The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Stars: 5

Pages: 336

Released: March 16, 2010 (Hardcover)

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 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 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.

Summary from Goodreads.com

I’ve been waiting to read this book ever since Sarah Maclean, author of The Season, read an advanced copy of it last year. She’d said that it was a book so good that it made her miss her subway stop, and that it had a really yummy romance. Ever since, I’ve been in anticipation of this book coming out-and I was not disappointed!

The Body Finder combines a serial killer, the paranormal, and a great teen romance. I was really impressed with the romance. Violet and Jay have been best friends since first grade. Over the summer, Jay seems to have changed, Violet’s noticed, as have all of the other girls at the school. Now she’s dealing with her new feelings for him, and his new fan club encroaching on their friendship. After all the paranormal romances where the best friend gets the shaft, I was excited to see a best friend who actually gets the girl.

The mystery was also great. There were wonderful twists and turns, and I really loved the point of view. Most of the story is from Violet’s point of view, yet every few chapters you get the serial killers point of view. It was intriguing and creepy all at the same time!

So, yes, I highly recommend this book to readers of paranormal romance, and those who love mysteries. It is that good!