Review - The Last Echo

Kimberly Derting
publisher: HarperTeen
date of publication: April 17, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 358
source: SBB ARC Tours
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet's talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it's Violet's job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by "the girlfriend collector" she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new "relationship" and Violet may have caught his eye....

What I Thought

We've finally come to the third installment in the riveting Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting.  The past 2 books have been wonderfully entrancing and intense.  I worried as to whether or not The Last Echo could evoke the same feelings that The Body Finder and Desires of the Dead, but I needn't have worried.  In fact, it went above and beyond and has become my favorite book in the series yet!

Violet has made a lot of changes since we first met her in The Body Finder.  This time, she has new challenges to face and she definitely shines.  As she goes up against the absolute creepiest adversary yet, the tension and thrill surrounding the events she encounters is amazing.  While she still holds onto a few bad habits that seem to have quite the hold on her, Violet proves to be a very strong character.  She has to be, due to all that she has gone through and all that she has yet to face.

The Last Echo has an amazing plot and quick, edge-of-your seat pacing that doesn't quit.  It was my favorite storyline yet and I was left very, very happy at the end due to the amazing plot twists and well-developed characters.  This book has fully cemented my appreciation of mysteries and thrillers.  I was left wanting more and more.  It was simply that engrossing!

I don't want to risk saying too much more about The Last Echo, as I know there are several of you out there who haven't read it yet.  If you've made it this far into the series, keep going!  If you have yet to pick up the first book, do it!  This is a series that keeps building upon itself and getting better every time.  The Last Echo has earned the highest rating of any book in the series.  It finally reached the full potential I was expecting and I couldn't be more impressed. 

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review. 

Review - Desires of the Dead

by Kimberly Derting
publisher: HarperTeen
date of publication: February 15, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 368
source: purchased
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

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 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.

What I Thought

If there is one thing you can say about Kimberly Derting, you can definitely say that she is consistent.  Desires of the Dead reads as though it is an extension of The Body Finder, only with a different mystery and a different level of tension.  Derting succeeds in being consistent without being predictable, something that I was very appreciative of as I read this installment in The Body Finder series.

Instead of a serial killer, Violet must contend with new challenges: the worrisome attentions of the FBI, a seriously creepy stalker situation, and, of course, the discovery of some bodies along the way.  There is also her intense relationship with her once best friend, Jay, to punch up the wow factor in the storyline.  Though there are moments of frustration along the way (Violet doesn't always know when she should confide in people or when she should stay silent much of the time, which is very nearly insanity-inducing, at times), the portrayal of the characters is done well and keeps the story from dragging.

Overall, Desires of the Dead was an enjoyable read.  Though I was somewhat frustrated with key aspects of the novel, I found both the tension and the element of surprise to be on a fantastic level.  I enjoyed the ways in which the story built and the tension level raised until things came to a head.  Though I was a bit flabbergasted with the outcome with the stalker, I had a great time sitting down to read this one.  It is an easy read to become absorbed with.  If you're looking for a fun read with a good mystery at its foundation, Desires of the Dead may be the book for you.

 

Review: The Body Finder

by Kimberly Derting
publisher: HarperTeen
date published: March 16, 2010
format: hardcover
pages: 336
source: library
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

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 since childhood, 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 that 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; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

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

What I Thought
The Body Finder is a fast-paced combination of paranormal romance and murder mystery that left me wanting to read more. From start to finish I was pulled completely into the book and was barely able to put it down. In fact, I read it in one sitting. It was that enthralling! The characters, premise, setting, and air of foreboding came together to create a fun read that I would love to add to my own collection.

Violet is, at first glance, an ordinary teenage girl. She goes to school, struggles with being on time to class, and has a serious crush to contend with. Underneath the surface, however, there is something that sets Violet apart: her ability to discern the location of dead bodies and killers. The ways in which Violet was able to do this was very interesting. That there were a variety of manifestations that allowed her to detect both bodies and even those responsible for murdering them definitely made for a riveting murder mystery. Her abilities are handled with exceptional strength on Violet's part, though at times it felt that she may have been a little more cold about the girls' deaths, which made for less believability. It wasn't enough to distract me while reading, however, and didn't detract very much from the story over all.

The feelings Violet has for her friend, Jay, are very recognizable even for someone long out of their teens. It is easy to remember my own teenage crushes, so I definitely know where Violet is coming from. The tension between the two was probably my second favorite aspect about this novel. There was sweetness, a tangible tension, and just enough of a hint of frustration that made it very easy to root for the two.

The serial killer scenario was fairly familiar after having watched so many shows such as Criminal Minds and Law & Order: SVU, which was a tad disappointing, as I would have liked to see a little more originality in the M.O. Luckily, I am a big fan of these shows, so I am able to be a little forgiving. I just hope that Desires of the Dead offers something more to sink my teeth into. I did appreciate the chapter transitions that take place in the killer's point-of-view, however, and hope that that aspect of the plot shows up again in the next book.

The Body Finder was a fun read, overall, one that I can definitely see myself reading for a second time. Though it was a bit lacking in originality of plot and the voicing of the main character's emotions, it was exemplary in its descriptions of setting, cast of characters, and easy to relate to love story. I give The Body Finder 4 hoots.