Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson Novel



Sixth Grave on the Edge

By Darynda Jones

Book Blurb:
Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that Reyes Farrow has asked for her hand, Charley Davidson feels it's time to learn more about his past, but Reyes is reluctant to open up. When the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap, Charley decides to go behind her mysterious beau’s back and conduct her own investigation. Because what could go wrong?

Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap—one with dangerous implications. Some very insistent men want Charley to hunt down a witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn't come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear. 

Add to that a desperate man in search of the soul he lost in a card game, a dogged mother determined to find the ghost of her son, and a beautiful, young Deaf boy haunted by his new ability to see the departed as clearly as he sees the living, and Charley has her hands full. The fact that Reyes has caught on to her latest venture only adds fuel to the inferno that he is. Good thing for Charley she's used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.

Darynda Jones and her Charley Davidson series is on a very short list of mine where by I'll pay the huge ebook price for her books. They are so worth it. Never has a female protagonist been so funny yet so smart. The combination makes excellent reading. Thank goodness for authors like Darynda Jones who can write funny scenes without making them forced humour.  If Charley was real, I'd want to be her friend and hang out. 

The Charley Davidson series just gets better and better with each book. These books are not stand alones so you would be lost if you just picked up this sixth novel. Don't do it. Go and get the first book, First Grave on the Right, and then devour each and every chapter one after another.  You will love them. With thousands and thousands of reviews, each book receives super high ratings. Mine is no different with a perfect 5 out of 5. 

I love the slow progression with having Charley understand her abilities. In doing so, the author can plan out better novels as each book brings a new dimension to Charley's character. Charley's boyfriend, Reyes Farrow just gets more delicious with each book as well. 

We are introduced to a new character, "The Dealer" in Sixth Grave on the Edge. I like him. A lot in fact BUT having said that, just like our beloved Reyes, there is so much mystery sounding him that we have yet to determine if he is evil or good. 

The much loved secondary characters all reappear in at least one scene and each one is a scene stealer. Cookie, Charley's best friend, remains as cool as always and is still the number one best fictional BFF in my opinion.

There are a good many questions left unanswered in this installment. Things that I am just dying to understand. Great cliffhanger but not the sort of cliffhanger that is going to leave you restless until the next book is released. 

Teasers: Is Mr Wong, Mr Wong?, wall gone, Ubie and Cookie?, What do the angels say?

Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson 




Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson book 5)

By Darynda Jones

Book Blurb:
Charley Davidson may not look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper, but she has vowed to reap grimness wherever she goes despite this unfortunate fact. Sadly, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. As he is the main suspect in her arson case, she is determined to stay away from him until she can find out the truth. According to her therapist, however, she lacks conviction. 

When dead women start appearing in her apartment - lost, confused and terrified beyond reason - Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes's help, especially when it becomes apparent that her own sister Gemma is the serial killer's next target. With his ability to observe incorporeally, surely he can find out who's responsible. And even if he can't, he is the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return: Charley. All of her - body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she is willing to pay…

It is pretty safe to say that Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series are among my most favourite. I just adore Charley, her bestie Cookie, her uncle Ubie and well just about every other character along the way...dead or alive. 

I was so excited that when book 5 came out. I waited for the perfect time to read it. I read it so quick, devoured it and then went into a bit of a withdrawal knowing I'd have a long wait for book 6 so I just ended up doing a re-read of the entire series...again. 

I went back to book 1 and read straight through the series including another re-read of Fifth Grave Past the Light. Well I'm still pinning for book 6 but I am happy I got a good fill to hold me until then. 

As each book progresses along, we learn right along with Charley what she is capable of and we all fall more in love with Reyes with each book too. Reyes is so in love with Charley that it makes me smile every time there is an interaction between them. We also learn more and more about the Son of Satan too. Still lots of mystery there to under cover. 

Each of the books had a great mystery to solve. I have to admit that when her apartment was full of all the ghost women, it was very creepy and disturbed. Those poor women! 

In Fifth Grave Past the Light we are given a lot more foresight of what is to come courtesy of the newly informed P.I. Garrett Swopes. Her investigator friend, Swopes, sure provided a lot of background too. I actually highlighted this piece because I think it is a great indication. 

"According to his prophecies, you will recruit a warrior, a scholar, a prophet, gatekeeper, a warden, and a couple of other figures"

Well we know that her precious ghost rottweiler, Artemis will more than likely be her warrior since she can kick demon ass and perhaps the newest character, Nic could turn out to be the prophet but as you can see, lots of Charley Davidson goodness to come. Can't wait!

Teasers: Ozzy GPS, Sticky note messages, Royal Daughter of Light, one million dollar bet for double or nothing

 

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson book 4) 

By Darynda Jones

Book Blurb:Sometimes being the grim reaper really is, well, grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple of months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above . . . or at least get dressed. It becomes clear something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. But the more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it.

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved.

Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans in this hilarious fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Darynda Jones. 

The worst thing about Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is that after you finish reading it, you discover that you have to wait until July 2013 for the next book!

The Charley Davidson series is a perfect balance between the constant smiles I have plastered to my face and the seriousness of mystery & suspense. I am just loving this series. 

At the end of the 3rd book, Third Grave Dead Ahead, Charley experienced some pretty horrific torture. What I really liked about the beginning of Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is that the author, Darynda Jones recognized just how horrific those scenes were and didn't gloss over the fact that in two months time, Charley would not be completely healed and she suffers from those ill consequences. It was great continuity to have book 4 start off with Charley still healing from the effects of Third Grave Dead Ahead. Even though Charley was still traumatized she still maintained a great sense of humour and the loyalty of her best friend Cookie and her Uncle Bob was ever present. 

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet also carries over the hurt and betrayed feelings that Charley had toward the sexy enigma Reyes. His character is so hard to nail down and the author Darynda Jones has done an exceptional job at keeping her readers in a confused state. We are all pretty sure Reyes is a good guy and no doubt he is smoking hot but there is always an ever present doubt. He is the Son of Satan after-all. There are just enough dialogue conversations to toss in a possible twist and to raise suspicion. 

Over the course of these four books there is a slow build up to a possible war between the supernaturals. With Reyes being the portal to hell and Charley the portal to heaven, the potential for this clash could be epic. I also love that over the duration of these books, Charley is learning much more about herself, what exactly she is and where she comes from. In all of this new information, Charley is also learning about what her abilities are. We the readers, get to learn right along side of her. 

Teasers: Royal Charley, major Dad tension, therapeutic Reyes, uncovered abilities

Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson book 3) 

By Darynda Jones

Book Blurb:Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she's drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hell-bent on murder when the devil's son just won't give up?

Once again another fabulous story. In fact, I read and devoured Third Grave Dead Ahead so fast that when I have finished Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, I am going to go back and re-read it. 

Throughout Third Grave Dead Ahead our beloved grim reaper, Charley is severely sleep deprived and on a permanent caffeine high. Every time she goes to sleep, Reyes mystically comes to her in his incorporeal body and erotic emotions take over both of their sensibilities. Normally all would be sexy, hot and wonderful except that their pairing is not making love but rather angry sex. They are mad at each other for many chapters of the story. As the supernatural Reyes is back in prison, his corporeal self won't even allow her to visit. The situation is both frustrating for all three of us...Reyes, Charley and ME the reader. We all want justice for Reyes!

Charley takes on another case and is looking for a missing married woman. She seems to be working for both the guilt ridden husband and the woman's distraught siblings. The pieces to that mysterious puzzle are strategically plotted together and if all mystery stories were written in Darynda Jones' style, I'd enjoy mysteries way more than I do. I found I was not so focused on what happened to the missing woman and rather just enjoyed the fabulous novel as all of the juicy story all unraveled. 

Of course, Charley is also working on a case for Reyes too. She is out to find Reyes' human sadistic, beast of a father (and that is being kind). He is apparently alive and well which means that Reyes has been imprisoned wrongly all these past 10 years for his supposed murder. The problem with Charley looking for his father is that she stirs up suspicion and places herself in grave danger. 

Third Grave Dead Ahead is chalk full of adventure, mystery and the story this time around stirred up some pretty intense emotions. I found myself being firmly planted as a part of Charley's team. When she was furious at her father, Reyes or any other of the characters, I was furious right along side with her. Simply outstanding. I know that I will re-read this series many times. 

Teasers: a character is shot, Charley learns a bit more about the power she posses, a new guardian, new biker gang friends

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson




Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson book 2)

By Darynda Jones

Book Blurb:When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?

Love love love! This Charley Davidson series has sky-rocked to the one of my favourite series. Love love love. Did I mention that I loved it?

You know when you get a book and you devour it. Like a bomb could go off and you'd not lift your eyes from your iPad to notice. Second Grave on the Left was just like that. I was so wrapped up in reading that when I finally did look up, I realized that (1) the book was done (2) I was really hungry (3) oh wow, it was dark out. 

There is so much content in Second Grave on the Left. Family dynamics, mystery, murder, mayhem, destruction, laughter, friendship, a bit of romance, suspense, seriously the list could go on. There are stories upon storylines yet they are all extremely well plotted out that they don't overlap each other or compete for the reader's attention. 

What makes this series so good (credit to the author, Darynda Jones) is the character she created, Charley Davidson. She is smart but not a genius. She is funny and witty but not ridiculous. She is sexy but completely unaware. She is perfect but with her flaws. Simply put, I adore her. 

Charley's Uncle Ubie describes her perfectly, "You stir up more hornets' nests than a twelve year-old boy with a baseball bat. You're like Lois Lane on crack." So really, with a description like that, how can we not love her? 

The only thing I want to gripe about is the cost of the ebooks. In some cases, the retail price is almost $4 more than the paperback. For someone like me who no longer purchases paper books, it is so annoying. Of course not the author's fault, I just want to vent when I can. 

And oh boy, Second Grave on the Left ends with the reader hanging. Not a major cliffhanger but hanging just the same. Off to read the next book!

Teasers: high school secrets, demons, portals, more abilities revealed

New to Me Author - Darynda Jones, Audio Review First Grave on the Right

Keeping up with my New Years Resolution, my "New to Me" author for February is Darynda Jones. 

Charley Davidson

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson book 1)

by Darynda Jones

Book Blurb:Part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper Charley sees dead people. That's right, she sees dead people. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light". But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice.

Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life... and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

I had won the audio book, First Grave on the Right via a blog hop from an awesome audio book reviewer site, Hot Listens and I was saving it for a long car ride or a flight to listen to it. Turns out that while walking fast on a treadmill, the bouncing up and down was making it hard to read a book so I thought that this workout time would be perfect for audio books. Problem was, I got so sucked into First Grave on the Right that I couldn't wait in between workouts just to hear it. So as much as I wanted to savour the audio book, I couldn't. Guess I'll just have to find a more boring book to listen to while working out. *grins*

I am so hooked. I want to ignore the stack of already purchased books and go straight to a store and immediately buy the rest of this series.  The premise of the story is unique and the main character, Charley is as witty and alluring as they come. Chick lit at its best. I found myself laughing out loud and wanting the narrator to talk faster so could absorb the story at record pace. I thoroughly enjoyed First Grave on the Right. 

Charley is P.I. but that seems to just be her cover. With secret intel being shared to her from the recently deceased, she works with her detective uncle to help solve their murders. Charley is a Grim Reaper but it is not the cliched Grim we are all familiar with. You see, Charley's Grim plays for the good guy and she helps souls crossed into the light. She's had her gift her entire life and she can even remember the day she was born. 

First Grave on the Right had it all. Mystery, suspense, awesome characters, intriguing plot and oh yes, there was a bit of romance. I say a bit because I can tell you that the readers are just given a bare taste of what is to come in that regard. His name is Reyes and I say fasten your seat belts ladies because we are going on a wild ride. 

Teasers: Danger Will Robinson, dreams that will make you want to go to bed early every night, Angel sidekick, Dutch