Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Genre: Thriller, Murder

Hardcover: 327 Pages

Published: March 16, 2010

Series: The Body Finder

            1. The Body Finder

            2. Desires of the Dead

            3. The Last Echo

            4. Dead Silence

Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

My Review:

           Okay jumping right in... Violet Ambrose is a normal high school student in every way but one: she can locate the imprint of a dead body and match it to the killer. This gift can be extremely tough on a teenager and Violet has many issues that she needs to resolve. But when a serial killer is in her home town, killing people she knows, Violet can't help but meddle in police investigations. Well she has a moral obligation to find this killer because she is constantly hearing the echo of the murderer. Then at a party by the lake, Violet and her best friend Jay find a dead body. Violet and Jay are determined to find the killer before he or she kills someone they know.  

            Lets talk about the characters. Jay is the perfect best friend and a perfect boyfriend later on, probably too perfect. He is funny, smart, attractive, and deeply cares for Violet. Their relationship moves from friend to boyfriend/girlfriend through the book, with few miscommunications that complicate their relationship. Violet is a brave, determined, and caring teenager. She has a lot to deal with, but she takes on her problems with a good head on her shoulders.

            The creepiest part about this book was probably the chapters from the killer's point of view. He thinks like a hunter, referring to himself as the predator and girls are his prey. i give the author kudos for being able to think like a killer and writing the killers point of view so creatively. I felt like I was in the mind of that criminal and it kind of reminded me of the show Criminal Minds. Very creepy but written perfectly. 

            This was an entertaining and fast read. The characters were realistic and intriguing. The plot of engaging and did I mention creepy! Plus there were many plot twists I did not see coming which made reading this even more exciting.