Fifth Grave Past the Light

One of my favorite heroines is at it again as she stars in her latest book, Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones.  Charley Davidson is the grim reaper---but she's not just your normal, everyday grim reaper.  Charley is a tough, private investigator who sees dead people, solves crimes, and serves as a portal through which dead folks pass through her to reach "the other side."  Her only real problem in life is her attraction to sexy, sultry Reyes Farrow, the son of Satan, who has moved into the apartment next to hers!  Reyes is the main suspect in Charley's unsolved arson case and with the the help of her police detective Uncle Bob, she vows to solve the arson case and clear Reyes' name.  The investigation is at a standstill until Charley opens her apartment door one day and finds 27 dead blonde women hovering around.

Charley deduces that the dead women have been murdered by a serial killer and when Charley realizes her own sister, Gemma, is a target, she is forced to ask Reyes for his help in solving the case.  Reyes agrees to help Charley but at a price...he wants all of her, body and soul.  Is that too big of a price for Charley to pay?  This novel is fast-paced and humorous and has just a few paranormal elements.  I suggest reading this series in order, as the characters grow with each book and the stories build on previous events.  Darynda Jones won a Golden Heart and a RITA for her first novel in the Charley Davidson series, First Grave on the Right. She lives in New Mexico with her husband and two beautiful sons and can be reached on the Internet at www.daryndajones.com.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet

I've got the perfect way to celebrate Valentine's Day-read a paranormal mystery/romance!  Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is the fourth mystery in the series written by Darynda Jones and starring Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire. Besides being a sexy scythe swinger, Charley is also a Private Investigator, and the case she solved in the third book was a real doozy.  This fourth book in the series opens with Charley taking a couple of months off of life to hide in her apartment, lick her wounds and wallow in self-pity.  With the help of an intervention planned by her sister, Gemma, her secretary Cookie and her police detective Uncle Bob, Charley shakes off her grief to investigate the mystery of a woman who shows up on her doorstep convinced that someone is trying to kill her.  The woman's rich family thinks she is making the whole stalking story up, but Charley is determined to set the woman's mind at ease, while she assists dead people who are attracted to her light, helping them "cross over" to the other side.  Meanwhile, Charley is trying to avoid confrontations with the sexy, sultry, Reyes Farrow, son of Satan and the man with the uncanny ability of showing up to save her life at opportune moments.  Charley knows she should stay away from Reyes but something about him is irresistible.  Also thrown into the mix is Charley's anger at her dad, who turned on her in book three and whom she has not forgiven or been able to speak to.  This book is another hilarious installment in this New York Times bestselling series.  If you are not familiar with this series, start with the first one, First Grave on the Right. Darynda Jones lives in New Mexico with her husband and two sons--check her out onlinie at www.daryndajones.com. 

Have a Date with the Grim Reaper

Second Grave on the Left is the new installment in the Charley Davidson series, written by Darynda Jones. Charley is the grim reaper--even if she is beautiful, charming, likes to wear t-shirts and make-up and is a private investigator. This is the second book in the series and the writing in both is hilarious, sarcastic, action packed and sure to amuse any mystery fan. Charley comes from a "police officer" family as her dad and Uncle have been employed by the Arizona Polic Department. Her dad is retired and owns a bar and Charley's office is housed in a room behind the building. Charley can read the emotions of people as well as "see" departed ones. Dead folks are drawn to Charley because she is a brilliant light to them and she helps them cross over from this world into heaven. This creates some interesting challenges for Charley as she is always talking to people that only she sees and they often appear to her in rather inappropriate places (like the shower). Charley also has several admirers and one is a supernatural being that appears to her in spirit form and is her antithesis. Trying to deal with their major attraction to each other is very complicated and leaves Charley breathless most of the time. Charley is aided in her investigation by her office manager, Cookie and the mystery in this book involves one of Cookie's friends who suddenly disappears. Cookie enlists Charley's help in solving the mystery and in the process they uncover a scandal from high school that threatens to have them all killed. Charley is a strong and likable heroine and will be enjoyed by anyone who likes humorous mystery stories--if you are a fan of Janet Evanovich, you will love reading Darynda Jones!

First Grave on the Right

It is rare for me to find a book that is both funny and heartfelt honest. Set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Darynda Jones' First Grave on the Right is a book that fills both of those categories. The main character in the story is Charley Davidson---and if you can picture the type of woman that can stand up to that name, you'll know what a feisty character she is! Charley is a part-time private investigator and a full-time grim reaper. What, exactly does that mean? Charley literally sees dead people and it's her job to convince them to "step into the light"--and apparently she is very sparkly and attracts a lot of dead people to her. When the dead people that Charley sees have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), they often ask Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Charley has a few admirers amongst her retired police officer father's former co-workers, and continues to help her police officer Uncle Bob solve cases with the help of her dead friends. Added to this mix is a mysterious, misty, stranger who keeps slipping in and out of Charley's dreams and waking life and who she can't seem to stop thinking about. The most entertaining part of this book is when Charley carries on conversations with the dead people (that she can see) while she is sitting in cars/ restaurants/ offices with live poeple (who can't see the dead people)---it is hilarious! If you like Janet Evanovich's books starring lingerie-seller-turned-bounty-hunter Stephanie Plum, you will enjoy getting a taste of this entertaining story by Darynda Jones.