Crimson Eve Review

WARNING! Do not pick up this book unless you have time to read it straight through.

Brandilyn’s books have never disappointed me, but this one was simply impossible to put down. Even when I figured out one of the plot points with 100 pages left I…COULD…NOT…PUT…THIS…BOOK…DOWN.

Crimson Eve is a classic woman in jeopardy story with plenty of twists ala Seatbelt Suspense. I have read all of Brandilyn’s suspense, but can’t think of one that has the tight timeline combined with knowing who the villain is. Usually in her books, the reader races to figure out who did it before the heroine stumbles in to harm’s way. And Violet Dawn had an extremely tight timeline, but Brandilyn did not reveal the real reason behind the actions until practically the end of the book.

This time, the reader knows much sooner exactly what is going on with enough fog to keep us guessing. At the same time, the knowing ratchets up the suspense to new levels.

Let me back up…Carla Radling, the realtor who participates in the Scenes & Beans blog, takes center stage in this third installment in the Kanner Lake series. She takes a potential buyer out to see Edna Sans (yep, that Edna Sans) estate. Everything seems okay until he tries to kill her. With quick action, Carla escapes but is completely isolated with nowhere to turn and no idea why someone is trying to kill her. Far as she can tell, she has done nothing to attract a price on her head of $500,000.

With her usual skill Brandilyn weaves layers and plot twists deftly into the story. Why is a woman in Washington State being threatened? And the folks at Java Joint, led by an upset Wilbur, are worried because Carla never just disappears.

As with the other Kanner Lake books, Brandilyn bounces the reader between the present and the past. And as she warns in the foreword, it’s almost impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins.

While I figured out much of the motivation, the twists and turns woven into the plot through the last page further mixed up what I thought about Carla. Another example of the deep characterization that fills this book.

So if you are looking for a suspense that will keep you up until the wee hours of the morning, race out and buy this one!