Books with author Kimberly Derting

“Danger, dread, mystery, and romance” (Booklist) continue in the second book of The Pledge trilogy, as Charlie’s reign is under siege from the most unusual of enemies.At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness. Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two. As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.

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 first book in the Body Finder series from Kimberly Derting is equal parts romance and mystery.Sixteen-year-old Violet is hiding two secrets. The first is her confusing new feelings for her childhood best friend Jay. The second is her unusual ability to sense the dead...and the people who killed them. Violet has never considered her morbid ability to be a gift, but when a serial killer begins terrorizing her small town, Violet realizes she may be the only person who can stop him.Ever protective of her, Jay agrees to help Violet, and as they search, Violet realizes she isn’t the only one whose emotions have changed. But as they fall in love, Violet is also getting closer and closer to discovering the killer...and becoming his prey herself. The Body Finder is the compulsive first book in the four-book Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting.

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 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 dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope 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.

In the end, all that's left is an echo. Violet Ambrose always thought of her ability to sense the dead as more of a burden than a gift. Now that she's working with a special investigative team, she hopes she can use it to help people. But her instant connection with her mysterious partner, Rafe, is both confusing and unsettling, and creates tension with her boyfriend, Jay. When she discovers the body of a college student murdered by "the collector," Violet refuses to give up on the case. What Violet doesn't realize is that the serial killer is looking to add to his collection, and she may have caught his eye. Will the life Violet has to save be her own?

Dead Silence is the gripping fourth novel in the Body Finder series. With romance, suspense, and unexpected twists, Dead Silence will keep readers guessing until the very last page.All her life Violet has grappled with her ability to sense the echoes of those who have been murdered and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Now that she has an imprint of her own, Violet's "gift" is intolerable. Torn between her desire to lead a normal life and the pressure from the Center to continue her work tracking down killers, Violet's world starts to unravel . . . and some of her most carefully guarded secrets are exposed.Then she discovers a gruesome murder scene unlike anything she's ever encountered, and she can't rest until she's silenced the echoes for good. As Violet sets out to find a vicious murderer and his band of devoted followers, she realizes that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

A “gripping dystopian fantasy” (Kirkus Reviews) that brims with romance and suspense, from the author of The Body Finder.In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines your class, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. The only reprieve from oppression is within the drug-filled underground club scene. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. As the violent clashes between the totalitarian monarchy and the rebel forces escalate, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible grip of a deadly regime. Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder series, writes powerfully and movingly of a girl with dangerous powers in an unusual and expertly crafted setting.

True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy.Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks. When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom. But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer meets The Fifth Wave in this chilling and explosive new series from author Kimberly Derting. The last thing Kyra Agnew remembers is a flash of bright light. She awakes to discover that five whole years have passed. Everyone in her life has moved on—her parents are divorced, her boyfriend is in college and dating her best friend—but Kyra's still the sixteen-year-old she was when she vanished. She finds herself drawn to Tyler, her boyfriend's kid brother, despite her best efforts to ignore this growing attraction. In order to find out the truth, the two of them decide to retrace her steps from that fateful night. They discover that there are others who have been "taken," just like Kyra. But Kyra is the first person to have been returned past the forty-eight-hour taken mark. With a determined secret government agency after her, Kyra desperately tries to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had . . . but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Dead Silence is the gripping fourth novel in the Body Finder series. With romance, suspense, and unexpected twists, Dead Silence will keep readers guessing until the very last page.All her life Violet has grappled with her ability to sense the echoes of those who have been murdered and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Now that she has an imprint of her own, Violet's "gift" is intolerable. Torn between her desire to lead a normal life and the pressure from the Center to continue her work tracking down killers, Violet's world starts to unravel . . . and some of her most carefully guarded secrets are exposed.Then she discovers a gruesome murder scene unlike anything she's ever encountered, and she can't rest until she's silenced the echoes for good. As Violet sets out to find a vicious murderer and his band of devoted followers, she realizes that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

The second book in the steamy, romantic Body Finder thriller series by Kimberly Derting. Violet and Jay are finally dating, but adjusting to the new relationship is not as easy as Violet anticipated. Especially when she has to split Jay’s time and attention with his new best friend, Mike, and Mike’s pesky younger sister—who happens to be obsessed with Jay.Meanwhile, when Violet’s special abilities lead her to the body of a young boy, her tip to the police puts her on the radar of the FBI. Violet tries to fend off the FBI’s questions while maintaining the semblance of a normal life, but somebody’s leaving her threatening notes and an echo around Mike’s house reinforces that all is not right. Violet is forced to admit that perhaps the only people who can help her figure it out are the very people she’s desperate to avoid—the FBI.Desires of the Dead is the compulsive second book in the four-book Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting.