I have to be honest, as a sequel, this was kind of disappointing(though The Body Finder is a tough act to follow). I still liked it, but for completely different reasons.

Desires of the Dead isn't driven by mystery as The Body Finder was, but rather focused more on the development of Violet--her progress towards accepting who she is with her ability, what she can do with it and not hiding/running from who she is.

There is still the romance-- which is getting more serious--and mystery intertwined within, though not as enthralling and full-force as it's predecessor, but still enough to keep me wanting more.

I can't wait to see what Violet does with her ability from here on out as well as seeing her and Jays romance blossom.

Overall, it was a great addition to the series in that it furthered the development of the characters and plot... I couldn't put it down.

Loved it almost as much as the first. Kind of had part of it figured out towards the end, but not all of it. I'm enjoying the character development, and the path of the storyline in the series. Looking forward to number 3. :)

2.5

Definitely wasn't as good as the first. It was lacking quite a bit, and the only new stuff was finding out about

Spoiler

Sara and her 'group'

.
The suspense wasn't creepy this time around, and the 'case' was quite obvious to me.

Spoiler

Jay and Violet's relationship is very odd and I don't know how to feel about it.

i loved this book, creative/lovely/great writing from Kimberly Derting. I really liked the characters Violet, Jay and perhaps Chelsea

This book was just incredible!! Just as good, if not better than the first one!!
The way Kimberly writes makes everything so mysterious and intense. Like the first one, there were certain scenes that made my heart pound and there were others where i literally said "Awww" outloud because Jay and Violet are just so sweet!! Perfect for each other!
I love how he always protects her but i hated it when they fell out even though i knew they would make up eventually :)
Megan was a confusing character because I really thought she was the one who had killed the cat, dog and whatever else Violet suspected. I also felt sorry for her at the end because she found out her dad had killed her mom.
I think that Rafe is kind of Psychic but I am hoping (fingers crossed) that Kimberly will write a third book because this series is just too good to leave it there.
At first i thought that there was something wrong with Sara, who Violet thought was the FBI, but it turned out she just wanted to help and i REALLY want to find out more about what she actually does. My guess it's for people with special abilities.
Anywayy...this book gets a massive thumbs up from me and I give it 10/10 because it was just that good!! Can't wait for a third one (here's hoping) :D

I was so super excited to read this one! I absolutely adored The Body Finder, which I read earlier in the year, and have eagerly anticipated reading the sequel ever since. A big thank you to Sam at Headline for sending me Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting for review, I am eternally grateful and it definitely lived up to all of my very high expectations!

I really love both Violet and Jay as characters, Violet especially. She has this really unique gift of sensing the dead around her. It's a gift that only her close family and best friend/recently turned boyfriend, Jay know about. But then, when the body of a highly publicised missing boy calls out to Violet and she makes an anonymous phone call to the police, things begin to change. A woman who works for the FBI becomes aware of Violet and seems to know that Violet is hiding something big. She feels under pressure from the FBI woman to admit to her special gift, and Violet begins to question this life-long vow of secrecy that she's undertaken. Can Violet be able to handle the idea of more people outside her circle of trust knowing what she's capable of and why she keeps finding dead bodies?

And at the same time, Violet feels really unsure of and slightly uncomfortable with Jay now that their relationship has changed from a friendship into something more physical. I do really, really love the relationship between Violet and Jay. As the reader, you can completely see without any doubt whatsoever that Jay is hopelessly devoted and loyal to Violet. I love that in a love interest, I really do. But Violet has trouble opening up to Jay, and for much of the novel leaves him in the dark to all of Violet's mounting troubles.

Because there also is someone out there who isn't quite fond of our Violet. Sending threatening messages and a box in the middle of the night that would freak out absolutely anybody who wasn't Violet. When Violet begins to think that this mysterious mischief sender is somehow closer to home than anyone realised, the anticipation and tension really start to pick up. Like in the previous book, the narrative is interspersed with snippets of the thought processes of the person out to get Violet and it really adds to the suspense of the novel.

I really love this mixture of mystery and romance that Kimberly Derting pairs together so well! Fans of Violet and Jay will not be disappointed with the levels of heartbreak and swooniness, but there is enough outside of their relationship in order to keep anyone else interested as well. A truly fantastic sequel and one not to miss!

I have been so excited to read this book since I read The Body Finder last year and I am so glad it was just as awesome! Trying to figure out what exactly is going and who is behind everything is what I love about this series, well that and Jay! I just want to say that I freaking love Jay he is like the perfect boyfriend. I am actually jealous of a fictional character, lol! I mean he has been her best friend forever, is in love with, and puts up with her crap. He is completely supportive and protective of her. I love reading the scenes between Jay & Violet because they are so awesome. Jay is beyond adorable and he loves her so much. Now saying that, sometimes I want to smack Violet, she does some really dumb things. It is a good thing Jay puts up with the dumb things she does because he loves her so much.

It' s like watching a scary movie sometimes because I want to scream at Violet to not be so dumb, take Jay with you! But I suppose that wouldn't make it as intense & fun to read. Obviously I love the relationship in the book, but I really love the mystery as well. The descriptions of what Violet feels in relation to dead things is so vivid & fascinating to read as is the killer/bad guy thoughts (she is really good at that part & it awesomely creepy!). Although this one was easier to figure out & not as creepy as The Body Finder I still loved it.

Also Sara & Rafe will are interesting new characters & I can't wait to see what happens with them. I am curious as to what "talent" Rafe has. This series totally makes me suspicious of everyone though, lol, I am totally suspicious of Rafe. I highly recommend the series & I am so glad there are going to be at least 2 more! Derting is definitely one of my favorite authors, I can't wait to read more from her!

Violet can sense the echoes of those who have been murdered. She tries to keep this ability a secret, but when the FBI starts snooping her entire way of life is threatened. Normally she would turn to her best friend Jay, but since they started dating she has found it difficult to confide in him. While her ability is no secret from Jay, the FBI and a stalker are. Keeping secrets can be a dangerous business for Violet.

I was so disappointed with this sequel that I probably will not read anymore in the series. In the first book Violet was such a strong, confident character and her relationship with Jay was sweet. She has a strong support network and she uses it. In this book she is a totally different person and I didn’t like her. She is whiny, insecure, and secretive. I also found myself hating Chelsea, Violet’s best friend. This girl is a bully and everyone is ok with that. Blah. Frustrating, disappointing read.

Why did I wait so long to read Desires of the Dead? (I have no idea!) I read The Body Finder earlier this year, and I absolutely loved it. Kimberly Derting has such an amazing way with words. I am totally kicking myself for not reading this sooner!

In the book, we see a lot of the same characters from the first book. The main characters are Violet and Jay, who I always enjoy reading about. We really get to see their relationship grow throughout this book, and I think they are a really great couple together. Jay is as awesome in this book as he was in the last, maybe even a bit more, actually. I found Violet to be a tad bit frustrating. She was constantly putting herself in some really dangerous situations. I wanted to yell at her for it. It wouldn’t be hard to talk to someone, like Jay for instance. She totally didn’t have to be alone. But she felt the pull, and just had to check it out. Silly girl.

The secondary characters are just as I remember them; Vi’s friends were a hoot, and her parents were great. (Although I do wish they had been a bit more involved in what was going on with Vi.) We are also introduced to some interesting new characters; new student Mike and his sister, Megan, and also to FBI agents, Sara and Rafe. Oh Rafe… He’s quite a mysterious character, and left me wanting to know more about his story. I am really hoping that we will see MUCH more of him in the next book.

This writing in this book was fabulous. Ms. Derting has a way of grabbing your attention, and not letting go. I was in suspense throughout the whole book, and I just had to know what was going to happen next! The book was also very well paced. I had it finished in no time!

Overall… This series is amazing! I love the characters, the mystery and suspense, Jay… (ha!) If you haven’t checked this series out yet, you definitely should. I will be impatiently waiting to read The Last Echo!

Happy Reading!

http://www.thereaderbee.com/2011/11/review-desires-of-dead-by-kimberly.html

I loved the first book and couldn't wait for the next book to come out. When I finally got it from the library I immediately began to read it, so glad that I could return to some of my favorite characters. Sadly I was disappointed. I couldn't even finish the book because I just wasn't interested. The relationship between Violet and Jay escalated so fast that I didn't get to enjoy them simply being a couple. I also didn't agree with the way Violet was pushing everyone away, determined to do everything herself. This book simply didn't pull me in the way the first book did, and I might take the time later to try and re-read it but it won't be for awhile.