Buying
Options:
Gone to Ground by Brandilyn Collins
Reviewed by Dale Lewis
Share on Facebook
"Simply put, Brandilyn is a consummate storyteller and prolific author."
Among the good citizens
of Amaryllis, Mississippi lives a serial killer. The bright and fragrant
Amaryllis flower appears harmless and benign, much
like the town of Amaryllis. Yet the Amaryllis flower oozes poison. Three
years, five unsolved murders, all female victims and now a sixth. Within
this small town, full of a rich heritage, are three terrified women
100 percent certain they know the murderer. But each suspects a different
man.
Meet Cherrie Mae, an African-American in her 60s, who runs her own housecleaning
business and reads plenty of classic literature, quoting it more often
than not. Deena, white and 32 years old, runs her own hair salon and is
the ex-wife of a police officer. Then there is Tully who at 19 is ready
to give birth to her first child and feeling trapped by an abusive husband.
Each protagonist is given a distinct voice in the storyline. Unique in
perspective due to life’s experiences, they must individually make
the difficult decision to stop the senseless murders by whatever means
possible.
Within these pages, you’ll find yourself on the streets of this hospitable
southern town attempting to put the pieces together. Some of your suspicions
will be confirmed while others will fall to the wayside. The innocent won’t
be squeaky clean while the appearance of evil will be cloaked.
One of Brandilyn’s writing hallmarks is her thorough character development:
not only the strong “leads” but also those in supporting roles.
They are believable and endearing. According to a recent online interview,
she stated this was the first time she ran multiple first person points
of view in a novel. Her consistent and deep characterization is the result
of importing
techniques from the art of method acting. Research is a key necessity for
Collins. She takes her craft seriously!
I found the inclusion of the newspaper articles from the Jackson Bugle
a creative means to provide both background history to Amaryllis and how
the killings had affected the people.
The intensity of the murder mystery is balanced by Collins’ superb
transitions and continuity of the first person narrative as well as the
perfectly placed moments of lightheartedness and humor.
The conclusion will catch you by surprise in so many ways. Simply put,
Brandilyn is a consummate storyteller and prolific author. Prepare to be
enthralled by the characters and their stories in Gone To Ground!