Review: Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, #3) by Darynda Jones
Publisher: Piatkus
Publication date: February 2nd, 2012
Number of pages: 310 pgs
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository | Kindle

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.

Granted she did imprison Reyes for all eternity, but 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 on his plan of seduction..... and revenge?

The third installment to the Charley Davidson series is just as awesome as the previous two. Seriously, there is just nothing not to love. These characters. Hilarious lines and a swoonworthy love interest in the form of the son of Satan. What can get any better than that?

These characters just get better and better. While Charley is trying to not to sleep because she is told she is summoning Reyes, who she has bound his spirit back to his body and he aint too pleased about that. It's like her subconscious wants him there with her, no matter what she thinks in the daytime.
There were some scenes that were downright heartbreaking, there were others that were sexy as well.  This is what you get when dealing with Reyes. He is sex on a stick, man. No way to go around that.

We have other characters that come into play.  Cookie, who is just as great as ever, and then there is Charley's dad. Now, okay. I can understand where he is coming from, and I felt bad for him in time especially toward the end, but I guess it was also his own doing when you think about it. Not wanting your daughter involved with this kind of stuff anymore is hard to explain when you're the one who got her into it in the first place.  I think he is kinda regretting that now.  Ah, men! I hated seeing them fight though, because I love their father/daughter relationship they have going on.

Garrett's story just is too heartbreaking, and there was a little something that happens at the end where he is concerned. I was both concerned and worried he may not come back from this, but thankfully it is not his time yet.
And then we have the Biker gang who happen to own the asylum. They were a crack and a half, and interesting and new interactions we have with our Charley.

The relationship between Charley and Reyes heats again, and he is more present in this book than he was in the previous one. We discover a lot about him that we didn't before. He will make your heart bleed, and make you swoon all at the same time.

Onto the next book it is.

5 Stars

Review: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, #2) by Darynda Jones
Publisher: Piatkus Books
Publication date: January 5th, 2012
Number of pages: 307 pgs
Format: Paperback
Purchase:  Amazon | The Book Depository

"If you hang around with dead people, life can deliver a whole world of trouble."

Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time P.I. and full-time Grim Reaper.The deceased find her very sparkly. Demons find her irresistible. And one entity in particular wants to seduce her in every way possible...

When Charley and Cookie, her best friend slash receptionist, have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally.) has left his corporeal 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? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?

When Charley gets woken up in the middle of the night by her best friend Cookie, to go to a meeting with her friend, Mimi, but it seems she has gone missing. After some much thought, Charley decides to take the case and she soon discovers not everything is as it seems. There is someone after Mimi, and they won't stop until she is dead.
This is a mystery only Charley can solve, and even she will be finding a hard time in doing that. With questionable suspects, disappearances and murders, she might figure that this is something she can't even solve.

Then there is Reyes. Charley's kind-of lover, who is also the son of Satan. Charley has no idea what's going on with him, and when she demands some answers ---  she may not be prepared for the ones she gets. With his enemies trying to use his body to open up the gates to hell, he'll do anything to stop that from happening... even if it means getting rid of his host body, once and for all.
I loved the relationship between these two.  In The First Grave on the Right, I was intrigued by Reyes and loved their little interactions, but with this book, Second Grave on the Left just expanded things so much more. I couldn't get enough. The chemistry between the two of them is burning hot, and got to love they have some history.

Charley is such an awesome character. She is witty, honest, hilarious and loyal to her loved ones. She'll do what is right, or what she thinks is right and will do her damned best to make sure the spirits get peace and help others any way that she can.
The friendship she has with her best friend, Cookie is great. They have some fabulous scenes to the point I couldn't help laughing at some of the things they find themselves in.

I'm so glad I was introduced to this series. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I am proud to say it has sucked me right in.

Bring on the next book.


If you prefer reading via Audiobooks, here is a sample for this book, thanks to the publisher.

 5 Stars.

Review: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1) by Darynda Jones
Publisher: St.Martins Griffin
Publication date: July 5th, 2011
Number of pages: 338 pgs
Format: Mass-Market Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Private investigator Charlotte Davidson was born with three things: looks; a healthy respect for the male anatomy; and the rather odd job title of grim reaper. Since the age of five, she has been helping the departed solve the mysteries of their deaths so they can cross over. Thus, when three lawyers from the same law firm are murdered, they come to her to find their killer.

In the meantime, Charley's dealing with a being more powerful - and definitely sexier - than any spectre she's ever come across before. With the help of a pain-in-the-ass skip tracer, a dead pubescent gangbanger named Angel, and a lifetime supply of sarcasm, Charley sets out to solve the highest profile case of the year and discovers that dodging bullets isn't nearly as dangerous as falling in love

It took me until a few months ago to pick up the first book. A friend of mine kept telling me to read this series, but when I see the word 'Ghosts' and I start to feel disinterested because it's not my favourite aspect to the supernatural world. When she told me that it wasn't ghosts exactly, but the fact the main character is a reaper --- that is the point I thought, Oh well, that is different, so I decided to take the chance and pick up the first book.

In this first novel, Charley is a reaper for ghosts who have died and want to pass on.  She is basically like the light tunnel to which they go through to their ever after. Some stick around though, sometimes because they aren't ready to move on, and sometimes, to maybe bug her, LOL 
In the meantime, Charley has been having hot and sexy dreams of a mystery man, and also she tends to see him in real life from time to time.  She has no idea who he is or why she is seeing him, but why question the sexy man? :P
Work also keeps her pretty busy, especially now when she has more than one case to deal with.  She needs to deal with the fact she has three murdered lawyer ghosts trying to get her to help find their bodies and solve their murders.  Ah, the life of a reaper.  Life is never dull for Charley. Just an everyday occurance.

Charley is a very fabulous heroine.  Not only is she smart, talented and gorgeous... but she also has this awesome wit where you can't help but laugh at some of the things she says, does or events she finds himself in the middle of.  If she wanted easy, she would not be in this job --- not that this was a choice where she could decide yes, or not if she wants this career path. This was chosen for her, but it's not so bad.

The hero for this series, well he is unlike any other male. I have had heard about Reyes from Alpha male contests around the web and also from friends, but until I met him, I had no idea what I was really dealing with.
We see small things regarding him. He is a mystery I can't wait to find out more about. Charley discovers some things about him when she finds out he is the man from her dreams. I loved what I have read about him so far, and I can't wait to dig into the rest of the books to get to know him even more deeply than you do in this first book.

I was surprised at how much I loved this book. It just goes to show that sometimes the best stories are the ones you don't have in your life.

I can't wait to dig into the next book in this new fab series.

Rating: 5/5