Sidetracked, by Brandilyn Collins (Challow Press, 2014)

Life looks like it’s finally coming together for 30-something Delanie Miller. She’s living in a nice Kentucky town, she has friends and her boyfriend is giving signals that he’s ready to propose. With no family of her own, Delanie has assembled one by inviting a few other loners to share her home.

When a friend is murdered, Delanie has to find the truth—or an innocent man will go to jail. That’s something she absolutely can’t allow. Even if it destroys the life she’s worked so hard to build.

Sidetracked is two stories in one: Delanie’s fight to find her friend’s killer, and the events that shattered her teen years and brought her to this place, alone. Both plot threads find closure at the end.

Delanie and her housemates are engaging and quirky. I took a special liking to Pete, the older man who appoints himself as a surrogate grandfather. He spent his working life as a train engineer and he overflows with interesting anecdotes.

I always enjoy Brandilyn Collins’ suspense novels, with strong characters and fast-paced plots. I’ve read enough of them now to know I can trust this author to deliver a crackling tale that’s realistic but that won’t traumatize me. This one jumped to the top of my reading list when I bought it, and it’s a great read.

Favourite lines:

Some say memory blurs when you’re shocked beyond belief. Not mine. I still remember every detail of that moment. Kindle location 140

Evidence was a fluid word, manufactured in a suspicious cop’s mind, packaged by a skillful attorney in court. Kindle location 478

Sidetracked is award-winning author Brandilyn Collins‘ newest Seatbelt Suspense® novel. Visit the author’s website to learn more about Brandilyn Collins and her other books. For more about Sidetracked, visit the book’s page, where you can read chapter 1.

[Review copy from my personal library.]