Double Blind, by Bradilyn Collins

I have the say the following things before I get started:

1. I'm not really a fan of Christian fiction as a general rule. I tend to think it's poorly written and unbelievable.

2. I have never read a Brandilyn Collins book but I have heard so many awesome things about her that I felt I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read Double Blind when offered the chance at a review copy.

3. I haven't looked up any information about Ms. Collins or her other books before writing this post. I want to write my thoughts out without any bias from other reviewers or additional information.

After finishing up Uncle Tom's Cabin, I really wanted to read an adventure type of book that would move at a fast pace and help me move beyond UTC - which I was spending a lot of time thinking about. (By the way, thinking about UTC is not a bad thing. But I needed a kick in the pants to get reading in another direction.) I confess that what I really wanted to do was pull a Du Maurier off my bookshelf but I have a stack of review copies that I really need to get to. Collins offered the best shot of mystery and adventure so I whipped this one off the stack and settled in for the read. I finished it about an hour and a half later and am writing out my thoughts immediately so that I can work this book out of my system. (In part, because at the time I am writing this Jonathan is working late and it's dark outside and I have this story on my brain. Bad combo.) I like mysteries and intrigue but when I'm going to indulge in such stories, I like having Jonathan around.

My favorite job I ever had out "in the work force" was working in a District Attorney's office. Day after day I worked with victims of felonies and stared at dozens of crime scene photos in capital murder cases. Then I left that job and eventually married and had children and I don't like to think about murder much anymore. I haven't the stomach for it and the idea of it is disturbing. Unfortunately for me, Double Blind features a murder scene which is described in detail over and over again throughout the book. It's bloody and gross and because I've seen photos with murdered victims in them, these descriptions bothered me. (And Collins' descriptions, for what they were, were rather clean. But still. I've seen enough of such things in real life.)

The story itself is intense for me because of the murder scene which is being described. (I skimmed whenever and wherever possible.) The murder is only part of the story and I'll be careful not to give spoilers here because I don't want to ruin the book for you, should you decide to read it.

The plot is as follows:

Twenty-nine year old Lisa Newberry has recently been widowed and is not handling the situation very well. Before her husband's surprising death (in a car accident) she had suffered several miscarriages so she is feeling rather depressed lately which is understandable. She hears of a company who is looking for test subjects who are willing to have an "Empowerment chip" placed on their brain which is designed to help the person deal with depression or stress in their lives. This chip, which Lisa very much wants to have implanted, if it works correctly, will help her to remember her husband and the life they shared together without being overcome by the sorrow of his loss. She submits to this procedure only to discover that there is something dreadfully wrong with the chip that has been implanted on her brain. As soon as she wakes up from surgery she begins seeing flashbacks of a murder.

I'll not say anything more about the plot. Except that it is about Empowerment Chips. Being implanted on brains. *Carrie wiggles her eyebrows up and down.*

As for the writing style . . . well, it didn't make me love Christian fiction any more than I already don't. Collins uses strange phrasing which jarred me from the story a time or two. She is very descriptive in places where I thought she could have more subtly described the scene. For example, I thought this opening paragraph to the book was a bit much:

"In my kitchen I took one look at the envelope in the stack of mail and dropped it like burning metal. It landed askew on the counter, the gold Cognoscenti logo pulsing up at me.
If I had known, I would have trashed it right then and there.
Nine months before The Letter had arrived, my husband had been killed in a car accident. Ryan, with his lanky body and loving touch, that dimple in his right cheek. His quirky smile and teasing way."

These descriptive passages were scattered throughout the book, although I quickly began to ignore them in the thrill of the story about Empowerment Chips being implanted on one's brain.

The book can be labeled Christian fiction because the character Lisa Newberry does pray to God for help several times in this tale. She reminds herself that God is faithful and will take care of her, even in her desperate circumstances which involve an Empowerment Chip being implanted on her brain.

I will say that it is a clean tale - minus the blood and gore. There is no language, nor are there any sex scenes. If you want a clean but rather intense (to be determined based on your tolerance level for a gross murder scenes) story, and can get into the futuristic twist, then there's no reason to assume that you would not like this story. I can certainly see why Collins has appeal to fans of Christian fiction who don't want to be stuck in the Romance aisle of their local Christian book store forever. If you are looking for variety, then you would find it with Collins. Personally, I'd recommend Stephen Lawhead over Collins because I think he tells a better story and is a better writer. But I really have no issues with Collins and I'm honestly glad for the opportunity to have read her to know who she is and what her style is like.

Of course, I'm not going to get over the concept of the Empowerment Chip anytime soon . . .

A copy of this book was sent to me by B&H Publishing Group in exchange for my honest opinion.

Because I'm not likely to re-read this title, I thought I might pass my review copy on to one of you to enjoy. (I know that some of you really love Collins and others are also curious to give her a try.) Would you care to win my copy? Simply leave a comment below including a valid e-mail address for me to contact you should your name be selected as the winner. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents and will be open through Sunday, November 18th. Best to you!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, as selected by random.org, IS #12 - Karen