Review: SCARED YET? Jaye Ford

• Published Bantam, Random House Australia March 2012
• ISBN 978-1-86471-200-1
• 456 pages
• Source: review copy supplied by Random House Australia

Synopsis (author website)

When Livia Prescott fights off a terrifying assault in a deserted car park, the media hail her bravery. And after a difficult year – watching her father fade away, her business struggle and her marriage fall apart – it feels good to strike back for once.

But as the police widen their search for her attacker, menacing notes start arriving. And brave is not what she feels any longer . . .

 Someone has decided to rip her life apart, then kick her when she’s down. But is it a stranger or someone much closer to home? In fact, is there anyone she can now trust?

When her family and friends are drawn into the stalker’s focus – with horrifying consequences – the choice becomes simple. Fight back, or lose the people she loves the most . . .

My Take

It is unusual for me to read two novels by the same author back to back but I only finished Jaye Ford's first novel BEYOND FEAR last week.

There are similarities between the two novels: both describe a woman's reaction to intimidation and fear. Both develop suspenseful scenarios, and I think Ford does this very well, even though I found each book a little long. Both kept me up reading well into the night.

It seems at first that the assault on Livia Prescott is a random mugging, but Liv soon comes to the realisation that she is being targetted and that her friends and family are also in danger, but what is it that her stalker wants?
With her, the reader tries to work out who is attacking Livia, who among those around her can be trusted.

My rating: 4.5

• Jaye Ford talks about writing SCARED YET?
• Review by Book'd Out
• Read an excerpt
• Winner of 2012 Davitt Award (Debut Novel) and the 2012 Davitt Award (Readers Choice) for BEYOND FEAR.