Dark Pursuit-Brandilyn Collins

Dark Pursuit
Brandilyn Collins
Zondervan, Dec 2008, $14.99
ISBN: 9780310276425

Suspense novelist Darell Brooke and his granddaughter Kaitlan Sering have been estranged for several years ever since demon drugs took over her life. He refused to pay for her addiction and displaying tough love kicked her out of his life though that broke his heart.

Two years ago Darell was severely injured in a car accident that has impacted his mental acumen as he struggles with memory and focus. He has not written anything since and has become an acrimonious grumpy hermit. On the other hand, the twentyish Kaitlan has rebounded starting with kicking the habit, obtaining a decent job and has a nice boyfriend Craig Barlow, the son of the police chief Russ Barlow, whom she has been seeing for three months and is carrying his child.

Excited and praying Craig will be too when she tells him she is pregnant, she finds a dead fortyish female in her bed. She wonders if Craig killed the woman, but soon has worse issues as the police deem her the only viable suspect. No longer trusting Craig or his dad, she flees to her grandfather for help, not knowing who else she can turn to if he rejects her. However, the king of suspense no longer has the sharp mind his granddaughter remembers; she fears she is endangering him too, but Darell needs to be there for his Kaitlan.

This is an exciting criminal thriller starring a strong ensemble cast anchored by the heroine in trouble. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Kaitlan sees the corpse in her bed and never slows down as the police and her fiance go after her while she and her befuddled grandfather push back hoping to break Craig. Although one critical spin seems unlikely, fans will relish the aptly named DARK PURSUIT, as family right or wrong is always family.

Harriet Klausner