THE LAST ECHO by Kimberly Derting

From Goodreads.com:

In the end, all that’s left is an echo.

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. 

When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye...

THE LAST ECHO by Kimberly Derting is the third book in The Body Finder series and they are books you shouldn’t miss. If you haven’t read them please go out and grab some copies because the story is amazing.

Derting is an incredible writer with a firm grasp on character development, setting scenes, and building tension. These qualities are enough of a reason to read her work, but her concepts are also beyond intriguing and unique. 

Violet--the main character in The Body Finder series--has the ability to find the remains of those who’ve been murdered. She does this by sensing “Echos” which can come in all shapes and forms--some come to her as a taste, a smell, or even a sound--and she can’t find peace until these bodies are properly laid to rest. If that wasn’t enough to pique your interest, Violet is also an exceptionally real character. I say real in the sense that she jumps of the page with the true emotions of an adolescent girl going through life with this special talent. 

Violet is complimented by a set of exceptional secondary characters that are so well rounded I would pick up a book written from any of their perspectives. 

Her boyfriend (and long time childhood best friend) Jay is a heart-stealer. And not just Violet’s, but the reader’s. He is witty, handsome, passionate, and always there for Violet. What I truly love about Violet and Jay’s relationship is that it is authentic and fresh. Jay was never a jerk to Violet and she helplessly fell in love with him anyway--as we see so often in YA novels. Instead their relationship has been blossoming since they were kids and has developed into the kind of love everyone searches for. Their make-out scenes are also incredibly pulse-pounding and their quick back and forth banter offers comic relief during tension filled chapters.

Speaking of tension, these books tend to have me biting my nails and staying up late to read the next chapter. Derting expertly weaves in another perspective intermittently throughout her novels. This alternate perspective is through the killer’s eyes. These books always have a killer, but each one is vastly different from the next, and each new voice is incredibly creepy (in a good way) Derting takes readers into their minds and the tension mounts as the killer carries out his grotesque desires and gets closer to our heroine and vice versa. 

I could continue raving about how much I love this series and this author, but I doubt anyone would read on for five more pages--so I’ll end stating this with absolute confidence. 

Each novel Derting writes (she has another book called The Pledge which is a series as well) is filled with brilliant writing, intriguing and fresh concepts, and characters you’ll find yourself missing once you’ve closed the book.