Rereading Agatha Christie and Kimberly Derting

This post isn't going to be long (in theory. I just want to touch base on rereads). 

As you know over the past few months, I have talked openly about wanting to reread and discover some old fave authors and books (and maybe read some books from authors I have read in the past but not read). As a book blogger and someone who seems to be always adding new books on my To Be Read shelves and yet, am quite slow a reader at the same time, rereads are usually out of the question. Not always, sometimes you just want to reread something. And this year, with everything that has happened, rereading some books that are close to your heart or call to you are totally in order and, at times, desperately needed. 

And so, the past few weeks (since before my post of Future Rereads... Maybe...), I knew I wanted to reread Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder. It's been calling to me for quite a while and, in the end, I broke and went "Sod it!". 

This 2010 publication follows Violet Ambrose who has three problems in her life at the moment. The first is she has started to develop feelings for her best friend, Jay, and is unsure what to do with them. Second is her gift to sense the dead. Well, the dead that met a violet and murderous end. She sees/hears/senses the dead's echoes and the imprint that attaches to their killers. And third... a serial killer is on the loose and killing young, pretty girls in her small town... 

As you know, I love a good murder mystery/thriller and, due to COVID-19, the romance aspect appeals to me hugely of late (if you've seen the books I have requested from publishers or that I have bought the past few months, romance [straight or queer] have gone up hugely and this worries me). And when I read this back in 2010, I ADORED this book and devoured the series (the rest of the series is good and I enjoyed hugely but this first book can be read as a standalone). So, did going back make me like the book more or did me being ten years old change my opinion on it? 

No, not really. It was like coming back to an old friend. I had a wonderful time reading this as, while I knew the twists of the killer storyline (I did figure them out the first time I read this, truth be told), it was the romance between Violet and Jay that pulled me in this time. Funny how time changes us as readers. But I had a wonderful time rereading Body Finder. I have no plans to reread the rest of the series, as this was all I needed. 

Which leads me to Agatha Christie... Ok, now, backstory. I am 95% certain I read or audiobook Death Comes As The End in my late teens, but I can't remember anything about it. But, since the BBC announced that they were going to adapt it, I have been curious to reread/reaudiobook this and refresh my memory and, hopefully, this will give me the kick to read some Agatha Christies I have on my TBR (I had a few...)

Set in Ancient Egypt, a family is thrown into turmoil when head of the house, Imhotep, brings a beautiful concubine home from one business trip. His sons, their wives and his daughter are shocked and, while his sons and their wives are furious and plan to remove her from the house, the daughter tries (and fails) to befriend the beautiful concubine, Nofret. So when her body is found at the bottom of a cliff, no one really mourns her... but then more people start dying... is there a serial killer in the family and, if so, who? 

I make this sound more dramatic than it was. I remember really liking this in my teens but now... I just found it slow, boring and frustrating as, for a good chunk of the book, no-one was worrying about someone killing them off! And this book is such a product of the times, but I keep flinching at some of the terms characters use as they are racist and then, the writing felt odd and clunky. Not a normal Christie like I have read in the past. 

But, like I said earlier, we change as readers and I wondered if it was because I have been binging a lot of Christie over the course of the year as, after audiobooking Death Comes As The End, I audiobooked some Christies I've never read before: the Miss Marple novel At Bertham's Hotel, the Poirot short story The Mystery of the Spanish Chest and another short story Accident. I didn't like At Bertham's Hotel and I prefer the both short stories a little more, but I think I have Christie myself out. I have two novels on my kindle to read - Crooked House and The Pale Horse (I have low expectations with Pale Horse but high hopes for Crooked House) - and the rest I removed. 

But there's nothing wrong with rereading books and I have a few plans in mind over the next few months so you might see some more rereads on the blog or on Goodreads (goodreads.com/pewterwolf if you want to friend/follow me!) in future. Sorry/not sorry in advance! 

GoodRead - Dead Silence

As you guys are probably aware if you have followed the blog in the past few months/years, I am a bit of a fan of the Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting. So, when the lovely Sam from Headline asked if there were people who wanted a copy and another blogger pal of mine (who is a fan of the series) Leanne from Daisy Chain Book Reviews popped me out and I was very kindly offered a copy of the fourth and possibly final book in the Body Finder series, Dead Silence.

Violet has a morbid gift. She can see echoes. It could be a smell, a sound, a sight. But she see them. And these echoes stay on the victim... and the murderer. But after the horrifying events of the previous book, The Last Echo (review here), Violet now has her own imprint. And she's forced/blackmailed to stay within the special investigative team, when all she wants is to ignore the horrors and lead a normal life with her boyfriend, Jay.

Expect, she stumbles onto a horrible murder scene. A family slaughtered, a daughter missing and a disturbing calling card from the murderer. Against her wishes, she's pulled into an investigation and soon, without even realising it, someone's life goes on the line. Someone very close to Violet. The question is: will they survive?

Now, after the shocking and tense The Last Echo, you expect Kimberly to shock us to our core with scenes of horror. And, actually, she doesn't. Kimberly turns the book series on its head. While we still have creepy factor and those chapters told from the killer's point of view (Kimberly writes these chapters still and she knows how to write her baddies!), Kimberly made this book the most personal to Violet. Violet is recovering from her ordeal of the Girlfriend Collector so she see her coping. And we see her discovering and reading her grandmother's journal who also had Violet's gift.

And this just works. We needed this. If Kimberly did another serial killer, I bet we would go "She's doing this AGAIN!" but this doesn't get that reaction. I read it and, while I wanted to know what happened to the family, I got caught up with Violet rediscovering her grandmother. That was what hooked me in this book. The personal journey Violet went on. From victim to someone who was going to rush into danger to save a life. That's the Violet we know and love!

Now, in the last review, I talked about the lack of Jay and the overuse of Rafe (I know some of you guys are Rafe shippers *eyes Emma from Book Angel Booktopia*). But Kimberly wrote a nice balance of both characters so she pleased all the Jay and Rafe fans. And yes, we have kissing. And a shirt-related scene with one of those characters (which is funny because last year, when Kimberly was in the UK [I can't find if I blogged it or not], she joked that she had written that scene then read a review on Goodreads, DEMANDING a shirtless Jay... but does this reviewer get her wish? That is the question...)

But yes, I really enjoyed this book and I really enjoyed this series. Now, seeing as I'm not sure if this is the last book in the series (is it? I kinda want one more. Please Kimberly!), this means I can tackle Kimberly's other series, The Pledge, and with news that she going to be writing a new series, The Taking (read her news here). But... yeah, I love this series and I want one more book. Please, Kimberly. Just one more...

Book 4 of The Body Finder is called...

As you guys know, I am a HUGE fan of Kimberly Derting's Body Finder series. So, would you believe it that Kimberly has revealed the title to the fourth book in the series. It is:

  DEAD SILENCE

What do you guys thinks? I love it! It's creepy and dark and instantly reminded me of the second title in the series, Desires of the Dead. 

Also, she has seen the US cover to the book and she describled it on her blog as "it’s my favorite of the series. By far!  So fitting for this book—I can’t wait to share it with all of you!"

So, guys, what do you think the title hints to...? 

GoodRead - The Last Echo

As you guys probably know, I am a bit of a fan of Kimberly Derting's Body Finder series. So, after some begging on Twitter, the lovely Sam from Headline was very kind to send me a copy of this book (and another book which I should be reading soon, if I can make time...).

In this, the third book in the series, Violet is now part of a secret special investigative team - the Centre - and uses her morbid gift to sense dead bodies and their killers. But when she and her team start investigating a new serial killer - the Collector (or the Girlfriend Collector, depending on what you prefer...) - Violet is determined to catch this guy. But, without knowing it, she might be next...

Now, I love the series and I do feel that this is one of the best written novels in the series, and has one of the scariest killers in YA fiction that I have read in a while. One of the chapters told from the killer's point of view, I found extremely dark and extremely creepy. For a crime fan like myself, I love that Kimberly is unflinching with the profile of this dark and twisted character.

But, at the same time, it isn't my fave of the series so far. There is two real reasons that I feel that I have this problem. The first is the set-up itself. In the last book, Desires of the Dead, when Violet made the decision to join the team, I thought it was a smart move for the story to take. But, in The Last Echo, I found it took me longer to get to grips with the book because Violet was in a different situation and we had a new cast of characters to get use to. And, sometimes, it felt a bit overwhelming and, because of this, it took the first 100 pages to get my head round before it all "clicked" into place.

The second reason why the book wasn't my fave was because of the lack of Jay and the sudden increase of Rafe. One of the reasons why I fell in love with the series and the mix of the dark crime with the light relief of Violet's relationship with Jay. In Last Echo, we hardly see Jay so we hardly saw any time to spend in Violet and Jay's company. There was very little light relief in this book.

Because we spent so little time with Jay, we spent a lot of time with Rafe. I'm not sure if Kimberly is planning to do a love triangle with Rafe but, if so, DON'T DO IT, KIMBERLY! In different situations, I would find Rafe a complex character, on the edge of being an anti-hero at times. But with the whole "maybe love triangle" hanging over him and Violet, I found it hard to like him.

With all the negative points I have pointed out, I still feel that the Body Finder series is one of the best crime-based series in the YA genre at the moment and I will be waiting on baited breath for book four in the series (yes, there will be a book four. The epilogue left us in no doubt about that!)

Cover Reveal of The Pledge Book 2!

Earlier today, Kimberly Derting (author of the awesome Body Finder series) revealed the title and the cover for the second book in The Pledge trilogy.



This is the US cover (I state this as the UK publishers of The Pledge, Allison & Busby, have a different cover design) and it's red! I like this alot and I can't wait to actually read The Pledge (I lent it to the PIW. I hope he's liking it...)

What are your reactions?

The Pledge UK & US Covers

As you guys know, I love Kimberly Derting. I simply love the Body Finder series and I know I have got several people into this series! So, when I discovered that Kimberly had written a dystopian novel, The Pledge, I got very excited, but could find no information on if this book was coming to the UK.

Recently, the UK cover has been revealed (the UK publisher is Allison & Busby, the UK home for the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine) and I thought I would do a compare of the UK & the US covers!

This is the US cover:


And this is the UK cover:


I love both of them. I have a copy of the US (I didn't know till a few weeks ago that we were going to get this in the UK and am going to read soon!) and I love the gothicness of the US cover. However, I love how the UK cover is white. It feels rare to see a white book cover!

But what do you guys think? Do you prefer the dark US cover or the white UK cover?

Pretty Cover Alert

As you guys know, I love Lisa McMann and I ADORE Kimberly Derting. And yes, I discovered that both authors revealed the covers (and in Kimberly's case, the title of the third Body Finder novel) for their novels, DEAD TO YOU & THE LAST ECHO!

Now, I am very excited. So, let me show you the lush covers and the blurb for them. Ready?


DEAD TO YOU: Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...
Blurb Taken from Goodreads


THE LAST 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....
Blurb Taken from Kimberly Derting's Website

What do you guys think? I LOVE BOTH OF THEM! I can't wait to get my hands on these! Now, I know that Headline are the UK publishers of Kimberly Derting's novels so they SHOULD publish THE LAST ECHO & her stand-alone novel THE PLEDGE *fingers crossed*. As for DEAD TO YOU, I LOVE this cover so will have to get the US edition.

But what do you think?

An Interview With Kimberly Derting!!!

Now, yesterday, you saw me go all "OMG!" over Desires of the Dead. Today, I got an email from Headline, with answers from questions I (cheekily) sent them, asking if Kimberly Derting would answer them. She did. AAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!

Kimberly, thank you for answering some of my questions. First of all, I wanted to know where the idea of Body Finder came from?
My. Husband’s. Favorite. Question. Ever! So, we were driving along one day, when he threw out this random idea: “What if there was this kid who could find dead bodies?” Of course, in his head it was a middle-grade boy adventure series because all of his ideas are about middle-grade boys. So after changing the main character to a teenage girl, and coming up with the “echoes” that would lead her to the dead bodies idea, I also decided she needed to have a love interest…that was when Jay was born!

Where did Violet's ability to sense echoes come from?
All Violet knows is that her grandmother had the same ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints on their killers. It’s possible that she may delve into where her ability came from in future books, so I probably shouldn’t say too much about it now. Honestly, though, I really haven’t decided yet.

Most people who have read The Body Finder talk about Violet and Jay's relationship. Did you base it on your own experiences or did the relationship come organically from writing Violet and Jay?
Jay actually came out of nowhere. When I was writing TBF, he kind of snuck up on me. I wasn’t planning on having the romance (or him) play such a huge role in the book. But once I started writing his character, I just couldn’t keep him off the pages. And I may have fallen in love…just a little!

In The Body Finder, you had chapters told from a serial killer's point of view. Something that is rarely seen or tackled in YA fiction. Did you ever feel that this might have been too dark to tackle?
At first I really did. I thought my editor was going to make me dial back that POV during editing, but she surprised me when she asked for more. I couldn’t have been happier! I know, I know, that makes me sound creepy... but I loved writing the killer’s POV!

In Desires of the Dead, you brought the FBI in and with them, brings the threat that Violet's ability will be discovered. Was that an easy decision to make?
I really wanted the FBI element in DotD to put some pressure on Violet. I think it forced her to make some tough decisions about whether she should share her secret or not, and how she might be able to use her ability in the future. For Violet, it was a very tough decision. For me, it was pretty easy!

Unlike most YA books, Violet's parents and uncle are very much in the forefront of both the Body Finder and Desires of the Dead. Was that a conscious decision?
I definitely though Violet should have the kind of family support I would want if I had her ability. It wasn’t until after I wrote TBF, that I realized just how unusual that is in YA books.

I love reading about Violet's friends (the first chapter from Desires of the Dead made me laugh out loud). Are they as much to write as they are to read?
Other than Vi and Jay, Chelsea is probably my favorite character to write! Maybe it’s because she’s the most like I was in high school... although I couldn’t have spiked a volleyball to save my life!

I want to ask some questions about writing. When did you get the writing bug?
I’ve had it since the 7th grade. Of course back then, I had big dreams of being a jet-setting journalist. When I was older, and realized what being a real journalist entailed, I realized that writing books from the safety of my home would be a little less... dangerous.

Most people (myself included) want to know about how you got your literary agent and your publishing deal? Was it quite an easy journey or was it quite hard going?
Both, really. I started writing (and even had an agent) when I was in my early 20s (in other words, many years ago!) for a full-on horror novel I’d written. I picked up A LOT of rejection letters for that one!

The good news: It never reached publication. It was terrible.

The bad news: It was another 15 years until I wrote The Body Finder, which landed me my first-choice agent (who I met at a writing conference) and sold within weeks of being on submission.

So, yeah…sort of a long, torturous journey, with my fair share of rejections!

How long did it take you to write The Body Finder from the original idea?
It took me about 6 months from beginning until I was pitching it to my agent.

What is your typical day of writing?
I have an office (complete with lock), but I still end up doing a lot of my writing in the kitchen where all the action/chaos is. Apparently I have the uncanny ability to tune everyone out when I need to. Not always a good thing when the kids are telling me they’re starving!

Random question: Did you write The Body Finder and Desires of the Dead in long-hand or straight onto the computer?
On the computer. Honestly, I can’t imagine writing an entire book long-hand!

While you were writing both books, you must have written scenes that you, sadly, edited or completely cut it? How did you decide what stayed in and what “little darlings” you cut out?
There are always scenes that have to be cut for the sake of pacing. And yes, sometimes those are scenes that I love. When this happens, I add them to my secret file, telling myself that I can always use them some other time (in another book). I almost never use them, but for some reason it makes me feel better to think I might.

Was there a scene you loved writing but you had to edit out?
Actually, there was one scene in particular that I went back and forth on whether to cut in Desires of the Dead. I loved the scene, but only because it was a great interaction between Violet and Jay, the scene itself wasn’t pivotal and didn’t lend anything to the story. Ultimately, I cut it. BUT…I just figured out a way to use it in book three! Not only does it fit perfectly, but it IS pivotal, so it will definitely not be cut this time.

What do you feel when you see people reading The Body Finder & Desires Of The Dead and their reactions on blogs/facebook/twitter? Does it feel surreal?
TOTALLY! But as much as I love reading their reactions (well, the positive ones, at least!), I also feel a little like I’m spying on them. Still, it doesn’t stop me from peeking :)

I read on your blog that you are writing two more books in the Body Finder series (yeah!). Do you feel any pressure from the fans to make these two books live up to their (and your) exceptions?
Of course I do. I think all writers, especially those writing series books, feel pressure to keep their readers happy. And I don’t want the storylines to get stale or just be a repeat of the previous books, so there’s that to contend with as well. I want to see Violet keep growing and having creep-tastic new adventures!

I also read that you are writing a stand-alone novel called “The Pledge”. What can you tell us about this?
The Pledge is the little love child I created while I was waiting for The Body Finder to hit the shelves. It’s set in a war-torn world where classes are separated by the languages they speak, and it’s illegal for one class to even know—or acknowledge—the language of another. But the main character, Charlie, has a secret: she understands them all. And she may be the key to saving her world.

It’s dark and romantic and action-packed…and I can’t wait to share it with everyone!

*

Quick note to say thank you to Kimberly for answering these questions (I think I love you more after reading your answers!) and thanks for Sam at Headline for getting these questions to Kimberly (you rock!)!

Now go get a copy Kimberly's books! Now! Quickly!

GoodRead - Desires Of The Dead

Not sure where to start this review of Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting (apart from thanking Sam at Headline for taking pity on me and sending me a copy – you rock!), so I might as well start with a tiny overview of it.

Violet has the morbid ability to sense echoes of those who have been murdered and with that, a matching echo that clings to their killer. Alone a few people know about this, but all that could be threatened when she discovers a body of a child, bringing her into the attention of an FBI agent, Sara Priest.

As she tries to keep her secret safe, Violet finds herself the centre of a scary obsession. Is she being stalked? In times like this, she would normally turn to Jay, her best friend, expect they no longer best friends but they're dating, meaning that the rules have changed. And with Jay spending more time with his new friend, Mike, Violet begins to dig into Mike's family history. What she doesn't realise is that, in doing so, she might have started a chain of events that could put everyone in danger...

Now, I love the Body Finder! You guys know I do! I loved it so much, I made several people read it. So when I, somehow, got Desires of the Dead from Twitter, one person practically ordered me to read it so he could read it straight after me! (Gave it to him last night so he was pleased.)

So, my reactions to Desires of the Dead? I LOVED IT!

It felt like a worthy sequel. It was dark and creepy enough, yet it still felt romantic enough to hold your attention. There were several moments where I read the book and went “No! Don't go there!” and there were others I (and maybe several other bloggers) swooned over Violet and Jay's fragile relationship (that's what it says on the back cover of the UK edition). I think, at one point, I was reading the book and went “If Kimberly is doing what I think she's doing to these characters, I might never forgive her.” (I have forgiven you, Kimberly. Promise.)

But I think I love Kimberly's writing. I'm not sure why, with this book, I sped through it. Am not sure if it was because of her writing or what she puts her characters through, but I loved it. I loved spending time with Violet and Jay and am very happy that she has been asked to write two more books for this series.

I can't wait for more from Kimberly Derting. My other request is that she writes faster!

*

Now, for the trailer for the book (with a tiny video of Kimberly chatting about Desires of the Dead) and for the music soundtrack I had while reading this book...









(and just because I love the title [sounds like an echo, no...?])

Kimberly Derting News!

As you guy know, I kinda love Kimberly Derting. If you don't know her, she is the author of The Body Finder and its sequel, Desires Of The Dead, which I am currently reading at the moment (so good!). So, it didn't escape my notice when she wrote on her blog that she has been asked to write two more books in the Body Finder series, nor did it escape my notice when she reported that she has written a dystopic-fantasy novel called THE PLEDGE. And, on her blog, she teased us about it with the following...

Words are the most dangerous weapon of all.

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

Doesn't it sound great?! I love it! If you want to read a tiny teaser of The Pledge, click here to go to Kimberly's blog. I tweeted Kimberly (@KimberlyDerting) about the book and asked if she knew if her UK publisher, Headline, will publish this in the UK. She doesn't know at the moment, but I really hope this does come UK-bound (with Headline or another UK publisher)! And I hope it comes with the same cover as the US, which is below!

GoodRead - The Body Finder

I finished this book a few days ago and decided that I would take a day or two before I would attempt to write a review for this book. So, let's start, shall we?

Violet Ambrose is your typical teenage girl. Expect she has problems. First, with her best friend, Jay. She started to habour a crush on him. A HUGE crush on him. But she doesn't want to ruin her friendship with him...

Second, she has a morbid secret. She has the ability to sense dead bodies. For most of her life, she has see/hear/taste “echoes” on murdered creatures and she can sense the same echo of the murderer. Mostly her pet cat and dead birds and dead mice.

Expect, now, there's a serial killer on the loose. Praying on young girls and, for once, Violet thinks she can use her morbid gift to tackle down and stop the killer.

But she has to be careful. Because, if she isn't, she could be next on the serial killer's list...

Okay, I LOVE this book! Seriously, I love it! And am ashamed that I had this book for the last few months (imported it from the States in month of May/June), but I had a huge book pile to read. Then I went through a phase of not reading anything. So, after picking books up and putting them down, I decided to attack The Body Finder. And I fell in love with its dark and twistyness.


What I found so interesting about the book is the idea of tackling the issue of serial killers. I don't think any YA books have ever touched on this. Plus, having chapters (which I always saw as interludes), told for the serial killer's point of view, I found quite chilling and had me on the edge of my seat/bed.

But the love story element... awww! Am saying nothing, though. Don't want to spoil it for anyone.

I love this book (am beginning to go “read it” to my friends) and I hunger for the next book in the series, Desires of the Dead. Believe me, if the scary serial killer storyline doesn't grab you, the romantic will!

PS – The Body Finder is out in the UK next month (November) and Desires of the Dead is out in March of next year (for both the US and the UK - YEAH!!!!)

PPS – have you seen the covers?! SO PRETTY!!!

PPS – I have added two interview videos so you can hear what the author has to say. ENJOY!





Argh! I don't have a song for this book, which I usually do! *manically goes through my iPod for a cool song* Okay, I chose two songs and am leaving it up to you which song is this book's theme song.

GoodRead - Book Cover Excitement (The Body Finder)

Hello again.

So, another book cover blog. This time, I am about to show you the cover to The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. Now, I'm not going to tell you much on this one because the book is coming out in the UK next month, but I can tell you a tagline and a book trailer (at the bottom of the blog!).

Here's the tagline:-

A Girl with a Morbid Ability...
A Serial Killer on the Loose...
And The Boy Who Would Never Let Anything Happen to Her.

Anyway, here is the cover:



I LOVE this cover. I just love it. (Oh, it's not a flower, BTW. Get your head round that!) So much so, am going to show you the cover to the sequel, Desires of the Dead.



Now, the details. The Body Finder will be out in the UK next month &, if you live in the US, is out now. The sequel - Desires of the Dead - will be out in the USA in March 2011. No date for the UK release. :(

And now, the book trailer for the Body Finder.