Book Review: Exposure by Brandilyn Collins

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Fast paced story with realistic, sympathetic characters

Cons: Plot a little slow in the middle

The Bottom Line:

'Tis a gripping read

Despite a slower middle

Hang on to your seats

It's Not Paranoia if They Really Are Out to Get You

After I read my first novel by Brandilyn Collins, I decided I needed to read more.  So when her next Christian suspense novel, Exposure came out, I got it.  The premise sounded exciting.  I couldn't wait to dive into it.  And then it got pushed back on my reading list.  Somehow, it took me almost a year to get to it.  I was good enough that I shouldn't have put it off.

Kaycee Raye arrives home one night to discover a camera on her dining room table.  She didn't put it there; it's not hers.  While looking at it more closely, she finds a picture of a dead man on it.  Freaking out, she gets out of the house and drives the short distance to the police station.

By the time an officer follows her back, the camera is gone.

The problem is, Kaycee is well known for her various fears but especially her paranoia.  In fact, in the last year, she's called the police to her house for times for false alarms.  Meanwhile, a young girl is kidnapped.  Are these events related?  Can Kaycee get the police to believe her?

The writing for this book was top notch.  I could actually feel Kaycee's paranoia myself most of the time while reading.  There is a certainly claustrophobic feel to some of the more intense scenes that really add to the suspense.

I also liked the characters.  Kaycee is a very flawed person, but she is also relatable.  I really did come to care for her.  The same is true for many of the other characters in the book.  The villain is completely diabolical with no redeeming value.  Frankly, I find that makes rooting against him or her even more fun.

Unfortunately, the plot is where things suffer just a bit.  In a book by someone who claims to have many unexpected twists (her books are labeled "Seatbelt Suspense" by her publisher), I had most everything figured out by the half way point.  I spent a good 100 pages waiting for the climax to start so we could get to something new.  Once that happened, I was definitely caught back up in the story and couldn't put it down until I had finished.

Quite obviously, the big theme here is dealing with fear, when it is appropriate and when it goes too far.  It's never stated as such and never slows down the story, but it is pretty easy to spot since just about every character has some fear they are facing, Kaycee's being by far the worst.  I appreciated the reminders that God is the one we should turn to when facing our fears.  I also liked the fact that the characters were left to struggle with issues after the book was over.  Yes, there was growth, but it felt realistic instead of an unrealistic rush to resolve all issues for everyone by the time the book was over.

Despite the middle part of the book that got a little bogged down, I enjoyed Exposure.  It's a gripping thriller that will keep you reading as you frantically try to figure out what happens next.