Published May 20, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Format: audiobook, purchased
Genre: adult paranormal romance/urban fantasy
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
Rating: 3.5 STARS
(From Goodreads) 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.
I love the Charley Davidson series. The books are always entertaining, there's one hell of an alpha sex god in them, and, since I always seem to listen to these books in audio format, I can say that the narration is always so perfect. #LoreleiKingRocksMySocks
One of my favorite things in this book is the relationship Charley and Cookie have. They are the bestest friends of any friends I've ever read about. I truly believe they would die for one another if it came down to it. Charley is like a second mom to Cookie's daughter Amber, and that shows in spades in Sixth Grave on the Edge. I love the motherly figure Charley presents when the situation calls for it.
Reyes is just the hottest of all hot males. My favorite moments in Sixth Grave on the Edge were when Charley's life was in danger and Reyes shows up in all his incorporeal, dark sexiness to save her. We got to see the softer side of Reyes in this book. He's trying to get Charley to say yes. He's trying to get her to move in with him. He loves her and loves taking care of her. Reyes was amazing in this book. We saw him "son of Satan" angry, frustrated, tender, worried, snarky, and sweet.
Charley, on the other hand, I take issue with. Seriously - the snark needs toned down a lot. There were some serious things that went down in this book, not least of which is that the man she loves (but has NEVER TOLD HIM SO) has asked her to marry him, and she decides it would be more fun to string him along than to just say yes, which she admits is a foregone conclusion. I don't understand why she has to play games all the time with people she cares about. Cookie and Ubie are another example. She screwed with their lives too, and even when it was clear that neither party would be cool with it, Charley forged ahead anyway.
The snark and silliness is definitely one of the best things about this series. It's also one of the worst. Snark at an appropriate time and in measured doses is perfect and makes an interesting character AMAZING. Constant jokes at inappropriate times reduces the legitimacy of the characters' motivations and is just plain irritating. Charley is blackmailed by a very upset cop who doesn't like her. He spends time setting her up to look like a drug dealer and threatens to fabricate more charges if she won't do what he wants. What does Charley do? Jokes about kiddie porn. Really?? I wanted to scream.
There was a lot going on in Sixth Grave on the Edge. There is the story of Reyes' real family and who they are. There is getting to the bottom of Angel's real story. There's the naked guy in Charley's car. There's the letter that threatens Charley's loved ones if she doesn't find a witness in a federal case. There's Rocket and Garrett and their predictions. There's the introduction of a new character named The Dealer. There is Charley's dad and whatever is going on with him (what ever happened to that story line, anyway??). And, there is the mysterious Mr. Wong and who he really is. Honestly, it was a lot to keep up on, and I did get a little confused at times with which characters went with which story line.
I know it sounds like I'm highly disgruntled. Eh - it's more like, slightly disgruntled. I still love the series and fully intend to keep reading. There were a TON of loose ends left untied, including a major end-of-the-world prophecy, that I can't wait to see get tied up. I just really, really hope that in Seventh Grave and No Body, Charley learns to temper the snark with some seriousness.
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