Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins, Reviewed
October 19, 2007
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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…® ” She’s so well known in the industry there’s actually a club for her non-readers. That’s right. The Big Honkin’ Chickens Club (BHCC) members are proud of the fact that they’re too wimpy to read Brandilyn’s intense fiction. Now and then one of them tries. Bribing works pretty well. (Just ask Deb Raney.) Somehow they live to tell the tale.
Brandilyn writes for Zondervan, the Christian division of HarperCollins Publishers, and is currently at work on her 17th book. Her 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.
She’s also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons), and often teaches at writers conferences. Brandilyn blogs at Forensics and Faith.
Visit her website to read the first chapters of all her books.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Carla stared at the gun and David Thornby—or whatever his name was. Her mind split in two, one side pleading this was some sick joke, the other screaming it was all too real.
“Please. You must have the wrong person. There’s no reason for someone to want me dead. I don’t have any enemies.”
“Then you’d best rethink your friends.”
Realtor Carla Radling shows an “English gentleman” a lakeside estate—and finds herself facing a gun. Who has hired this assassin to kill her, and why?
Forced on the run, Carla must uncover the scathing secrets of her past. Secrets that could destroy some very powerful people…
Brandilyn Collins fans and reviewers are saying Crimson Eve is her best book yet:
“Collins tops herself by creating a suspenseful nonstop thrill ride … Truly the best Christian Fiction suspense title so far this year.”
– Library Journal, starred review“Crimson Eve is Collins at her very best. It left me feeling as if I’d climbed Mount Everest without oxygen … I didn’t think Brandilyn could outdo herself after reading Coral Moon. She did.”
–TitleTrakk.com“I’ve never edited a more tightly crafted, deftly woven, compellingly written book.” –a Crimson Eve editor, with 20 years experience
“This is your best book! I could not stop reading!” – one of many readers with similar responses
Read about Violet Dawn and Coral Moon, books one and two in the Kanner Lake series.
Do you know someone who’s never read a Brandilyn Collins novel? Surely no such person exists. However, should you scrounge up such a friend—someone who enjoys suspense—here’s a special offer from Brandilyn. Be among the first 50 people between now and October 21, 2007 to e-mail her assistant at gayle.brandilyncollins@gmail.com with the person’s name, e-mail address and street address. (Due to exorbitant overseas mailing costs, United States residents only, please).
A signed copy of Crimson Eve will be sent to your friend—free—along with an e-mail from Brandilyn announcing the book is on its way, courtesy of you. (Don’t worry. Brandilyn won’t spam these email addresses. She just wants your friend to know who to thank.) No worries that this story is third in the Kanner Lake series. Each book stands alone. Brandilyn is convinced your friend will so love Crimson Eve, he/she will surely reciprocate with expensive chocolate.
Sally Says: I really enjoyed Crimson Eve, and this book is a bit different than Brandilyn’s usual stories. It’s a real suspense where you think you know the whole story, but you discover more and more as you read on. This one really was fun.
There are two (or maybe three or more) sides out there that say Christian fiction needs the salvation message in there and a big takeaway and others who think Christian fiction is just Christian writers who write fiction. I suppose I’m somewhere in between. I don’t need a specific message in the books I read. I read Christian fiction because I can get a great, clean story — emphasis on the clean. And Crimson Eve is light on the Christian content. Is that bad? Nope. I don’t think so.
But it is heavy on suspense, although not as intense as all of her other suspense books. If you’ve been hesitant to try Brandilyn’s books, this is a great one to start with.
On a Side Note: As for my repeated absence here, sigh. We had another day or so of internet trouble, but the main problem is that I’m just plain busy. I’m working part time at a major bookstore chain and enjoying that, and then I’m working very part time at my local library, as a substitute librarian really.
I’ve now worked in every aspect of the book business (publisher, library, bookstore) except the writing end. Well, I’ve done that too, just haven’t been paid for my book writing yet. I’d love to see that change this year, but God knows when and if that’ll happen so I’m fine shelving other people’s books for now.
So I’m trying to get back to being consistent on blogging. Have a backlog of blog entries I want to get out there. We’ll see how that goes.
Comments
2 Responses to “Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins, Reviewed”
I miss your regular posts
Come baaaaack! Hope you’re enjoying your new jobs!
Hi, Sally. I well understand how busy you are. These library (and bookstore) jobs eat up a lot of time, don’t they? Brandilyn’s book sounds great. Thanks for sharing.
On another note, you won the contest over at my site for the autographed copy of Demon: A Memoir. Email me your snail mail addy and I’ll send it to you. Enjoy!