Book Review - Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins

Seatbelt Suspense, what could that mean? It is the watchword by which Brandilyn Collins's writing is known. Now I understand what it means. To read one of her works is like stepping into the front seat of a race car being controlled by an invisible driver. You'd better tighten that seatbelt and slip on the shoulder straps because Ms. Collins will take you for the ride of your life and you have no say in the matter.

Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins thrusts the reader into a world of murder on page one as Paige Williams steps innocently into her own hot tub at 2:00 a.m. one warm Idaho night. What happens after that I won't reveal. You'll have to read the book for yourself.

One of the best parts of Violet Dawn is the characterization of the antagonist as a snake, a black mamba. The evil Black Mamba is creepy, eerie, and I'm truly thankful that he/she is only a figment of Ms. Collins's imagination.Thrown into the mix of quirky characters that venture into the town of Kanner Lake's popular gathering place, the Java Joint, is S-Man. Now he is a little weird and most definitely "spaced-out", but this character made for some chuckles to lighten the mood from time-to-time throughout Violet Dawn. But is S-Man's manner for real or affected to hide something more sinister?

Getting to know the local population of Kanner Lake in the first book of this series is like moving to a new town or to a new job. Bits and pieces are revealed about several of the locals and lead me to want to know more about them. What will happen to Bailey Truitt's husband as his health condition progresses? Why is Wilbur so irascible? Will Frank West fall in love with the new girl in town? Brandilyn, when is the next book of the series, Coral Moon, due out? I mustn't miss that one.

Teachers of writing instruct their students to open their works of fiction with something, anything that will "grab" the readers and propel them deeper into the chapters ahead of them. Too many times a slow start will discourage a reader and one of two things happens: 1. the potential reader flips to the first page of a book, reads it, decides it starts too slowly and never buys it/checks it out of the library, or 2. the reader reads a few pages finds it moving to slowly, puts the book down, and never returns to it. Brandilyn Collins doesn't appear to have a problem with compelling readers to continue with one of her works. That is if the books don't give the reader nightmares.

My recommendation - if you're easily frightened then read Violet Dawn in the bright sunlight after the break of dawn, not during the black of night, if you wish to get a good night's sleep.

kmp