Eyes of Elisha

Chelsea Adams lives in the fast-paced Silicon Valley area of California. She's wife to Paul, a successful entrepreneur, and mother to their two sons. Chelsea is a Christian with the unusual gift of visions. These insights from God have helped her pray for people and have led her to save others from harm. But never has she experienced a vision like the one she "sees" during a business dinner with her husband and their prospective new vice-president of marketing, Gavil Harrison. Invited to dinner to check out the new prospect, Chelsea goes into a spiritual state in which she sees the murder of a young women. After the vision, when she comes back to consciousness, she looks into Gavil's eyes and experiences a terrifying moment of recognition: she's certain that he's the killer she saw. But who will believe her? Certainly not her non-Christian husband, who wants to hire this man to work by his side. Nor the police, who must rely on hard evidence. Only one person might believe her-the murderer himself. There are plenty of twists and turns of plot right up to the end of this edge-of your-seat thriller.

Chelsea Adams has a vision in which she sees the death of a young woman. When she comes back to consciousness after that vision, she looks into the eyes of a dinner guest and experiences a terrifying moment of recognition. She’s certain that he is the murderer of the young woman in her vision. Plenty of twists and turns of plot right up until the end of this edge-of-your-seat thriller.

Chelsea Adams's devotion to the Lord manifests itself in an unusual way: she has visions of past, present, or future events. During one vision, she witnesses a murder through the eyes of the victim and is convinced that the murderer is a man she just met. As Chelsea struggles to convince the police of what she has seen, the ensuing investigation and publicity challenge her beliefs and make her the target of a madman determined to put an end to her visions forever. Collins (Cast a Road Before Me) delivers an intriguing explanation of psychic visions in a thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the end. Recommended for most collections. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Collins, a general market crime author turned CBA novelist, pens a chilling tale of suspense that makes a worthy contribution to the sparse genre of Christian mystery fiction. Chelsea Adams has the gift of visions, often falling into a trancelike spiritual state where she sees events that elude others. When Chelsea has dinner with Gavil Harrison, a candidate for vice-president of sales at her husband Paul's up-and-coming software company, she is horrified by her "vision" that Harrison has murdered a young female jogger. Sgt. Dan Reiger is a Christian willing to take a chance on believing in Chelsea's visions as he tracks down the killer. But will Chelsea's next vision damage her credibility and change the course of the investigation? Collins does a fine job of laying a confusing, twisting trail, sowing seeds of doubt about the various suspects and teasing the reader with just enough information to keep the pages turning. There's a rather conservative undertone of marital submission (Paul forbids Chelsea to go to church and she meekly acquiesces), as well as occasional overwriting ("the underbrush seemed taken aback at the sudden sound, rustling its disapproval"), but these are minor lapses in a solid narrative. To her credit, Collins leaves some loose ends dangling: Paul doesn't become a Christian at the end of the book, although he is supportive of Chelsea's faith. CBA readers looking for mystery novels with a spiritual thread will enjoy this. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Recommended. — Romantic Times

Average Rating:

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Reviewed by Mike Martin (Manheim P.A.), November 19, 2008

it was extremly boring and the plot was very lame. i thought that the christian values were not very clear at all

Reviewed by Sharon A. Lavy (New Carlisle, OH), March 18, 2008

I met Brandilyn Collins at the 2007 ACFW Conference. (American Christian Fiction Writers) She was such a delightful lady I just had to buy one of her books. (Like I need an excuse to buy books.) I had to limit my purchases somehow so I chose books from authors I met at the conference. Before the conference I had checked out Brandilyn's blog, and read about the trauma she went through writing EYES OF ELISHA. So that's the book I bought. The cover looks rather spooky and while I love suspense and mystery, I don't do horror well. I put it on the back burner and read some of the other books first. Then one day I got brave and read this book. It's not horror after all. Sorry Brandilyn, now I know you have never been classified as a horror writer. To make a long story short, I'm now hooked on this dear ladies writing. No wonder her tag line is "Don't forget to breathe." If you like reading Iris Johanson's writing, you will love this book by Brandilyn Collins.

Reviewed by Trish Berg (Dalton, Ohio), March 17, 2007

Mystery, suspense, drama. A definite page turning delight. If you are anything like me, a mom who loves to escape reality inside the covers of a great murder mystery, than Eyes of Elisha is perfect for you. I have always loved mysteries. But as a Christian, I was struggling with the who-dunnits out there because they always seemed to come bundled with bad language, inappropriate bedroom scenes, and all kinds of stuff I didn’t want to read. So many times, I simply gave up on my love for a great mystery. That was until I discovered Brandilyn Collins and her seatbelt suspense novels. Eyes of Elisha tells the story of Chelsea Adams, a devoted Christian who begins to get visions from God about events that took place. She must then struggle with what to do with her knowledge. Certainly no one in their right mind would believe her. She’s not sure to believe it herself. But our God is an amazing God, and He guides her through, even as her non-believing husband barely tolerates her faith. “Torn between what she knows and the burden of proof, Chelsea must follow God’s leading and trust him for protection.” The twists and turns in Eyes of Elisha will keep you guessing and make your heart beat fast as you flip page after page. As for me, I am hooked, absolutely hooked on anything Brandilyn Collins has written, and I am working my way through her novels one at a time. Many of her books are written is series format, but can also be read as individual novels. Just when I think she’s outdone herself, the next story gets even better. The sequel to Eyes of Elisha is Dread Champion, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. So buckle up, and get ready for the ride of your life in Eyes of Elisha. Just don’t forget to B-R-E-A-T-H-E…..

Reviewed by Vennessa Ng (New Zealand), June 23, 2005

Brandilyn Collins spins a wonderful, non-stop tale. I found this book very hard to put down. I was dragged along at break neck speed, determined to get to the finish and see where God would lead these characters. This was the first Brandilyn Collins book I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last!

Reviewed by Jennifer (Olympia, WA), December 08, 2003

I found the book too predictable. I would recommend the Lorena McCourtney Julesberg series over this. I also loved and highly recommend Color the Sidewalk For Me by B. Collins - not a suspence, but EXCELLENT!

Reviewed by Laura Nelson (Alborn, MN), May 14, 2003

This is by far the best book I have ever read. My heart was racing the whole time! The plot and characters were awesome! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great suspense! :o)

Reviewed by Peggy Phifer (Las Vegas, NV), January 09, 2003

An excellent read! This was my first Brandilyn Collins book and it won't be the last! I must say I wasn't disappointed, though at first wary about the 'vision' aspect. But, the Bible is full of stories where visions were given to His people to serve His purpose and plan. Once started, I found "Eyes of Elisha" difficult to put this book down. A great book, Brandilyn!

Reviewed by John Watson (Scottsdale, AZ), December 27, 2002

A surprisingly good read! I'm a fan of Clancy, Ludlum, Grisham, et.al., so Brandilyn Collins was at a disadvantage with me from the start. The author's descriptions of people, places, things and even emotions had me right there. My only complaint, and minor at that, was that I prefer a faster pace. I'll definitely give other books by Collins a try.

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Author: Brandilyn Collins
Located in: Redwood City, CA
Submitted: August 20, 2001

    Tell us a little about yourself.  I'm fairly new to the Christian fiction market, Eyes of Elisha being my second CBA novel. (My first was Cast A Road Before Me, Book #1 in the Bradleyville Series - women's fiction. Published by Broadman & Holman.) I have now signed with Zondervan for four novels in a row -- Books #2 and #3 in the Bradleyville Series (#2 is titled Color the Sidewalk for Me), and two suspense novels, Eyes of Elisha and Dread Champion. Dread Champion features the same main character, Chelsea Adams, that you'll meet in Eyes of Elisha.

    What was your motivation behind this project?  I wanted to write a bang-up suspense with a strong message of God's power and His willingness to intervene in today's dangerous world.

    What do you hope folks will gain from this project?  That God is all powerful and almighty. That, when it comes to this world, He is not a God who "lit it, then quit it," as one of the characters in Eyes of Elisha would say. That His perfect will must be played out through his imperfect servants, and as his vessels on earth, we need to keep our eyes on Him constantly -- especially when He moves in supernatural ways.

    Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know:  As the reviewers/endorsers are saying, Eyes of Elisha is full of twists and turns. Hope you enjoy the ride!

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