Crimson Eve (Kanner Lake Series #3) [Paperback]

Brandilyn Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2007

Carla stared at the gun and David Thornby---or whatever his name was. Her mind fissured, one side pleading this was some sick joke, the other knowing it was not. Her throat ran dry, air backing up in her lungs. She swallowed. '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. Perhaps even change the face of a nation ... Crimson Eve is book three in the Kanner Lake Series. Set in a small lakeshore town in pristine northern Idaho, this series combines suspense and fast-paced action with intriguing, well-crafted characters and many an unexpected twist. Also available: Violet Dawn and Coral Moon in the Kanner Lake Series.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Carla stared at the gun and David Thornby—or whatever his name was. Her mind fissured, one side pleading this was some sick joke, the other knowing it was not. Her throat ran dry, air backing up in her lungs. She swallowed. “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. Perhaps even change the face of a nation … Crimson Eve is book three in the Kanner Lake Series. Set in a small lakeshore town in pristine northern Idaho, this series combines suspense and fast-paced action with intriguing, well-crafted characters and many an unexpected twist. Also available: Violet Dawn and Coral Moon in the Kanner Lake Series. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Brandilyn Collins, known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense, is the bestselling author of Violet Dawn, Coral Moon, Crimson Eve, Eyes of Elisha, and other novels. She and her family divide their time between the California Bay Area and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Visit her website at www.brandilyncollins.com and her blog at www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; Trade edition (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310252253
• ISBN-13: 978-0310252252
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #867,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brandilyn Collins is an award-winning and best-selling novelist, writing her trademarked Seatbelt Suspense®--fast-paced, character-driven suspense with myriad twists and an interwoven thread of faith. She also has written the distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons).

You can read excerpts from all her books at her Web site: www.brandilyncollins.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 Stars...How Does She Keep Doing It?, November 16, 2007

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Crimson Eve (Kanner Lake Series #3) (Paperback)

A woman on the run from a dangerous secret. Another woman, with a key to open the mystery. And men desperate to shut them down before positions of power are shaken at their foundations. Hmm. This could play right into some of the things we see in politics nowadays.

The amazing thing about "Crimson Eve" is that Brandilyn Collins takes high stakes and big concepts and fits them into a small-town story. She stays focused on the characters who have so much to lose, rather than turning this into an over-the-top political thriller. Once again, we start out in Kanner Lake (boy, this town sees a lot of action), but Collins wisely detours into outlying areas, allowing us a break from that besieged town, while keeping us in touch with some of our beloved friends from previous books. She does this in ways that seem fitting to the story, never forced.

The first two Kanner Lake books were mysteries with some great suspense. This book is a full-speed-ahead thriller, with some mystery thrown in. I was reminded a number of times of Harlan Coben (one of my favorite authors). Sometimes, Coben comes up with so many twists that it seems almost too much. Here, too, Collins uses some story ideas that push that edge of credulity, considering the four or five people all complicit to make this mystery work. Never fear, though, Collins is a master at her craft and she has us buying into this conspiracy theory while also relating deeply to the struggles of her main characters. She uses diary excerpts to great effect, allowing us to understand what has gone before, and what is to come.

I don't know how Collins keeps coming up with these great stories. She's consistent. The stories are fast-paced. And the characters come to life. When it comes to Christian suspense, Collins is one of those leading the charge.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book in the series, October 17, 2007

By 

Bill Garrison (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Crimson Eve (Kanner Lake Series #3) (Paperback)

Crimson Eve is the third book in the Kanner Lake series by Brandylin Collins, and is my favorite. Carla Radling, a minor character in the first two books, is a realtor and showing a house to a suave British millionaire. Carla thinks the showing is going great until the handsome man drops the British accent and pulls a gun. Carla makes a split-second decision that saves her life and she manages to escape. But she can't go far. The assassin contacts her via phone and tells her she can trust no one, even the police. And if she does try and get help, those that help her will be in danger too. That's the set-up for the woman-in-jeapordy plot line. As with the first two novels in the series, there is a lot more going on, and Collins weaves in the other storylines effortlessly.

Tanya Evans returned home after a long day only to see a man in her living room. He threatens Tanya to not say a word about a secret she has harbored for years. If she does, she will die. Carla is on the run, and her friends in Kanner Lake begin to notice her absence. Fiesty reporter Leslie Brymes can't help but try and get to the bottom of the story. And perhaps most compelling, Carla's secret. Carla thought she had escaped her past, but her past wouldn't let her forget. We learn about Carla's tragic teenage years through her own diary. While some of it is predictable, there are enough twists and turns to make you flip the pages as fast as you can.

Taking the novel in as a whole, I don't think there is anything truly new, but Collins takes all the pieces and throws them together perfectly. Collins also gives this novel higher stakes, with Carla's fate affecting the entire country.

This is a fun series and is scheduled to end with the next book, Amber Morn. While I'd love this series to go on past four books, how much tragedy can really happen in one town? Collins fans will love this book. Those considering reading this book should definitely start at the beginning of the series and not because you wouldn't be able to understand Crimson Eve, but because it is so much fun reading about Kanner Lake and its characters.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Intense Thrill Ride To Date, September 18, 2007

By 

Jake Chism (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crimson Eve (Kanner Lake Series #3) (Paperback)

Crimson Eve is Collins's most intense thrill ride to date. Kanner Lake realtor Carla Radling just may have landed her dream commission. Someone is interested in purchasing the sprawling estate of the late actress, Edna San. As Carla shows the property to the eccentric potential buyer, things suddenly take a horrible turn for the worse. Now Carla is on the run from a man who wants her dead because of the shadowy past of her childhood. He will stop at nothing to claim her life, and Carla must somehow find a way to protect herself and her reputation. If the citizens of Kanner Lake really knew Carla's story could they possibly still love and accept her? How far can one flee from the past before the past catches up?

Brandilyn Collin's Kanner Lake Series is hands down her best work. The fictional town of Kanner Lake is a delightful creation, full of cleverly crafted characters that are quirky, loveable, and memorable. From the twisting and turning plots to the shocking revelations, Collins proves she is a master of the suspense genre. Each story in the series is vastly different and yet all are equally entertaining and riveting. Embedded in the suspenseful storylines we find nuggets of hope and faith that are both insightful and encouraging. This series is highly recommended for fans of suspense thrillers and mystery. (Originally reviewed as a series for Christian Library Journal)