Farraday Road

This suspense novel from Collins, author of more than 60 books, packs a wallop in the foothills of the Ozarks, although the lightning-fast pace, despite many plot twists, has an ending that leaves too much unresolved mystery. When a tranquil evening at a fund-raiser ends in a horrible murder, the victim's husband, Elijah Evans, and Det. Diana Curtis discover evidence from a cold case that may free an innocent man on death row—if they don't get killed or foiled by the politician and attorney general who put him there. Dialogue is curiously understated—as Elijah ducks bullets, he says, “I'm starting to get mad. I'm tired of being used for target practice.” Yet description is vivid and even graphic for a Christian novel, and Collins creates a wide range of peculiar characters. Suspense plays well, but Collins sometimes cashes in his chips too soon rather than building the tension over time. While flawed, this morality tale is a robust offering to the growing genre of Christian suspense. (Oct.)