Audiobook Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Body Finder #1
Narrator: Eileen Stevens
Published: December 10, 2010
Publisher: Audible, Inc.
Length: 8 hrs 16 mins
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

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.

Violet has an amazing ability, which some would call a gift, of feeling the "echoes" that are left behind when someone, or something, dies.  As well as an echo on the dead, she can also sense an "imprint" on its killer.  Whether it be a cat and mouse, or a teenage girl and killer, Violet can sense, smell and even taste it.  She's completely unable to ignore it, even if she wanted to.  But this gift she puts to good use in helping find the dead bodies of missing girls in her small town, as well as helping to look for the killer.  But will being the police chief's niece put her in harm's way?

This story was so gripping and intense.  We get a small glimpse into the killer's thoughts every now and then, which was a fabulous touch.  It really helped me feel his cruelty to my very core.  Literally, parts of the story actually gave me chills.  I love when a story has "oh, snap!" moments, and this one definitely had a few of those.

The narrator did a fabulous job with Violet's teenage girl attitude and acts, as well as portraying the creepy killer in such a horribly strong light.  Right from the beginning I was able to relate to Violet.  Though I don't have a special gift such as her, I could feel her pain and eagerness to help find these girls, as well as help capture the killer before he strikes again.

The romance between Jay and Violet was extremely well written.  The sexual tension and flirting between the two was hard to miss.  Derting did a remarkable job with this teenage romance, starting with a childhood friendship.  The fears, doubts and unexpected feelings were spot-on.  It was so realistic and strong.

So if you couldn't tell yet, I really loved this book.  Let's just leave it at this... The Body Finder was so awesome that I've already downloaded Desires of the Dead to listen to asap.  :)

Other Books in this Series:

  

Kimberly is the author of the BODY FINDER series (HarperCollins) and THE PLEDGE trilogy (Simon & Schuster). She lives in the Pacific Northwest, the ideal place to write anything dark or creepy...a gloomy day can set the perfect mood. She lives with her husband and their three beautiful (and often mouthy) children who provide an endless source of inspiration.

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