Dread Champion
-
-
4.8 • 5 Ratings
-
-
- $4.99
-
- $4.99
Publisher Description
Chelsea Adams has visions sent from God.
But they have no place in a courtroom.
As a juror for a murder trial, Chelsea must rely only on the evidence. And this circumstantial evidence is strong--Darren Welk killed his wife.
Or did he?
The trial is a nightmare for Chelsea. The other jurors belittle her Christian faith. As testimony unfolds, truth and secrets blur. Chelsea's visiting niece stumbles into peril surrounding the case, and Chelsea cannot protect her. God sends visions--frightening, vivid. But what do they mean? Even as Chelsea finds out, what can she do? She is helpless, and danger is closing in...
Masterfully crafted, Dread Champion is a novel in which appearances can deceive and the unknown can transform the meaning of known facts. One man's guilt or innocence is just a single link in a chain of hidden evil...and God uses the unlikeliest of people to accomplish His purposes.
——————
"Working together like the pieces of a finely-crafted Swiss clock, the characters in DREAD CHAMPION play out their roles. The crime scene is so vivid you can practically smell the salt air and taste the gritty beach sand. This is another masterpiece that keeps the reader utterly engrossed." — RT BookReviews, 4 1/2 stars, TOP PICK
"Plenty of intrigue and false trails." — Publishers Weekly
"A riveting mystery and courtroom drama." — Library Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The quality of Collins's writing slips in this evangelical Christian thriller follow-up to Eyes of Elisha, but she still spins an interesting tale with plenty of suspense. Californian Chelsea Adams has the supernatural gift of visions that show her events others are unable to perceive. She's dismayed to be selected as a juror at the murder trial of Darren Welk, whose wife, Shawna, has disappeared. Chelsea's visiting niece Kerra Fraye attends the trial and strikes up a romance with a man whose innocence is increasingly under scrutiny. Chelsea and Kerra's lives are about to intersect with that of 20-year-old Rogelio Sanchez, the birth father of a baby girl whom he signed away for adoption a decision he now regrets. The story is compelling, but the prose is not up to Collins's usual standards. She overdetails physical movements ("air puffed from Erika's offended mouth"); characters repeatedly blink and their throats, stomachs, guts and mouths do peculiar things ("Rogelio's stomach gelled"). There are odd, lengthy descriptions ("The jury pulled at his eyes, but he focused on the judge as she positioned her computer keyboard just so and generally settled herself like a hen over eggs"). Collins inserts plenty of intrigue and false trails, although the novel's ending fails to take into account one character who is notable by her omission. Evangelical Christian readers will applaud the character of Chelsea as an example of how God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways to accomplish his objectives, but Collins fans may be wondering why her strong writing skills are not showcased here.
