If you are a fan of mysteries, but dislike the seedier plot lines and salty language that often come with the genre, then you should definitely check out author Brandilyn Collins. I had read one or two of her other suspense novels before this one, and each has been an enthralling, page-turning read. At least one character is generally dealing with his or her faith in some way, but there’s no preaching to get in the way of the fast-paced story (I’m a big fan of preaching. I just prefer it in person or in a non-fiction book, not in my novels).
In Double Blind we meet Lisa Newberry, who has definitely experienced her fair share of hardship. At 29, she’s a childless widow, and adding to her grief are the lingering effects of an assault. She’s fearful. She’s depressed. Life has lost its sparkle and so has Lisa.
When she hears about a medical trial on a brain chip that can cure severe depression, she’s willing to take the risk to gain a chance to get her life back. She’s approved for the trial, and the chip works. . . until she starts seeing horrible images of a murder played over and over in her mind.
The true depth of Lisa’s recovery is evident as she stands up to the powerful people at Cognoscenti who are conducting the trial while trying to figure out what’s going on and making sure it won’t happen to anyone else.
There were many twists and turns, and I flew through the last half of Double Blind so that I could see what was really happening and what the outcome for all involved would be.
Though it’s “clean,” it’s not a “cozy” mystery. The murder that Lisa keeps seeing played out in her head is fairly graphic, so if this element of the genre is troublesome for you, you might want to skip this one (I don’t recall the other two I’ve read as being this graphic from that standpoint).
Sounds like a good one, and it looks like she has a lot more books if I like this one!
Oh yes! I had skipped your review earlier since I knew I had it to read. Now you’ve seen mine:
http://www.readingtoknow.com/2012/11/double-blind-by-bradilyn-collins.html
I thought the futuristic twist a bit much but aside from the gore – which did bother me – I wasn’t completely put off by Collins. I’d read her again because the story did move along at a very fast pace. I wouldn’t necessarily seek her out, but neither would I avoid her. She’s a change of pace.
Yes–I usually skip reviews too, so I thought I’d let you compare.
I can’t think of the other two I’ve read. I got them as deeply discounted (or free) ebooks, which wouldn’t help you 🙂
And I feel the same way — I accepted this one, because I remembered that the others were okay. Like you said — not my absolute favorite, but not bad either.