Thursday, June 03, 2010

Serials and Scenarios ~ Deceit ~ Brandilyn Collins

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Deceit


Zondervan (June 18, 2010)


by


Brandilyn Collins






ABOUT THE AUTHOR:





Brandilyn Collins is an award-winning and best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense®. These harrowing crime thrillers have earned her the tagline "Don't forget to b r e a t h e..."® Brandilyn's first book, A Question of Innocence, was a true crime published by Avon in 1995. Its promotion landed her on local and national TV and radio, including the Phil Donahue and Leeza talk shows. Brandilyn is also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons). She is now working on her 20th book.



In addition, Brandilyn’s other latest release is Final Touch, third in The Rayne Tour series—young adult suspense co-written with her daughter, Amberly. The Rayne Tour series features Shaley O’Connor, daughter of a rock star, who just may have it all—until murder crashes her world.

ABOUT THE BOOK


Skip Tracer Joanne Weeks knows Baxter Jackson killed his second wife---and Joanne's best friend---seven years ago. But Jackson, a church elder and beloved member of the town, walks the streets a free man.

The police tell Joanne to leave well enough alone, but Joanne is determined to bring Jackson down. Using her skip tracing skills, she sets out to locate Melissa Harkoff, now twenty-two, who lived in the Jackson home at the time of Linda Jackson's disappearance.

As Joanne drives home on a rainy winter night, a hooded figure darts in front of her car. In her headlight beams she glimpses the half-concealed face of a man, a rivulet of blood jagging down his cheek. She squeals to a stop but clips him with her right fender. Shaking, she gets out of her car in the pouring rain. The man will not let her see his face. Before he limps off into the night he warns her not to talk to police.

As Joanne tries to find Melissa, someone seems to be after her. Who was the man she hit on the road. Is Baxter Jackson out to silence her? Or is some other skip she's traced in the past now out for revenge?

"
If you would like to read the first chapter of Deceit, go HERE

Read more reviews of Collins's books and an interview HERE.

My Review of Deceit:


Brandilyn Collins twists and turns her way through yet another page turner. Joanne Weeks knows Baxter Jackson killed her best friend. But she doesn't have any proof. After voicing her opinion of the investigation's early death, shortly after the demise of Jackson's second wife, her comments are plastered on the front page of the small town newspaper. A town that is pretty much owned by, or at least in the back pocket of, Jackson.

A series of events unfolds at a break-neck pace that definitely tossed me against my seatbelt restraint a time or two. Collins strength in writing page-turning events is strong and I found myself whipping through them. A few similarities to previous novels, a very strong female lead for starters, and a back and forth parallel but different time frame telling of two enjoined stories will delight Collins fans. The twists may keep said fans on their toes. Chickens might be able to read this one without pulling the blankets over their heads, however, Collins tackles some interesting subject matter. This isn't a tame "Christian" read...rather something closer to what you might see in headlines.