Brandilyn Collins

I chose an oldie, but a goodie, for my morning walks when I downloaded the audiobook of Brink of Death, the first book in Brandilyn Collins’ Hidden Faces series. Published back in 2004, this novel kicks off a four book series featuring Annie Kingston, a recently divorced mother of two. Seeking to protect her children from bad influences back in the San Francisco Bay Area, Annie moves them to her late father’s (a controversial and hated defense attorney) home in an exclusive fly-in show more neighborhood. But bad things can happen in good neighborhoods too, as Annie soon discovers when her neighbor is murdered.

Told in Annie’s first person voice and the 3rd person POV of the bad guy, the reader gets a good look into Annie’s fears and doubts and the maniacal thinking of the psychopathic murderer. Collins promises Seatbelt Suspense, and she delivers with this book. Annie, a courtroom artist, is recruited to come up with a composite of the murderer from the eyewitness account of the victim’s daughter. Annie’s discovery that she has seen the man before sets her on a investigation of her own. The action comes fast and furious as Annie uncovers the motive behind the murder. I loved that Annie explores the field of forensic art — lots of great info and insight shared. Annie is a non-believer going into the story, but her neighbors’ witness in a time of trauma kindles her interest in a God who promises always to be at her side.

Brink of Death is a great choice when you just need a suspense-filled book. It’s a quick read that keeps you turning the pages and staying up past your bed time. 😉 It is also the first book in a series that promises more of the same. And the good news is all the books are out — binge-reading here you come! Brink of Death is currently $2.99 on Kindle, and the other 3 in the series are discounted as well — all 4 for less than $18!

Recommended.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less

Shortly after receiving this book in the mail I was at Burger King with my children on the Arkansas side of Texarkana. There in the parking lot was a small blue car with the entire bumper and lower part of the back window covered with bumper stickers that read "Lyme is alive and well in Arkansas". To be honest until receiving this book for review I had not given much thought to this disease. Then as I read this book a classmate of my husband was diagnosed with this very thing. How odd that show more God works things out in such a way to make us aware of something like this.

This book is very well written. From the first page the reader is drawn into the story with a full range of emotions. I found this book to be a little stressful simply because of the tensions within it. I felt so bad for the main character and within the first few pages developed a deep dislike for her husband. It seems so very terrible that this man would treat his own wife with such disinterest. In fact I found myself really wanting to put the book down because of this one character, if I didn't want so badly to see what happened to Jannie. Never before had I given much thought to Lyme Disease, but after reading this I have a new sympathy for those suffering from this and a new desire not to take my children for any more hikes in the Arkansas mountains!

Brandilyn Collins has expertly written a suspenseful drama that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. This one is certainly a page turner and is difficult to put down. I read it in one setting (shamefully staying up way past my bedtime) in order to finish it. A special thanks to the author for tackling a book that will no doubt bring awareness to many about a topic that needs to be seen.

Thank you B&H for this review copy. show less

Brandilyn Collins writes Christian suspense novels with the tag-line “Don’t forget to breathe.” Her novel, Dark Pursuit, certainly merits the warning. It’s a story that starts with a quick trip home and just the odd thing out of place, then rushes into murder and mayhem, leaving twenty-two-year-old Kaitlan unsure who to trust. The boyfriend might be a murderer. The novelist grandfather wants nothing to do with her, nor she with him. And the police are more concerned with her past show more than her security.

Of course, the grandfather’s not just any old novelist. He’s a suspense novelist, with a penchant for setting up scary situations and resolving them. But it’s been a while and the words and the plots won’t come, so it’s with mixed motives that he sets out to help Kaitlan, and with mixed results.

Surprising twists lie in the final scenes. Even if you’ve guessed some of them you probably won’t have predicted everything. I certainly hadn’t.

The dialog creates clearly recognizable characters and relationships, and the story will have you pondering the motivations behind your own pursuits, dark or light, long after it’s finished. I recommend it as an exciting, intriguing read, but don’t forget to breathe. show less

I was actually impressed. This one took me by surprise from the beginning with immediately seeing into the killers eyes. Then we switch to Shaley and her rock star mom Rayne. The length of the plot is three days but by the end I feel like Shaley and that it was more like a few months but in a good way. We follow through the lives of Shaley and her mom as they deal with the murder of a close friend. From there everything begins to be not what they thought and people not who they thought. Even show more up until the end I was shocked to figure out who the killer was. The writers did a great job of keeping you guessing and turning pages as fast as you could to get to the next one. I literally didn���t want to put it down. I just had to know what the killer was going to do next and try to get some clue as to who it might be. The writing only switched between Shaley���s perspective and the killers ��� a fact to which I was very grateful. The transitions were smooth and easy to get. I liked how it ended and from the preview I got of the next in line it literally picks up where this one leaves off. I think this is a great beginning of a great mystery series. The Christian influence is actually barely there which is a nice backdrop for Christian fiction. It���s not in your face or shoved down any characters throat it���s just simple reminders that someone is watching out for you ��� someone good. show less