Coral Moon by Brandilyn Collins (Book 2 in the Kanner Lake series)
From the back cover:
BACK COVER COPY
The figure remained still as stone. Leslie couldn’t even detect a breath.
Spider-fingers teased the back of her neck.
Leslie’s feet rooted to the pavement. She dropped her gaze to the driveway, seeking . . . what? Spatters of blood? Footprints? She saw nothing. Honed through her recent coverage of crime scene evidence, the testimonies at last month’s trial, the reporter in Leslie spewed warnings: Notice everything, touch nothing.
Leslie Brymes hurries out to her car on a typical work day morning—and discovers a dead body inside.
Why was the corpse left for her to find? And what is the meaning of the message pinned to its chest?
In Coral Moon, the senseless murder of a beloved Kanner Lake citizen spirals the small Idaho town into a terrifying glimpse of spiritual forces beyond our world. What appears true seems impossible.
Or is it?
My Review:
Once again I found Collins' book to be very engaging! The characters from the first book returned in this second installment, but the focus shifted from Paige to her best friend Leslie. Leslie is a reporter with ambitions for making it big. One morning as she is getting ready to leave for work, she feels a chill and a "presence" in her home. As she heads out to her car, she is shocked to see someone in it. Her surprise turns to horror when she realizes that the person in her car is dead! She immediately calls on Vince the police chief and the investigation takes off!
Collins again tells the story masterfully while revolving around various points of view, including the killer's (without revealing the identity of the killer). She explores the notion of ghosts as the evidence seems to point toward the victim's dead husband as the killer. The pastor counsels Leslie about the difference between ghosts and demons and states his belief that demons are at work in the town. The demonic presence described in the storyline generated an erie feeling that stayed with me long after I finished reading.
If you are up for a fast-paced, can't put it down thriller, check out Coral Moon. But if you're like me and your imagination gets carried away, be sure to read it during the day! I give this book my mostly sunny rating.
Be sure to check out my review for the first book here.
And Brandilyn Collin's website here.
And the Kanner Lake blog here.
