Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Goodreads
Kimberly Derting's site
Series: The Body Finder #2
Copy obtained: bought, hb
Publisher: Harper (US)/Headline (UK)
Release date: Feb 15th (US)/March 17th (UK)
Rating: 4/5

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.


Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered - and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.


As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationships seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging in to Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

The Body Finder was one I wasn't sure I'd like, but I got sucked in straight away and loved it! So I was really excited to get my hands on book 2 and because I'm an impatient person, I couldn't wait for the UK release and bought the US one which released a month earlier. I am glad I did, but Desires was not quite what I expected.

Desires of the Dead takes place a few months after The Body Finder and for Violet things are more in the realm of normal again. But not for long. There are basically three plots to Desires, all twisted together. One involves Violet and Jay's relationship (and all the issues with Jay's new best friend), one involves a body Violet finds and the FBI who get involved afterwards, and the third involves someone stalking Violet. The third one, I had figured out very easily, early on, so it lacked a lot of the intended tension, especially considering the where it went and the place it held in the story.

I really enjoyed the developments with Jay and Violet's relationship. They've been best friends forever, now they're a couple and I'm glad things aren't all plain sailing. That Violet struggles to deal with their new dynamic, despite being completely sure she loves him, is something I found real and the whole of that particular plot was something I found very engaging. If a little heart wrenching at times! I also thought the FBI side of things played out well. I liked the ideas it brings and the possibilities as well. Plus, the two agents involved are both really well drawn characters. There's still a fair few secrets there to be unveiled I'm certain!

The three plots tangle together, one affecting the next and does make for a really good, reasonably fast paced read. I did finish it in a day. But something I loved about The Body Finder was how unpredictable it was. The ending of that one was pretty shocking because I didn't see it coming. I found it very easy to guess what was coming throughout Desires and that was a little disappointing. However, I do love Violet, and Jay. Reading the continuation of their story was very enjoyable and I certainly felt Violet's anguish as she tried to figure out the right things to do, both with Jay and with everything else. I was impressed with how she handled certain things, but other times I half wanted to smack her and tell her to wake up. While her parents do play a small role in Desires, it's not as strong nor are they are as obviously present as they were in TBF, something else I found a little disappointing. I preferred The Body Finder, but overall, I still love Desires of the Dead. It's a different ride than TBF, still emotional, but not quite as dark or creepy. I'm very excited that there will be two more Body Finder books because I'm really curious to see where things go after the events of Desires!

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Goodreads
Kimberly Derting's site
Series: The Body Finder #1
Copy obtained: won from Sarah at Feeling Fictional. Thank you!!
Publisher: HarperCollins (US), Headline (UK)
Rating: 4.5/5

A Girl with a morbid ability

When a murder is committed it leaves a unique echo...on both the victim and the killer. Most people are unaware of the these echoes but Violet Ambrose has always been able to sense them.

A serial killer on the loose

Now that Violet's town is in the thralls of a serial killer the echoes of the local girls he has murdered are haunting her.

And the boy who would never let anything happen to her.

The only shining light is Violet's best friend Jay. She's started falling for him and his fierce protectiveness gives her hope that he may feel the same way...

With the police at a loss, can Violet use her ability to stop the killer or is she in danger of becoming his next victim?

I was so excited to win a copy of this book! It's a book I'd had my eye on for a while. It sounded a little different and very good, with a lot of great reviews floating around for it as well. And I did love it. I barely put it down once I'd started! I just got sucked straight in to Violet's world as we hear a little about her discovering the body of a teenage girl when she was just 8. Out for a walk with her father she was 'called' towards it by the echo bodies leave behind. I already knew I was on to something I'd love by the end of that prologue. A child's innocence matched with creepiness that had me wondering instantly about what was going on. The story then jumps forward to the present day where Violet is in the first few days of her junior year of high school. When Violet starts feeling the tug of an echo and it leads her to another dead teenaged girl, things start taking a turn for the worse.

I fully admit to being a complete sap for the love story in this book. I loved the relationship between Violet and Jay from the moment we first meet him. They've been best friends pretty much their whole lives, but now things are changing. I love the way it builds, that it's not all straight forward and simple. And that despite not always being on the best terms with each other, Jay is there for Violet no matter what. His easy going, protective nature is sweet and awesome. Both his character and Violets are really well developed, neither of them are perfect, in fact Violet in particular makes some pretty dumb decisions. But it fits with her character, the story and she learns from them. The way the relationship develops between Jay and Violet though is pretty perfect. I think this is one of my favourite romantic plots I've read. It's beautiful, passionate, not all easy, and they fit together so well!

Aside from the romance, the serial killer/echoes side of the book is just as captivating. The suspense and tension just build and build. It's a very carefully woven story that balances perfectly between the romance and the danger. There are some little sections from the POV of the killer which got really very creepy! They added nicely to the tension because honestly, I had no idea who the killer was until the very end and the reveal. I couldn't figure it out. I also really like that while Violet is involved with the case a great deal, it's not one of those books where the teen figures it all out themselves with no cop, or even parental, involvement. There is a strong adult presence in The Body Finder which I'm glad of. Something that lets a lot of YA's down, is no adult involvement when there really should be. Family is important and it's shown here. I love the support Violet has, particularly from her parents.

The Body Finder is a beautifully written book and like I said at the start, one I barely put down! It's beautiful, intense, creepy and I loved every moment of it. It's very well paced as well, not rushing towards a finish line or moving slowly, but giving the chance to savor each moment. I honestly wish it could have been longer cause I wanted so much more of these characters! I can't wait for book 2, Desires of the Dead! Its out Feb 15th in the US, March 17th in the UK (I have a feeling I will not be waiting the extra month for this one if I can help it at all...that would go against my 'buy less books' plan for the year but oh well!). Awesome book which I highly recommend!!

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Summary from Headline
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies – or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world...and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift, but now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer – and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling in love, Violet is getting closer to discovering a killer...and becoming his prey herself.

What first drew me to this book was the front cover. Look at how beautiful it is. The blue is rather striking against the black background. Having read the book, I think it's a good cover.

On with the story! The cover drew me in, then the prologue did. I mean, how many little girls find a body in the wood? Not many. And Violet stayed sane as she grew up. That's thanks to her parents, and also to Jay who is her best friend. Throughout the book there is a lot of romance slash anticipation about Violet and Jay's relationship. For me, I would have liked a bit more action regarding Violet's skills, but the parts about the two of them was quite sweet, especially near the end.

The most interesting parts of the book for me was when Violet's ability came into play. It's a pretty spooky ability to have, to locate dead people/animals. I was glad that her parents supported her, and didn't think she was a crazy lunatic. I felt it was good how she wasn't isolated at school, that she did have friends, and Jay knew about her ability. There wasn't an info dump in the book, Violet's background was filtered in throughout the whole story. I sensed she came from a loving home, which came alive when Violet was under threat from the murderer. I like books where the family is heavily involved in the protagonists life. I feel it adds a sense of realism, and makes a character more easy to relate to. I was scared for Violet as she started tracking the murderer down. I wasn't surprised when her family and Jay got angry when she went back on her word - her mistakes could cost her everything. I loved how much I cared for Violet, how scared I got when she went wandering off on her own. As for who the murderer is - that was a real twist in the story that I didn't see coming! I seriously hope that there might be more stories about Violet, because if she ever moved to a big city  her gift could be put to a lot of good use.

I give this book a 9/10.