed in one sitting - but you won’t really have a conscious choice in that once you begin reading you will be hooked and compelled to read until you reach the very last page!
This novel is fast paced, action packed and nothing is as it appears on the surface. The characters are likable, earnest, hardworking and real – this is a community that appears perfect, secure and benign to those looking from outside in. All it takes is one rotten apple and the life blood of community, trust, starts to clot and decay in a spectacular fashion. Everyone has secrets they do not wish to share.
I liked that the main character Rennie Carter is a strong, self reliant woman with many hidden talents – some she would prefer to remain hidden – along with her gun! Rennie knows her own mind and takes responsibility for her own actions and safety and is compelled to find her missing partner regardless of what the community or the police may be presuming. This narrative accelerates down a twisting path of lies and assumptions, greed determines the journey and we do not find the truth until the very end.
A fantastic, absorbing and fast paced read. This book is best enjoyed in one sitting - but you won’t really have a conscious choice in that once you begin reading you will be hooked and compelled to read until you reach the very last page!
September 3, 2013
Jaye Ford follows the success of Beyond Fear and Scared Yet? with her third exciting psychological thriller, Blood Secret.
Rennie Carter never expected to stay long in the sleepy Australian coastal community of Haven Bay, but then she met Max Tully, and after a lifetime of running she dared to hope she finally found somewhere she could stay, somewhere she could be safe.
And then one night Max disappears without a trace and Rennie is terrified her past has finally caught up with her - but Rennie is not the only one with secrets.
Tension is introduced in the first pages of this novel and Ford continues to build the suspense until the books final frenzied moments. I was never completely sure who to hold responsible for Max's disappearance, which is testament to Ford's skillful and subtle plotting. The road rager, the father, the brother-in-law, the cafe owner, and even Max himself, are all credible suspects in his disappearance, though ultimately my first instinct proved correct.
One of the things I particularly admire about Ford's characters is the way they make reasonable decisions based on the information and skills they have, instead of throwing themselves into the path of danger by making inane choices. Rennie, for example, reports Max's disappearance to the police, and when she suspects her father's involvement she reaches out to confirm or discredit her theory. Trust is not easy for Rennie, whose past is littered with tragedy, but Rennie doesn't dismiss her instincts about situations and people and it is that which ultimately saves her...and Max.
Fast paced and thrilling, Blood Secret is a story of lies and betrayal, trust and love. Once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down.
October 26, 2013
Blood Secret by Jaye Ford is a little bit like bolting down the Freeway at a 110k an hour only to realise you have been going the wrong way all along! You think you have the story sussed, and can see the destination, but you don’t.
Cleverly written, this book lays out the main characters, a couple called Rennie and Max who are in love but both have and hide secrets. Big secrets held by them both and their tightknit group of friends in little Haven Bay on the NSW coast.
Rennie is a hard woman, but street smart and hard working which makes you like her, I won’t reveal a spoiler but when you learn of her extremely violent past you instantly root for her and want her ‘to be ok in the end’. The characters are so tightly bound together you feel like you know them and I often felt I was sat in Skiffs coffee shop eavesdropping on their conversations and as the book unfolds you really are pushed to thinking one way and then another, and then another. There were multiple endings running through my head as I neared the last third of the book which is what you want in a good read.
Jaye describes some scenes perfectly and for me as a reader, and a writer I admire the skill and love finding a little gem of a paragraph on a page;-
‘He swung his face around, ready to unleash another round of go-fuck-yourself but whatever he saw in her expression stopped it before it reached his lips. Comprehension slid through.’
If you like a book with a lot of suspense and one that keeps moving, give Blood Secret a go. You won’t be disappointed!
Cleverly written, this book lays out the main characters, a couple called Rennie and Max who are in love but both have and hide secrets. Big secrets held by them both and their tightknit group of friends in little Haven Bay on the NSW coast.
Rennie is a hard woman, but street smart and hard working which makes you like her, I won’t reveal a spoiler but when you learn of her extremely violent past you instantly root for her and want her ‘to be ok in the end’. The characters are so tightly bound together you feel like you know them and I often felt I was sat in Skiffs coffee shop eavesdropping on their conversations and as the book unfolds you really are pushed to thinking one way and then another, and then another. There were multiple endings running through my head as I neared the last third of the book which is what you want in a good read.
Jaye describes some scenes perfectly and for me as a reader, and a writer I admire the skill and love finding a little gem of a paragraph on a page;-
‘He swung his face around, ready to unleash another round of go-fuck-yourself but whatever he saw in her expression stopped it before it reached his lips. Comprehension slid through.’
If you like a book with a lot of suspense and one that keeps moving, give Blood Secret a go. You won’t be disappointed!
November 21, 2013
This was good story about a girl with a secret past life that she thinks has come back to haunt her and her special man. It was not a really riveting book but it was enjoyable enough as Max's friends look for him after he goes missing.
September 6, 2013
Rennie Carter has been in Haven Bay for five years, possibly the longest she’s ever stayed anywhere in her whole life. Previously it’s always been about running, keeping on the move, laying low. Don’t make friends, don’t settle in, don’t get close to people. You never know when you just might have to pack up and leave.
But that changed the day she drove into the small town on the beautiful Lake Macquarie in NSW. She got a job working in a cafe, she begin to make tentative roads towards friendships. Her sister Jo left after a couple of weeks, but Rennie remained. She met Max, became involved with him and eventually moved into his house with him.
And then one night Max disappeared.
Rennie is the only person who believes that Max might be in danger, because she’s the only person that knows about her violent past. She’s desperate as one by one, Max’s friends and family seem to come to the conclusion that he might’ve just left. His cousin even attempts to make Rennie see that he might’ve been planning something like this for a while. But Rennie refuses to believe it. He wouldn’t do that to her, wouldn’t walk out of her life without a word, without a goodbye. Not after all he did to get in it.
Rennie believes that her past might finally have caught up with her. She’s been running from it for so long now, with brief respites but it seems that the time of relaxation is over. She got careless, she stayed too long and now someone that she loves is going to pay the price, the victim of someone who has a score to settle with Rennie. While the police are looking in the wrong places and while Max’s friends and family are wondering what would’ve made him want to go, Rennie knows differently.
Rennie has always run before, at the first sign of trouble. But not this time. This time she’s staying and she’s fighting…for Max.
Blood Secret is Jaye Ford’s third full length novel the first two being Beyond Fear and Scared Yet?. Ford is fast proving herself to be a master of the suspense novel, deftly weaving tales that keep the reader absolutely hooked and this one, the second of her books that I’ve read, proved to be no exception for me. I started it mid afternoon and read it in one sitting, utterly engrossed in the story,
Rennie is one heck of an amazing character. Her childhood and adolescence was spent always on the move, running away from a never-ending danger that culminated in two savage acts of violence. Since then she’s had some time to relax, the danger safely out of the way for the time being, which has allowed her to let her guard down some. She has become a part of the community of Haven Bay, a small dot on the western side of Lake Macquarie on the NSW central/hunter coast. She isn’t just a temporary waitress anymore, she’s a part of a team in the cafe and she’s become a part of Max Tully’s life as well. Although she’s never told Max, she loves him and when he disappears, Rennie is the one who really fears for him. At first she believes that it may have something to do with a random road rage incident but after that is discounted, Rennie begins to think that it might be her fault that Max is missing. That something from her past has finally caught up with her and gone after something that she cared about, the first person that she’d ever really allowed herself to care about. The police are looking in all the wrong places and when they find out about Rennie’s past, they focus on that instead of on what she’s telling them. That frustrates her and also spurs her into action. Rennie is so interesting because in this novel, you can clearly see her two halves – the one that has always run, that is still prepared for that moment where she has to leave with what she needs stuffed into one pack, and also the woman who wants to stay, who wants to be a part of something and have a life.
Rennie never gives up on Max, not even when she’s given some information about him that she wasn’t privy to before, something that doesn’t portray him in a flattering light. She’s briefly thrown but she thinks about it, she thinks about the sort of person he is, the person that she’s come to know in the past five years and concludes that he wouldn’t have done that to her. That something must be wrong. She continues digging, looking into other possibilities and she takes Max’s teenage son from his previous marriage along for the ride, despite their rocky relationship. Being a stepmother myself, I’m aware just how difficult it can be to forge a relationship with a stepchild and how fruitless attempts can be at times. Hayden is a typically aggressive teenager who is rebelling and his ways are not what Rennie is used to because of her upbringing. At times I questioned the fact that she didn’t just put him on a train to his grandparents place, because there was a possibility he’d be in danger if he stayed. However she did her best to treat him as an adult and not keep him in the dark and involve him in the search for his dad, which was maybe what he needed.
I picked the person behind the events, but not the motive however I did doubt my choice several times whilst getting towards the climax of the book, which I enjoyed. It’s always fun to try and solve everything before the characters do – but in their place I’d have not been able to put everything they did together! This is definitely a page-turner and I’d recommend it for anyone who has enjoyed Ford’s previous novels or someone who really wants to sink their teeth into a suspense novel. The added bonus is the way in which Ford captures the local setting and really makes it come alive.
But that changed the day she drove into the small town on the beautiful Lake Macquarie in NSW. She got a job working in a cafe, she begin to make tentative roads towards friendships. Her sister Jo left after a couple of weeks, but Rennie remained. She met Max, became involved with him and eventually moved into his house with him.
And then one night Max disappeared.
Rennie is the only person who believes that Max might be in danger, because she’s the only person that knows about her violent past. She’s desperate as one by one, Max’s friends and family seem to come to the conclusion that he might’ve just left. His cousin even attempts to make Rennie see that he might’ve been planning something like this for a while. But Rennie refuses to believe it. He wouldn’t do that to her, wouldn’t walk out of her life without a word, without a goodbye. Not after all he did to get in it.
Rennie believes that her past might finally have caught up with her. She’s been running from it for so long now, with brief respites but it seems that the time of relaxation is over. She got careless, she stayed too long and now someone that she loves is going to pay the price, the victim of someone who has a score to settle with Rennie. While the police are looking in the wrong places and while Max’s friends and family are wondering what would’ve made him want to go, Rennie knows differently.
Rennie has always run before, at the first sign of trouble. But not this time. This time she’s staying and she’s fighting…for Max.
Blood Secret is Jaye Ford’s third full length novel the first two being Beyond Fear and Scared Yet?. Ford is fast proving herself to be a master of the suspense novel, deftly weaving tales that keep the reader absolutely hooked and this one, the second of her books that I’ve read, proved to be no exception for me. I started it mid afternoon and read it in one sitting, utterly engrossed in the story,
Rennie is one heck of an amazing character. Her childhood and adolescence was spent always on the move, running away from a never-ending danger that culminated in two savage acts of violence. Since then she’s had some time to relax, the danger safely out of the way for the time being, which has allowed her to let her guard down some. She has become a part of the community of Haven Bay, a small dot on the western side of Lake Macquarie on the NSW central/hunter coast. She isn’t just a temporary waitress anymore, she’s a part of a team in the cafe and she’s become a part of Max Tully’s life as well. Although she’s never told Max, she loves him and when he disappears, Rennie is the one who really fears for him. At first she believes that it may have something to do with a random road rage incident but after that is discounted, Rennie begins to think that it might be her fault that Max is missing. That something from her past has finally caught up with her and gone after something that she cared about, the first person that she’d ever really allowed herself to care about. The police are looking in all the wrong places and when they find out about Rennie’s past, they focus on that instead of on what she’s telling them. That frustrates her and also spurs her into action. Rennie is so interesting because in this novel, you can clearly see her two halves – the one that has always run, that is still prepared for that moment where she has to leave with what she needs stuffed into one pack, and also the woman who wants to stay, who wants to be a part of something and have a life.
Rennie never gives up on Max, not even when she’s given some information about him that she wasn’t privy to before, something that doesn’t portray him in a flattering light. She’s briefly thrown but she thinks about it, she thinks about the sort of person he is, the person that she’s come to know in the past five years and concludes that he wouldn’t have done that to her. That something must be wrong. She continues digging, looking into other possibilities and she takes Max’s teenage son from his previous marriage along for the ride, despite their rocky relationship. Being a stepmother myself, I’m aware just how difficult it can be to forge a relationship with a stepchild and how fruitless attempts can be at times. Hayden is a typically aggressive teenager who is rebelling and his ways are not what Rennie is used to because of her upbringing. At times I questioned the fact that she didn’t just put him on a train to his grandparents place, because there was a possibility he’d be in danger if he stayed. However she did her best to treat him as an adult and not keep him in the dark and involve him in the search for his dad, which was maybe what he needed.
I picked the person behind the events, but not the motive however I did doubt my choice several times whilst getting towards the climax of the book, which I enjoyed. It’s always fun to try and solve everything before the characters do – but in their place I’d have not been able to put everything they did together! This is definitely a page-turner and I’d recommend it for anyone who has enjoyed Ford’s previous novels or someone who really wants to sink their teeth into a suspense novel. The added bonus is the way in which Ford captures the local setting and really makes it come alive.
October 18, 2020
⁉ Where in the world is Max? Thrills beginning to end😲
Max and Rennie's story hooked me from chapter one. Author Jaye Ford really knows how to keep the tension high and the plot moving at a fast clip with spurts of high octane action. I thought she also kept doubt about what happened to Max, why and where, going throughout most of the story, with a few red herrings and false leads clouding the truth.
Rennie is one strong, resourceful female lead. Having survived a rotten childhood constantly on the move, she's torn between her instinct to run and her need to stay and see Max safe. She's relentless in her pursuit of clues to Max's whereabouts in contrast to the bad impression I got of the local police efforts. I really liked her and the rocky relationship she navigates with Max's teenage son. My first impression of Max was not the best but I couldn't help rooting for him as I learned more about him through Rennie's reminiscences and Max's gradual reconnection to his memory.
This is the third Jaye Ford thriller I've read and all have impressed me with their gutsy female protagonists and well-worked, page-turner plots.
Max and Rennie's story hooked me from chapter one. Author Jaye Ford really knows how to keep the tension high and the plot moving at a fast clip with spurts of high octane action. I thought she also kept doubt about what happened to Max, why and where, going throughout most of the story, with a few red herrings and false leads clouding the truth.
Rennie is one strong, resourceful female lead. Having survived a rotten childhood constantly on the move, she's torn between her instinct to run and her need to stay and see Max safe. She's relentless in her pursuit of clues to Max's whereabouts in contrast to the bad impression I got of the local police efforts. I really liked her and the rocky relationship she navigates with Max's teenage son. My first impression of Max was not the best but I couldn't help rooting for him as I learned more about him through Rennie's reminiscences and Max's gradual reconnection to his memory.
This is the third Jaye Ford thriller I've read and all have impressed me with their gutsy female protagonists and well-worked, page-turner plots.
October 18, 2013
Nothing ever happens in Haven Bay. This is why Rennie Carter has stayed longer than she should. But the book opens with Max, her lover disappearing. Could she be the reason Max has gone? Is it foul play or is Max just taking some time out? This book grabs you from the start and never lets go. I love this type of book, especially when the possibilities keep changing. I did not predict the eventual outcome, but have gone looking for the other titles written by this author. Wow!
December 24, 2016
Fast paced, this book had me gripped. So many twist and turns, I wasn't sure who was "good" and who was "bad" for much of the story. I love it when plot twists are hard to guess! My third book by this fabulous Aussie author and will be sure to keep my eye out for more!
December 18, 2017
Thriller, bei denen eine Person spurlos verschwindet, finde ich immer besonders spannend. Das ist auch der Hauptplot dieser Geschichte. Obwohl Rennie und ihr Freund Max eigentlich glücklich sind, ist er auf einmal verschwunden.
Der Anfang des Buches hat mich richtig gefesselt, denn schon zu Beginn gibt es eine Begegnung, die den Puls in die Höhe treibt. Leider wird diese Spannung dann aber nicht mehr aufrecht gehalten. Für meinen Geschmack trat die Story dann etwas an der Stelle. Zwar erfährt der Leser immer mehr Details über Rennie und ihre Vergangenheit, die es in sich hat, dadurch gerät aber das Hauptgeschehen zu sehr in den Hintergrund. Max wird zwar nach wie vor gesucht und dem Leser verschiedene Möglichkeiten präsentiert, aber keine ist wirklich überzeugend. Und wie gesagt, irgendwie geht die Spannung flöten und es zieht sich beim Lesen etwas.
Rennie als Hauptfigur fand ich sehr interessant, was vor allem an ihrer Vergangenheit liegt. Auch wenn es sehr spannend ist, was sie erlebt hat und es einiges erklärt, nimmt dieser Teil doch etwas zu viel Raum für meinen Geschmack ein. Vor allem hat die Autorin meiner Meinung nach hier das Potential nicht voll ausgeschöpft, dieser Handlungsstrang läuft mir zu sehr ins Leere.
Nach einiger Zeit steht nicht mehr nur Rennie im Mittelpunkt, sondern der Leser wird in die Perspektive von Max gesetzt. Diese Abwechslung hat mir ganz gut gefallen, vor allem weil der Wettlauf gegen die Zeit dadurch noch deutlicher wird.
Das Ende allerdings konnte mich gar nicht überzeugen. Im Endeffekt weiß jeder - der Leser, Rennie und Max - wer hinter dem Verschwinden steckt. Aber bis zum Schluss zweifelt Rennie bzw. tut so, als wäre sie sich nicht sicher und ist dann doch überrascht. Das fand ich komisch, weil es nicht zu der Person passt, die man während des Lesens kennengelernt hat. Hier wurde mir zu krampfhaft versucht, Spannung aufzubauen. Das kam bei mir nicht an.
Insgesamt ist "Blut an ihren Händen" ein Buch, das man lesen kann, bei dem man aber auch nicht so viel verpasst, wenn man es nicht kennt. Deswegen gibt es von mir 2,5 Sterne.
Der Anfang des Buches hat mich richtig gefesselt, denn schon zu Beginn gibt es eine Begegnung, die den Puls in die Höhe treibt. Leider wird diese Spannung dann aber nicht mehr aufrecht gehalten. Für meinen Geschmack trat die Story dann etwas an der Stelle. Zwar erfährt der Leser immer mehr Details über Rennie und ihre Vergangenheit, die es in sich hat, dadurch gerät aber das Hauptgeschehen zu sehr in den Hintergrund. Max wird zwar nach wie vor gesucht und dem Leser verschiedene Möglichkeiten präsentiert, aber keine ist wirklich überzeugend. Und wie gesagt, irgendwie geht die Spannung flöten und es zieht sich beim Lesen etwas.
Rennie als Hauptfigur fand ich sehr interessant, was vor allem an ihrer Vergangenheit liegt. Auch wenn es sehr spannend ist, was sie erlebt hat und es einiges erklärt, nimmt dieser Teil doch etwas zu viel Raum für meinen Geschmack ein. Vor allem hat die Autorin meiner Meinung nach hier das Potential nicht voll ausgeschöpft, dieser Handlungsstrang läuft mir zu sehr ins Leere.
Nach einiger Zeit steht nicht mehr nur Rennie im Mittelpunkt, sondern der Leser wird in die Perspektive von Max gesetzt. Diese Abwechslung hat mir ganz gut gefallen, vor allem weil der Wettlauf gegen die Zeit dadurch noch deutlicher wird.
Das Ende allerdings konnte mich gar nicht überzeugen. Im Endeffekt weiß jeder - der Leser, Rennie und Max - wer hinter dem Verschwinden steckt. Aber bis zum Schluss zweifelt Rennie bzw. tut so, als wäre sie sich nicht sicher und ist dann doch überrascht. Das fand ich komisch, weil es nicht zu der Person passt, die man während des Lesens kennengelernt hat. Hier wurde mir zu krampfhaft versucht, Spannung aufzubauen. Das kam bei mir nicht an.
Insgesamt ist "Blut an ihren Händen" ein Buch, das man lesen kann, bei dem man aber auch nicht so viel verpasst, wenn man es nicht kennt. Deswegen gibt es von mir 2,5 Sterne.
March 29, 2021
4.5 secret stars!
Rennie had been on the run all her life because of her father, but after he was put to jail she had been to Haven Bay and had found good friends and Max. She stayed. But when Max gone missing, she had the urge to flee thinking that her father was on the move again. However, she loved Max and her friends that the roots she had at Haven Bay was deep enough for her to stay.
The suspense part of the story was just okay. But I had focused more on the emotions behind Rennie and Max. Rennie craved the normal life and her love for Max was enough for her to stay and look for him despite all the things running in her head.
Rennie had been on the run all her life because of her father, but after he was put to jail she had been to Haven Bay and had found good friends and Max. She stayed. But when Max gone missing, she had the urge to flee thinking that her father was on the move again. However, she loved Max and her friends that the roots she had at Haven Bay was deep enough for her to stay.
The suspense part of the story was just okay. But I had focused more on the emotions behind Rennie and Max. Rennie craved the normal life and her love for Max was enough for her to stay and look for him despite all the things running in her head.
August 27, 2018
I enjoyed this, her third novel, but not as much as number 2. Or maybe I'm just reading too many Jaye Ford books in a row.
The book started well but then seemed, at least to me, to take too long to get to the climax of the story.
The book started well but then seemed, at least to me, to take too long to get to the climax of the story.
May 10, 2017
IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN!
January 8, 2020
I enjoyed this book but not as much as the previous two. This book was slow to get going and the perp was revealed quite early but still a good read
May 30, 2020
Great thriller kept me guessing. Really enjoyed it!
October 2, 2021
The best of the three books I've read by this author. Still suffers a bit from unrealistic number of major events/ calamities happening to same person (heroine's backstory and current drama).
October 6, 2024
Jaye Ford is a fantastic author she will always have you on the edge of your seat and can't put the book down.
December 25, 2025
I will give this book 3.5
It was an interesting thriller, but I wouldn't call it a mystery. It was obvious who the bad guy was from the beginning. I liked that it was set in Australia.
It was an interesting thriller, but I wouldn't call it a mystery. It was obvious who the bad guy was from the beginning. I liked that it was set in Australia.
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