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Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson Book 2) by [Darynda Jones]

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Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Darynda Jones (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

1,758 ratings

Book 2 of 13: Charley Davidson

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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Second in the Darynda Jones' award-winning paranormal series that's "hilarious and heartfelt, sexy and surprising." (J.R. Ward)
When Charley Davidson and Cookie (her best friend/receptionist) have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. A friend of Cookie's named Mimi disappeared five days earlier. This friend then sends Cookie a cryptic message telling them to meet her at a nearby coffee shop. The coffee is brewing, but Mimi's still missing. There is, however, a clue left on the bathroom wall: a woman's name, scribbled by Mimi. Mimi's husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been 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? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?
Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the summer: Second Grave On The Left.

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321 pages
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English
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St. Martin's Press
Publication date

August 16, 2011
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Jones skillfully keeps the normal and the paranormal plots from getting muddled – the listener is always amused but never confused. Lorelei King's narration is ideal for all the characters. Highly recommended for public library collections.” ―Library Journal, starred review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Winner of the 2009 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance for her manuscript First Grave On The Right, DARYNDA JONES can't remember a time when she wasn't putting pen to paper. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, aka the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

LORELEI KING has recorded over 200 audiobooks, including several titles from Janet Evanovich's bestselling Stephanie Plum series and Darynda Jones's Charley Davidson series. Her many awards include the 2008 Audie Award for Female Solo Narration for Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas, the Radio Times performer of the Year for The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, and AudioFile Earphones Awards for Eleven on Top and Twelve Sharp, both by Janet Evanovich. AudioFile also deemed her one of the "Best Voices of 2008."

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Jones perfectly balances humour and suspense in her tight second paranormal thriller... will leave readers eager for the next instalment Publishers Weekly --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Back Cover

If you hang around with dead people, life can deliver a whole world of trouble.

Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time P.I. and full-time Grim Reaper. The deceased find her very sparkly. Demons find her irresistible. And one entity in particular wants to seduce her in every way possible…

"Darynda Jones perfectly balances humor and suspense in [this] paranormal thriller." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

When Charley and Cookie, her best friend slash receptionist, have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally.) has left his corporeal 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.

"This is an amazing book and a fantastic series! Similar to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series only ten times better!" ―Night Owl Reviews

Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

GRIM REAPERS ARE TO DIE FOR.
—T-SHIRT OFTEN SEEN ON CHARLOTTE JEAN DAVIDSON, GRIM REAPER EXTRAORDINAIRE

“Charley, hurry, wake up.”
Fingers with pointy nails bit into my shoulders, doing their darnedest to vanquish the fog of sleep I’d been marinating in. They shook me hard enough to cause a small earthquake in Oklahoma. Since I lived in New Mexico, this was a problem.
Judging by the quality and pitch of the intruder’s voice, I was fairly certain the person accosting me was my best friend, Cookie. I let an annoyed sigh slip through my lips, resigning myself to the fact that my life was a series of interruptions and demands. Mostly demands. Probably because I was the only grim reaper this side of Mars, the only portal to the other side the departed could cross through. At least, those who hadn’t crossed right after they died and were stuck on Earth. Which was a freaking lot. Having been born the grim reaper, I couldn’t remember a time when dead people weren’t knocking on my door—metaphorically, as dead people rarely knocked—asking for my assistance with some unfinished business. It amazed me how many of the dearly departed forgot to turn off the stove.
For the most part, those who cross through me simply feel they’ve been on Earth long enough. Enter the reaper. Aka, moi. The departed can see me from anywhere in the world and can cross to the other side through me. I’ve been told I’m like a beacon as bright as a thousand suns, which would suck for a departed with a martini hangover.
I’m Charlotte Davidson: private investigator, police consultant, all-around badass. Or I could’ve been a badass, had I stuck with those lessons in mixed martial arts. I was only in that class to learn how to kill people with paper. And—oh, yes—let us not forget grim reaper. Admittedly, being the reaper wasn’t all bad. I had a handful of friends I’d kill for—some alive, some not so much—a family of which I was quite grateful some were alive, some not so much, and an in with one of the most powerful beings in the universe, Reyes Alexander Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan.
Thus, as the grim reaper, I understood dead people. Their sense of timing pretty much sucked. Not a problem. But this being woken up in the middle of the night by a living, breathing being who had her nails sharpened regularly at World of Knives was just wrong.
I slapped at the hands like a boy in a girl fight, then continued to slap air when my intruder rushed away to invade my closet. Apparently, in high school, Cookie had been voted Person Most Likely to Die Any Second Now. Despite an overwhelming desire to scowl at her, I couldn’t quite muster the courage to pry open my eyes. Harsh light filtered through my lids anyway. I had such a serious wattage issue.
“Charley…”
Then again, maybe I’d died. Maybe I’d bit it and was floating haplessly toward the light like in the movies.
“… I’m not kidding.…”
I didn’t feel particularly floaty, but experience had taught me never to underestimate the inconvenience of death’s timing.
“… for real, get up.”
I ground my teeth together and used all my energy to anchor myself to Earth. Mustn’t … go into … the light.
“Are you even listening to me?”
Cookie’s voice was muffled now as she rummaged through my personal effects. She was so lucky my killer instincts hadn’t kicked in and pummeled her ass to the ground. Left her a bruised and broken woman. Groaning in agony. Twitching occasionally.
“Charley, for heaven’s sake!”
Darkness suddenly enveloped me as an article of clothing smacked me in the face. Which was completely uncalled for. “For heaven’s sake back,” I said in a groggy voice, wrestling the growing pile of clothes off my head. “What are you doing?”
“Getting you dressed.”
“I’m already as dressed as I want to be at—” I glanced at the digits glowing atop my nightstand. “—two o’clock in the freaking morning. Seriously?”
“Seriously.” She threw something else. Her aim being what it was, the lamp on my nightstand went flying. The lampshade landed at my feet. “Put that on.”
“The lampshade?”
But she was gone. It was weird. She rushed out the door, leaving an eerie silence in her wake. The kind that makes one’s lids grow heavy, one’s breathing rhythmic, deep, and steady.
“Charley!”
I jumped out of my skin at the sound of Cookie’s screeching and, having flailed, almost fell out of bed. Man, she had a set of lungs. She’d yelled from her apartment across the hall.
“You’re going to wake the dead!” I yelled back. I didn’t deal well with the dead at two in the morning. Who did?
“I’m going to do more than that if you don’t get your ass out of bed.”
For a best-friend-slash-neighbor-slash-dirt-cheap-receptionist, Cookie was getting pushy. We’d both moved into our respective apartments across the hall from each other three years ago. I was fresh out of the Peace Corps, and she was fresh out of divorce court with one kid in tow. We were like those people who meet and just seem to know each other. When I opened my PI business, she offered to answer the phone until I could find someone more permanent, and the rest is history. She’s been my slave ever since.
I examined the articles of clothing strewn across my bedroom and lifted a couple in doubt. “Bunny slippers and a leather miniskirt?” I called out to her. “Together? Like an ensemble?”
She stormed back into the room, hands on hips, her cropped black hair sticking every direction but down, and then she glared at me, the same glare my stepmother used to give me when I gave her the Nazi salute. That woman was so touchy about her resemblance to Hitler.
I sighed in annoyance. “Are we going to one of those kinky parties where everyone dresses like stuffed animals? ’Cause those people freak me out.”
She spotted a pair of sweats and hurled them at me along with a T-shirt that proclaimed GRIM REAPERS ARE TO DIE FOR. Then she rushed back out again.
“Is that a negatory?” I asked no one in particular.
Throwing back my Bugs Bunny comforter with a dramatic flair, I swung out of bed and struggled to get my feet into the sweats—as humans are wont to do when dressing at two o’clock in the morning—before donning one of those lacey push-up bras I’d grown fond of. My girls deserved all the support I could give them.
I realized Cookie had come back as I was shimmying into the bra and glanced up at her in question.
“Are your double-Ds secure?” she asked as she shook out the T-shirt and crammed it over my head. Then she shoved a jacket I hadn’t worn since high school into my hands, scooped up a pair of house slippers, and dragged me out of the room by my arm.
Cookie was a lot like orange juice on white pants. She could be either grating or funny, depending on who was wearing the white pants. I hopped into the bunny slippers as she dragged me down the stairs and struggled into the jacket as she pushed me out the entryway. My protests of “Wait,” “Ouch,” and “Pinkie toe!” did little good. She just barely eased her grip when I asked, “Are you wearing razor blades on your fingertips?”
The crisp, black night enveloped us as we hurried to her car. It had been a week since we’d solved one of the highest-profile cases ever to hit Albuquerque—the murder of three lawyers in connection to a human trafficking ring—and I had been quite enjoying the calm after the storm. Apparently, that was all about to end.
Trying hard to find her erratic behavior humorous, I tolerated Cookie’s manhandling until—for reasons I had yet to acquire—she tried to stuff me into the trunk of her Taurus. Two problems surfaced right off the bat: First, my hair caught in the locking mechanisms. Second, there was a departed guy already there, his ghostly image monochrome in the low light. I considered telling Cookie she had a dead guy in her trunk but thought better of it. Her behavior was erratic enough without throwing a dead stowaway into the mix. Thank goodness she couldn’t see dead people. But no way was I climbing into the trunk with him.
“Stop,” I said, holding up a hand in surrender while I fished long strands of chestnut hair out of the trunk latch with the other one. “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”
She screeched to a halt, metaphorically, and leveled a puzzled expression on me. It was funny.
I had yet to be a mother, but I would have thought it difficult to forget something it took thirty-seven hours of excruciating pain to push out from between my legs. I decided to give her a hint. “She starts with an A and ends with an mmm-ber.”
Cookie blinked and thought for a moment.
I tried again. “Um, the fruit of your loins?”
“Oh, Amber’s with her dad. Get in the trunk.”
I smoothed my abused hair and scanned the interior of the trunk. The dead guy looked as though he’d been homeless when he was alive. He lay huddled in an embryonic position, not paying attention to either of us as we stood over him. Which was odd, since I was supposed to be bright and sparkly. Light of a thousand suns and all. My presence, at the very least, should have elicited a nod of acknowledgment. But he was giving me nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. I sucked at the whole grim reaper thing. I totally needed a scythe.
“This is not going to work,” I said as I tried to figure out where one bought farming equipment. ... --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004TLHNOC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press; Reprint edition (August 16, 2011)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 16, 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2654 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #92,748 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,096 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #3,366 in Romantic Fantasy (Books)
- #5,016 in Paranormal & Urban Fantasy (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
1,758 ratings

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Darynda Jones

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NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier, and her books have been translated into 17 languages. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, certain they went away the better for it. She penned the international bestselling Charley Davidson series and is currently working on several beloved projects, most notably the Sunshine Vicram Mystery Series with St. Martin's Press and the Betwixt and Between Series of paranormal women's fiction. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Click here to read one of the more popular short stories by Darynda called The Monster:

https://theneverneath.com/2018/02/02/the-monster-part-1/

She can be found at http://www.daryndajones.com

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4.7 out of 5

1,758 global ratings

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So creative!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 30, 2022

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What makes this series so awesome sauce, why you will love it:

- Reyes
- Always so creative and clever.
- Unexpected plot twists.
- Crazy and exciting.
- More Reyes
- Every character has a bit of an attitude and a big personality.
- They are all too cool.
- Charlie is so brazen.
- Very entertaining story.
- It gives all the feels. Even some sad ones but the story is well balanced.
- And of course, more Reyes.

What is not to love?!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 13, 2023

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Very similar to Charlane Harris & Janet Evanovich style of writing

Funny, with quirky characters
Loved all the quotes at the beginning of each chapter

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Revelations and Danger

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 19, 2022

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*****Spoilers*****

Charley is back and still searching for Reyes while taking on a missing persons case, both of which she's successful in accomplishing. Things don't move in a straight line but it's easy to get immersed in the story as it moves along. It turns out, Reyes was where I figured he'd be and that was in her building, the basement was where his corporeal body was located. Despite Reyes telling Charley to leave him and let him die, she didn't give up and not only found him but prevented his incorporeal self from killing his own corporeal body. Which leaves the question of why Reyes didn't just do it in the first place. Head scratcher that. Following her rescue, she binds Reyes so his corporeal and incorporeal selves are one and he's no longer able to travel like he had been. This also means that he won't be popping up randomly to save her life but I'm not sure what it means if she tries to summon him. Perhaps she'll solve the murder of his Earthly father that landed Reyes in jail in the first place and get him out. That would probably be a good thing because in showing her hand, Charley put herself on Satan's radar and since Satan is the father Reyes grew up with in Hell and has been looking for the key to heaven to conquer it, Charley is kind of on her own. She tries to go to the jail to see Reyes but he denied her application so who knows if she'll try again or if she'll be able to speak with him for help but I'm sure future books will see it played out.

There's Mistress Marigold to consider as well who may be of assistance. Charley contacted her after coming across a blurb on a webpage for the grim reaper to contact Mistress Marigold. Charley does eventually after having a couple of decoys send a communication. Somehow the mistress knew they weren't the real grim reaper. There was lots of interesting stuff, most of what I was interested in reading though was at or toward the end of the book which made me impatient a time or two as I read through the other stuff Charley was involved in and looking into for her PI work. Charley is threatened, beat up, and almost killed a few times but still kind of just throws herself into danger. It doesn't seem prudent on her part to do so for one thing, especially since I don't think she knows how to fight and can't handle weapons well. Charley does learn a bit more about her powers so there's that, especially since she releases her light and burns through the demons that had been torturing Reyes' body in the basement.

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RoloPoloBookBlog

Second Grave on the Left

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 29, 2014

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Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones
Book #2: Charley Davidson Series
Source: Purchase
Rating: 4/5 stars

Charley Davidson’s life is never, ever simple or stress-free or safe. As a private investigator Charley expects a certain degree of crappiness but when she goes looking for Cookie’s friend Mimi, the degree of crappiness seems to rise exponentially. In the span of no more than two weeks, Charley is stabbed and/or cut multiple times, super glued back together multiple times, shot at, and, concussed multiple times. At least there is never a dull moment in her world :)

Cookie’s friend Mimi is the last person on Earth who would simply abandon her family and go on the run but that is exactly what she has done and no one seems to know why, not even Mimi’s husband or parents. The only thing anyone seems to be sure about is that Mimi had a damn good reason for leaving behind everything she holds dear and the only clue she left is a random name and set of numbers on a bathroom door in a local diner. Sure, Charley should be able to figure that out, right? As the digging in begins in earnest, Charley and Cookie quickly figure out that Mimi’s disappearance is nothing short of a hot mess that began more than twenty years ago with the disappearance of a young girl.

And so the hunt begins. Mimi’s disappearance quickly becomes a total goatf**k with dead bodies piling up all around and an evil puppet master pulling a lot of strings simultaneously. Those strings are attached to a lot of people who all seem to have gone to school together and to have been involved in or know about what happened twenty years ago to the young girl who went missing. Clearly, Mimi is terrified and if Charley and Cookie can’t put all the piece of the puzzle together, Mimi is sure to meet the same fate as her classmates. Oh, did I mention the puppet master has enough pull and cash to have hired some seriously ugly assassins? Yeah, this story has assassins too! One other little tidbit, as this particular story progress, Charley’s Grim Reaper powers seem to be progressing as well and man, oh, man can she do some cool stuff!

In the meantime, Reyes’ delectable corporeal body is still missing and not only are the authorities looking for him but so are Charley and a whole host of demons (literally!) ready to claim Reyes and make their way to this plane en masse. Still able to separate from his corporeal body, Reyes continues to appear to Charley and warns her that finding his corporeal body and saving it would be a serious violation of his wishes and is certainly something she should not pursue. Seriously? He has met her, right?? One would think the Son of Satan who has lived for thousands of years would have heard the phrase “dog with a bone” at least once in his many lifetimes.  As you should expect by now, in addition to looking for Mimi, Charley is also looking for Reyes and is hell bent on saving his body. What she doesn’t expect is who she will get help from in this pursuit and what lengths she will have to go to protect the man(ish) she so clearly loves.

The Bottom Line: Charley Davidson is my hero!! Even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds she never fails to fight for all she is worth and does everything within her power to help her clients. To Charley, nearly every life is precious and if she can help someone in need, she will do so even if it requires super gluing her back together. But aside from all the mushy stuff, I love Charley’s sense of humor and extreme sarcasm. Even though the situations she is in are serious and often dire, Charley never loses her smart mouth and that sure makes the read all the more enjoyable. As with book one, I liked the plot and the twists and turns of this read but am truly more enamored with the characters. Jones writes a solid, full-bodied (and sometimes incorporeal!) character that is easy to get attached to. Her plots aren’t so dense that you get lost and the dialogue and interaction between all of the characters is generally light and easy to follow. In all, Second Grave on the Left is an enjoyable read that certainly does not suffer from the dreaded sophomore slump.

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Top reviews from other countries

atn

read them all - epic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 2, 2019

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Well I downloaded this one month ago and it was so good I read all 12 books to date in one month. They were epic! without giving any spoilers away, let me just say, this series was refreshingly different. A grim reaper who is funny, empathetic and has a gorgeous sexy counterpart. Both main characters and main sub characters progress throughout the series to the point that I felt I knew these people. I miss them - waiting on the final book to be released in a couple of weeks - and then I'll be despondent without them. Each book progressed not only the characters but the story without too much repetition - just the right amount that it kept new readers in the loop and didn't bore the pants of serial readers. It was laugh out loud funny in places -you don't get much of that in books - and I really empathised and felt in tune with Charley. It had it all - romance, naughty bits (just the right amount), suspense, complex storyline, and storyline progression throughout the series. These books would make an excellent transition to TV or film. A good director and producer could make these great on this medium. They are also well written. Written from Charley's POV, you get the inside view of what it's like to be Charley and you get her reactions to her circumstances, relationships both normal and paranormal and how she feels about what she does. You love Reyes as much as she does, what's not to love? And the suspense is a page turner. A series not to be missed and one to ensure you put aside time to enjoy.

Rowena Hoseason

Sassy paranormal investigations

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 29, 2015

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This is the second in the ‘grave’ series, featuring PI and not-so-grim reaper Charley and her sizeable sidekick, Cookie. It’s a far-from-serious, occasionally spicy (but nothing X-rated) gumshoe story with a side dish of supernatural sprinkles. Set in the USA roundabout now, the story revolves around an ongoing plot with Charley’s lifetime protector and would-be beau, who happens to be the son of Satan and possibly the herald of the apocalypse.

The romantic arc plays second fiddle to the ostensible investigation involving a missing old friend and a bunch of suicides, accidents and maybe-murders which are almost certainly suspicious. Here the story mixes Charley’s ability to see and speak with the dead and – as they pass through her en route to the other side – to experience their lives and memories secondhand, along with time-honoured private investigator stuff.
It’s all quickly-paced, rapid reading, with the witty one liners and snappy banter rattling off every page. The main plot, regarding the fallen angel Rey’aziel and his unfeasibly hot body, barely progresses while every other thread scampers along, but that’s the core to the series so you can’t expect to many revelations all at once. We do learn a lot more about Reyes’ origins and, in turn, Charley’s personal mysteries, but there are plenty of threads left dangling for future episodes.
There’s a lot to enjoy in this easy-going adventure and none of it requires too much reader input, nor is it particularly gruelling or gritty. Think Stephanie Plum with a spookynatural twist and you’ll be on the right wavelength. You don’t need to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one. There's more thoughts on plot and character over at murdermayhemandmore.net

The writing is sharp and sassy and packed with attitude without being nasty. It's a thoroughly entertaining romp. I’d be happy to read the next one in the series.
7/10

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Lena platt

YES! MORE CHARLEY DAVIDSON !! 4.5*

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 7, 2012

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"Second Grave on the Left" is the second Charley Davidson novel.the first novel "First Grave on the Right" was a great surprise to me.i normally prefer books written in the second person,whereas this series is written in the first.that,however,did not put me off at all whilst reading the book(S).
synopsis: charley davidson,part-time PI,full-time grim reaper.the deceased find her very sparkly,and demons find her irresistible.however,charley doesn't have time to dwell on this:shes got a missing woman to track down.meanwhile,Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the son of satan) is haunting charley.hes left his corporeal body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure charley closer.but if the demons get to her,they will have a portal to heaven...

this books starts off a week after the last novel,which though in itself can be read as a stand alone novel,i would recommend reading the previous book first,which gives the two main characters more depth and shows the progression in their relationship.the story is well paced and action packed.i especially enjoyed the witty banter throughout.the characters,both main and secondary,are unique and refreshing and not the usual set-up and style of characters seen consistently in other books.i especially like the relationship between charley and her uncle Bob(AKA Ubie depending on charley's mood).charley is an extremely likable character,who may have supernatural abilities but still has flaws and doesn't always get everything right.Reyes is a very unique lead male.at times he is dark and sexy and almost likable and other times there is a total mix of feeling i had towards him,which to me honest left me begging for more of him!the ending was great,leaving me impatient for the third book in the series(Which i have pre-ordered)
my only criticisms of this book are that i feel the wrap up to the case was a tad quick,though the ivestigation was good,i would like to have seen the culprits reaction on getting caught.further,i,like another reviewer, believe that charley should not have been as forgiving towards her father,even more so as their relationship is not overly a bonded father\daughter relationship.
nevertheless,this is a great story,with a great underlying plot,that keeps the book fresh and exciting and a great addition to this series.i think the author has a lot to offer,and i for one will be waiting to receive every helping of Charley Davidson i can get!!
i believe people who like books such as Kerri Arthur's Riley Jenson series would enjoy this.
4.5*

One person found this helpful

By Jaki D

Second Grave on the Left

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 14, 2014

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When I finished with First Grave my feet did not hit the ground until I had found and purchased Second Grave - this book is equally as absorbing as First Grave! The main characters are just as absorbing and you feel such empathy with them, that you almost feel yourself as part of the characters themselves. She is still as cheeky, witty and funny as ever and her love and admiration for her phantom is just as absorbing - you will have to read the stories yourself as I have no intention of ruining the plots for you!! This has got to be one of the nicest romantic/adventure/sci fi series I have had the pleasure to read in the past few years. This series is most definitely a "must read" as far as I am concerned!

Gail HL

Love the story, pity it doesn't translate internationally

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 29, 2012

Verified Purchase

I am genuinely becoming addicted to this character and the whole supernatural world Darynda Jones describes. The stories move along so fast, I've just ordered the third book and I only got the second one about two days ago. My only "negative" - if it could be called that - is that the humour and a lot of the slang used is very regional, and makes it harder to appreciate in non-US English-speaking countries. Phrases like "I threw up a little in my mouth" are just, well, gross to me (in the UK). And "I had a V8 moment" really doesn't translate. (I grew up in America so I get it - and actually think it's quite funny).
Otherwise, I love Charley Davidson, the story, and Darynda Jones for writing it!

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