Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Desires of the Dead:

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.

Kimberly Derting has created an incredible cast of characters, and every one of them seems to add their own little flare to the story. But for about the first half of this book I felt it was just one continuous make-out session between Violet and Jay (not that I don't like to see a little of that every now and then). But to me, the storyline seemed to be stalled until the second half where it really began to pick up. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that each book in this series ends the conflict within itself, rather than dragging over multiple books and I'm looking forward to seeing where the overall story arc is leading us. Even through conflict, the bond between Violet and Jay cannot be broken, and Violet soon learns that she has to let Jay into her heart completely and trust that it is not her fault, or her gift, that brings harm to those she loves.

Violet and Jay have become nearly inseparable since the events in the previous book, The Body Finder. That is until Violet begins keeping secrets from everyone. Afraid that she will be the cause of someone getting hurt, or worse; killed, because of her she hides everything that is happening to her, like threatening letters, dead cats left in her driveway and a frightening visit from a woman who claims to be a member of the FBI. With the introduction of FBI agent Sara, comes another player in the game; Rafe. There is something dark and brooding about him that makes him hard to figure out, and the secrets he's keeping could help Violet. Sara tries to convince Violet to open up to her after Violet discovers a brutal crime, and is in turn discovered as the person behind the "anonymous tip". Someone is after Violet again; a stalker who is jealous of the love and attention she receives. Violet is drawn into a mystery that involves two of the new students at her school, and a missing person that is close to them. And while she believes she knows where the danger is coming from, she is caught unaware as the threat blindsides her from another direction.