Web of Lies

When Brandilyn Collins' Web of Lies arrived in my mailbox, I had a problem.

A big problem.

I hadn't read Dead of Night.

I'm one of those people who never reads ahead in the book. Never takes a peek at the closing chapter. Never reveals a novel's ending in a review.

I'm also one of those people who lets a book sit on my shelf for years unread because it's in the middle of the series. I drive myself nuts sitting there looking at books I want to read, and can't.

Oh, I could go out and buy the books I was missing. But the fact is, most freelance writers make less than minimum wage. And fiction writers even less. That's why I review books. Free books=happy me.

I'd reviewed Brink of Death. I'd reviewed Stain of Guilt. But somehow Dead of Night had eluded me.

No problem. I'd check the church library. Nope. I could order it online, but would it arrive in time? And could I really afford it?

Days passed. I waited with nervous procrastination for the ax to fall.

Then the miracle came. Karen Kingsbury was signing books at Logos Bookstore. We were going. Dead of Night might be there. And I had a 20% off and 3 $1 off coupons. This might work.

Only one problem. She'd be there Wednesday, late afternoon. I had to blog by Friday. We had a huge concert at our church Thursday, and I'd be there all day, helping out. And, no, I couldn't get to Logos earlier.

We went. I headed to suspense. One glance revealed no find. But I'm the type to miss what's right before my eyes, so I looked over the rest of the fiction (maybe it had been mis-shelved) before returning to suspense.

And there it was. The only copy of the only Brandilyn Collins book on the shelf. The exact one I needed. Coincidence that it was about the power of prayer?

I bought it. And between that evening and the next day, I managed to read both it and Web of Lies.

Don't forget to b r e a t h e . . . ? I didn't have time to!

Second worse place to read a Brandilyn Collins book? Alone in your room at night. Especially past 3AM. I'd actually started a personal journal for my private dreams, hopes, and fears after reading Brink of Death. You think I would have learned my lesson.

Worse place? Alone in a deserted children's library in the old part of the church. Dead silence. Anyone could come through the church doors. No one even in my area of the building. And it would be hours before my absence was noted. Hours more before someone looked for me. A while longer to assure I wasn't somewhere in the building. By that time the Poison Killer would have long administered the fatal dose.

But I perservered. And I really enjoyed Web of Lies. I didn't spend as much time trying to second-guess who the killer was, like I did with Dead of Night. (I think that book exhausted my brain!) The blend of first and third POV worked well. And her sparkling choice of words was as delightful as always. The pity of suspense is that you have to rush past the gleaming sentences.

I hadn't intended this post to get so long. Must be the influence of Forensics and Faith, Brandilyn's witty and insightful blog. But what better post to unintentionally imitate her style? Of course, two of her books in less than 36 hours might have done something to my brain. Not to mention my nerves.