First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones[/caption]Charlie Davidson #1-3 by Darynda Jones
Overall Rating: [rating=8]
Because I inhaled these books like a Dyson vac, I decided to write one review that covers the first three books in the series, First Grave on the Right, Second Grave on the Left and Third Grave Dead Ahead (Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is coming out in October). Although each book features a different plot (or case), they develop the Charlie Davidson character.
Charlotte—better known as Charlie—Davidson is a private investigator. You could say it’s in her blood—she’s been helping her father, a former detective, solve cases since she was five and now consults for her Uncle, also a detective. But it also doesn’t hurt that she can talk to the deceased and get their side of the story. You see, Charlie is a grim reaper.
I know that sounds like the most ridiculous thing ever—and Charlie would likely agree. She doesn’t know how or why, but she not only sees the dead but serves as the “bright light” guiding them into the other side. Wherever that is.
Although her abilities come in handy as a private investigator, most of the time she finds them incredibly annoying. Except for Mr. Wong, the ghost that lives in the corner of her living room. He’s cool. Maybe because he doesn’t move or speak or visit her in the shower.
In each of the books, Charlie helps solve the case (or cases) – duh. She’s a detective. The subplot is about Charlie finding out who (or what) she is and trying to figure out a mysterious character named Reyes. Although she didn’t know his name at the time, she’d met Reyes when she was young and now he was invading her dreams. Not bad dreams. Actually, disturbingly sexy dreams
What I loved more than anything else in the series was Charlie herself. She’s a total master of snark and always has a comeback for every situation. Plus, she's self-diagnosed ADD and, being the story is told from her perspective, it was like it was made for my thought process. And my thought process likes shiny. Instead of droning on and on about the same thing or having long sets of dialogue, the story is told through short bursts of anecdotes. I didn’t find myself tuning out.
Until...
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Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones[/caption]Reyes. Every interaction Charlie has with Reyes – or thoughts about him – took her awesome-ness down a serious notch. As far as I can tell, there’s absolutely nothing good about Reyes. He’s a total 'hat. And everything she finds out about him throws up huge signals like “WARNING: BAD IDEA AHEAD” but she just keeps pursuing him and it makes her...kind of really dumb.
That’s one of my biggest peeves in books—when an otherwise intelligent, strong female character grovels or obsesses about guy that doesn’t deserve it. Is Reyes a mystery? Yes. And if she wanted to solve it she would use the clues she discovers to solve it instead of arguing against them. She doesn’t want to solve him. She just wants to make out (naked) with him.
Thankfully, the Reyes parts took a backseat to the real cases and it was fairly easy to ignore. I always say this in series with this type of relationship dynamic, I hope the next book will allow the main character to get some sort of backbone (and I’m usually wrong).
Whatever. Still an awesome series!
Recommended For: Snarky b!tches with short attention spans (*raises hand*)
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Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones[/caption]
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