Brandilyn Collin, Violet Dawn

Violet Dawn

Brandilyn Collin

Zondervan, Sep 2006, $12.99

ISBN: 0310252237

Kanner Lake, Idaho is a picturesque out of the way resort town ninety minutes to Canada where twenty-five years old Paige Williams settles to disappear from her past. Still in spite of this haven, she does not sleep well as the shadows frighten her. Her insomnia sends Paige to her hot tub for a soothing dip. She enters only to be greeted by her hand touching and pulling the hair of a corpse.

Paige debates calling the police, but knows that even if local law enforcement proved trustworthy, which she assumes they are not from her experience with cops, the call would bring the media and her past out into the open. Paige's past has most likely found her; feeling isolated with no one to turn to, Paige knows she must get her act together, do something with the body of ancient movie legend Edna San, and decide on whether to fight against an overwhelming deadly opponent or flee even though she has nowhere to go if they found her here. Praying for a miracle, Paige begins her first baby steps in her latest life and death struggle.

The above paragraphs describe the opening action that sets the tone of a terrific suspense thriller as the audience feels the trepidation and apprehension that almost paralyzes the beleaguered heroine. The atmosphere is foreboding as the normally serene locales coax the reader into anticipating horrible occurrences. Paige keeps the first Kanner Lake tale in focus though other well designed subplots including a flashback to a child augment the prime theme of a woman in trouble. Fascinatingly, readers are not sure by whom only that her past, which slowly is provided, has returned with deadly intent. This is one author worth reading if VIOLET DAWN is any indication of her novels as newcomers like this reviewer will seek out her Hidden Faces series.

Harriet Klausner