Inspirational Sunday: Over the Edge - INSPY shortlist

For 2011 I was fortunate enough to be a participating judge in the INSPYs for Christian Mysteries/Suspense.  We had a superb shortlist of books to choose from.  The winner in the Mystery/Suspense category was The Bishop by Steven James ~ review posted here.

Another fantastic suspense from the INSPY shortlist was Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins.  For a scary, intense read Over the Edge will definitely take you to the edge and back again.

Do you know anyone who has contracted Lyme disease?

This particular disease is terrifying in scope. I have a relative who became a different person (and not in a good way) after a tick bite, and over two years later is still suffering from the ramifications.

In Over the Edge we see Janessa McNeil's life completely unravel from a tick bite.  Her husband is the famous Dr. Brock McNeil, researcher and professor at Stanford University Department of Medicine.  Because he asserts that chronic Lyme disease does not exist, his family is targeted in a vendetta to force Dr. McNeil to change his widely-publicized opinion.  Because of his opinion, general practitioners and insurance companies will not help those suffering from the effects of this condition.  It's all in the patient's head. . .

Now, if you have ever experienced difficulty in obtaining health coverage for a condition or had a doctor tell you that "it's all in your head;" you will know how incredibly frustrating the situation can become - "incredibly frustrating" is in actuality, a complete understatement.  Now imagine being the wife of a Lyme disease researcher and becoming the target of a madman bent on destroying the man who believes ultimately killed his family. There you have the makings of a terrific thriller.

I was impressed by the sheer research that must have gone into Over the Edge, Lyme disease and health coverage (does anyone really have a handle on where we are as a society when it comes to health coverage?)  Over the Edge has a spiritual message, and it is ultimately what sees Janessa through the process of her life falling apart.

Over the Edge on Goodreads

Authoress Brandilyn Collins

Lyme Disease on Center for Disease Control

Brandilyn Collins has suffered from Lyme disease twice.  Her miraculous story can be found here.  She is also the author of the Seatbelt Suspense series and Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors.  When she's not writing, Brandilyn can be found teaching the craft of fiction at writers' conferences. She and her family divide their time between homes in the California Bay Area and northern Idaho.

 Many thanks to the publisher for the complimentary review copy.

Blessings!