Review/Desires of the Dead by Kim Derting

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

When Violet Ambrose's morbid ability to sense the echoes of those who've been murdered leads her to the body of a young boy, she draws the attention of the FBI. She is reluctantly pulled into an investigation that will endanger more than just her secret...but her relationship and possibly her life as well.(Publisher's summary from Goodreads) 

Anyone who has read The Body Finder will definitely enjoy Kim Derting’s new mystery Desires of the Dead. Many of the elements that made The Body Finder suspenseful and exciting are present again and will have readers turning pages to find out what happens next.

One of the many aspects of Derting’s first book that I thoroughly enjoyed was Violet and Jay’s budding relationship. I was very pleased to find they were not only very much together, but Violet, who was hesitant about committing to Jay is now totally and completely in love. Jay is still a strong protective guy and a very stable force in Violet’s life. However, not everything about the relationship is copacetic. Violet is still struggling with the fact that Jay was almost killed because of her ability to find the dead, whose desires to be discovered overwhelm her so completely that her normally ration decision making processes are in jeopardy every time her senses are assaulted.

Derting also introduces a new element in Desires of the Dead  that has me very excited about the Violet’s future and more books. When Violet finds what she knows is a dead body locked in a shipping container, she leaves an anonymous 911 call, which a new character, Sara, traces back to her. Sara, once a FBI agent now working on her own as a consultant, knows Violet has a secret and wants her to work with her.  Violet, however, avoids admitting anything to Sara about her ability. While I did find some of parts of this aspect of the novel tedious at times, I do see some very interesting possibilities that will stem from Sara’s appearance, including Rafe, another  new character with a secret, who works with Sara. I might even go as far as seeing a love triangle in Violet and Jay’s future. For now the book definitely leaves the reader wondering what is in store for Violet next.

Even though I really enjoyed Desire of the Dead, I did not find the mystery quite as thrilling as the serial killer in The Body Finders. Much of the plot was predictable and I was fairly certain about who was once again threatening Violet’s life. There is a twist in the end, but the climax was not as suspenseful as I would have liked. Still Desire of the Dead is a page turner, and Derting’s imagination and writing held my interest throughout. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more about Violet and have no doubt that Derting’s next book in this series will be a hit. 

 Source: ARC copy from publishers

Desire of the Dead is due to be released Feb. 15, 2011; however, I am giving away an ARC copy of the book here as part of my 21 Day Blogoversary & Birthday Bash.