Cheryl C. (moondance120) reviewed Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, Bk 2) on + 422 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Book #2 in the Charley Davidson series. I LOVE the witty, snarky, smart ass grim reaper! Charley is searching for a missing woman and apparently stepping on one too many toes. Reyes has gone underground to protect Charley. Add fake FBI agents, well dressed goons, a few dead guys and of course Cookie for an excellent read. 5 stars!
Robin M. (robinmy) -
Helpful Score: 1
Charley Davidson is a private investigator who helps the police solve crimes. She has an advantage because she can see and talk to dead people, finding out exactly who killed them. As a matter of fact, dead people are drawn to her because she is the Grim Reaper. Now Charley's best friend, Cookie, wants her help in tracking down a missing woman who asked for Cookie's assistance. On top of that Cookie has the ghost of a dead guy in her trunk, and an incorporeal Reyes is back telling Charley that he needs to let his body die in order to save her from demons.
This was a busy addition to the series. I enjoyed the missing person mystery and certainly didn't figure out who was behind a string of murders. I also loved Charley's snarky humor. I'm still not sold on the Reyes portion of the story. It's certainly keeps my interest but I'm still not sold on Reyes as a great hero. Maybe he'll grow on me in the next book. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
This was a busy addition to the series. I enjoyed the missing person mystery and certainly didn't figure out who was behind a string of murders. I also loved Charley's snarky humor. I'm still not sold on the Reyes portion of the story. It's certainly keeps my interest but I'm still not sold on Reyes as a great hero. Maybe he'll grow on me in the next book. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
2nd in series, and just as charming as the first.
We follow Charlie as she digs to uncover the mystery behind Cookie's missing friend, Mimi. She also searches high and low for Reyes, because he has decided to allow his corporeal body to die. But he has a good reason, you'll have to read it to find out his next big secret.
We follow Charlie as she digs to uncover the mystery behind Cookie's missing friend, Mimi. She also searches high and low for Reyes, because he has decided to allow his corporeal body to die. But he has a good reason, you'll have to read it to find out his next big secret.
Andrea S. (ballicats) - , reviewed Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, Bk 2) on + 28 more book reviews
Love these stories! Good mystery with romance mixed in. Love all the characters! A breath of fresh air from your normal mysteries. You have to have an open mind to appreciate the dead characters and Charley's role. Wonderful!
Marci (marcijo28) -
I love this series, Charley is most definitely in my top 5 favorite heroines! She is just so damn funny! And she can even kick a little ass! The things that come out her mouth...pure gold. Kudos, Darynda!
Connie A. (jazzysmom) -
Second Grave on the Left.... How to explain this from my point of view & be fair to the author.
First: I'm still trying to figure out the big attraction for this series.
Second: I started with book #2 so I would not hold up anyone else on the wish list.I understand the vampire fad some are going thru now... but the son of satan?? (Gosh I even hate writing that word.) This is a little much for me to get excited reading about even in the fun fiction setting the author has created. This book poked a bit to closely of Satan having a son that was born on the line of good & evil. With heavy on the evil side.
Every paragraph is filled with one liners that at first were cute then just got old. I knew when ordering this book what the story was based on but did not know how real this dreadful demon would feel when the cute lines wore off. Reyes was no Puff The Magic Dragon. Had Reyes been left out of the plot totally the story would of been charming with the likeable ghosts. But... I found myself uncomfortable trying to enjoy the whole murder mystery with his unlikeable influence all through out. I am now wondering what possessed me to want to read this, no pun intended.
Maybe the vampire fad isn't so bad after all. I'll be cancelling book #1 from my wish list and letting those who want to partake move up a step. Just not my cup of tea. Maybe I'm just to old. This book left me with an unpleasant feeling. Reyes was portrayed as seductive and attractive & balancing on the ledge of doing evil at all times while our heroine flirted with him. It felt off for me to seek relaxation by continuing with this read. To be fair I read only about 100 pages but for me that was enough.
First: I'm still trying to figure out the big attraction for this series.
Second: I started with book #2 so I would not hold up anyone else on the wish list.I understand the vampire fad some are going thru now... but the son of satan?? (Gosh I even hate writing that word.) This is a little much for me to get excited reading about even in the fun fiction setting the author has created. This book poked a bit to closely of Satan having a son that was born on the line of good & evil. With heavy on the evil side.
Every paragraph is filled with one liners that at first were cute then just got old. I knew when ordering this book what the story was based on but did not know how real this dreadful demon would feel when the cute lines wore off. Reyes was no Puff The Magic Dragon. Had Reyes been left out of the plot totally the story would of been charming with the likeable ghosts. But... I found myself uncomfortable trying to enjoy the whole murder mystery with his unlikeable influence all through out. I am now wondering what possessed me to want to read this, no pun intended.
Maybe the vampire fad isn't so bad after all. I'll be cancelling book #1 from my wish list and letting those who want to partake move up a step. Just not my cup of tea. Maybe I'm just to old. This book left me with an unpleasant feeling. Reyes was portrayed as seductive and attractive & balancing on the ledge of doing evil at all times while our heroine flirted with him. It felt off for me to seek relaxation by continuing with this read. To be fair I read only about 100 pages but for me that was enough.
Christine H. (solarawynn) reviewed Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, Bk 2) on + 724 more book reviews
Even better than the first.I laughed, alot.
JoAnn S. (bichonmom) reviewed Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, Bk 2) on + 22 more book reviews
again another great book i will continue to read this series cant wait for the third book in january
Alice J. (ASJ) -
Fun fast read, Ms Jones is growing her characters more in this second book, learning more about their back ground. Love the little quotes in the begining of each chapter. Mystery is good and not overshadowed by paranormal elements.
Barbara S. (barbsis) -
What an explosive beginning. It starts with Charley Davidson's BFF ripping her out of bed at 2am and continues with Reyes Farrow covered in blood, falling through her shower ceiling and landing right on top of her saying "Beware the wounded animal" and promptly vanishing into thin air. If that doesn't grab your attention, I don't think anything will.
This has a great mix of humor, sarcasm and suspense. Charley is a PI who is also the Grim Reaper so she has an advantage...she sees dead people. Charley is sarcastic as hell but in a good way. Her humor is a terrific balance to the suspense of people repeatedly trying to kill her. I particularly liked her BFF Cookie, she's funny but goofy too. On the other hand, Reyes is hot as hell but an anomaly. He's one of those supernatural beings who tells you only pieces of what you need to know, then gets pissed when you investigate to find out more. I found this to be irritating and thought this point might have been stressed a little to much. The ending was a surprise and I can't wait to see what Reyes does in retaliation to Charley's betrayal.
This has a great mix of humor, sarcasm and suspense. Charley is a PI who is also the Grim Reaper so she has an advantage...she sees dead people. Charley is sarcastic as hell but in a good way. Her humor is a terrific balance to the suspense of people repeatedly trying to kill her. I particularly liked her BFF Cookie, she's funny but goofy too. On the other hand, Reyes is hot as hell but an anomaly. He's one of those supernatural beings who tells you only pieces of what you need to know, then gets pissed when you investigate to find out more. I found this to be irritating and thought this point might have been stressed a little to much. The ending was a surprise and I can't wait to see what Reyes does in retaliation to Charley's betrayal.
Stacy W. (whatstacy) -
OMG, Charley what have you done?
As usual, Charley is neck-deep in drama, injuries, and cases. She just can't get a day off. This book picks up where the first left off, running full sprint into another complicated case, while Charley is still searching for Reyes. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. I'm 100% hooked into this series. It has so much going on, you can't possibly get bored. Charley's cases, much like her life, are multi layered. Following the trail of Mimi, while trying to locate Reyes' body is a fulltime effort. Not to mention the mix of bad guys thrown in, from the ones after her Dad to the ones trying to stop Mimi from sharing her secret. I really love it when I can't guess the end or who the bad guy is, it makes the puzzle that more fun and captivating. Not to mention all the extra details we learn about Reyes along the way, and without giving any spoilers away, all I can say is "Charley what have you done?" I don't know how I'm going to be able to wait for the next book!
www.texasreader-stacy.blogspot.com
www.goodreads.com/whatstacy
As usual, Charley is neck-deep in drama, injuries, and cases. She just can't get a day off. This book picks up where the first left off, running full sprint into another complicated case, while Charley is still searching for Reyes. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. I'm 100% hooked into this series. It has so much going on, you can't possibly get bored. Charley's cases, much like her life, are multi layered. Following the trail of Mimi, while trying to locate Reyes' body is a fulltime effort. Not to mention the mix of bad guys thrown in, from the ones after her Dad to the ones trying to stop Mimi from sharing her secret. I really love it when I can't guess the end or who the bad guy is, it makes the puzzle that more fun and captivating. Not to mention all the extra details we learn about Reyes along the way, and without giving any spoilers away, all I can say is "Charley what have you done?" I don't know how I'm going to be able to wait for the next book!
www.texasreader-stacy.blogspot.com
www.goodreads.com/whatstacy
Rachel A. (ra7) reviewed Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, Bk 2) on + 1029 more book reviews
Charley's snark does not change in this! One of Cookies' friends is missing and it's up to Charley (and Cookie) to find her. Charley also wants to help Reyes who is currently hiding his body. He is able to leave the body behind and visit Charley. If demons find her, they will have a portal to heaven. Reyes' is a portal to hell. So Reyes is in hiding to save Charley.
There are some hints r/t Charley and her abilities. I could understand Reyes' reasoning for not enlightening her, but I also found it super frustrating (I know something, but I can't TELL you!).
The missing friend was a really good mystery, there were a lot of layers to it and it wasn't as it seemed. I also liked that Charley's circle of real friends (people she could trust and knew at least something of her abilities) grew (to include Garrett, Neil, and her sister(!) Gemma). I am interested to see what happens with Reyes as Charley's actions in this one were a bit of a betrayal (IMO).
There are some hints r/t Charley and her abilities. I could understand Reyes' reasoning for not enlightening her, but I also found it super frustrating (I know something, but I can't TELL you!).
The missing friend was a really good mystery, there were a lot of layers to it and it wasn't as it seemed. I also liked that Charley's circle of real friends (people she could trust and knew at least something of her abilities) grew (to include Garrett, Neil, and her sister(!) Gemma). I am interested to see what happens with Reyes as Charley's actions in this one were a bit of a betrayal (IMO).
Bree G. (paisleywings) reviewed Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, Bk 2) on + 232 more book reviews
This is an awesome series. Darynda Jones is my new best author. It combines a lot of things, for instance, drama, action, humor, ghosts, being the grim reaper. It fun and riveting. Also, a bit of romance. See. Something for everyone.
Debbie B. (orchid7) -
This book was absolutely wonderful! I can't get enough of this author. Her writing style is so funny and witty. She had me laughing out loud, then biting my nails as I read this. I couldn't put it down. The mystery is very good, and the chemistry is still great between Charley and Reyes. The side characters are fun. But the ending... again with the cliffhanger that leaves you wanting to beat down the bookstore's door to get the next one. (Though it isn't out yet...) I hope there will be many more from this author!
Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, Bk 2) on + 2527 more book reviews
This is the second Charley Davidson book and it was a very fun continuation of this humorous urban fantasy series! Right now the 11th book in this series, Eleventh Grave in Moonlight, is scheduled for a January 2017 release.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator does an awesome job. This is one of those series I would highly recommend listening to on audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks.
I enjoyed this book even more than the first book in the series. These books remind a bit of Molly Harper's Jane Jameson series in tone, but I am actually liking this series a lot better than that one.
There is a ton of quirky humor in here and I just love Charley and her inability to keep her mouth shut or be afraid of anything. In fact there are quite a few wonderful characters in here, even the side-characters have a lot of depth and are super fun to read about.
This book is mostly investigative but there is quite a bit of action as well. I love that each of these books solves one mystery but there is also a story that continues between books involving Charley's powers and Reyes. We learn a lot more about both Charley's and Reyes's powers in this book and the whole thing is getting increasingly interesting.
The only thing that I have a bit of trouble getting past in this series is the fact that if spirits can see Charley so well then why isn't Charley constantly swamped by ghosts? I find this a bit unbelievable but am willing to let it slide because I just have so much darn fun listening to these books.
Overall I loved this book and found it incredibly entertaining. So far I am really loving this whole series (of course I am only at book 2 of 11). I would highly recommend to fans of investigative urban fantasy who enjoy some humor in their books.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator does an awesome job. This is one of those series I would highly recommend listening to on audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks.
I enjoyed this book even more than the first book in the series. These books remind a bit of Molly Harper's Jane Jameson series in tone, but I am actually liking this series a lot better than that one.
There is a ton of quirky humor in here and I just love Charley and her inability to keep her mouth shut or be afraid of anything. In fact there are quite a few wonderful characters in here, even the side-characters have a lot of depth and are super fun to read about.
This book is mostly investigative but there is quite a bit of action as well. I love that each of these books solves one mystery but there is also a story that continues between books involving Charley's powers and Reyes. We learn a lot more about both Charley's and Reyes's powers in this book and the whole thing is getting increasingly interesting.
The only thing that I have a bit of trouble getting past in this series is the fact that if spirits can see Charley so well then why isn't Charley constantly swamped by ghosts? I find this a bit unbelievable but am willing to let it slide because I just have so much darn fun listening to these books.
Overall I loved this book and found it incredibly entertaining. So far I am really loving this whole series (of course I am only at book 2 of 11). I would highly recommend to fans of investigative urban fantasy who enjoy some humor in their books.
Loved it, not creepy, just enough sci-fi to make it interesting and funny-sarcastic enough to read in one session without losing any sleep later in the evening!
Lenna W. (bratz54) -
It fills in where the first one left off and after reading this book I can see a lot of different things fill in after I read the 3rd book first.
