Second Grave on the Left (Grim Reaper #2)

Second Grave on the Left
by Darynda Jones
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780312360818
Series: Charlie Davidson #2
Publication Date: August 4, 2011
Pages: 307
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

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.

2021 Update: I didn’t say much first go-around, but the second book, along with the standard mystery plots – because she always has a couple going on at once – introduced more of what will be the overall series arc. Charlie starts to learn about her background and role as grim reaper and that she plays a larger part in Jones’ version of the end time prophesies.

Knowing where the series was going made it easier to understand some of the nuances of this second book, and it made the relationship between Charlie and Reyes a lot more understandable.

Original Thoughts: Great book! I love the writing and Charley is a great character. The plots are all interesting and nicely intertwined. The secondary characters are all really well written and you like the ones your supposed to like.

I really hope this is the beginning of a continuing series.

First Grave on the Right (Grim Reaper #1)

First Grave on the Right
by Darynda Jones
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780312662752
Series: Charlie Davidson #1
Publication Date: February 4, 2011
Pages: 309
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

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.

Well, based on the blurb I read, this is not the book I expected it to be. But it’s MUCH better.

While Charlie is a smart mouth with a bad attitude, the book is far more mature than it’s ‘chick-lit’ blurb description would lead you to believe. Or at least the one I read. Great humour, a few sincere moments and very good plot lines kept me reading this book until I was finished.

Luckily I was smart enough to buy the second one at the same time, so I can get right to reading it. Instant gratification. Oh yeah…

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1)

A Discovery of Witches
by Deborah Harkness
Rating: ★★★★★
Series: All Souls #1
Publication Date: February 8, 2011
Pages: 581
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Viking Books

This is one of those books I wish I hadn’t discovered until after all three books had been published. I started this book on a Friday and hardly put it down until I finished on the Sunday morning.

The author did a stunning job of making the writing so vivid, I was there in the story watching it unfold like a movie; much more vividly than I normally am able to do. Books about magic are a treat for me and this one was not at all disappointing, with plenty of action and a nice balance, I think, between giving enough information to be vivid, but not enough to be graphic.

It’s going to really suck having to wait until next year for the second book.