53) Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

The Blurb :

Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

My Thoughts :

Lately I haven't been in the reading mood. I have no idea why but lack of time and energy have been big factors in my reluctance to sit down and read. If I can't get in a good couple of hours then I don't want to get into the story only to have to put it down again within twenty minutes. However audio books are not a huge problem but they take longer to get finished. That brought me to Dead Silence. A series I have been following since it began and the newest installment came along just as I needed something new to listen to.

I will say up front that this new addition to the series was not my favourite so far. However there were a few bits of information and a couple of twists that made the series just that little bit more interesting and captivating. They are also what kept me listening while the plot slowly developed very undramatically. Yes there was some good content and it there was a certain amount of curiosity as to where the story would go and what would happen but in the end it was obvious what would happen.

As a concept this series gets some top marks from me. A girl who can find bodies and hear/smell their echoes and match them to the killers is really fascinating. I like how Violet has managed to find a way to use her 'gift' and it is nice to see her get used to the responsibility that goes with it. Despite that I am finding her friends and family a bit too much to handle. On one side you have a set of parents who don't seem to get involved very much and play blind to what their daughter is always up to and on the otherside you have a bunch of friends who are either in the dark or very much aware of what is going on. Then there is the amount of school Violet misses and doesn't seem to be punished for.

Despite my nit-picking (which could go on and on but I will spare you) I still like the idea and hope that as Violet grows up that things will stabilise. Actually I think this is the kind of series that would make a good TV show or film. Maybe just a little bit more grown up and less teenage "does he really care" woes involved.

A good series and a nice narrator made this audio well worth listening to. I look forward to the next in this series, if there is one, and hope that next time around all the characters do a bit of growing up. Maybe the author could even skip a year or two and move things along.