Review: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Author: Kimberly Derting

Publisher: HarperTeen

Page Count: 384 pages, Paperback

Date Published:  April 17th 2012  (first published February 15th 2011)

Goodreads Blurb:

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 relationship 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 into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

  
My Thoughts: Very impressive second novel. Just as good as the first.

Though this is the second book in The Body Finder series, it's a different story. Meaning, the plot and everything in the book is a lot different from The Body Finder.The FBI are after Violet for some information and there's someone leaving her morbid messages and dead animals. There was no serial killer, but it was still a murder mystery. Jay and Violet were still in love, but there were some things that weren't quite right.

Considering I read the  three books in two days, I can't really say it took me longer to get through this one, but it seemed like it. There was no real gripping mystery. No "Who dunnit?" questions floating around everywhere. It was clear who the provoker was in the beginning and that made me reluctant to continue. But I did, and oh I am glad. The twists and turns at the end made my feelings for this book go from 'mehh' to 'WOW'. It was still a little predictable, but either way, fantastic. There were a lot more supporting characters in this one, especially Chelsea. I loved her character. She's hilarious! Then there's Mike, who though we don't get a lot out of, he was still a great character. 


The two mains? Well they're a different story. I still love Jay. He's still PERFECT and totally in love with Violet. He's very protective of her and still would do anything to keep her safe. Then, we have Violet. I felt that while Jay's character growth went up, Violet's went down. She was insensible and childlike in her decisions, choosing to keep stupid secrets from Jay instead of telling him the truth. I never understood why she wouldn't tell him about the threats. Their relationship was still adorable and romantic, but it hit some rocky edges for sure. Then there's the question of the new guy, Rafe. He works with the FBI agent who is trying to get to Violet and is very mysterious. I couldn't help but silently plead that this doesn't turn into another love-triangle. 

Derting does an excellent job of mixing mystery and paranormal with a beautiful romance. Her books are enthralling and unputdownable. Though I felt that less with this book than the other, the feeling was still there and I was dying to read the next installment. If you haven't already read The Body Finder and like a good  murder-mystery with a paranormal twist and epic romance, this is the series for you!

Have an incredible day/night everyone!
Kristy