Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger. {taken from amazon.com}

Desires of the Dead is the follow up to Kimberly Derting's first novel, The Body Finder; in which I really enjoyed reading towards the end of last year.  With that being said, I was very eager to pick back up the story of Violet with her unusual "talent" and her new blossoming relationship with the adorable Jay.

As the story begins, Violet is enjoying her life as "normal" as she can.  The echos & imprints that she senses from the dead & those who have killed them are staying at bay for now.  She is enjoying every moment she can with Jay, stealing kisses here & there, and appreciating their new love for one another.  Then one day, while on an outing with her friend Chelsea, she is jilted back to her harsh reality by the sound of an echo.  It is from there that she remembers her gift & that she can't ignore it.  In doing so, she tries her best to notify authority of what she's found, yet stay hidden so that she isn't questioned as to how this has come about.  Violet thinks she's gotten away with concealing herself, until she's notified by the FBI and is wanted for questioning.

From here Violet begins to feel stressed & overwhelmed by her special talent to sense dead things.  She wants to live as ordinary a life as she can, with her boyfriend Jay.  Go to school with her friends & engage in regular social activities.   As she tries to avoid the threatening questions from the FBI, she is also plagued with the notion that someone else knows her secret & is threatening to expose her.  Violet's relationship with Jay is put to the test.  Her emotions are on high alert & she literally feels drained.  What once used to be a special gift, has now become a burden in her life.  Violet feels compelled to answer these echos & ease the souls that have been taken too soon; yet she struggles with the want to ignore them too & live a normal life.

Kimberly Derting expanded her writing in this second novel.  I felt her character development went beyond just Violet & Jay and we were able to get a sense for everyone in the story who played a key factor.  Though I did not find this story as chilling & gripping as the first, this one brought on a more emotional tug of war.  As the reader, I felt saddened & frustrated for Violet.  I could see her struggling with who she wanted to be & who she was meant to be.  The relationship between Violet & Jay is beautifully written, as it was in the first novel, with Jay being as swoon-worthy as ever!  We watch as the nature of their new relationship as boyfriend & girlfriend progresses, encountering bumps along the way.  This book brought a more mature vibe to the story & I appreciated Kimberly Derting's efforts to continue this interesting & unique tale. 

I am not aware of a 3rd book, but this one leads me to believe that there may be one.  New characters & plots are introduced to lead the reader in to thinking in that direction.  I sure hope so, because I can never get enough of Violet & Jay's story.