REVIEW: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

In First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones, Charley Davidson has always had to deal with being different from everyone else. And her wicked stepmother has never let her forget it. Thank goodness her father and her Uncle Bob are more understanding that she’s the grim reaper. Yes, that grim reaper. But without the scythe. Her job, as she’s figured out in her twenty-seven years on Earth, is to help those who haven’t crossed over find peace so they can finally pass on to the other side. That’s where her other job as a private investigator comes in handy. It’s up to Charley’s super sleuthing abilities to solve their problems, sometimes stemming from their abrupt demise.

‘What was the point of my being a grim reaper if I couldn’t see everything out there? Shouldn’t I be kept in the know? Seriously, how could I be expected to do my job?’

Charley’s okay with being the reaper and even likes her jobs. Most days. But recently she has seen strange blurs in the corner of her vision, like someone or something speeding past her. And she’s being visited in her dreams by some unknown person or spirit who her makes feel things physically that she would welcome anytime. Her latest case has Charley working with the Albuquerque Police Department again, putting herself in harms way while they sort through a triple-murder that just doesn’t add up. When her past becomes entangled with the present, Charley begins to learn more details about her life that she might end up wishing she had kept in the dark.

‘Every night in my dreams, a man appeared from the darkest recesses of my mind, as if he’d been waiting for me to fall asleep. His mouth, full, masculine, would sear my flesh.’

First Grave on the Right was a paranormal/fantasy chock full of so much wonderful snarkiness I was almost giddy the entire time I was reading. Now this is not a new novel, having been released in 2011, but this series is new to me and I have a feeling I will be breezing through the rest of it very soon.

“I gotta tell you, Davidson, I’m impressed,” he said, his eyes glued to the screen. “That took balls.”
“Please,” I said with a snort, “that took ovaries. Of which I have two.”

I feel like I must begin this review by saying I am a true fan of paranormal stories with big attitude and a dry sense of humor. I know not everyone out there shares my views, so you might rate this book very differently than I did. That being said, I was seriously impressed with Darynda Jones’ writing style. That current of humor carried me through the entire story, making me chuckle and laugh outright many times. Aside from the humor, I also loved how the world Ms. Jones created is so complex and different from so many other paranormals I’ve read.And I enjoyed the way the story kept building, with more and more details about Reyes, and Charley’s abilities and background.

Charley Davidson was such a smart-alecky, sarcastic character. She didn’t take any crap from anyone and wasn’t afraid to say the things that needed to be said. And boy didn’t she get beat up a lot. A ninja, she most certainly is not. But she was still a caring person underneath the snark. I could easily relate to the way Ms. Jones described Charley’s feelings of being an outcast, of people not taking her seriously or believing her. Okay, so telling someone you’re the grim reaper would probably have them signing you up for a straightjacket, but still. I could empathize with her wish to have a friend she could completely trust and divulge all of her secrets to. And then there was Reyes. Holy hotness. His character only got more and more intriguing as the story went on. Just wait until the very ending… 😉

So if you like your leading ladies sassy and your stories with tons of action and unique situations, definitely check out First Grave on the Right.

Book Info:

Published February 1st 2011 by St. Martin’s Press | Charley Davidson #1

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?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.