REVIEW: Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson #6)

Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson #6), by Darynda Jones
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.
 

REVIEW: Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson #5)

Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson #5), by Darynda Jones
Published July 9, 2013
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Format: hardback, borrowed from the library
Genre:  urban fantasy
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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…

I knew when Fifth Grave Past the Light opened with Cookie nearly blowing Charley's head off in the middle of her father's bar (which is always crawling with cops) that this book was going to be explosive with a capital E. Without a doubt, this was the best book in the Charley Davidson series yet. 

Charley needs to figure out why 27 blond female departed have set up camp in her apartment. It's made things kind of cramped. And Reyes has that nice spacious apartment down the hall. Whatever is a grim reaper to do? Meanwhile, Charley's been hired by a woman who thinks her husband is cheating on her. Oh - and there's still an arsonist at large, and the suspect looks largely like the love of her life. Just another day in the life of Charley Davidson. 

You know, one of my earlier gripes about this series was that Charley didn't know when to dial down the snark. She still is snarky - no doubt about it. Her one-liners absolutely crack me up. 

“I'm sorry to have to tell you this way, but your mother and I are separating." When I pressed my mouth together, he corrected, "Stepmother. We're just - We're going in different directions."

"I don't know what to say, Dad. 'Hurray' just seems wrong.” 

But, I realized in Fifth Grave Past the Light that in each book, despite the silliness that almost constantly erupts from Charley's mouth, she always shows a dedication to the departed. Usually, it's one or two or three at a time. It was fun watching her try and deal with 27. But, despite everything else going on in her life, she doesn't give up trying to find out what happened to those poor women. I love seeing that dedication in her.

Reyes. Oh my sweet goodness gracious. THIS was his book. Reyes is awesome in his current state. He is human - he has a job an apartment, a car (a really HOT car). Yet, he still can work his Son of Satan mojo when Charley needs him to. We see him get all dark and stormy right off the bat in the first chapter - gosh I love to see him when he's like that.

But, the difference between the Reyes of books 1 - 4 and the Reyes of book 5 are his words. Namely, that he speaks more than a dozen of them. Of course, I'm exaggerating just a bit. But, Reyes has never been the kind of guy to stick around and talk it out before. It appears he's ready to fight for the woman he loves now, because he's changed.

“What do you want?"

"You," he said, his voice lowering an octave. "I want you, Dutch, body and soul. I want you in my bed every night. I want you there when I wake up in the morning. I want your clothes strung across my apartment and your scent on my skin.”

I've been waiting for this Reyes for a long time, and Darynda Jones definitely made it worth the wait. Reyes and Charley are actually becoming endearing and adorable together. And those are not two words I thought I'd ever use to describe their relationship. And, can we please talk about that ending? I mean, I won't, because I don't want to give anything away. But, seriously - those last two words took my breath away. 

This entire series is entertaining. But, this book was just off the charts amazing. 

REVIEW: Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson #4)

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson #4), by Darynda Jones
Published October 30, 2012
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Format: hardback, borrowed from the library
Genre:  adult paranormal, urban fantasy
To Buy:  Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Welcome to the world of grim reaper extraordinaire, Charley Davidson. Try as she might, there’s no avoiding her destiny.

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.

Man, oh man. Just when I thought Charley couldn't get any better, she did. She's become such a well-rounded character, and I love, love, LOVE to see her struggling with something and showing some serious vulnerability. It just endears her to me even more.

After the events of Third Grave Dead Ahead, Charley is really struggling, although she tries to laugh and joke her way out of having to admit it. She's been tortured, literally, within an inch of her life. She's been royally screwed over by two people who supposedly love her. And it's all become finally too much for her. 

Despite all that, the amazing crime mystery that we all have come to expect in the Charley Davidson books is present. While Charley works her way through a case (well, actually, several cases at once, as per usual), she slowly starts to work her stuff out. Her way of using her grim reaper abilities to catch the bad guys helps her to start to get a grip on what her new reality is, and it's therapeutic for her. 

It was nice seeing Reyes in a different role for a change too. He's still broody and mysterious and grumpy, but in Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, he also shows compassion, hurt, and maybe a teensy bit of love. He seems truly dedicated to helping Charley get over her trauma, too, even though he was partly responsible for it. Perhaps that's part of the reason why. 

One of my absolute favorite parts of these books is Darynda Jones' ability to create amazingly jaw dropping M. Night Shyamalan-esque Holy-Crap-I-Didn't-See-That-One-Coming endings. And, Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is the craziest one yet. I didn't see it coming, which is the best. I LOVE being surprised. 

Although Charley's and Reyes' relationship is still not where I would prefer it to be, it does seem to be progressing... somewhere. Where, I don't know yet. But, it does seem to be going forward-ish. They're just such an untraditional couple. I don't know if we'll ever see "I love you"s and snuggles and cuddles from those two. But, they do start to make steps to get past the roadblocks that have plagued their relationship thus far, and I'll take that much for now. 

The Charley Davidson series really does have it all - humor, intrigue, drama, twists. And tons of awesome t-shirt slogans.

REVIEW: Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3), by Darynda Jones
Published January 31, 2012
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Format: audiobook, borrowed from the library
Genre:  urban fantasy
To Buy:  Amazon  * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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?

You know how some series start out totally awesome, and each book progressively seems to lose its edge a little more? They become a little less compelling, a little less interesting, a little less awesome with each installment.

Yeah. This is NOT that series.

I have to admit. At the close of the second Charley Davidson book, I was waffling. Although I absolutely LOVE the crime mystery aspect and the grim reaper thing is pretty cool, to be honest, the excessive use of snark was starting to cross the line from cute and endearing into silly and ridiculous. And the thing with Reyes was moving sooooooo slooooooooow.

But... BUT... Third Grave Dead Ahead came at me and whacked me up along side the head. Charley still had a mega mystery to solve and Reyes to deal with and body parts to name, yet it also seems like Charley's maturing a little, dare I say? I still found myself laughing, yet, amazingly, in parts I found myself crying too. Crazy, right?

Third Grave Dead Ahead was exactly what this series needed. It introduced a few new characters in the form of Artemis, Donovan, Eric and Michael. It injected some life into Charley's and Reyes' relationship (or, anti-relationship? I haven't decided. It's definitely non-traditional.). And it gave Charley some seriously HUGE reasons to get serious.

The mysteries were really good ones, as usual. Charley's looking for a missing woman and a potentially missing man. In typical Charley fashion, she takes tons of unnecessary risks and goes to extraordinary extremes to get what she wants. She loves her BFF Cookie and her family fiercely and continues her love affair with her coffee machine. This book wasn't so different that it wasn't unrecognizable. 

This was the best book of the series so far. And it makes me so excited to keep reading and see what happens next. 

REVIEW: First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1)

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1), by Darynda Jones
Published February 1, 2011
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Format: audiobook - borrowed from the library
Genre:  Urban Fantasy, Adult Paranormal Romance
To Buy:  Amazon  * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Rating:  4 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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.

Even though First Grave on the Right has been out for more than two years, it seems that just recently, I've been hearing more and more people talk about it and post reviews about it. And, all the reviews that I've heard have been glowing. Not wanting to be the last kid picked for the kickball team, I had to get to this book to see what all the hubbub was about. 

And, now I know. First Grave on the Right. was fun with a capital F. And Darynda Jones is a literary maven with a capital M. Okay, and L. How is it possible that I spent at least half the span of this book laughing my ass off? I mean, it's about serious topics like human trafficking, domestic violence and child abuse. Don't get me wrong - Jones doesn't treat these as laughing matters. Not at all. But, let's face it - these are pretty heavy subjects. The hilarity just lightens the load. 

“Maybe I needed sensitivity training. I once signed up for an anger management class, but the instructor pissed me off.” 

Charley Davidson is the grim reaper. Unlike in most books, she is totally alive, doesn't wear a cloak, doesn't wield a wicked scythe, and doesn't come to collect souls when a person's number is up. She's actually a private investigator who is extra good at what she does because she can see and talk to and touch dead people. After the wrong has been righted, they pass on to Heaven, and they do it through her. What a fresh and inventive take on the whole grim reaper bit!

“You called me at four thirty-four....I hate four thirty-four. I think four thirty-four should be banned and replaced with something more reasonable, like, say, nine twelve.”

Charley's only weakness appears to be an enigma named Reyes Farrow, a man who she met ten years ago and now chooses to ravish her only in her dreams. Although in front of every other person - alive or dead - on the planet, Charley has a smart ass comeback always ready to fire of at a moment's notice. In Reyes' presence, though, she's a blathering idiot. It's kind of hot, actually. And, that's the perfect way to describe Farrow. That dude is sex on a stick. And completely and utterly mysterious. You don't find out exactly what his deal is until the end, and I was totally in the dark until the big reveal. I loved that.

“Just in case, though, I stormed into my apartment, tossed a quick hello to Mr. Wong, then rummaged through my entertainment center to lay out all my exorcism equipment. I kept it in my entertainment center because exorcisms were nothing if not entertaining.” 

Charley's relationships with her quirky neighbor Cookie, her crusty uncle Uncle Bob (UBie for short) and her dubious cop friend Garrett Swopes are the icing on the cake. Although, at times I found Charley to be leaning toward unnecessarily bitchy than snarky, especially toward Swopes, her interactions with these characters were endearing and funny.

The mystery was good (albeit a bit convoluted), and I liked how it switched back and forth between the main mystery and the Reyes mystery. It wasn't too much of any one thing. And, although the main mystery was solved, the Reyes mystery is just beginning, and that alone keeps me wanting more. I certainly hope he and Charley get things straightened out. Because they are definitely made for each other.