Book Review: Dark Pursuit (ARC)

I received this advance copy of Brandilyn Collins next novel Dark Pursuit a few weeks ago. I actually read it within 36 hours of receiving it and am only just now getting around to writing the review. There is something sort of intimidating about agreeing to write a review when you receive an advance copy of a book. I don't want to sound too dumb, and in trying not to sound too dumb, I don't want to give away the entirety of the book. There is a very fine line here, but I have procrastinated long enough.

This is the first Brandilyn Collins book I have read and I enjoyed it. I had just sworn myself off of thrillers, although I believer hers are called seatbelt suspense, when it came in the mail. I didn't think I'd gotten my name into the publisher in time to get a copy.

From the back cover of Dark Pursuit:

Novelist Darell Brooke lived for his title as King of Suspense—until an auto accident left him unable to concentrate. Two years later, recluse and bitter, he wants one thing: to plot a new novel and regain his reputation.

Kaitlan Sering, his twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, once lived for drugs. After she stole from Darell, he cut her off. Now she’s rebuilding her life. But in Kaitlan’s town two women have been murdered, and she’s about to discover a third. She’s even more shocked to realize the culprit—her boyfriend, Craig, the police chief’s son.

Desperate, Kaitlan flees to her estranged grandfather. For over forty years, Darell Brooke has lived suspense. Surely he’ll devise a plan to trap the cunning Craig.

But can Darell’s muddled mind do it? And—if he tries—with what motivation? For Kaitlan’s plight may be the stunning answer to the elusive plot he seeks...

This book didn't bother me like a lot of other thrillers. Even though there is a serial killer and the method of murder is mentioned, it just wasn't done in such a way that it disturbed me. I found that I didn't want to put the book down until I was finished and knew the final outcome. Since this was a novel about a novelist recovering from a serious accident, there are blips of manuscript scattered throughout the book. Craig is also writing a novel, so there are additional fragments to be found in several chapters. Collins' writing is rather amazing in these small pieces of unfinished manuscripts. She can even draw you into those. There were also twists at the end that were unexpected. This may be typical of Collins' writing style, but being the first time I've read her work I'm not sure.

If you like mysteries or thrillers, I think you'd like this book.