Charley Davidson series #bookreview #favourites

With the final book in the Charley Davidson (private investigator and Grim Reaper extraordinaire) series being released last month. I decided it was time to catch up with some old friends and find out what was happening with the fate of the world.

I am currently away to start book 9 (of 13) when the mood strikes, but I thought it would be fun to do a mini review of book 1, one of my all time favourite reads.

BOOK BLURB – First grave on the right by Darynda Jones

This whole grim reaper thing should have come with a manual.
Or a diagram of some kind.
A flow chart would have been nice. Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. 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 (like 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. But what does he want with Charley? And why can’t she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

—————

“You rented the apartment with a dead guy in the corner?” I shrugged. “I wanted the apartment, and I figured I could cover him up with a bookcase or something. “

If you haven’t yet discovered Charley Davidson and the wonderful witty, snarky and fun writing of Darynda Jones let me suggest you rush to your nearest book shop and fix that problem now.

First grave on the right by Darynda Jones is jam packed with one liners, wise cracks and some all-around bad but not really bad attitude. Charley is anything but Grim, oh wait… 

“That took balls.”

“Please,” I said with a snort, “that took ovaries. Of which I have two.”

As much as I loved First Grave on the Right I can admit (grudgingly) that it wasn’t perfect, at times I thought Charley’s personality was a bit too like a caricature, too sarcastic and in your face ALL the time. It would have been nice to see her take more breaks from being feisty and stubborn to show us her softer, more likeable side that you discover as the series moves on. 

It is also not just Charley Davidson I fell in love with, Darynda Jones has created a complex world populated with lots of wonderful characters. It’s the small details that make the book stand out and for me and it does stand out. I love Cookie, Garret and Reyes. Reyes is definitely an Alpha male to remember.

First grave on the right by Darynda Jones is one of best adult urban fantasy series that I have read. If you haven’t read it then I highly recommend it. It is definitely worth a read and then a re-read. 

Sexy. Addictive. And fun.

I can’t wait to jump back in and find out how it all ends in Summoned to thirteenth grave. Now I just need to make more time for reading!

I purchased my copy of The first grave by Darynda Jones and all other books in the series.