Review of "Desires of the Dead"

"Desires of the Dead"
Kimberly Derting

5

Pub. Date: February 15th, 2011
Pages: 368
Publisher: HarperCollins

Synopsis:  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.

I absolutely loved "The Body Finder" and I was worried that "Desires of the Dead" wouldn't live up to my expectations, luckily I was wrong!  I had to force myself to stop reading the book because I had longs days at work and needed my sleep, else I would have stayed up into the wee hours of the night reading it.  This book has everything- mystery, romance, great characters, and it kept me on my toes.  I kept thinking I had the book figured out, but it was constantly surprise me. 

I have to admit, there was a moment where I worried the book was pulling a "New Moon", like so many teen paranormal sequels tend to do, but luckily it was short lived.  Yes Violet does make some poor decisions, some of them extremely dangerous, but her gift pulls her into them- I can't blame her for not following what it commands of her.

I really liked the conflict Violet faces when the FBI start questioning her.  The agent seems interested in helping her, but how can Violet trust someone she doesn't know?  I also like how it brings in a mysterious male character- I can't help but want to know about those silent, handsome guys!  I can't wait to see where these conflicts bring Violet in the next book!  On top of that, there is the dead body of a young boy that Violet found and the new guy Mike with the tragic family history- if this isn't enough to peek your interest then there is no hope for you.

If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend it.  They are super fast reads and if the romance doesn't get you interested then the paranormal mystery will!  I am not usually a huge fan of mysteries myself, but Kimberly Derting has helped convert me.  I am doing my best not to get all fan girl gushy about this one, so I am going to stop now because the book was AWESOME... what more do you want me to say?

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