This month my book clubs, By The Book and Page Turners, have picked two very different books. By The Book is reading Dark Justice a Christian suspense novel by Brandilyn Collins. And Page Turners is reading a secular novel, The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. Have you read either one of these novels? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
If I’d had any idea what those words would mean to me, to my mother and daughter, I’d have fled California without looking back.
While driving a rural road, Hannah Shire and her aging mother, who suffers from dementia, stop to help a man at the scene of a car accident. The man whispers mysterious words in Hannah’s ear. Soon people want to kill Hannah and her mother for what they “know.” Even law enforcement may be involved.
The two women must flee for their lives. But how does Hannah hide her confused mother? Carol just wants to listen to her pop music, wear her favorite purple hat, and go home. And if they turn to Hannah’s twentyseven- year-old daughter, Emily, for help, will she fall into danger as well?
Brandilyn Collins is a best-selling author of nearly 30 books. She is best known for her Seatbelt Suspense®–fast-paced, character-driven suspense with myriad twists and an interwoven thread of faith. She also writes insightful contemporary novels, often laced with humor.
Sophie Honeywell always wondered if Thomas Gordon was the one who got away. He was the perfect boyfriend, but on the day he was going to propose, she broke his heart. A year later he married his travel agent, while Sophie has been mortifyingly single ever since. Now Thomas is back in her life because Sophie has unexpectedly inherited his aunt Connie’s house on Scribbly Gum Island—home of the famously unsolved Munro Baby mystery.
Sophie moves onto the island and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family, where it seems everyone has a secret. Grace, a beautiful young mother, is feverishly planning a shocking escape from her perfect life. Margie, a frumpy housewife, has made a pact with a stranger, while dreamy Aunt Rose wonders if maybe it’s about time she started making her own decisions.
As Sophie’s life becomes increasingly complicated, she discovers that sometimes you have to stop waiting around—and come up with your own fairy-tale ending.
Liane Moriarty is the Australian author of six internationally best-selling novels, including Three Wishes, The Last Anniversary, What Alice Forgot, The Hypnotist’s Love Story and the number 1 New York Times bestsellers, The Husband’s Secret and Big Little Lies.
Twenty-nine-year-old Lisa Newberry can barely make it through the day. Suddenly widowed and a survivor of a near-fatal attack, she is wracked with grief and despair. Then she hears of a medical trial for a tiny brain chip that emits electrical pulses to heal severe depression. At rope’s end, Lisa offers herself as a candidate.When she receives her letter of acceptance for the trial, Lisa is at first hopeful. But-brain surgery. Can she really go through with that? What if she receives only the placebo? What if something far worse goes wrong?
CBD has a widget that lets you listen to a sample of the audiobook. Click HERE to listen.
Brandilyn Collins is a 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 thePhil Donahue and Leeza talk shows. Brandilyn’s awards for her novels include the ACFW Carol Award (three times), Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice.
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). The Writer magazine named Getting into Character one of the best books on writing published in 2002.
When she’s not writing, Brandilyn can be found teaching the craft of fiction at writers’ conferences. She and her family divide their time between homes in the California Bay Area and northern Idaho.
My Impressions:
First, let me say that Double Blind is a fast-paced psychological/medical thriller true to Brandilyn Collins’ style. There are lots of twists, turns and breath-holding moments. If you like your suspense fast and furious, then this is the book for you. The technology in the novel, although fictional, is just a few steps ahead of reality. That in itself is chilling. The emotions and fears the main character goes through makes this a very personal read/listen. Secondly, the audiobook brought a whole new dimension to my reading pleasure. The book is a first person account of Lisa Newburg’s experience with depression, desperation, and hope in the face of grief and loss. The audio-reader captured the despair that has enveloped Lisa. The emotions are raw and believable as heard through Lisa’s voice. Perfect as a vacation read, I literally listened to Double Blind on the beach! In fact I had to hold off the beach service staff from removing my chair and umbrella because I had just 3 more minutes left in the book!
So if you are looking for a great suspense novel, pick up either the Kindle, paperback or audiobook version of Double Blind. Another winner from Brandilyn Collins.
Recommended.
(I purchased an audiobook version from Audible. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
To purchase a copy of Double Blind, click on the image below.
Amaryllis, Mississippi, resembles the flower for which it’s named—bright with southern hospitality. But poison lurks in its center. A serial killer is responsible for five unsolved murders. And now the blood of a sixth stains the town. Three terrified women are sure they know who the perpetrator is—but they all suspect a different man. Who’s right?
Brandilyn Collins is a 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 thePhil Donahue and Leeza talk shows. Brandilyn’s awards for her novels include the ACFW Carol Award (three times), Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice.
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). The Writer magazine named Getting into Character one of the best books on writing published in 2002.
When she’s not writing, Brandilyn can be found teaching the craft of fiction at writers’ conferences. She and her family divide their time between homes in the California Bay Area and northern Idaho.
My Impressions:
I have read several of Brandilyn Collins’ novels, most recently Crimson Eve and Over The Edge, and I have enjoyed them all. But Gone to Ground has to be by far my favorite. Collins has surpassed her usual suspense with this book. Set in a small Mississippi town, Gone to Groundhas three unforgettable characters — each unique and well-developed. The plot keeps the pages turning. And you are never going to guess just whodunit! The book is written from the points of view of three women, each sure that someone she knows has been responsible for the serial killings that have plagued their town for three years. Unfortunately, all three have different suspects. But when they get together missing pieces of the puzzle fall into place. I especially loved the voice of Cherrie Mae Devine, the sixty-ish housecleaner that knows more than a few secrets kept by the citizens of Amaryllis. Also, this fictional small southern town set in a real county springs to life. My husband grew up in the next county over, and Collins has faithfully recreated the area. I have to highly recommend this novel. If you like suspense, you will love Gone to Ground.
Highly Recommended.
(Thank you to NetGalley and B&H Publishers for my e-book copy of Gone to Ground. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
On a lovely evening in Kanner Lake, realtor Carla Radling shows an “English gentleman” a lakeside estate—and finds herself facing a gun. Somebody wants her dead! On the run, Carla uncovers secrets from her past that could destroy some very powerful people. What can stop the assassins from trying again?
Brandilyn Collins is a 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’s awards for her novels include the ACFW Carol Award (three times), Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice.
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). The Writer magazine named Getting into Character one of the best books on writing published in 2002.
When she’s not writing, Brandilyn can be found teaching the craft of fiction at writers’ conferences. She and her family divide their time between homes in the California Bay Area and northern Idaho.
My Impressions:
Crimson Eve, the 3rd book in Brandilyn Collins’ Kanner Lake series, has been in my TBR stack for quite some time. I read Violet Dawn (nicknamed Violent Dawn by my book club) and Amber Morn quite a while ago, but was not lost when I started this novel. Really, they could probably be read as stand-alones, but I like to begin at the beginning. The novel starts out running and really never quits. Carla Radling is targeted by a hit man and is unsure just why someone wants her dead. She literally stumbles into safety, but on the run, she can never be sure who to trust. The story unfolds through present day action and the diary entries from Carla’s 16 year old diary. The switch between the two really works and the reader is not confused thanks to date entries at the top of chapters and a different font for the diary. Crimson Eve is a good, quick read if you are looking for page turning suspense.
I am giving away a copy of Brandilyn Collin’s book Over The Edge. To enter, just leave me a comment on this post with your email address included. Also, tell me what your favorite genre is — suspense, historical, romance, etc. The giveaway will run through August 31. The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator. Good Luck!
Torn from the front lines of medical debate and the author’s own experience with Lyme Disease, Over the Edge is riveting fiction, full of twists and turns—and powerful truths about today’s medical field.
Janessa McNeil’s husband, Dr. Brock McNeil, a researcher and professor at Stanford University’s Department of Medicine, specializes in tick-borne diseases—especially Lyme. For years he has insisted that Chronic Lyme Disease doesn’t exist. Even as patients across the country are getting sicker, the committee Brock chairs is about to announce its latest findings—which will further seal the door shut for Lyme treatment.
One embittered man sets out to prove Dr. McNeil wrong by giving him a close-up view of the very disease he denies. The man infects Janessa with Lyme, then states his demand: convince her husband to publicly reverse his stand on Lyme—or their young daughter will be next.
But Janessa’s marriage is already rocky. She’s so sick she can hardly move or think. And her husband denies she has Lyme at all.
Torn from the front lines of medical debate and the author’s own experience with Lyme Disease, Over the Edge is riveting fiction, full of twists and turns—and powerful truths about today’s medical field.
Janessa McNeil’s husband, Dr. Brock McNeil, a researcher and professor at Stanford University’s Department of Medicine, specializes in tick-borne diseases—especially Lyme. For years he has insisted that Chronic Lyme Disease doesn’t exist. Even as patients across the country are getting sicker, the committee Brock chairs is about to announce its latest findings—which will further seal the door shut for Lyme treatment.
One embittered man sets out to prove Dr. McNeil wrong by giving him a close-up view of the very disease he denies. The man infects Janessa with Lyme, then states his demand: convince her husband to publicly reverse his stand on Lyme—or their young daughter will be next.
But Janessa’s marriage is already rocky. She’s so sick she can hardly move or think. And her husband denies she has Lyme at all.
Welcome to the Lyme wars, Janessa.
*******************************
Brandilyn Collins is a 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’s awards for her novels include the ACFW Book of the Year (three times), Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice.
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). The Writer magazine named Getting into Character one of the best books on writing published in 2002.
When she’s not writing, Brandilyn can be found teaching the craft of fiction at writers’ conferences. She and her family divide their time between homes in the California Bay Area and northern Idaho.
My Impressions:
Brandilyn Collins is known for her Seatbelt Suspense brand, and her newest novel, Over The Edge, will certainly make you strap that seatbelt tight! Janessa McNeil is the wife of famous Lyme researcher Brock McNeil. After three weeks of the flu, Janessa gets a bizarre phone call. The caller claims to have infected her with Lyme and wants her husband to recant his previous statements that Lyme is not a chronic disease. What begins as a bizarre incident escalates to full-scale stalking and a life or death race to identify the stalker and get a diagnosis for the illness that has Janessa in its grips.
Collins used her own struggles with chronic Lyme as the inspiration for this novel. The obstacles that Janessa faces to get both a diagnosis and appropriate treatment were Collins’ own. The author’s experience brings an even higher level to the suspense in Over The Edge. The Lyme wars are brought into focus. And while the book is a fascinating look at the Lyme wars, it is also a great twisting and turning suspense that will keep you guessing and gasping to the end. Besides the mysterious caller, Janessa must face an increasingly hostile and abusive husband.
Over The Edge is a perfect book club pick. There is so much to discuss — from the Lyme controversy, to Collins’ own experiences, to the solving of the whodunit — Over The Edge will keep you reading and talking into the night.
Highly Recommended.
While at the ICRS in Atlanta in July, I had the opportunity to talk with Brandilyn Collins. Here are the highlights.
BTB: Where do you get the inspiration for your stories?
Brandilyn: True crime stories are the biggest inspiration for my novels. Of course Over The Edge was inspired by my experience with Chronic Lyme, but day to day experiences can trigger an idea. One evening while in my hot tub with my husband, I got the idea for the opening scene of Violet Dawn. I thought, a body could be dumped in a hot tub and no one would be the wiser! I also have people coming to me with ways to kill people! A repairman even gave me his take on the perfect murder!
BTB: What type of research do you do?
Brandilyn: After writing so many novels, I have a base of knowledge to draw from. But I will call on experts to get specifics just right. My next book is set in a fictional small town in Mississippi. I traveled there to research the setting.
BTB: What is your next book?
Brandilyn: My next book is set in the fictional town of Amaryllis set in real life Jasper County, Mississippi. In this small town there have been several unsolved murders and the newest one has just happened. Three women are sure they know who the killer is, however, their suspects are three different men. The novel is titled Gone To Ground.
Thanks to Brandilyn for sharing with me. To find out more about her story and to get more information about Lyme, click on the following: My Healing and About Lyme.
Gone To Ground — Amaryllis, Mississippi is a scrappy little town of strong backbone and southern hospitality. A brick-paved Main Street, a park, and a legendary ghost in the local cemetery are all part of its heritage. Everybody knows everybody in Amaryllis, and gossip wafts on the breeze. Its people are friendly, its families tight. On the surface Amaryllis seems much like the flower for which it’s named—bright and fragrant. But the Amaryllis flower is poison.
In the past three years five unsolved murders have occurred within the town. All the victims were women, and all were killed in similar fashion in their own homes. And just two nights ago—a sixth murder.
Clearly a killer lives among the good citizens of Amaryllis. And now three terrified women are sure they know who he is—someone they love. None is aware of the others’ suspicions. And each must make the heartrending choice to bring the killer down. But each woman suspects a different man.
(I received Over The Edge from B&H Publishers in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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If I’d had any idea what those words would mean to me, to my mother and daughter, I’d have fled California without looking back.
Brandilyn Collins is a best-selling author of nearly 30 books. She is best known for her Seatbelt Suspense®–fast-paced, character-driven suspense with myriad twists and an interwoven thread of faith. She also writes insightful contemporary novels, often laced with humor.
Sophie Honeywell always wondered if Thomas Gordon was the one who got away. He was the perfect boyfriend, but on the day he was going to propose, she broke his heart. A year later he married his travel agent, while Sophie has been mortifyingly single ever since. Now Thomas is back in her life because Sophie has unexpectedly inherited his aunt Connie’s house on Scribbly Gum Island—home of the famously unsolved Munro Baby mystery.
Liane Moriarty is the Australian author of six internationally best-selling novels, including Three Wishes, The Last Anniversary, What Alice Forgot, The Hypnotist’s Love Story and the number 1 New York Times bestsellers, The Husband’s Secret and Big Little Lies.
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