Violet Dawn (Kanner Lake Series #1) [Paperback]

Brandilyn Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2006

Something sinuous in the water brushed against Paige's knee. She jerked her leg away. What was that? She rose to a sitting position, groped around with her left hand. Fine wisps wound themselves around her fingers. Hair? She yanked backward, but the tendrils clung. Something solid bumped her wrist. Paige gasped. With one frantic motion she shook her arm free, grabbed the side of the hot tub, and heaved herself out. Paige Williams slips into her hot tub in the blackness of night---and finds herself face to face with death. Alone, terrified, fleeing a dark past, Paige must make an unthinkable choice. In Violet Dawn, hurtling events and richly drawn characters collide in a breathless story of murder, the need to belong, and faith's first glimmer. One woman's secrets unleash an entire town's pursuit, and the truth proves as elusive as the killer in their midst.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As a shy newcomer in the tiny tourist community of Kanner Lake, Idaho, Paige Williams is already considered reclusive by the gregarious standards of the village. But townspeople don't realize that Paige is fleeing a past so damaging that when she discovers a dead body, she dispenses with the evidence and hides the truth rather than go to the police, whom she mistrusts. With this opener, Collins (Dead of Night) spins a tale of murder in a smalltown with an added twist of Christian faith, which is lightly handled. The writing is competent for the most part, with false notes occurring in some formal and stilted dialogue and Collins's penchant for overusing dramatic similes ("her heart drummed like the rataplan of rain on a roof"). One real strength is Collins's skill in handling multiple points of view and time shifts, which flow easily together and advance the plot. Short chapterlets keep the story moving, particularly in the fast-paced final third of the novel, and Collins throws in some interesting details of police procedure and crime scene investigation. Some characters, like the town's tough-but-tender police chief, are beautifully developed, while others, such as the monologues and predictability of the villain, are flat. In all, however, this is a promising and entertaining beginning to the Kanner Lake series. (Sept.)
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Review

As a shy newcomer in the tiny tourist community of Kanner Lake, Idaho, Paige Williams is already considered reclusive by the gregarious standards of the village. But townspeople don't realize that Paige is fleeing a past so damaging that when she discovers a dead body, she dispenses with the evidence and hides the truth rather than go to the police, whom she mistrusts. With this opener, Collins (Dead of Night) spins a tale of murder in a small town with an added twist of Christian faith, which is lightly handled. The writing is competent for the most part, with false notes occurring in some formal and stilted dialogue and Collins's penchant for overusing dramatic similes ('her heart drummed like the rataplan of rain on a roof'). One real strength is Collins's skill in handling multiple points of view and time shifts, which flow easily together and advance the plot. Short chapterlets keep the story moving, particularly in the fast-paced final third of the novel, and Collins throws in some interesting details of police procedure and crime scene investigation. Some characters, like the town's tough-but-tender police chief, are beautifully developed, while others, such as the monologues and predictability of the villain, are flat. In all, however, this is a promising and entertaining beginning to the Kanner Lake series. (Sept.) -- Publisher's Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (August 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310252237
• ISBN-13: 978-0310252238
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,198 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

67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly Balanced, September 7, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: Violet Dawn (Kanner Lake Series #1) (Paperback)

A cover with shades of violet and purple is not one to draw my attention. I'm a man. This didn't look like my type of book. Nevertheless, I'm a big fan of Brandilyn Collins, so I took a chance--and boy, am I ever glad!

"Violet Dawn" is every bit the page-turner of her previous novels. The story starts with a lonely woman whose attempt at a serene new life is turned topsy-turvy by the startling discovery in her hot tub one night. Her attempts to deal with this surprise only cause further trouble, drawing the attention of the law and of a criminally insane villian. The story is fairly simple, but Brandilyn turns it into something special through her quick pacing, her shifts of point of view, and the setting for her new series. Though the plot lacked some of the surprises of her previous books, this is a satisfying read. I look forward to running into some of these characters again in the next books. Although one previous review complained that too much characterization slowed the pace, I felt the opposite: I thought the characterization was superbly balanced to increase my concern for those involved in the sordid details.

With the Kanner Lake series, Collins forges ahead with other female authors (Kathy Mackel, Melanie Wells, Claudia Mair Burney...to name a few) who are mixing excellent mystery and suspense with splashes of grace and faith in the midst of turmoil. It's a bright day for Christian fiction.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brandilyn once again proves she's the queen of suspense, September 8, 2006

By 

Gina Holmes "Author of DRY AS RAIN" (VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Violet Dawn (Kanner Lake Series #1) (Paperback)

Brandilyn Collins is famous for her "seatbelt suspense" for good reason. Her novels take off at full speed and we're jerked left and right through twists and turns we never see coming. Her lastest novel, Violet Dawn, does not dissapoint.

As I expected, the plot was tight, there were surprises and the writing was near flawless.

This is a book to give to suspense lovers who may not have checked out this author before. She's an amazing writer.

All in all this was a fantastic suspense novel and the characterization was wonderful as always. Brandilyn is a master in her genre.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling, taut, page-turner -- Brandilyn at her best!, October 17, 2006

By 

C.J. Darlington "Author of Thicker Than Blood... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Violet Dawn (Kanner Lake Series #1) (Paperback)

Paige Williams is a young woman with a troubled past. She yearns for friends and a new life in peaceful Kanner Lake, Idaho. Finding a dead body isn't going to help, especially when she knows the victim. But Paige can't call the police. How could she possibly explain she's clueless where the body came from? And what if her face ends up on TV? She's forced to take matters into her own hands, even as the real killer remains on the lam . . . watching her.

When you pick up a novel and the main character discovers a body in her hot tub by page 4, chances are you're probably going to read on to find out how it got there. But when you know the author of the book is Brandilyn Collins, you'll want to hunker down and prepare for the thrill-ride. Violet Dawn marks the start of a new "Seatbelt Suspense" series for Brandilyn, Kanner Lake. Closer to her first two suspense novels Eyes of Elisha & Dread Champion for its third-person narrative and multiple character story arc, Violet Dawn is a solid Book 1. Savvy readers might manage to guess the final twist, but even if you do, it will only heighten the suspense.

Paige is immediately a sympathetic character, and I found myself completely empathizing with her struggles. But Violet Dawn isn't only Paige's story. The book also follows to a lesser degree several other intriguing characters---police chief Vince Edwards who's grieving his son's recent death, rookie reporter Leslie Brymes who's desperate for the "big story", coffee-shop owner Bailey Truitt, and of course, the villain who calls himself Black Mamba. There are also several eccentrics haunting Bailey's Java Joint, who are destined to make readers chuckle. Many of their fun musings can be read at the Scenes and Beans blog.

Even more sympathetic than Paige are the heart-rending flashback scenes following an abused girl named Rachel Brandt. Sometimes time jumps can be unnecessary and boring in novels, but not in Violet Dawn. Rachel's scenes are some of the best written in the book, embellishing and deepening the story. Which just goes to show Brandilyn's skill. She's able to switch between thrilling suspense numbers to the compelling character pieces without losing us.

There were a few times when I was slightly distracted by what I affectionately call "Brandilisms" -- Collins' penchant for using imaginative verbs and metaphors, but these have also become a familiar trademark many fans will enjoy.

A thrilling, taut page-turner, Violet Dawn is Brandilyn Collins at her best. Book two, please!

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for Infuze Magazine