Audiobook Review: Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King

Sixth Grave on the Edge uses the typical Charley Davidson formula of mysteries to be solved (standard and paranormal) using detective skills (also standard and paranormal) combined with a little romance. I'm not going to talk about those mysteries today. What I am going to talk about is Charley and her co-conspirators. The characters in Sixth Grave are people/ghosts/dogs/supernatural beings we've grown fond of over the series. Each has her/his part in advancing the story and each grows a little in this installment of the Charley Davidson series.

First up - Charley Davidson herself. One line from Sixth Grave on the Edge sums up one of my all time favorite fictional characters. Who said it? The kid ghost – Angel. Kids can be so wise.

“You never listen. You're like those kids who poke forks in electrical outlets.”

And that is the essence of Charley Davidson. Always looking for the facts, Charley will poke into any outlet that might help her solve her case forward. And a few outlets that just happen to get in her way. Charley has a delightful, snarky sense of humor. She is willing to dive headlong into any situation to solve the case, save a soul or prevent the end of the world. Or whatever other good cause happens to land in her caseload. She always thinks she is ready for what will happen on these dives, but sometimes, help from her friends is the only thing that keeps her alive. Thank God for Garrett, Ubie, Cookie, Reyes, and Angel.

Oh, and Artemis. Love Artemis! The ghostly Rottweiler is both lovable and scary. But only demons need fear her. She protects Charley and Charley lets a Artemis sleep next to her.

Lets get back to Angel. He is a kid, but he is not. He has been around a long time. In Sixth Grave, more of the story of Angel comes out. It brought tears to my eyes. I blame that on both Darynda Jones storytelling and on narrator Lorelei King's interpretation.

Since I am discussing Charley's friends, I guess should include Reyes. Reyes has been pretty much an ass in previous books, but he is working on that. His character was pretty sedate in Sixth Grave. I am not sure if that is good or that is bad. He is more interesting as an ass. In Sixth Grave, Reyes is a better person, continues to watch out for Charley and comes to her aid if needed. But as far as I am concerned, he is a secondary character. Perhaps he will rise in importance a later chapter.

Ubie and Cookie are truly Charley's best friends. Cookie is always there when she needs a shoulder to cry on - or coffee. In the past, Ubie has had a tendency to save the day. Is it any wonder that the people that take care of Charley should be attracted to each other? The attraction has been going on for a while and Charley has had enough. Charley's antics to get them together are devious and complex. So complex, they just might backfire.

Then there is Garrett. Once dead, but resurrected, Garrett has been studying the prophecies concerning the son of Satan and Charley. Maybe. It is prophecy and you know how prophets are. They speak in mystery and allegory and code and gibberish. So who knows what they are really about. Or if they will come about. If we knew, there would not be a need for any other books. I like Garrett. He has gone to hell and back for Charley. He needs a bigger roll and more appreciation!

Once again, I was lucky to be able to listen to the audiobook version of this Charley Davidson installment. Honestly, I can't imagine experiencing the Charley Davidson series any way other than through the narration of Lorelei King. Her voice conveys Charley's sense of humor, compassion and heroics and make the character and the series memorable!

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King

Fifth Grave Past the Light was my introduction to Darynda Jones, Lorelei King and Charley Davidson. I won the audiobook in a Heroes and Heartbreakers giveaway. I gave it 5 stars in my original review 2 years ago and I'm still giving it 5 stars today. The only thing about my original review that turned out not to be true is that I said I would not go back to the beginning of the series. In fact, I have been making my way through the Charley Davidson series in audiobook and when I finished with #4, I decided to re-listen to #5.

My perspective on Charley has changed considerably, knowing more about her past. Not just knowing it, but experiencing it with along with her. The first time I read Fifth Grave, Charley seemed much more easy going. Now, knowing her history, I see her as a bit more seasoned and toughened. I am pleased I have been getting caught up on the series. Oh, you can still enjoy Fifth Grave Past the Light as a standalone. Obviously I did in 2013. But I highly recommend reading the series!

Fifth Grave Past the Light is the story of Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper and private detective who is dating the son of Satan. She helps dead people to cross over - when they are ready. When a couple dozen terrified ghosts take over her apartment, and they aren't ready to move on, nor do they talk to her, Charley has a real mystery on her hands. At the same time, Charley is working cases for and about live people - a cheating husband and an arson case. Talk about a full slate!

Charley is, of course, my favorite character. Oh! To have that perfect thing to say in every situation like Charley always does would be a great superpower. Charley is always irreverent, tells it like it is, is not afraid to snoop and claims to have an attention deficit issue. She surrounds herself with people who are similarly afflicted with a sense of humor.

Charley is not perfect though. She has an addiction to coffee that is so bad that she waxes poetic about it all the time. She says “Coffee was that place where the sun comes up over the horizon and lights the heavens in a burst of vibrant colors.” (Eck!) And she is dating Reyes, the Son of Satan. In previous reviews of other books in this series, I have called Reyes an ass. While he has reformed somewhat in Fifth Grave, I'm not ready to change my opinion. In a critical moment, when Charley asks Reyes for helps (and you know it is super important because Charley usually goes solo), Reyes wants to know what's in it for him. If he really cared about her, he would jump when she asks for help. True?

Uncle Bob (UB) is the hero in this book. UB always has Charley's back, no matter what trouble she finds. Likewise, Charley's best friend Cookie is ever present when Charley needs a friend. UB and Cookie need to hook up because they are characters truly deserving of happiness.

One more character I need to mention is Garret. Things are getting interesting in that there-is-a-big-crisis-on-the-way thing. Garret appears to be a critical player here, but I'm not at all sure what his role is. I'll have to keep reading.

I really liked this book! Mostly because it made me laugh out loud. (Not LOL. You have to spell it out because it was really funny!) There was a lot going on, but it did not get too complicated, with everything mostly and nicely wrapped up at the end. I say 'mostly' because there are all sorts of indications of things to come. That is how a good author writes a series.

Before I end this, I'd like to mention Lorelei King. Ms. King's narration of the Charley Davidson series keeps me coming back for more. When I am listening, I loose all track of time and the next thing you know, the book is done. Lorelei King's delivery is absolute perfection!

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King

If you are jumping into the Charley Davidson series with Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, you should know that here are spoilers for previous books in this review. Proceed at your own risk.

Charley Davidson's big case in Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is just the kind of mystery I like to read about. A young woman, Harper, hires Charley to find out who trying to kill her. Harper's family swears she is imagining things. That only makes the case more interesting to Charley. And to the listener. This case plays out with a surprising twist. I like surprises!

While she is investigating Harper's case, Charley is also being hunted by demons. Unfortunately, they have a way to find her. Their method is hazardous not only to Charley's health, but also to the health of the innocents they use to get to her. Charley needs to find a way to neutralize the demons fast. Reyes might be able to help out, but he and Charley are not exactly on friendly terms after the events of Third Grave Dead Ahead. When I reviewed Third Grave, I said “Reyes is an ass.” My opinion has not changed. He has a long way to go to redeem himself. Of course, not everyone agrees with me. You will have to form your own opinion.

Also going on in Fourth Grave: Lately, there has been a rash of bank robberies. When Charley checks out the video, something about the thieves look familiar. So add bank robbery to the list of cases Charley plans to investigate. In typical Charley Davidson formula, Charley is the poster child for multi-tasking.

Charley also has a police department case that she is helping Uncle Bob with. There is an arsonist in the city. This case does not get resolved in Fourth Grave, so you will have to read Fifth Grave Past the Light to see it solved. Up until now, I would have said the books don't have be read starting with book one, but now I think that if you have not read book three before Fourth Grave, you will have missed some important events. And obviously, events in book four will carry over into book five.

Charley went through a traumatic attack in Third Grave. In Fourth Grave, she has barely recovered. Her vulnerability is quite evident. Self-confidence is lacking and her normally sparkly, snarky, hilarious wit is, well, still there but a little less. We keep hearing that Charley needs to figure out exactly what she can do. I hope that happens soon. Charley could use a some confidence boosting abilities in her repertoire.

At the end of Third Grave, Garret Swopes was dead. In fact, he visits Charley in post-death form. That is to say he is a ghost. He is most certainly dead. He can even see Mr. Wong in the corner of Charley's apartment. If that is not dead, I don't know what is. In Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, Swopes is chauffering Charley around. Not a ghost anymore. Okay, I admit the tendency to zone out a bit from time to time while listening to audiobooks. But Swopes' resurrection is pretty critical. So I went back and listened to the end of Third Grave and then part of Fourth Grve. I even asked my Goodreads friend Mel for help and she patiently and graciously explained everything. Okay. I'm caught up. My theory: fan outcry regarding the death of a favorite character had the magical side affect of resurrection. I have not decided if I like it or not. But I had just come to terms with Swopes death, so it was very disconcerting to me. Besides, I thought Garrett would make a great ghost partner, along with Angel.

And what happened to the Third Grave aiding and abetting charges that were made against Charley, compliments of dear old dad (another character with work to do in the redemption department)? I expected to hear something about that, since it really pissed Charley off. I guess Uncle Bob took care of everything. UB is such a great guy!

So there were a couple of things from book 3 that got magically resolved before book 4 even started. I can't say I am fond of that strategy.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is not my favorite in the series. I'm hoping it is the calm before the storm and that things get lively soon! Nevertheless, I love the humor and I still love Charley. And, as usual, Lorelei King, as the narrator, does an amazing job with another Charley Davidson story!

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King

My love affair with Charley Davidson continues with Third Grave Dead Ahead. Maybe it is not so much love as it is idol worship. Charley is smart, sexy and hilarious. She is such a smart alec and always says the perfect thing in each situation. Even if I could think of that perfect wise-ass comment, I'd never be brave enough to utter it when faced with a knife-wielding criminal. Maybe that is one of Charley's many grim reaper superpowers – a smart comment for every occasion.

In Third Grave Dead Ahead, a guilty doctor hires Charley to find his wife. When I say guilty, I mean that Charley uses her empathic ability to determine the doctor can't be trusted. The hunt for his wife takes both supernatural and natural detective skills and is marked with several twists. Nothing is what it seems.

I have to mention Artemis. Artemis is one of the motorcycle gang's guard dogs. Guard dog – yeah right. If you have ever had a Rottweiler for a pet, you know how sweet and playful they can be. Unfortunately, they get too much bad press. So thank you Ms. Jones for your portrayal of this wonderful breed.

After reading Third Grave Dead Ahead, here is what I have decided:

1. Charley's dad cannot be trusted. He proved that in Second Grave on the Left and does nothing to disprove that opinion in this story.
2. Cookie is a sweetheart.
3. Uncle Bob always comes through.
4. Garrett always comes through.
5. Reyes (aka Son of Satan) is an ass. I mean it. I don't care if he is gorgeous. He is mean, manipulative and pissy. Really, what does Charley see in him?

In Third Grave Dead Ahead, there were a lot of things that happened that I did not like. See numbers 1 and 5 above. Also, a main character dies. However, upon further reflection, I have come to the conclusion that these events are a necessary part of the Charley Davidson lore and will come to be important to the ongoing story.

Reading the Charley Davidson series in order is the best way to enjoy them. But if Third Grave Dead Ahead is your introduction to the series, it can still be enjoyed. There is enough background provided to avoid getting lost.

My favorite way to enjoy the Charley Davidson series is by listening to audiobooks. As usual, Lorelie King delivers a narration full of nuance and heart. Her interpretation is perfect and I really can't imagine this series being experienced in other way other than audiobook.

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Audiobook Review: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones, Narrated by Lorelei King

I love Charley Davidson! This smart-mouthed, sexy, nosy, pushy, tough multi-tasker is the force of nature that drives the Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series. Although there are several other wonderful characters, Charley is why I love this series.

I read reviews that wax poetic about sexy Reyes, but hey, without Charley, Reyes would be an ordinary son of Satan. Charley's friend Cookie is a natural as the buddy, Uncle Bob (UB) is the annoying cop looking over her shoulder and Garret Swopes plots with UB to keep an eye on Charley. All are amazing characters, but none of them make me laugh so much as the Grim Reaper Charley Davidson! Charley is the one I am cheering for and Charley is the one I want to follow in the rest of the series. Can I say it again? I love Charley Davidson!

The layout of Second Grave on the Left is similar to First Grave on the Right. There is more than one mystery to be solved. And there are several ghosts that need to cross over. Charley uses traditional and paranormal means to solve her mysteries and to help her ghosts. And there is the ongoing relationship between Charley and Reyes. There are more earth-shattering developments there. We learn more about the paranormal beings that are Reyes and the Grim Reaper. Things get a little intense and you know there is still more to come between them. Much more!

After reading First Grave, I put Second Grave on my TBR list. Then I was given the opportunity to review Second Grave in audiobook. Let me say, Lorelei King's narration is definitely the way to enjoy this book! Ms. King brings Charley's story to life in ways I did not imagine when I read First Grave. Very well read! Very, very well read! The irreverent attitude of the Grim Reaper really comes to life in this narration. And that attitude is pretty much my reason for reading this series. Ms. King distinguishes characters with different voices, Cookie's voice being the one that is exceptionally well done. I'm sure this particular interpretation brought me more laugh-out-load moments than I would have had if I had read with my eyes instead of my ears.

In Second Grave on the Left there is plenty to enjoy, even if you have not read the first book in the series. However, I think you would enjoy it even more if you have read book 1. If you enjoy audiobooks, listening is the way to go with this series as long as Lorelei King is narrating. I am looking forward to listening to more of this series in the future.

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones

Fifth Grave Past the Light is the fifth installment in Jones’ Charley Davidson series. While reading I asked myself over and over how it’s taken me so long to find this series? This book grabbed my attention from the start and is still refusing to let go. So of course I will now be heading straight over to my book dealer of choice to locate and purchase the previous installments.

Charley Davidson was born a Grim Reaper. Though life expectancy for one of her kind tends to run low she’s lived to see her mid-twenties and still kicking. Being a major feat in itself she still manages to be a walking trouble magnet to the Nth degree as well as a sense of humor that leaves those she meets with only two choices, love her or hate her. Personally I was immediately on team love as she had my cheeks aching from grinning like an idiot from one well placed ridiculous comment to the next. She keeps the power on by working as a PI and consultant to the local authorities. Cook, her quirky and also hilarious assistant, keeps her on schedule and generally coaxed into a positive mood with an endless supply of caffeine.

On top of Reaper duties, criminal investigations, and staking out cheating spouses she’s also got a man on her mind that won’t seem to stop leaving post-it notes on her door. Easy for him as he’s taken up residence in the apartment next door. Troublesome for her him not only being the son of Satan himself, but also a current person of interest in an arson case her Uncle brought her in on. Reyes is one sexy sonofa- well, let’s just say he’s hot in more ways than one. And to Charley’s delight seems just as fixed on her as she is on him. The chemistry between these two was scorching and left me extremely interested in going back to read the previous books to see how this relationship began and grew to the point I got to experience in this story.

From what I gathered there were several recurring supporting characters from the previous books. All of whom added a great amount of depth into Charley’s character as well as flesh out the varying plotlines sprinkled through the story.

This was an extremely entertaining read. A complete package containing a steamy-as-hell romance, mystery surrounding an apartment full of ghosts, danger, action, and enough quirky quips to leave the most stoic of readers with aching sides. If you have read Jones’ previous works then I am more than willing to bet this will be another must-read for you. For those new to Jones’ writing...if you are a fan of super quick witted strong female leads, and an alpha male that can make you melt this is a definite title to get your hands on.

**ARC provided by the Author**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Guest Post with Author Darynda Jones and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome back to RFTC author Darynda Jones. With the recent release of Fifth Grave Past the Light, Darynda has stopped by to chat. Please give her a warm welcome.

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Places to find Darynda:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Guest Post with Author Darynda Jones and Giveaway

Today I am happy to welcome back to RFTC the ultra fantabulous Darynda Jones. I cannot express enough how much I lurve Darynda. Seriously, she's awesome! Darynda is celebrating the release of Death, Doom and Detention and has stopped by to chat about the differences between writing in Adult and YA. Please give Darynda a warm welcome!

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Places to find Darynda:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

A Rocket Holiday

Darynda Jones would like to share a special story with you this December.

Welcome to the Rocket Holiday Event!

Exclusive Rocket Story and Giveaway!

During the entire month make sure to follow all the blogs listed on the Darynda Jones Blog Tours Home. Each blog will be posting a special Christmas story written by Darynda Jones. Exclusive art will accompany the story at each post. Each blog will have a different name on the wall within the art. Viewers must keep each name or names found on each blog post in order to unravel the secret message. Take note of the most prominent name(s) within the artwork. Some blogs will have more than one name. When viewers have found all the names they will then take the first letter of each name, these letters will need to be unscrambled in order to find the secret message. Once you have the message, fill out the form below to be entered into an amazing Rocket Giveaway!

Win Big

Darynda Jones will be giving away a $100 Dollar Gift Card to one lucky winner!

Interview with Author Darynda Jones and Giveaway

Today I am uber excited to welcome one of my favorite people to RFTC, author Darynda Jones. I am a big fan of Darynda's Charley Davidson series and I am so happy she could stop by and share some info on newest release in the series, Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet. So please everyone give Darynda a very warm welcome.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a RITA®, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Places to find Darynda:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Weekly Winners-Paranormal

Below is a list of all of the winners from last weeks Paranormal author and blogger castings. 

Juliana Stone

Sally M-His Darkest Embrace

The_Book_Queen-His Darkest Salvation

Laurie London

Sally M-Bonded by Blood 

Linda H-Tempted by Blood

Dianne Duvall

Miriam-Darkness Dawns 

Savannah-Night Reigns 

Darynda Jones

Carol L-Second Grave On The Left

Betty K-Third Grave Dead Ahead

Virna DePaul

Barbara E-Shades of Desire

Savannah-Chosen by Sin

Mandi @Smexy Books

Marika W-Show No Mercy

Melanie F-A Lot Like Love

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by. If you didn't win, don't worry! We still have plenty of giveaways happening everyday including our Grand Prize giveaway that includes a Kindle and lots of books. 

Romance Book Casting Call with Darynda Jones and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to the casting call Darynda Jones. Let me just say that I <3 Darynda's books and I have a serious girl crush on Charley Davidson, the lead in her series. Darynda is made of awesome and her book First Grave On The Right is double finalist in this years RWA Ritas. Seriously, if you haven't picked up this series yet you are surely missing out.

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones won the 2009 Golden Heart® in the paranormal category for her manuscript FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. After the Golden Heart final, she pimped herself as best she could, landed an amazing agent and has sold 8 books to St. Martin's Press. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys

Places to find Darynda:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Winners

Congratulations to

Jennifer K

On winning her choice of any of the Charley Davidson books from Darynda Jones

Rizka

On winning a copy of The Rake and The Recluse Redux by Jenn LeBlanc

All winners have been contacted via email. Thank you to everyone that entered the giveaways. 

Guest Post with Author Darynda Jones and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome back to the blog the awesome Darynda Jones. I absolutely love her Charley Davidson series and the newest book Third Grave Dead Ahead is set to be released on January 31st and I definitely can't wait to read it. Darynda is here today to talk about her new book, so everyone please give Darynda a warm welcome.

Hey everyone! First, I want to thank Dani for letting me be a guest on her blog. It’s quite generous of her. Since she interviewed me not too long ago, she bravely decided to turn the reins over to me. Dangerous that, as I’ve got some ramblings of my own I’d like to do. Dani, you are a brave girl. :)

Third Grave Dead Ahead, the third in the Charley Davidson series, will be released on January 31, 2012. I’m super excited about this book and can’t wait to share it with Charley’s readers. I think her fans are in for a lot of surprises while reading Third Grave, and I hope you like her newest set of adventures. Just remember, don’t blame me. Blame adventure girl, Charley.

Charley’s third story is a hairy one. She’s prone to finding herself in some bizarre and dangerous predicaments as it is, but this book ups the ante. While that’s good for the reader, it’s not always so good for Charley. In fact, she even had ME worried there for a while.

Review: First Grave On The Right by Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson sees dead people. Actually, Charley is the Grim Reaper. She also moonlights as a private investigator. Being a PI allows to help her Uncle Bob who is a detective for the Albuquerque Police Department. Together they solve local crimes. Charley also helps ghosts find the closure they need to move onto heaven.

When three local lawyers are murdered, Charley is determined to uncover everything about the case to help them move on. While working on the case Charley encounters a person from her past she has never quite forgotten.

I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Darynda has created such a interesting world filled with a great cast of characters. I love the relationship between Charley and her neighbor Cookie who also doubles as her best friend/assistant. They both are very quirky and I love the back and forth banter between the two. I would also love to see more of Garret. There seemed to be a lot of chemistry brewing between him and Charley and I would love to see if anything comes of it. First Grave on the Right was a spectacular read. Charley Davidson is full of spunk and wit. It's not often that a book can make me laugh. Charley had me giggling throughout the entire story.