ARC Review: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Title: Desires of the Dead

Author: Kimberly Derting

Series: The Body Finder

Book #: 2

Release Date: February 19th 2011

Pages: 368

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.
 
After reading The Body Finder, I couldn't wait to read the sequel! I loved the originality of Violet's "ability". I was a little worried, however, because there are very few book or movie series where the sequel is as good or better than the first. I think I proved myself right, although I was pleasantly surprise by how fantastic Desires of the Dead was.
 
In the first book, the "murder mystery" was new and exciting, as was the relationship between Jay and Violet. This book had a more predictable storyline and the adrenaline didn't jolt me in the last chapter.
 
What I always find annoying is when you have a perfect couple, who finally get together in the first or first few books and then there is nowhere to go but downhill. There must be some movement in the relationship, it can't just remain static, so the couple has to work through problems and a "rough patch". Unfortunately, the same is true for Jay and Violet in this novel.
 
I enjoyed getting to know Violet in the first book. She was a great, strong protagonist, who didn't have to rely on a man to save her when she found a body and was not the typical emotional girl. The operative word being was. In Desires of the Dead, Violet becomes jealous and paranoid, which I didn't like too much. She annoyed me during the middle of the book, but she finally came out of it and proved herself to me again. By the end of the book, she was back to her normal self.
 
I can't get enough of Jay. He may be the perfect boyfriend, and has always been and stayed that way. He is so kind and understanding, not only of Violet's strange gift, but also the way it affects Violet. I would read the next book just for him and the heightened romance scene that were displayed in this sequel...and had me holding me breath so as to refrain from squealing. :)
 
Overall, the book wasn't a perfect five, but it was great! I would recommend it to anyone who liked fantasy set in a normal life. This book deserves a four mask rating from me. :)