THE LAST ECHO

Seventeen-year-old Violet returns in the third installment of the Body Finder series, this time working for a secret agency that specializes in using paranormal powers to fight crime.

For the first time since she learned that she is drawn to the locations of murdered dead bodies, Violet feels less of a freak. Although she doesn’t understand all the paranormal abilities of her crime-fighting teammates, she feels as though she fits with them. However, she still loves her normal boyfriend Jay, so she worries about the strong physical response she feels whenever she touches Rafe, a member of the team. Meanwhile, Violet doesn’t know she’s become the target of a terrifying serial killer. As in previous volumes, Violet continues to reject simple safety precautions and hides all her worries from her parents. Her personal irresponsibility does not cause the danger when the killer attacks, however, and she demonstrates maturity and courage, assisted by a few doses of deux ex machina, when she fights back. She finally emerges as a mostly sympathetic heroine, even with the flaws that Derting often highlights. As always, this author writes a gripping tale, although she takes her time getting to the final conflict. Personalities come across quite strongly, as several of the characters tend toward the eccentric.

With another sequel set up, this intriguing series continues to provide great entertainment for suspense fans.