Violet has a secret that very few people know: she is able to sense the echoes of those who were murdered or had violent deaths. In the past, this helped her bring two serial killers to justice, but it also put her in danger. Her boyfriend and best friend, Jay, has now gotten extremely protective of her. She’s also jealous of how much time Jay is spending with his new friend Mike, and of the crush Mike’s younger sister has on Jay. To complicate things further, Violet’s come to the notice of the FBI and an investigator that seems to know what Violet can do. Violet needs to avoid getting involved with the authorities and work out her issues with Jay, all while trying to find out who is stalking her.

I enjoyed Desires of the Dead just as much as I liked the first in the series, The Body Finder. Both books are low-key murder mysteries that slowly unravel for the reader, but in a good, organic way. Violet’s abilities are really mysterious, and it’s fascinating to see what kinds of stimuli each death evokes in her.

There is a bit of drama between Violet and Jay in this one, but Jay is the perfect (fictional) boyfriend. He’s really caring toward her, and when they do fight, it’s only because he’s such a good guy that he wants to believe the best in everybody. I think readers will really fall for Jay in this book, and root for them as a couple.

New characters are introduced in this book, setting things up for another sequel in the future. A new guy named Rafe has some ability akin to Violet’s, but we’ll have to wait to find out what his deal is.

I found reading this book to be both relaxing and compelling, so I’ll definitely read whatever Ms. Derting comes out with next!