And the award for best thriller so far this year goes to “Collision of Lies” by Tom Threadgill! I’ve recently read a few great suspense novels, but this one went above and beyond. It’s always a delight to find a new Christian suspense author because the secular market for this genre is so full of profanity and lewdness. Another perk for me was that there was not a romantic side plot. I prefer to focus on the suspense and not be distracted by romantic affairs. Like the train wreck that forms part of the plot, I could not look away once I started turning the pages.
Threadgill builds the plot carefully, piece by piece, rather than revealing it all at once, and this approach draws the reader inexorably into the burning mystery. Three years ago, a school bus full of children died in a devastating accident. Or was it? And is there a chance that one of the children, Benjamin Reyes, could inexplicably still be alive? San Antonio police detective Amara Alvarez finds herself unintentionally drawn into investigating this closed case, with coincidence upon coincidence adding up to a shocking conclusion. Each step had me questioning how I would react or what I would do, and I felt empathetic toward Amara and the Reyes family, a sure sign of adept writing. Likewise, the camaraderie between the police officers warmed my heart; especially in times such as these, it is so refreshing to see those in blue working together in a coed environment and building one another up while doing their level best to serve the community.
Gaining insight into the inner workings of law enforcement, trying to puzzle together the truth of the 3-year-old collision and how it relates to current happenings, and even being entertained by Almara’s pet iguana all make “Collision of Lies” a must-read for suspense aficionados as well as for anyone who enjoys an intriguing, clean story that will have readers questioning everything.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.
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