Deceit, by Brandilyn Collins

During my time away from Aim, I was pleased to receive and read Brandilyn Collins' Deceit. Her trademark is "Seatbelt Suspense," and this latest work fits right into that category.

Main character Joanne Weeks is a skip tracer, a bounty hunter. Seven years ago, her best friend, Linda Jackson, mysteriously disappeared. Joanne always suspected Linda's husband, Baxter Jackson, was responsible for the crime, but as a church elder and beloved member of the town, he walks the streets a free man.

Now Baxter's second wife has died in susupicious circumstances. Joanne is certain Baxter's to blame, and she sets out to prove his guilt in both crimes. As Joanne drives home on a cold, rainy night, a hooded, masked man darts in front of her car. As she squeals to a stop, she clips the man's leg. She gets out to check on him, and he tells her the Baxters' former foster daughter, Melissa Harkoff, had witnessed Linda's murder. If Joanne could find her, she could put Baxter behind bars. Joanne finds Melissa and puts both of their lives in danger. Just who was that man in the road?

Well-incorporated twists, turns, and flashbacks reveal Linda's killer-or killers-while keeping the reader's seatbelt tightly fastened!

I was not disappointed in my first Collins read. You won't be disappointed by Deceit either.

Find Brandilyn at www.brandilyncollins.com or www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com.

Compensation Disclosure: I received a complimenary ARC of Deceit, released by Zondervan July 2010, in exchange for reviewing and publicizing the book.