Charley Davidson sees dead people, which makes sense since
she's the Grim Reaper. She serves as a bright, shimmering
portal through which they pass, except if their death comes
from unnatural causes— like murder. Then, the dead people
often want justice. And Charley, part-time private
investigator and part-time consultant to the Albuquerque
Police Department, can usually help.
In this case, three partners at a law firm get two bullets
in the head each on the same night. Their innocent client
sits in jail wrongly accused. To make matters more
complicated, Charley has a night-time dream visitor that
gives her the shivers, and that's in a good way. But then
he starts turning up during the daytime. Could he possibly
be real? And, if so, who or what is he?
It's hard to stand out in this overcrowded urban
fantasy/romantic suspense space, but Darynda Jones manages
it with style. Charley Davidson has a mind of her own, a
seriously smart mouth, and takes no prisoners. She's tough,
but she gets knocked around a fair bit, too, which is all
in a day's work. The beauty of Charley is she doesn't take
herself too seriously, and she's got a vulnerable side
albeit not exactly what you'd expect. Quirky characters
like her best friend and receptionist, Cookie; her Uncle
Bob (ubie), a cop; and her assistant, Angel, a gangbanger
who died a few years back and has helped out ever since
make up a terrific supporting cast. And then there's the
man of her dreams who makes her heart melt if she stares
at his picture too long. Jones doesn't spend a lot of time
on description but focuses on action, perfectly-timed
dialogue, and humor to lighten things up. That said, the
mystery at the heart of the story touches on fairly heavy
matters. It's a fast and fun read and will leave you
begging for more. Second Grave on the Left is due out
in August, and I can't wait.
A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, 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. This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.