Product Description

For the highly successful TV show American Fugitive, forensic artist Annie Kingston agrees to draw the updated face of Bill Bland, a cunning fugitive wanted for a double murder committed twenty years ago. In studying the man and his crime, Annie knows she must descend into the mind of a killer a mind of greed, darkness . . . and death . . . Book Two in the Hidden Faces Series.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #113882 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780310251040
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"…Collins keeps the reader gasping and guessing as her artistic prose paints vivid pictures on their minds. High marks for original plotting and superb pacing." — RT Bookclub

(RT Bookclub ) --unknown

Review
"...Collins keeps the reader gasping and guessing as her artistic prose paints vivid pictures on their minds. High marks for original plotting and superb pacing." — RT Bookclub

(RT Bookclub )

From the Back Cover
As I drew, the house felt eerie in its silence. . . . A strange sense stole over me, as though Bland and I were two actors on stage, our movements spotlighted, black emptiness between us. But that darkness grew smaller as the space between us shrank. I did not know if this sense was due to my immersion in Bland’s face and mind and world, or to my fear of his threatening presence. Or both . . . The nerves between my shoulder blades began to tingle. Help me, God. Please.

For twenty years, a killer has eluded capture for a brutal double murder. Now, forensic artist Annie Kingston has agreed to draw the updated face of Bill Bland for the popular television show American Fugitive.

To do so, Annie must immerse herself in Bland’s traits and personality. A single habitual expression could alter the way his face has aged. But as she descends into his criminal mind and world, someone is determined to stop her. At any cost. Annie’s one hope is to complete the drawing and pray it leads authorities to Bland—before Bland can get to her. Brandilyn Collins is the bestselling author of Brink of Death, Eyes of Elisha, and other novels. She and her family divide their time between the California Bay Area and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Customer Reviews

Another one I couldn't put down
Incredibly exciting reading. As in "Brink of Death," the novel opens like the gentle prelude to a symphony, then screeches off like a tire-burning corvette disappearing down the street. I started reading it Sunday afternoon and couldn't stop until I finished that night.

Annie Kingston's character was complex, and I could relate to her inner fears, spiritual questions and maternal ferocity. She was not a superwoman performing feats of courage or displaying acute intellectual insight. She was a real woman like me or anyone else, caught in a dire situation. Her questions about God echoed what I asked when I was seeking Him, and the minor characters answered with gentleness, honesty, and empathy.

The villain Bland was drawn with such vivid description that I could envision his face, hear his voice. He character had immense depth and richness. Annie literally crawled into his head and dragged the reader with her as she discovered who he was under the surface, what made up the mind of this ruthless man.

Even the minor characters--Annie's children, her sister, etc.--had that aura of realism that made them colorful and varied. I could name someone I knew who reminded me of each character. This aspect drew me into the story quickly because I felt like I knew these people, they were familiar to me.

There was a doozy of a plot twist near the end, and Brandilyn did a very good job leading up to it. However, I think I've read too much Agatha Christie, because I guessed the plot twist in the first quarter of the book. But that being said, it didn't make the ending any less heart-pounding, nail-biting, or satisfying.

You don't really need to read the first book to enjoy this sequel, but "Brink of Death" does add to the backstory and introduces character relationships that, in this novel, are subtly shifting and growing. While "Brink of Death" was more plot-driven, "Stain of Guilt" is definitely more character-driven. It's primarily the cast of this play that keeps the reader's attention, with the story action as background movement.

In all, I highly recommend this title. A very engrossing read.

couldn't put it down
I don't say this lightly but this is most likely the best written and most riveting novel I've read in a very long time. I had to tear myself away from reading only if I had to. I wanted to spend every moment reading it. It kept me in its grip the whole time. Brandilyn just keeps getting better and better as a novelist. I loved the first book in the series, and didn't know if she could out-do herself but she did. This is spellbinding.

Facing Another Killer
Six months after the events of BRINK OF DEATH, protagonist Annie Kingston returns in Book #2 of the Hidden Faces series. In the throes of her sixteen-year-old son's rebellion, Annie agrees to draw her most ambitious composite sketch yet - a fugitive update. Requiring every ounce of her skill, can she complete the drawing for the television show American Fugitive before the killer can get to her?

I picked up STAIN OF GUILT unsure if Brandilyn could keep from re-hashing the plot of Book #1. I wasn't disappointed. Although starting a bit slower than BRINK OF DEATH, after a few chapters I was immersed in Annie Kingston's world. Spiritually, Brandilyn once again gently leads readers toward God (without preachiness) as we follow Annie's believable spiritual journey.

The Hidden Faces series is a wonderful addition to Christian suspense fiction. With it's first person narration and thrilling storyline it has the feel of many secular crime novels, but without the swearing, excessive gore, and sex. I've already recommended it to a Sue Grafton fan. I am thoroughly hooked and eagerly anticipating #3, DEAD OF NIGHT available this spring.