The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Title: Here	Loved it	Graded
Author: Kimberly Derting
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen
Elements: Thriller, mystery
Series: Book 1 of The Body Finder series

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

Violet was a compelling narrator, bringing us through her growing friendship with Jay as well as trying to keep her powers hidden. Her compassionate nature was evident in the way she tried not to offend her uncle, who had killed in the name of duty.

Jay complemented her so well. He was patient and cautious when she was not. He was such a good person. Reading about him making the moves on Violet made me laugh; she hoped for it yet was in denial about it.

The murder mystery is my favourite part of the book. TBD is a thriller with supernatural aspects that's perfect for curling up in bed and reading. I'll have my blankets to curl up under during the scary scenes. Derting crafts some truly memorable tension-filled scenes that are both scary and entices me to find out more. She was willing to raise the stakes and put Violet in physical danger, and there were some moments when I believed that Violet was not going to make it out alive.

The pacing was just nice, moving slow enough at the start as we got to know Violet and the other characters, then building up to the suspenseful climax.

Check this out if you're looking for something to thrill you with not just the mystery, but a romance which makes you root wholeheartedly for the characters. Wholly recommended.