chez_jae | Entries tagged with series: charley davidson

Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson, #7)

Seventh Grave and No Body by Darynda Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished Seventh Grave and No Body last night. It's the seventh (gasp!) book in Darynda Jones' "Charley Davidson" series. The main character is grim reaper, Charley.

Charley's life is never dull, but this week is exceptionally busy. Twelve hellhounds have been sent to the earthly realm, and their sole purpose is to kill Charley. On top of that, her father is missing in action, her dead ex-BFF is haunting her, she's been asked to assist on a rash of baffling suicides, a teen ghost claims her body is missing from the cemetery, and a local celebrity is stalking Charley's fiance, Reyes. With the hellhounds in the picture, Reyes isn't letting Charley out of his sight, which makes her job as a private investigator difficult. At least Reyes is encouraging Charley to explore and expand her own powers. It's a good thing, too, as she just may need them to save not only her life, but everyone else's.

This may be my favorite of the series. There was a lot going on, which is typical of these books, but things dovetailed together nicely by the end. Charley continues to be her witty, sarcastic self while still being a kick-ass grim reaper. I enjoy her relationships and interactions with other characters, including regulars and those who merely put in an appearance in this book.

Favorite lines:
♦ Reyes seemed to be the campfire that melted her creamy center. She was warm. Really warm. And her warmth was making me warm. Like a lot. I couldn't be 100 percent, but I was pretty sure we were in the midst of a ménage.
♦ There must be a special, less volcanic portion of hell that was partitioned off and set aside for people who weren't all bad, just a little vindictive. They could call it the drama queen ward. It would be a huge hit.
♦ "I contemplated changing my name to It when I was a kid to make playing tag more ironic."
♦ "What would you attempt to do if you knew you couldn't fail?" // "Calculus, prolly."
♦ "I'm not licking you." A line I rarely said aloud.
♦ Holy water may fend off demons, but spiders were completely unfazed by it.
♦ Clearly, the day was going to proceed as usual: hectic and slightly bizarre.
♦ "Fuck," I said. "And now I said fuck. Son of a fucking bitch. I'm going to be the worst mom ever."
♦ "Go talk to her." // "I can't go talk to her. She has a boyfriend." // "Oh, my gawd, you're such a girl. Want me to pass her a note before gym class?"
♦ "Everyone and their dog is mad at me or has been mad at me at some point today."
♦ "Are you off your soapbox yet, because I need to do laundry."
♦ My jaw fell open. "I am so indignant right now."

Love these books! Five stars!

Current Mood: hungry
Current Music: Kraken at Rangers

Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson, #6)

Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones last night. This is the sixth (obviously!) book in the "Charley Davidson" series of urban fantasy lite. Story is in first person pov by the mc, Charlotte "Charley" Davidson--PI and grim reaper.

While Charley contemplates how to respond to a marriage proposal from Reyes Farrow, the son of Satan, she is keeping busy with her PI work. Charley has her hands full when a client claims to have lost his soul in a card game and wants it back, an FBI agent has dumped a cold case on her lap, which turns out to involve Reyes, and a local crime lord threatens to kill her friend if Charley doesn't find out the location of a woman who plans to testify against the crime lord in an upcoming trial. On top of all that, Charley is intent on setting up her Uncle Bob with her BFF, Cookie, since neither of them can seem to make the first move. It's a good thing for Charley that she has coffee to get her through.

This book was a hilarious romp, as the others in the series have been. If I have a complaint, it's that there wasn't one dominant story line so much as a smattering of plotlines, not all of which were resolved by the end of the book. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story and laughed out loud more than once while reading it.

Favorite lines:
♦ "I sold my soul to the devil and I need you to get it back for me." // That was new. I blinked a few times, took a slow sip, then asked, "Did it fetch a good price?"
♦ "What are you doing?" // "What?" // "You're intimidating him." // "I'm standing here." // "Yes, intimidatingly."
♦ Life was good. Until I lost seventeen million dollars in a card game.
♦ "He can be the sweetest thing when he's not killing demons and shit."
♦ "We should grab a bite. Talk about it." // "What about Muffy?" I asked Garrett. // "Who's Muffy?" // "Daniel's Yorkie." // "Well, okay, but only one. I'm not that hungry."
♦ "Oh my god, I will give you a million dollars if you just tell me." // "You don't have a million dollars." // "Fine," I said, patting my pockets. I brought out what I did have: three ones, some spare change, and a watermelon Jolly Rancher. "I'll give you three dollars, fifty-two cents, and a Jolly Rancher." // "I was going to say no, but since you threw in the Jolly Rancher..."
♦ The man beside me spoke. "Would you like to switch?" // "Absolutely, but I don't think you can wear my clothes. You're more of an eight, maybe?" // He was even more uncomfortable. And confused. And he clearly had no sense of humor. "I meant stools. Would you like to switch barstools?"
♦ "You forgot something." He tucked something into my hands. A bra. My bra! What the--? I wiggled my shoulders, testing Danger and Will. Yep, no support whatsoever. // He watched me for a sec, then said, "Want me to put it on for you?" // "Okay, but I doubt it's your size."
♦ "This is Pari. She's a killer tattoo artist and has only been to prison twice."
This line sent me into gales of laughter! I totally want to introduce people like that from now on.

Amazing fun! Five stars.

Current Mood: hot

Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson, #5)

Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm slacking on my book reviews. I finished reading Fifth Grave Past the Light, by Darynda Jones, Tuesday night. This is the fifth part of the author's "Charley Davidson" urban fantasy series, featuring PI and grim reaper Charlotte 'Charley' Davidson.

When the devastatingly sexy son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves into the apartment next to Charley's, he poses a major distraction. Charley has been investigating a series of arsons, and Reyes is her prime suspect. She vows to stay away from him until she figures the case out. In the meantime, she has bigger problems when dead women begin coming to her apartment, one after another, until Charley is overrun. The women all appear similar and seem to have died in a similar fashion, which means there's now a serial killer to look into. A more minor mystery for Charley is wondering why her father's bar, Calamity's, seems to be attracting far more women than ever before. Could it have something to do with the new cook? When Charley has reason to believe that her sister, Gemma, may be the next target of the serial killer, there's only one person whom she can go to--Reyes. However, he's not willing to play protector for Gemma without exacting a price from Charley. Fortunately, Charley is willing to pay.

As with other books in this series, this was so darned funny that I found myself laughing out loud several times. Charley's sarcastic wit is hilarious, and the scrapes she gets herself into are truly worthy of head shakes. Characterizations are wonderful and lively, extending even to temporary, secondary characters. There was plenty of action to keep the pages turning.

Favorite lines:
♦ Our relationship was a lot like underwear in a dryer without a static control sheet. One minute we were floating through life, buoyant and carefree. The next we were attached at the crotch.
♦ It seemed wrong to cut him off prematurely, but I could take only so much heavy breathing before inappropriate thoughts involving whipped cream and a Ping-Pong paddle crept into my mind.
♦ "Who is Dr A. von Holstein? And is he related, by chance, to a race of cows?"
♦ Maybe a few feet off-kilter, but close enough to call them a win in my book. No matter that my book was titled How to Call Even Your Most Dismal Failures a Win and Not Feel Guilty About It.
♦ "I've just been so worried about you, what with the chlamydia you got in high school on top of the herpes. I wanted to make sure you were practicing safe sex."
♦ He quirked a brow. "How would you like your eggs?" // I tried. I really did. But I glanced at his crotch and it came out anyway. "Fertilized?"

I could have quoted the entire book. Too comical! Fast, funny, sexy and hella fun--five stars!

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: "One Thing" ~ One Direction

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson, #4)

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I stayed up past my bedtime last night, but I had to finish reading Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones. It's the fourth installment in the "Charley Davidson" urban fantasy series, with the main character of Charlotte "Charley" Davidson, who is a PI...and a grim reaper.

After the events of the third book, Charley is suffering from PTSD. As a result, she's holed up in her apartment and begun binge shopping via TV programs. It's not until a woman seeks her out, wanting to hire Charley because she's convinced that someone is trying to kill her, that Charley starts to claw her way out of her own doldrums.

Charley now has a case to sink her teeth into, her family are trying to stage an intervention, she's not speaking to her father, the son of Satan is out hunting demons on her behalf, she can't help but think there's something familiar about a group of robbers who've been holding up local banks, an arsonist is setting fires all over Albuquerque, and things are coming to a head faster than she's prepared for. All in a day's work for the Grim Reaper!

Although this story was humorous, like others in the series, the underlying issue of Charley's trauma made it less...lite. She was still capable of snappy lines and comebacks, but things that she dove into without fear previously now gave her pause. Fortunately for Charley, she has a very strong (if unusual!) support system around her.

Favorite lines:
♦ If liars were the main course at a Shriners convention, she'd be a pork chop.
♦ I'd never longed for an invisibility cloak as much as I did at that moment.
♦ Well, that sucked more ass than liposuction.
♦ If you must eat a banana in public, never make eye contact.

Delightfully fun, and I rocked through it in one day. Love these books, highly recommend! Five stars.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: Blackhawks vs Panthers

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, #3)

Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

About ten minutes ago, I finished reading Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones. This is the third installment in her "Charley Davidson" series, featuring PI and grim reaper, Charley.

Charley is suffering from self-inflicted insomnia, because each time she falls asleep, she is visited by Reyes, the preternaturally beautiful son of Satan, whom she bound to his physical body. And, he's pissed. Charley is managing, thanks to copious amounts of caffeine and her grim reaper physiology. When she lands a missing person case, it gives her something to focus on.

Charley is soon chasing down leads, trying to learn what became of the good doctor's wife, but she's becoming more and more convinced that he had something to do with her disappearance. In the meantime, Reyes escapes from prison and carjacks Charley in his bid for freedom. From speaking to him, Charley comes to realize that the man he went to prison for murdering may not be dead. Now, she is chasing down leads to learn what became of him. A visit to Rocket, the ghost of a savant who lingers in an abandoned mental asylum, leads Charley to run afoul of a biker gang, out for revenge on the person who poisoned their dog.

In between interviewing suspects, witnesses, chasing down leads, guzzling coffee, and arguing with her father, Charley must also dodge skiptracer Garrett Swopes, who's been assigned to tail her, in hopes of Charley leading the authorities to Reyes. Who ever said the life of a grim reaper was dull?

The story charged out of the gate, pedal to the metal, and it never once let up. Despite her exhaustion, Charley is at her snarky best, leading everyone on a merry chase as she strives to solve her case, learn more about Reyes' past, dodge Garrett, avert a gang war, and try to calm her father, who has suddenly decided she should retire from the PI business. Characters are marvelous, from Charley herself to the silent little ghost girl who keeps appearing at the oddest times and places. Charley's assistant, Cookie, is the BFF we all need in our lives, and her Uncle Bob is the bastion of support each of us deserves. I wanted to sit down and have lunch with them all!

Favorite lines:
♦ Death comes to those who wait, and to those who don't. So, either way...
♦ Better a dead clown in my apartment than a live one.
♦ The short commute was nice and rarely involved rabid raccoons.
♦ I totally should have gone to Hogwarts when I had the chance.
♦ God, I loved Sammy. I'd considered marrying him, but his wife got upset when I asked for his hand.
♦ "Let me express how much I don't care on a scale of one to bite me."
♦ I hated being tailed. What if I wanted to run naked through a wheat field? Or pick up a male prostitute?
♦ "I'll call if I break a leg or get eaten by a bear." // "Play like a rock." // "Now?" // "No, if a bear starts eating you." // I thought a moment before replying. "Do they have screaming, sobbing rocks, 'cause that's probably what I'll be doing if a bear is gnawing my arm off."

Ah, I could have quoted half the book! Charley is so funny, even when the circumstances aren't. A story most excellent--five star rating!

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Saskatoon Blades at Prince Albert Raiders, WHL playoffs game 2

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, #2)

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In a little over 24 hours, I knocked back Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones. It's the second book in her "Charley Davidson" series, featuring PI and Grim Reaper, Charlotte (Charley) Davidson.

It was difficult to set this book aside, because there was so much going on. There were two main plots and a minor one, all of which kept Charley hopping. When her friend/receptionist, Cookie, drags Charley out of bed in the middle of the night, it's to help Cookie find a missing woman, who is another friend of hers. As people around this woman, Mimi, begin dying, the race is on to find her before she becomes the next victim. While working on that case, Charley is visited by Reyes, the actual Son of Satan, whom she has an unusual relationship with. He reveals that his corporeal body is hidden somewhere, and that he's being tortured by demons who are hellbent on returning him to Hell. Charley is furious that Reyes won't tell her where he is, and he is determined to keep her from finding out. He claims it's a trap, and it's really Charley they're after. As the Grim Reaper, she is the literal portal to Heaven. If demons got hold of her, it would unleash an otherwordly war. Finally, when Charley finds the ghost of a man hiding in Cookie's trunk, she tackles the task of finding out who he is and what happened to him so that she can convince him to cross through her.

While investigating and trying to survive, Charley interacts with characters both old and new, such as her dysfunctional family, skiptracer Garrett, Officer Taft and his ghostly little sister Strawberry, and the ghost of a savant she knows only as Rocket. It's all Charley can do to keep up with her investigations, especially when her apartment is broken into (twice), fake FBI agents contact her in hopes of finding Mimi, some rando tries to kill her to get revenge on her father, and Dead Trunk Guy keeps sharing her shower with her. All in a week's work for the Grim Reaper!

In spite of the dire circumstances that Reyes was in and that Charley kept getting into, the book was laugh out loud funny. Due to her nature, Charley is difficult to kill, so she's able to maintain her sarcastic sense of humor even in life or death situations. I figured out where Reyes' body was before she did, but the resolution of Mimi's case blindsided all of us.

Favorite lines (and there were a lot!):
♦ With a sigh, I realized I was getting way too much exercise. I'd just have to counteract it later with cake.
♦ "Boys are yucky and we should throw rocks at them."
♦ After staring aghast for a solid minute--thank goodness I'd recently practiced aghast in the mirror...
♦ Apparently, this was Scare the Beejesus out of Charley Day. Had I known, I would have ordered a cheese ball.
♦ I hated it when I bled internally. If I was going to bleed, I wanted to see the evidence, revel in the heroics of it all.
♦ Who knew Demon Child would have such a normal name? I expected something exotic like Serena or Destiny or the Evil One That Comes in the Night to Make Us Chilly.
♦ "What? I'm telling you shit." // "No, you already told me that shit, I need new shit, shinier shit. And you're holding out."
♦ Holy cow, talk about screwing the pooch. I screwed the whole litter.
♦ I highly suspected that whoever came up with the concept of poodles in general had sold his soul to the devil. Because, really? Poodles?
♦ Love was not only blind, it often careened into Blithering Idiotsville as well.
♦ For some reason that ranked right up there with Chihuahuas and weapons of mass destruction, I just couldn't let it go.

Yeah, I could have quoted the entire book, Charley is that funny!

Fantastic story, great characters, great action and plotting, and frantic pace. I need to get my hands on the other books in the series. Five stars!

*****

Current Mood: amused
Current Music: the furnace

Tonight, I finished reading First Grave on the Right, which is the first in author Darynda Jones' series about Charley Davidson: PI, smart ass, and grim reaper.

Charley was born a reaper, which means she can see, speak to, and even touch dead people, and it's her job to move them on. Some, however, have unfinished business, and that's where Charley's PI license comes in handy. When three attorneys from the same law firm are murdered on the same night, it's up to Charley to find out who had them killed and why.

In the meantime, Charley has been having wicked hot dreams of a mysterious, nocturnal lover...one who reminds her eerily of a boy she met when she was a teenager. As Charley works the attorneys' case, she's also trying to figure out what became of Reyes. What she uncovers, in both cases, is bigger than anyone could have imagined.

Loved this book! Charley is smart and funny and brave to the point of foolish. In spite of her status as a grim reaper, she doesn't seem to have any special powers, at least none that she knows of. A select few people know about her abilities, although no one knows the whole truth. My only complaint about the story is that, once again, I was treated to the tired trope of a woman who is literally unable to function when confronted by a hot and dreamy hunka hunka burnin' love. Seriously?! If I wanted to read that shit, I would have read 50 Shades of Abusive Relationship. Aside from her inability to function around Reyes, there's also the fact that, when they met as teens, he threatened to rape her. Be still my heart! *shakes head* In spite of this major annoyance, the rest of the narrative made up for it.

Favorite lines:
♦ Death via extreme pleasure was a serious concern. The prospect led to the following dilemma: Do I seek help or buy drinks all around?
♦ He had a wrinkled suit, round-rimmed glasses, and mussed hair that made him look part young-wizard-we-all-know-and-love and part mad scientist.
♦ I went down like a drunken cowgirl trying to line dance to Metallica.
♦ ...I stormed into my apartment...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.
♦ It was hard being such an utter disappointment to the woman who'd raised me, but gosh darn it, I gave it my all.
♦ "Because at this point, my sanity is all that I have. Well, that and a breakfast burrito."

Super funny; I could have quoted the entire thing! I can't wait to read more in the series. Five stars!

*****