Customer Reviews

Violet Dawn (Kanner Lake Series #1)

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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

Brandilyn Collins has done it again. Violet Dawn begins with a gruesome discovery and then takes off to give the reader another breathless ride. The difference with this book is in the characters created for the town of Kanner Lake. Quirky, lovable, sympathetic, and somewhat eclectic, the townspeople are richly drawn against the tapestry of the beauty of
Idaho. The reader will suffer with Paige as she tries to fit in with the others, but finds herself the victim in an elaborate scheme to frame her for murder. No one is free from suspicion and help comes from the least likely direction. The care and concern of these likable characters contrasts sharply with the scenes from Paige's past. In this first novel in the Kanner Lake series, Brandilyn has all the suspense of her usual thrillers combined with the small town feel and unforgettable characters so her earliest novels. A must read for fans of Brandilyn Collins.

Violet Dawn by Brandylin Collins is the first book in the Kanner Lake series. It is also the first book I've read by the Christian suspense author. In Violet Dawn, Paige Williams finds the dead body of Edna San floating in her hot tub. Terrified, Paige makes the choice to get rid of the body. The prospect of notifying the police and having to answer questions about the body as well as her past is too terrifying to Paige. After disposing of the body, Paige returns to work the next day. Almost instantly, the police begin looking for Edna San, and soon the police begin to focus on Paige.

Paige finds the noose tightening around her life as she deals with the decision she made to not notify the police about the body. Clues begin to surface that points to Paige as the killer. A menacing man follows Paige's every move. Police Chief Edwards begins to put the evidence together and comes to the conclusion that Paige has to be involved. Leslie Brymes knows the Edna San murder can be her ticket to journalism fame.

I've read a lot of novels and Violet Dawn stands out for its unique structure. Each chapter is a scene told from a different character's point of view. A true page turner that made me want to get to the next chapter to find out how the last chapter concerning a character would continue. The events of the novel are compressed into one or two days, not leaving much room for twists and turns, but allowing for the suspense to build as the reader wonders if Paige can escape the past and the present dangers of her life. The spiritual message of the novel is understated. The characters in the town are a strongpoint and I look forward to reading more of the series.

Because the action is so focused on one or two days, very few of the many characters have much backstory or involvment with the plot. But the writing is clean, vivid and crisp and I look forward to reading the entire series.

Violet Dawn by Brandilynn Collins takes suspense fiction to a new level. From the opening sentence to the last page this book will keep you wondering . . . and looking behind you!

. . . Paige Williams moves to Kanner Lake to start a new life and leave a horrid past. In the dark of a sleepless night she seeks solace in the warmth of her hot tub. Instead, she finds terror, death. And in one moment of stark panic makes a decision that will affect her life and the lives of all the residents of Kanner Lake.
The quaint tourist town is turned upside down as police search for the missing celebrity, Edna San. Paige trusts no one, not even her fledgling faith in God. When evidence points to her, must she battle the evil alone as she has all her life? . . .

Brandilynn has done it again. When she labels it 'seatbelt suspense' she is not joking. Open this book when you have time to read. You won't put it down. The rich characters, mystery and danger will keep you turning pages. I guarantee you will never look at a hot tub the same way. And, as with each of her books, remember to breathe.

Chandra Lynn Smith

Paige Williams, on the run from a nightmarish past, came to Kanner Lake seeking refuge and respite for her soul, wanting a chance to start over. She longs to find a place she can truly belong and dreams of a "soul sister," a forever friend that will accept and love her inspite of her sordid past. Instead, mere weeks after her arrival, she encounters a corpse in the hot tub of her rental home - and not just any corpse, either. The body is Edna San, a Hollywood actress and Kanner Lake's infamous resident celebrity. Fearing the discovery of her past, Paige panics and dumps the body in the lake. However, instead of solving her problems, Paige's position grows more precarious because she knows a killer is watching her every move...

Ms. San's murder sends shockwaves through the tight-knit community. The danger that lurks in the shadows, threatening Kanner Lake's peaceful, small-town charm forces more than one resident to confront the scars dwelling the shadows of their own hearts. Bailey Truitt, owner of the local coffee shop the Java Joint, is struggling to cope with her husband John's declining health, while police chief Vince Edwards fears the dissolution of his marriage that has been paralyzed by grief due to the impending one-year anniversary of his son's death in Iraq. Though Edna was almost universally disliked, her murder serves as a catalyst for Paige and other Kanner Lake residents to allow the light of God's grace to heal the fear, shame, grief, and worry held close in the deepest recesses of their hearts.

This may be hard for the slew of die-hard Brandilyn Collins fans out there to imagine, but Violet Dawn is the first novel I've read by this author. I was absolutely hooked from the first pages. Collins structures her novel in a series of short, snappy chapters that keep the plot moving (and the suspense building) at a rapid-fire pace. Paige's darkly-shrouded past is revealed in a series of vivid, intense flashback scenes. These are sprinkled throughout the novel and gradually reveal the history behind the violence that has come to Kanner Lake. This is an effective hook that helps draw readers into Collins' skillfully crafted thriller - she doles out pieces of a puzzle that intrigue you with its as yet unanswered questions and takes your breath away by constantly racheting up the suspense level. In short, this is a novel you'll want to give yourself a block of several hours to enjoy.

Generally speaking, I would never classify myself as a fan of crime thrillers -- but Violet Dawn has opened my eyes to a terrifically talented author who pens what I suspect are highly addictive novels in exactly that genre. Collins very effectively illustrates God and faith as a natural part of her narrative. The tone is never preachy, in fact quite the opposite -- it's wonderful to see an author who shines the light of faith into some very dark, harrowing circumstances and allows its impact to naturally unfold. I also appreciated how Ms. Collins was able to constantly raise the level of danger and suspense without sacrificing the human element of the story - and in this case, that is one of the novel's strongest points. With this book, Brandilyn Collins is building a community for her readers to know and care about. You can visit Scenes and Beans, the official Kanner Lake blog, where fans flesh out the world of Kanner Lake by posting blogs as various characters from the novel.

Brandilyn Collins always warns us to remember to breathe, but sometimes it just isn't possible--especially when you're right in the middle of her newest thriller, Violet Dawn. From the first scene, when Paige Williams eases into the hot tub on her deck overlooking Kanner Lake in the Idaho woods, only to find that the tub is already occupied by a floating corpse, to her terrifying confrontation with a man who spends his time dreaming up new and more painful ways to commit murder, the suspense is relentless. If you enjoy an edge-of-your-seat page-turner, it doesn't get any better than this!

Brandilyn Collins is an author you can trust for a consistent, strong read, and she doesn't disappoint in this first release in the Kanner Lake series. Violet Dawn blends many difficult techniques and makes them look effortless. The book provides a large cast of characters--as if the town itself is a character--and yet makes us care about the individuals central to the action. Collins is also excellent at weaving in scenes of backstory between current action, deepening the mystery and making us hungry for more. Her point of view shifts are deliberately placed to tighten the screws and the resolution highly satisfying. If you've never read anything by Collins, you're missing a treat.

Decent enough for a free book, but I was disappointed based on expectations set by all the 5-star reviews. Requires reasonable suspension of disbelief to get past how Paige handles the initial discovery of a dead body in her hot tub, and again in the end when the town welcomes her with open arms despite her actions. It's a fine way to spend a few hours if the book is still free.