The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

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.



I've seen quite a few reviews of this book, and people are raving about it. I mean, one blogger loved it so much she decided to have a Body Finder themed birthday party, complete with an awesome cake.

The Body Finder was intense and gripping, with a hefty side of romance. I've read a lot of love triangles lately, so it was nice to see a different kind of relationship-- a girl pining after a boy who's been her best friend since they were kids. Violet is really likable, and right away I was on her side and wanting her to end up with Jay. I loved how Derting developed the relationship, it was very well written. I could feel Violet's pain from being close to Jay all the time while never being close enough, and I was really rooting for them to get together. I thought it was so accurate of many high school crushes.

The paranormal aspects of the story hooked me from the prologue. (Side note: TBF is a great example of a prologue that works. It was short, relevant and grabbed my attention immediately.) I also loved that there were a few chapters scattered throughout from the killer's point of view. It kept the tension high while also giving a look inside his very warped mind.

I did see the twist coming early on, but the paranormal and romantic elements keep this serial killer story fresh and unique. My only complaint was that the last chapter ended immediately after the climax, and the epilogue picked up a two months later and was just a few pages long. I know this is common for suspense stories, but I would have liked a bit more. While a little on the abrupt side, it was still totally satisfying and didn't feel rushed or unfinished. It's the kind of ending that leaves you breathless.

Overall, The Body Finder was another amazing debut (2010 is proving to be a great year for books!) and I can't wait for Kimberly's next novel, Desires of the Dead, which is a sequel to TBF and due out in 2011!