I've discovered a great author!

If you like suspense (which I do!), you need to check out Brandilyn Collins.
http://www.brandilyncollins.com/books.html

The book club read Deceit last year and we all enjoyed it.  This year we read Gone to Ground and I thought it was a excellent read.   I actually read the entire book in two hours (while in the bathtub!)
I liked the way she presented the story. Each chapter began with a newspaper article and the story was told in the voices of three women who were involved in the mystery in some way.

Shortly after finishing that one I found Brink of Death at Goodwill and picked it up.  It was well worth the dollar I paid for it.  It's the first in a series and I look forward to reading more.  This book centered around a former courtroom artist who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation of a neighbor.  The local police ask her to work with the surviving victim to make a sketch of the suspect.

I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.  I like the way she subtly weaves in the Christian aspect of each story.  The plots are engaging and the characters are interesting!

Favorite Authors

One of my favorite authors is Angela Hunt.  I've read almost all her books and always love them.  I even got to meet her when she spoke at First Baptist Church, Richmond.   She was absolutely delightful!  It was so much fun to talk with her. I'll never be able to fully review every book I've read by her, but here are a  few tidbits about some that I remember pretty well.


Legacies of the Ancient River (Titles are Dreamers, Brothers, and Journey)
Biblical fiction, story of Joseph in Eygpt

The Fairlawn Series (Doesn't She Look Natural?, She Always Wore Red, She's in a Better Place)
Contemporary, some humor, recently divorced single mom inherits a funeral home and moves her kids there.

The Debt
Contemporary.  The secrets of a pastor's wife are revealed, and it threatens the image of the megachurch her husband serves in.  She must make hard decisions.  A very touching story that makes you reflect on your own walk with the Lord.

The Note
Contemporary. A note survives a plane crash that has no survivors.  This is the story of the reporter's search for who the wrote the note and who it was intended for.  It is riveting.  A must read.

Magdalene
Biblical fiction, story of Mary Magdalene.  Excellent.

The Fine Art of Insincerity
Contemporary Three estranged sisters meet at their grandmother's beach house to ready it for sale.  So much family baggage comes out as they talk and remember.  Loved this one.  Very touching.


I plan on doing a full review of Uncharted.

All Things New by Lynn Austin

Lynn Austin is one of my all-time favorite Christian fiction (CF) authors.  One of the first CF books I read in my adult life was her novel Hidden Places.  Lynn writes contemporary as well as historical novels.  She has one Biblical fiction series, Chronicles of the Kings.  This is a five-book account of the kings of Israel from Hezekiah to Manasseh.  Sounds boring....but she makes it come alive.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to find out her new book, All Things New, was just released.  This novel is set in the aftermath of the Civil War on a Virginia plantation (I love books set in or near my home!).  The main character Josephine is torn between wanting the life she had before the war and trying to change everything she's known to make a better way.  Josephine and her family lost their father and one brother in the way, and Josephine's mother, in particular, is deep in grief.  Her mother wants desperately for things to be the way they were before.  Josephine's surviving brother is full of hatred for the Yankees and the now-free slaves.  Josephine is in favor of letting the former slaves work the land in return for food and shelter, but the rest of her family is against it.  Josephine must try to convince her family this is what they must do to survive.

I thought the book gave a great picture of what life was like for Southern women after the Civil War.  In many cases, they were the ones that had to rebuild their lives.  The story is told through the eyes of three women---primarily Josephine, but also her mother and their former house slave, Lizzie.

Once again, Lynn Austin doesn't disappoint!