The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Body Finder

Author: Kimberly Derting

Published: March 16^th 2010

Pages: 327

Genre: Young Adult, SciFi/Fantasy, Fiction, Romance

Overall Rating: 4.5 Kisses

Summary: "A serial killer on the loose. A girl with a morbid ability. And the boy who would never let anything happen to her.

Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind... and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.

Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town... and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him." (From Goodreads.com)

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As I’m sure you’ve surmised from the summary, that this book is a murder mystery with a paranormal twist. The main character, Violet, has a sixth sense for murder victims.

Pretty sweet huh?!

The beautiful cover art is what drew me into reading The Body Finder in the first place. I actually started reading it on a very comfy chair in the middle of Borders books. Husband and I had had a fight and Borders had housed me during my cooling off period. Well, Borders and this lovely novel (Husband even texted me to see if I was ever coming home).

One of the most deliciously mischievous things about the book was that Derting gave us a look into the mind of the killer. Pretty devious huh? She makes you hold out to the end and puts a couple twists throughout that you don’t expect, but she still lets you hear the demented thoughts of an icky serial killer. Yes, I know I used the word “icky”, but doesn’t it work so well in this scenario? I mean, to hear the creeper for himself luring these young girls into his snare… makes you wanna lock the doors!

…That was when he saw the car. Its hazards flashing through the damp blackness of the night

He slowed down as he drove past, peering into the interior of the stranded vehicle.

She was alone. Young and pretty, and alone.

This was better than he could have hoped for.

Breathtaking in all it’s malevolence, it took away my ability to put it down, hook, line and sinker. *licks lips*

The romance was an added bonus for me and I even went back and reread sections of the book because it was that good. I loved the way Violet and Jay interacted and the feelings flaring between them. I remember feeling the exact same thing at that age and hoping for all the things Violet hoped for. Kimberly Derting did an amazing job on her first novel giving me serial killers, dances, echos, an 8 year old murder discoverer, and a scrumptious love story to boot so much so that I cannot wait for the sequel to be released The Desires of the Dead in March of next year.

4.5 out of 5 Kisses

(cartoon courtesy of What I Red on my Hols)

--Jen the Bibliophile