Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2) by Darynda Jones

My review of First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1)

If you haven't read the first in the series then you may not want to continue reading

because there will be spoilers.

Summary:

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 that 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?

My Thoughts:

I know what you last summer in high school! Mimi’s part of the story screamed cover up! But it was fun following the story and trying to figure out whodunit as well as watch Charley in all of her sleuthing and shenanigans.

And Reyes…what to say about Reyes. He is like the ultimate man. He is such a trooper, taking the torture that’s being dished out to him all while protecting Charley and everyone really. I did have a niggling at the back of my mind that I knew where he was and I ended up being right but I didn’t know for sure.

Aaaand now it’s time for a nitpick…

One of the big things that stuck out to me was the amount of things that were rehashed from the first book in the series. I probably would have really appreciated the reminders had I read the books as they were released. But (yes there’s a but) being that I just read the first one a month before this one, everything was still fresh in my mind and that potentially helpful rehashing got to be distracting and it slowed down the progress of the story.

Aside from that, I have to say that I do still love the characters and I look forward to seeing more of them.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Darynda Jones' website

Second Grave on the Left on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones

Goodreads Summary:

A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: 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.

My Thoughts:

I had heard a lot of positive things about First Grave on the Right so I was thrilled when I won a copy from St. Martin’s Press.

I started reading it on a Tuesday and, like a dummy, I forgot it at home when I went to work the next day. DOH! I was really hooked in the story so I did like any book addicted, borderline book hoarder would do…I made a special trip to a local bookstore to buy copy of it just so I could keep reading.

It’s such a good book with some great characters! I loved reading about Charley, Ubie, Cookie, Garrett, and Reyes. I’m all for smart assery and snark so Charley was by far my favorite character. She’s definitely not afraid to kick a ghost when they’re down….literally…although it’s not as bad as it sounds, haha.

I definitely recommend picking this up if you’re looking for a book with ghosts (etc.), action, mystery, and some sizzle.

Overall rating: 5 out of 5

First Grave on the Right on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

Darynda Jones' Website