Into the Fire

Prolific author Brandilyn Collins has opted to go the independent/self/custom publishing route at present, but you won't see any significant change in quality of writing or product in her choice. Sidetracked is vintage Brandilyn Collins' trademark Seatbelt Suspense, creative and twisted with minimal gore and plenty of "What's going on?!" moments.

"Delanie Miller" is on the verge of experiencing a happiness she's longed to know since she was a child, but just because she's worked so diligently to attain it doesn't mean it's accessible to her. After Delanie stays late at her church to tidy up after her good friend Clara's bridal shower, on her way home she discovers Clara is dead, lying by the side of the road in a neighborhood of their small town with her car still running. Delanie's horrific past rushes to the forefront of her mind. She spots a figure by a tall bush in a yard near the scene and calls 911.

In Sidetracked the reader is taken on a present-to-past journey, back and forth, to learn the reality of 34 year old Delanie Miller. In the present she's in love with a well-to-do boyfriend who plans to marry her, owns a home she shares with three people who need the lodging and have become good friends to her, and is a respected member of the small town community. In the past she's been the victim of a hideous conspiracy that severely altered her life and robbed her of youth and hope.  

The murder of her friend Clara changes everything and threatens to expose what Delanie has hidden. Clara's murder presents the mirror image of law enforcement getting "sidetracked" by what appears to be obvious but is in actuality a lie.

Brandilyn Collins does a good job of switching from the adult Delanie to the teenage girl she used to be, using first person for the present and third person with a lot of internal dialogue for the past. The reader experiences the incredulous frustration and trauma of both experiences from youth to adulthood, finally witnessing the decision which will truly change her life.

The in-and-out faith experience of the protagonist as she suffers through genuine pain with no end in sight demonstrates the human condition when an individual is tested beyond what they think they can handle. Brandilyn gives us a character who is unable to see the big picture while experiencing the ugliness of the present which seems to go on and on without end. We wonder if we could survive it with our faith intact.

Sidetracked is classic Brandilyn Collins, a quick and interesting read with plenty of suspense, frustration, and at long last some justice. Recommended for all Brandilyn Collins' fans and new readers who like mysteries, brawny and/or cozy, and suspense with twists. 

Father, please continue to bless and minister to Brandilyn. Give her new stories and your abundance. Please continue to take her deeper as is her heart's desire. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.