Dead of Night

Read with your lights on!

I've also read the first two books in this series, but I'm going to review this one first. Why? Because it was one of the best suspense books I have read this year. I was seriously creeped out while reading this book. I won't lie though. The first two books in the series while very good just didn't keep me up late at night because I was afraid to sleep. But this book however, wow. I wanted to keep the lights on! What's interesting is that there is absolutely no hint of who the actual killer is throughout the whole book. While the killer does have scenes before they are finally revealed, there is no indication at all that points evidence towards them. When I found out who it was, I flipped back trying to figure out when this character first appears but it seemed like they had always been there in the background. Reading the killer's monologues in between characters was like listening to nails on a chalkboard. You get so uncomfortable and irritated and want to scream. The thinking is so twisted and evil that it's deliciously scary. The final battle between the killer and Annie was bite on your nails, cover your eyes, hide beneath the covers all out suspense. The only minor complaint I had was that the killer never says to Annie why they did what they did and that we don't find out what happens to them. But I'm actually rather glad this wasn't written. I hate 'last chapter confessions' because it is so unreal that the killer wants to divulge everything before they get caught. Seriously, now I know why Brandilynn's tag line is 'Don't Forget to Breathe.' This book totally took my breath away.

Christian working for CSI

I couldn¿t set this book down for fear that something terrible might happen to the characters if I stopped reading. The characters seemed like real people with real struggles looking for real solutions. It¿s great that the Christian walk can be portrayed realistically through the life and struggles of the characters. If you get deep into stories and can¿t set them down, you better read this book in the morning.

Don't fall asleep while reading this one...

You won't have pleasant dreams. Another murderer is on the loose and seems to want Annie this time. Will her son's choices land their whole family into deeper water than they can handle? Will life ever let up on this poor single mom? Can she find happiness with all this chaos around her? What will stop these murders? A great read full of suspense and all the emotional baggage that comes with it. :-) I highly recommend this one. It's the best I've read of Brandilyn Collins and I've read them all.

Fascinating ending

Edge of your seat suspense is an apt description fo rDead of Night. I had a hard time sitting still as I began to suspect first one person and then another. I am not sure I would want to read this one if I was alone at night.

can't stop reading

This is absolutely riveting. I didn't want to stop reading. I literally found myself not breathing as I caught my breath in anticipation of what might happen next. And then the twists and turns really caught me off guard. Such writing creativity. This is a great suspenseful book.

Pulse-Pounding Suspense

You know you've hit a great suspense novel when you find yourself talking to the characters, warning them as you read. Dead of Night marks the return of Annie Kingston, a forensic artist, a divorced mother of two, and a character with just enough doubts to be believable -- in this one, she is on the trail of a serial killer who slays with strychnine ... and if you haven't read Collins' earlier work, Dead of Night is an excellent place to start. Highly recommended; builds steam with every page, right up to the surprise ending.

The third Hidden Faces book

I think this is the best book so far in Brandilyn Collins¿ ¿Hidden Faces¿ series. It has a twisted, complex criminal, an emotionally tangling plot, and a powerful spiritual message. This is definitely more graphic than previous books. The prologue gives the reader a very good feel for the intensity level to expect. Christian readers who might be frightened or disturbed by the violence of the crimes can gauge their comfort level after reading the first two pages. I personally was not too disturbed by the violence of the crimes. It added to the suspense, and it also made me feel more for the characters threatened by the serial murderer, who is very creepy. It was nice to see the main character Annie push herself harder in her profession, her courage, and her faith. I related to her weaknesses but I also cheered her acts of bravery, her steps of growth. The spiritual thread reminded me in vivid prose of the supernatural might of Christians¿ prayers. Brandilyn herself is a valiant, sensitive prayer warrior, and it was riveting to read the power-filled prayer lives she describes in Annie and her friends. The plot twists and builds tension without becoming confusing. I didn¿t guess the identity of the murderer until a few pages before it was revealed. This kind of intense character and crime might appeal to teenagers, especially considering the kinds of hacker/slasher horror films they¿re bombarded with. This storyline has a Godly message that I personally believe might speak to teens in a way that a Sunday sermon might not, and I wouldn¿t hesitate to loan this book to any of the high school students I work with in my church youth group. I¿m looking forward to the fourth and final book, coming out in January 2006.

You must buy this book!

This book is an intense rollercoaster ride. One that I recommend to everyone I know. You will get sucked in right from the start. The book starts off putting you right in the thick of the action, and doesn¿t let up until the end of the book. The glimpses into the killers mind are just down right creepy. You can¿t help but fall in love with the main character, Annie Kingston, you feel her terror, and you sympathize with her through all the ordeals of this book. You are right there with her when she learns of the amazing power of prayer. Brandilyn Collins has written a wonderful suspense that will go on my keeper shelf.

SEATBELT SUSPENSE AT ITS BEST

Annie Kingston is desperate. Not only does she cry out to God to stop the string of senseless serial murders plaguing her town of Redding, her son suffers from the devastating affects of drug abuse. As a forensic artist, her heart is touched by the victims' sufferings. But when one of them is someone she knows personally, the murders take on an even more horrific nature. While Collins draws the reader into Annie's heart, she also sensitively portrays the inner workings of an evil mind. Using the same skills, the author demonstrates the power of prayer. This story will chill, thrill, and fill you. If you dare to set it down, it will haunt you until you've come to its spine-tingling conclusion. Dead of Night is a great read, a page-turner told by an expert storyteller.

Seatbelt Suspense at its finest

Diving right into the action, DEAD OF NIGHT opens with narrator Annie Kingston confronting an intruder in her house. That same day she discovers the sixth victim of a serial killer in the woods on her property. Placed there randomly? Or is the killer trying to taunt her? Book #3 in the Hidden Faces series continues the saga of forensic artist Annie Kingston with page-turning intensity. Not only must Annie draw the victims of the killer for identification, she must also face the escalating consequences of her teenage son¿s rebellion and the challenges of living out her new-found faith. Interspersed throughout the first person narrative are chillingly evil, yet often strikingly poetic, scenes in the killer¿s point of view. I was reminded of Edgar Allen Poe¿s story ¿The Telltale Heart¿ as I read them. With this novel, and the rest of the Hidden Faces series, Brandilyn Collins has pushed the envelope in the emerging genre of Christian crime fiction. She¿s not afraid to tell it like it is, yet spares us the gratuitous details most secular crime writers thrive on. That said, DEAD OF NIGHT isn¿t just about crime and its aftermath. It¿s also about the power of prayer. As the back cover states: ¿Annie learns where the real battle takes place - and that a Christian¿s authority through prayer is the ultimate, unyielding weapon.¿ Highly recommended, five star fiction! Get out and buy this book. And while you¿re at it, pick up Book #1 BRINK OF DEATH & Book #2 STAIN OF GUILT.

A taut, edgy thriller

Brandilyn Collins has created a great character in her forensic artist Annie Kingston. No one else can do exactly what Annie can so she has no choice but to stay involved with the police. She also has a strong sense of justice that keeps her going even when she¿d rather live a quiet life. Dead of Night starts fast and never lets up. The sing-song madness of Collins¿ serial killer set me on edge from the first word and set the tone for a taut thriller. In book three of Collins¿ Hidden Faces series Annie is stretched to the limits with all that¿s going on in her life. But Collins gives Annie an underlying toughness that keeps her fighting for her family and justice. This toughness and vulnerability make Annie a very real life character. Annie is no more prepared for the morgues, crime scenes and corpses than anyone. I got a real sense of how it would be to have to see such ugliness. The emotional toll it takes on Annie is at war with her urgent need to help. Collins did a great job of drawing me into the pages of Dead of Night and holding me there, right through to the shocking, twisted end.

Seatbelt Suspense Indeed!

Dead of Night is the best of the Hidden Faces series. I found myself having to cover up the bottom of the page to keep from reading ahead and missing any well-placed and well-written details. Brandilyn Collins writes about something so ordinary as eating a can of soup yet can use that scene to knock your socks off!

Dead of Night

Number three in Brandilyn Collins' Hidden Faces series knocks out the theory that sequels will disappoint. Dead of Night is the best of them all and just about caused me to hyperventilate. Annie Kingston once again finds herself in a fight with evil. But this time, she has something she didn't have before. She has found the power of God. Chilling, thrilling, and totally entertaining, this third book in the series seems to wrap up some things, but I'm not so sure. I think there is reason to hope for another book. Buy this one. And if you haven't read the first two Hidden Faces books, buy them too. You'll be glad you did.

Spell-binding Story Will Hold You Enthralled

In Brandilyn Collins' Dead of Night, Forensic artist, Annie Kingston, engages in a relentless battle against evil. A cunning serial killer poisons one woman after another, terrorizing citizens in the Redding, California area. Annie and other Christians pray as they've never prayed before. The killer determines to prove their prayers useless. Gripping in its intensity, this spell-binding story promises to capture and hold the reader's attention. More than that, it focuses on the power of prayer as the Christian's ultimate weapon in the war against wickedness. It's a must read!

Dead of Night - Roller Coaster Read

If you like Patricia Cornwell, you will probably like Brandilyn Collins. She writes with less clinical detail, but with equally interesting story lines. If you have discovered Ted Dekker or are a fan of Frank Peretti, you'll appreciate the gritty, honest spiritual undertones. A compelling page turner, interesting characters, surprises. A good book for a rainy night. If you dare!

Brandilyn Collins Does It Again!

Move over Mary Higgins Clark---Brandilyn Collins is taking your crown as the new Queen of Suspense!

Highly Recommended Read!!

This book is chilling because Annie Kingston's story could be anyone's story. Everyone comes face to face with evil at some point in life, whether that be in the form of a serial killer or in the form of an addiction, or any other weapon of evil. The best thing about the book is that through the intensity that Annie faces she always finds a lifeline, a hope that can overcome any situation in which she finds herself. This lifeline is prayer, a weapon more powerful than any the realms of evil can ever throw our way.

Hang On For The Ride!

It's always a treat to pick up a book and get lost in the story. It's a double treat to pick up a book like DEAD OF NIGHT and not only get lost in the story, but to feel like you've been on an emotional rollercoaster by the book's end. Fast paced from the first page to the last, this intricately plotted novel is a feast for suspense fans. For Christian fiction fans, the book drives home the truth that prayer can overcome anything, something the author has experienced in her own life. I highly recommend DEAD OF NIGHT for anyone who enjoys a satisfying read--Brandilyn Collins doesn't disappoint.

Awesome Reading- A Real Page Turner

Brandilyn Collins takes the reader on a spinning vortex of suspense and terror with Dead of Night, only to lift the reader, and the main character Annie Kingston, up on the power of prayer. I found myself having to go back and re-read because I was reading too fast. I couldn't turn the pages quick enough. A must read for suspense fans! - author of Pursued By Evil and A Dream Fulfilled

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