Eyes of Elisha (Chelsea Adams Series #1) [Paperback]

Brandilyn Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

Chelsea Adams has a vision in which she sees the death of a young woman. When she comes back to consciousness after that vision, she looks into the eyes of a dinner guest and experiences a terrifying moment of recognition. She s certain that he is the murderer of the young woman in her vision. Plenty of twists and turns of plot right up until the end of this edge-of-your-seat thriller.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Collins, a general market crime author turned CBA novelist, pens a chilling tale of suspense that makes a worthy contribution to the sparse genre of Christian mystery fiction. Chelsea Adams has the gift of visions, often falling into a trancelike spiritual state where she sees events that elude others. When Chelsea has dinner with Gavil Harrison, a candidate for vice-president of sales at her husband Paul's up-and-coming software company, she is horrified by her "vision" that Harrison has murdered a young female jogger. Sgt. Dan Reiger is a Christian willing to take a chance on believing in Chelsea's visions as he tracks down the killer. But will Chelsea's next vision damage her credibility and change the course of the investigation? Collins does a fine job of laying a confusing, twisting trail, sowing seeds of doubt about the various suspects and teasing the reader with just enough information to keep the pages turning. There's a rather conservative undertone of marital submission (Paul forbids Chelsea to go to church and she meekly acquiesces), as well as occasional overwriting ("the underbrush seemed taken aback at the sudden sound, rustling its disapproval"), but these are minor lapses in a solid narrative. To her credit, Collins leaves some loose ends dangling: Paul doesn't become a Christian at the end of the book, although he is supportive of Chelsea's faith. CBA readers looking for mystery novels with a spiritual thread will enjoy this. (Oct.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Chelsea Adams's devotion to the Lord manifests itself in an unusual way: she has visions of past, present, or future events. During one vision, she witnesses a murder through the eyes of the victim and is convinced that the murderer is a man she just met. As Chelsea struggles to convince the police of what she has seen, the ensuing investigation and publicity challenge her beliefs and make her the target of a madman determined to put an end to her visions forever. Collins (Cast a Road Before Me) delivers an intriguing explanation of psychic visions in a thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the end. Recommended for most collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; Reprinted edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310239680
• ISBN-13: 978-0310239680
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #856,582 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 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful psychic suspense in an inspirational setting, January 5, 2002

By 

J Morgan "Writer/Reader" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eyes of Elisha (Chelsea Adams Series #1) (Paperback)

Brandilyn Collins skillfully weaves a fast-paced story of psychic visions with engaging characters and interesting plot twists that keep the reader guessing until the end. A remarkable book that effective combines page-turner suspense with Christian context.

Heroine Chelsea Adams, a new Christian, relives the brutal attack of a stalker in a grisly vision and identifies the murderer as her husband's soon-to-be business associate.

From that point, her God-given visions fill Chelsea's world with uncertainty and danger. Her husband Paul, who barely accepts her newfound faith anyway, challenges the accuracy of her vision, but cannot deny the threat unleashed upon his wife and family.

The Bay Area law enforcement officers, with their own crises of belief, have difficulty producing the necessary proof and struggle to protect Chelsea and her family from the madman determined to end to her visions forever.

Collins has created multi-dimensional characters that add depth and poignancy to her plot. While ratcheting up the tension, she is still able to portray their spiritual struggles in an unobtrusive, believable way.

A great read that I guarantee will keep you engaged to the great climatic ending.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye Opening Book, July 4, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Eyes of Elisha (Chelsea Adams Series #1) (Paperback)

I participated recently in a discussion about Christian fiction. There was a criticism, comparing it to milksop, too sweet and without substance. Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, may I direct your attention to a piece of Christian fiction that is nowhere near milksop, definitely scary, and full of substance? Eyes of Elisha is full-fledged suspense at its best, yet doesn't back away from being centered in Christian principals and reality. The words not only flow, they take on an artistry, captivating and enticing the reader to keep going. I read until 3:30 in the morning, unable to put the book down. Well crafted, the plot packs a wallop, exploding with believable characters and intense excitement. Ms. Collins, who has earned her status among the top Christian suspense authors of our time, gives fair warning with her motto - "Don't forget to breathe..."

If you haven't been a fan of Christian fiction before, or are under the assumption that it holds nothing to interest or tantalize, I suggest you check out Eyes of Elisha. You can take it from me, it will be an eye-opening experience.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping supernatural suspense novel, November 23, 2001

By 

Randall Ingermanson (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eyes of Elisha (Chelsea Adams Series #1) (Paperback)

Eyes of Elisha is an excellent read and I highly recommend it. A young woman is murdered--horrifically. We see the event through the eyes of the murderer, and though we don't know his identity, we do know that he's going to kill again.

Next, we switch to the viewpoint of the protagonist, Chelsea Adams, a newbie sort of Christian who has a rare "intuitive gift." Okay, let's be blunt. She has visions. Real visions. Inconvenient visions. During a business meal at an upscale restaurant, she has a vision of a woman being murdered--from the viewpoint of the victim. Chelsea hears the words "I hate you," feels her own head being battered against the ground, and even sees through blurry eyes ... the face of the killer. Sort of.

This is all really weird, and Chelsea knows it. She's embarrassed by it. Hates it. Why does she have to deal with this? But she's also honest. Too honest to do nothing.

And so the roller-coaster ride begins. The author skillfully weaves a lightning-paced story involving a dozen-plus characters. I'm a novelist, and I'm very impressed with Ms. Collins' ability to take me inside a character's skin, to feel that character's pain, to know his or her internal logic. This is a tightly written, well crafted tale of suspense. As a bonus, Collins creates the world of Bay Area law enforcement with incredible realism--only to be expected, since her first book was a heavily researched true-crime story.

A gem of a thriller. Buy it!