Review: The Graveyard Shift - Darynda Jones

Guarding a precocious five-year-old who is half-human, half-god, and 100% destined to save the world is no easy feat.

Garrett Swopes was the ultimate skeptic until he met a certain hellion and her husband. They vanished after stopping a catastrophic event and left him, a mere mortal, in charge of protecting their gift to mankind. But when she disappears as well, he needs the help of another breed of hellion. One who can see past the veil of space and time. One who betrayed him.

She will get a truce in the deal, but she will never earn his forgiveness.

Marika Dubois’s son—a warrior in the coming war between heaven and hell—was foreseen long before his birth. But to create a child strong enough to endure the trials that lay ahead, she needed a descendant of powerful magics. She found that in Garrett Swopes and tricked him into fathering her son. A ploy he has never forgiven her for. But when he knocks on her door asking for her help, she sees the fierce attraction he tries to deny rise within him.

And Marika has to decide if she dares risk her heart a second time to help the only man she’s ever loved.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave
The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
Before I start this review I want to give a quick heads up to anyone who hasn't already read the Charley Davidson series. Normally the 1001 Dark Nights novellas are a great way to test out a series or a new to you author but The Graveyard Shift gives MAJOR spoilers for the entire Charley Davidson series and I REALLY wouldn't recommend reading it before Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave. This is a fab series though so if you're new to the world grab yourself a copy of First Grave on the Right ASAP.

Now we've got that out of the way I want to tell Charley Davidson fans that you're going to love this novella. I didn't realise how much I've missed this world until I got the chance to dive right back into it and it was so much fun catching up with characters like Garrett, Cookie, Uncle Bob, Donovan but especially little Beep who is now a five year old ball of energy who likes to keep all her guardians on their toes.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot but Garrett's life gets 100% more complicated when Beep vanishes into thin air and he's forced to go to his ex Marika for help. There is a lot of unfinished business between those two and I'm glad we got to see them resolve things once and for all. I also loved seeing how much Beep takes after her mother and how much chaos one small child can cause considering how many people she has looking out for her. I really can't wait for her to be fully grown so we can start reading her series! Oh and we also got confirmation at the end of this book that we're getting a novella about Amber and Quentin in May 2021 called The Gravedigger's Son which I'm super excited about!

Source: Purchased

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Blog Tour: The Graveyard Shift - Darynda Jones

The Graveyard Shift, an all-new, not-to-be-missed novella in the award winning paranormal Charley Davidson Series by New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones, is available now!

Guarding a precocious five-year-old who is half-human, half-god, and 100% destined to save the world is no easy feat.

Garrett Swopes was the ultimate skeptic until he met a certain hellion and her husband. They vanished after stopping a catastrophic event and left him, a mere mortal, in charge of protecting their gift to mankind. But when she disappears as well, he needs the help of another breed of hellion. One who can see past the veil of space and time. One who betrayed him.

She will get a truce in the deal, but she will never earn his forgiveness.

Marika Dubois’s son—a warrior in the coming war between heaven and hell—was foreseen long before his birth. But to create a child strong enough to endure the trials that lay ahead, she needed a descendant of powerful magics. She found that in Garrett Swopes and tricked him into fathering her son. A ploy he has never forgiven her for. But when he knocks on her door asking for her help, she sees the fierce attraction he tries to deny rise within him.

And Marika has to decide if she dares risk her heart a second time to help the only man she’s ever loved.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YPMogG

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/graveshift

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3bhLigh

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fyb3wy

Excerpt:

Charley Davidson, a god with a penchant for maiming first and asking questions later, was going to kill Garrett. No, that wasn’t right. Charley’s husband, Reyes Farrow, also a god with a penchant for maiming first and asking questions later, would start the whole process by ripping him to shreds, then letting Charley finish him off. Gladly. And with much glee.

Garrett had one job. One. Fucking. Job. Watch his best friends’ daughter, Beep, aka Elwyn Alexandra Loehr, a kid who just happened to be destined to save the world from a catastrophic demon uprising. He was supposed to guard her with his life. To keep her safe. To protect her from all the ghosts and goblins—metaphorically speaking since he didn’t have a supernatural bone in his body—hell-bent on doing her harm before she could prevent said catastrophic demon uprising.

He failed.

Yesterday, at exactly 3:33 p.m., the precocious five-year-old was running across a sun-drenched field of sagebrush and wild grasses when she disappeared right before his eyes. One second she was tripping over, well, absolutely nothing—so much like her mother, it startled him—and the next, she was gone.

If he hadn’t been looking right at her, if his gaze hadn’t been laser-locked on the long, dark tangles cascading down her back, if she hadn’t disappeared between his strategically placed blinks, he would’ve questioned the entire event. But there was simply no doubt about it. She’d vanished into thin air.

The way she disappeared would suggest a supernatural influence, especially considering the fact that she was the daughter of two gods, but her celestial parents had placed a shield over the entire area. No supernatural entity could penetrate it. Was there some loophole they’d missed? Some escape clause they’d overlooked?

Garrett didn’t hesitate. He immediately called in his entire team, but even his most preternaturally enhanced members couldn’t figure out what had happened, and one of them was a bona fide angel. Well, former angel.

After thirty-six hours of scouring every inch of Santa Fe and the surrounding area for even a sign of the little hellion, a storm had rolled in, and the search had to be abandoned. Garrett left his team at the compound, as well as the Loehrs, Elwyn’s grandparents, panicked and scrambling to figure out what’d happened. In the meantime, he went in search of the only woman he knew who could see past the veil of not only space, but time as well.

He had one clue to go on. Elwyn’s last words before she took off across the rugged New Mexican terrain.

Surely, he’d heard her wrong. He prayed he’d heard her wrong as he fought the winds and icy pelts of the desert storm, then raised a fist and pounded on the door of his ex, Marika Dubois.

    

About Darynda Jones

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier, and her books have been translated into 17 languages. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that legacy. 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 and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Connect with Darynda

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3ePZwY2

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3eWHrHO

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MFwCxD

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Y050sk

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2A0FvPY

Website: https://darynda.com/

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Release Blitz: The Graveyard Shift - Darynda Jones

The Graveyard Shift, an all-new, not-to-be-missed novella in the award winning paranormal Charley Davidson Series by New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones, is available now!

Guarding a precocious five-year-old who is half-human, half-god, and 100% destined to save the world is no easy feat.

Garrett Swopes was the ultimate skeptic until he met a certain hellion and her husband. They vanished after stopping a catastrophic event and left him, a mere mortal, in charge of protecting their gift to mankind. But when she disappears as well, he needs the help of another breed of hellion. One who can see past the veil of space and time. One who betrayed him.

She will get a truce in the deal, but she will never earn his forgiveness.

Marika Dubois’s son—a warrior in the coming war between heaven and hell—was foreseen long before his birth. But to create a child strong enough to endure the trials that lay ahead, she needed a descendant of powerful magics. She found that in Garrett Swopes and tricked him into fathering her son. A ploy he has never forgiven her for. But when he knocks on her door asking for her help, she sees the fierce attraction he tries to deny rise within him.

And Marika has to decide if she dares risk her heart a second time to help the only man she’s ever loved.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YPMogG

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/graveshift

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3bhLigh

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fyb3wy

About Darynda Jones

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier, and her books have been translated into 17 languages. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that legacy. 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 and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Connect with Darynda

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3ePZwY2

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3eWHrHO

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MFwCxD

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Y050sk

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2A0FvPY

Website: https://darynda.com/

For More information about 1001 Dark Nights Visit:

Facebook: https://bit.ly/37fl0uT

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Y7uBQp

Website: https://bit.ly/2AIIr3A

Stay up to date on all 1001 Dark Nights releases, join their newsletter today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu

Review: Summoned to Thirteenth Grave - Darynda Jones

It's lucky number thirteen . . . this is the epic finale for our favourite Grim Reaper and her sinfully sexy son-of-the-devil husband, Reyes.

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She's been kicked off the earthly plane for eternity - which is exactly the amount of time it takes to make a person stark, raving mad. But someone's looking out for her, and she's allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer.

She's missed her daughter. She's missed Reyes. She's missed Cookie and Garrett and Uncle Bob. But now that she's back on earth, it's time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine for a broken heart? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.

It's Charley's last adventure, and the one thing we know for sure is that it's going to be one wild ride . . .

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave
The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
If you follow me on Goodreads you'll know I binge read the last five books in this series in less than a week, I've been totally hooked on this series and overall I've really enjoyed it. The trouble with final books in popular series though is that it can be hard for authors to live up to fan's high expectations and I think that was the problem with Summoned to Thirteenth Grave.

This book had all the elements I love from this series, the humour, brilliant side characters, madcap plans to save the world and of course the heat from Charley and Reyes' relationship. There has been a lot of build up for this story and I was happy with a lot of events and reveals in this story. I did feel sad about the way a few of the characters stories ended but if you've read the rest of the series you'll probably know not to expect everyone getting a happily ever after.

I think my two biggest issues with this story were one that the major battle was such a tiny part of the story and over far too quickly and easily and two the way things ended for Charley and Reyes. Yes they kind of get a happy ending but it wasn't the ending I was hoping for for them and Beep and it certainly wasn't the ending they deserved. I know we're gearing up for a spin off series about Beep and her future adventures and I'm 99% sure that I'll be reading those books but it makes me sad to think about how things were left at the end of this story and that makes me a little nervous about how things will move forward from here.

You know a series ended well when it leaves you completely satisfied but in this case it actually left me feeling sad and that's disappointing for a series I've had so much fun reading.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: The Trouble With Twelfth Grave - Darynda Jones

Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the twelfth installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series.

Ever since Reyes escaped from a hell dimension in which Charley accidently trapped him, the son of Satan has been brimstone-bent on destroying the world his heavenly Brother created. His volatile tendencies have put Charley in a bit of a pickle. But that’s not the only briny vegetable on her plate. While trying to domesticate the feral being that used to be her husband, she also has to deal with her everyday life of annoying all manner of beings—some corporeal, some not so much—as she struggles to right the wrongs of society. Only this time she’s not uncovering a murder. This time she’s covering one up.

Add to that her new occupation of keeping a startup PI venture—the indomitable mystery-solving team of Amber Kowalski and Quentin Rutherford—out of trouble and dealing with the Vatican’s inquiries into her beloved daughter, and Charley is on the brink of throwing in the towel and becoming a professional shopper. Or possibly a live mannequin. But when someone starts attacking humans who are sensitive to the supernatural world, Charley knows it’s time to let loose her razor sharp claws. Then again, her number one suspect is the dark entity she’s loved for centuries. So the question becomes, can she tame the unruly beast before it destroys everything she’s worked so hard to protect?

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
After the ending of the previous book I couldn't wait to dive into Twelfth Grave and this was another action packed instalment in the series. Reyes may have escaped from the hell dimension BUT while he was there he regained all his godly memories and now it looks like the Reyes Charlie knows and loves has left the building. In his place is Rey’azikeen, the malevolent god with the power to destroy the world if Charley doesn't manage to get through to him.

This story sees Charley focused on trying to find Rey’azikeen and show him that he doesn't have to be evil. She also has a supernatural serial killer to deal with, one that was also set loose when Reyes escaped from the god glass dimension, and who is currently targeting people who have any kind of ability to see beyond the human plane. As if that wasn't enough she's Amber and Quentin have also decided to open their own private detective agency so Charley and Cookie are mentoring them as they try to solve their first case.

I loved this book, it has all the usual mayhem and madcap antics from Charley and her friends and Reyes is delicious even when he's veering towards the dark side. I think what I loved most was how strong Charley's faith in Reyes is, she knows that despite all the horrendous things he has been through there is good inside him and she's determined to find a way to bring back the man she loves. She won't accept any other option and she refuses to let anyone else sway her mind on that.

This book does end on a killer cliffhanger though, seriously if you thought the last book was bad you haven't seen anything yet! If I'd read this book when it was first published I would be pulling my hair out waiting for the next instalment but luckily Thirteenth Grave is already available and I've already been able to start reading. It isn't often that I binge read a series quite as fast as I have this one and I'm actually pretty sad that it's about to come to an end.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
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Review: Eleventh Grave in Moonlight - Darynda Jones

A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, missing people, errant wives, philandering business owners, and oh yeah . . . demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people.

As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead.

Now Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. The forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension but with the son of Satan himself as her husband, maybe Charley can find a way to have her happily ever after after all.

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
This review is deliberately going to be short because after THAT ENDING I have to go and start the next book as fast as humanly possible. This is where Charley's superpowers would come in handy but sadly I'm not a god.

In this book we see Charley investigating the couple who stole Reyes as a baby from his birth parents and gave him to the monster Earl Walker. It turns out that Reyes isn't the only child they stole, something that Charley has suspected for a while now but has only just set out to prove. Reyes isn't happy that she's digging into his past again but this time she's been hired by another one of their victims so she can't turn away from someone else who needs her help.

There are plenty of other things going on in this instalment too, there is still a god from Usen on the loose and hunting for Beep, Amber has picked up a crazy stalker who is sending her messages that no thirteen year old girl should ever have to read, Ubie is acting like a madman and has Cookie convinced he's having an affair and Reyes is determined to make Charley learn more about her abilities even if it means throwing her off the top of very tall buildings and hoping she figures things out before she hits the bottom.

The ending though, THAT ENDING!! It really has left me desperate to find out what happens next and I'm so ridiculously glad that I don't have to wait for book twelve to be published. That cliffhanger would probably have killed me if I didn't already have the next book on hand!

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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Review: A Very Charley Christmas - Darynda Jones

Exclusive Charley Davidson Short Story featured in the December 2016 newsletter.

You can read this story for free online here: https://us11.campaign-archive.com/?u=c2c549bf3e53fa785a8d3bb0d&id=4372d0474e

The story is set after The Curse of the Tenth Grave and contains spoilers for previous books.

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
I love Charley and Reyes so I'll jump at any opportunity to spend more time with them but to be honest for a Christmas story this one was pretty depressing. I never expected Reyes to have happy childhood memories so that wasn't a surprise but to find out Denise's apathy towards Charley lead to her getting half the number of presents that Gemma did just made me all the more angry with Denise AND with Charley's father. He watched his wife treat his daughter like a second class citizen for her entire life and didn't do anything to stop it. If he was any kind of decent father he'd have kicked Denise out YEARS ago and no matter how many good things he's done in the last couple of books it doesn't make up for years of neglect.

Throw in the fact that this is Beep's first Christmas and Charley and Reyes won't get to spend it with her and it was just heart breaking. Charley is overcompensating by buying a million presents for her but thats really not the same. This should be such a happy time for them and they should be getting to finally make some happy Christmas memories as a family yet they can't.

No, this wasn't the fun and cheery Christmas snippet I was hoping for, thats for sure.

Source: Read for free on the author's website

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Review: The Curse of the Tenth Grave - Darynda Jones

Part-time PI and full-time grim reaper, Charley Davidson has asked a lot of questions throughout her life: Why can I see dead people? Who is the hot supernatural entity following me? How do I get gum out of my sister's hair before she wakes up? But, "How do I trap not one god, but three?" was never among them. Until now. And since those gods are on earth to kill her daughter, she has little choice but to track them down, trap them, and cast them from this dimension.

But one of them stole her heart a very long time ago. Can a god of absolute death and destruction change his omniscient spots, or will his allegiance lie with his brothers?

Those are just some of the questions Charley must answer, and quick. Add to that a homeless girl on the run for her life, a man who's been framed for murdering a woman who is still very much alive, and a pendant made from god glass that has the entire supernatural world in an uproar, Charley has her hands full. If she can manage to take care of the whole world-destroying-gods thing, we're saved. If not, well...

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
I'm so happy that this series is completely back on track now that Charley has her memory back. We're back to seeing her work her magic as she simultaneously tries to prove a man is innocent of murder, help a young runaway who believes she has been cursed, deal with a blackmailer, oh and try to figure out a way to stop the gods of Usen and thwart the apocalypse. All of that would be much easier if she wasn't trying to keep secrets from Reyes but he's been keeping her at arm's length ever since they got back from New York and she's got no idea how to bridge the gap between them (thank goodness for Cookie on that one because she comes up with a very creative way to get them talking again!).

There have been some really interesting revelations about both Charley and Reyes in the last couple of books, ones that are going to have a huge impact on the rest of the series so I'm dying to see how everything all comes together now we're in the final stretch. I did find myself frustrated that Charley still doesn't completely trust Reyes, he has been through so much trying to keep her safe and it just takes one small thing, that potentially happened years before they became a couple, for her to doubt his love for her. I could understand why she was keeping certain secrets but I was so relieved when everything was out in the open and that they're now fully back on track relationship wise.

It's also great to see Charley starting to push herself and figure out what her abilities actually are, she's learning all the time and is capable of far more than she ever expected. There was one moment that left me utterly heartbroken for Reyes in this book, he's lost so much already and it really isn't fair for even more to be taken from him. I was far more upset about that than I was about Charley's loss in the previous book but I am extremely worried about a certain revelation about Ubie and hope Charley is able to figure out a way to stop what is coming. Anyway, I'm glad I can dive straight into the next book so I won't have to wait to find out what happens next. I have a feeling I'm going to be binging the last three books very quickly!

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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Review: The Dirt on the Ninth Grave - Darynda Jones

In a small village in New York Charley Davidson is living as Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her-even from her new and trusted friends-the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
I'm a huge fan of this series but I have to admit after the disappointment of book eight I put off starting this one for quite a while. I just wasn't sure what to expect from a Charley with no memory and was worried that this would be another filler book that didn't really add much to the overall story arc. In a way I was right about that, nothing huge happens in this book and I don't think you'd really miss much by skipping it. However, this was FAR better than book eight, it's back to being more of an action oriented story as Charley goes out of her way to try and solve a mystery and save people she's only just met. It feels like this series is starting to get back on track and I'm back to being excited to carry on reading it

Charley spends nearly the whole book in a strange kind of limbo wondering who she is and where she's from, more importantly she wonders why nobody has come looking for her. What she doesn't realise is that her closest friends and family have all inserted themselves into her new life so all of they're still with her even if she doesn't recognise them. I have to say I didn't really buy the reasoning of keeping their identities hidden from her, Charley is so distraught at not knowing who she is and she thinks she must have been a terrible person because nobody is looking for her and they could have saved her a lot of that pain by being honest with her.

It was interesting to see that even without knowing her history her personality hasn't changed. She still cares about the underdogs and wants to help people. Watching her try to figure out why she could see dead people everywhere she went was quite hilarious, particularly when she had a run in with a ghost horse! I also loved getting back that intense sexual tension between her and Reyes. Charley doesn't remember him but she's still totally attracted to him and doesn't understand why he goes from practically eating her with his eyes to acting like he hates her. Reyes on the other hand is dreadfully angry at Charley for leaving him, he's angry about the situation they're in and he's hurt that she could forget him but he still loves her and is desperately hoping she'll come back to him. It makes for some wonderful will they / won't they moments between them that I couldn't get enough of.

I'm very glad that Charley eventually gets her memory back, I don't think I could read another book of her second guessing herself and everyone around her because she knows they're hiding things but doesn't know what or why. I'm hoping that from here onwards we're going to get back to the series I love and I can't wait to see how Charley and Reyes' story ends.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Brighter Than the Sun - Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, has taken centre stage for too long. It's time for Reyes's side of the story . . . 

Discover how Reyes met Charley; from Reyes' point of view: a Charley Davidson novella

All his life, Reyes Alexander Farrow has suffered the torments of the damned. Only one thing has given him hope: the woman who radiates a light that no mortals can see; a light that only the departed can see...

Told from his point of view, this novella chronicles the first time Reyes ever encountered Charley, and how their relationship has been the one thing that can either save him or doom him.

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
Brighter Than the Sun is a novella told completely from Reyes' point of view and I loved every minute of it. Here we get to see glimpses of important moments in Reyes' life from when he first saw Charley as a baby right up until events during the first few books in the series.

This isn't as light and fluffy as the rest of the series, we already knew that Reyes had a horrific upbringing at the hands of Earl Walker and this novella doesn't shy away from showing just how awful that was so there is a lot of darkness here. There are also some sweet moments too though, the loving bond he shares with his sister Kim, the incredible friendship he has with Amador and of course the light that Charley brings into his life.

I don't want to say much more but if you're a Reyes fan you're going to love this novella. It was great to get inside his head and learn a little more about why he acts the way he does. This was a great addition to the series and left me looking forward to reading more.

Source: Purchased

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Kindle:

Review: Eighth Grave After Dark - Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson has enough to be getting on with. She is, after all, incredibly pregnant and feeling like she could pop at any moment. But, just her luck, twelve deadly beasts from hell have chosen this time to escape, and they've made Charley their target. She takes refuge at the only place they can't get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. Before long, Charley also has a new case to hold her attention: the decades-old murder of a newly-vowed nun she keeps seeing in the shadows of the convent.

Add to that the still unsolved murder of her father, the strange behavior of her husband, and Charley's tendency to attract the, shall we say, undead, and she has her hands full . . . but also tied. While the angry hellhounds can't traverse the consecrated soil, they lurk beyond its borders like evil sentries, so Charley has been forbidden from leaving the sacred grounds and is powerless to get the answers she wants.

Luckily, she has her loyal team with her, and they're a scrappy bunch. They scour the prophesies, searching for clues on the Twelve, and their presence is comforting - it's almost as though they've all been drawn to her as part of a bigger picture . . . But the good feelings don't last for long because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life.

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
I'd been flying through this series and enjoying every minute of it but then I hit book eight and just kind of stalled. It pains me to say it but I just didn't feel the magic with this one. To be fair it's very hard to write an exciting book when your narrator is not only 8 months pregnant but also trapped in a convent to avoid being eaten by hellhounds. Charley has spent months stuck in one location and as much as her friends and family drop by to keep her company it's just really not the same as seeing her out and about kicking butt and taking names.

I was a bit wary when we found out Charley was pregnant, to be honest I prefer to avoid kids in UF books unless they're either old enough to be interesting characters in their own right, or come at the end of the series to signify the the fact that the main characters are finally getting to settle down and have their well earned happily ever after. I mean how is Charley supposed to deal with a potential apocalypse if she's carting around a newborn? Well that issue was kind of resolved but I'm not even sure I like the way that side of things was handled either. It just seems a bit pointless to bring a kid into things and then do what happened in this book.

So this book wasn't as full of action as the previous stories and if I'm honest the first half was kind of boring. I was frustrated with Charley for going against Reyes' wishes and trying to track down his birth parents when he specifically asked her not to but I think I was even more angry at the way that entire plot thread ended and I wanted to smack some sense into the pair of them for keeping such ridiculously stupid secrets from each other. I was also really irritated by Gemma and the way she kept trying to force Charley to accept Denise, the stepmother from hell, back into her life. Denise has been horrible to Charley throughout the entire series, was a monster to her when she was a child and now expects to be allowed to play grandmother of the year. No chance and the fact Gemma was taking Denise's side made me really mad. I have to admit I loved the way things played out with Denise though, I think that probably makes me a terrible person but I don't care because the whole thing was hilarious!

The story did improve towards the end, we finally start getting some answers about Charley's powers and why she's been given them. I still have a lot of questions and some things confused me a bit but we're getting answers and that's great. I'm still not sure how I feel about the twist at the end though, in some ways I think it'll make things really interesting and will hopefully send the series back in the right direction action and plot wise but in others it felt like a bit of a cop out. I guess I'll have to see how it plays out in book nine before I make my mind up. Even though this wasn't my favourite book I'm still hooked enough that I want to know how things play out so I'm definitely going to be continuing the series.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Seventh Grave and No Body - Darynda Jones

It's lucky number seven for Darynda Jones in her bestselling Charley Davidson series! Following up from Sixth Grave on the Edge, Charley's back and she's ready to reap . . .

Lead me not into temptation.
Follow me instead! I know a shortcut!
--T-shirt

Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped, and they want nothing more than to rip out Charley Davidson's jugular and serve her body to Satan for dinner. So there's that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and as she retraces his last steps she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she's ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life. But all of that barely scratches the surface of her problems . . .

Recent developments have forced her to become a responsible adult. To conquer such a monumental task, she's decided to start small. Really small. She gets a pet. But how can she save the world against the forces of evil when she can't even keep a goldfish alive?

A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it.

We're doomed.

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
As always there is a lot going on in this book but I think the funniest thing would have to be Charley trying to quit caffeine, I think that girl has coffee running through her veins instead of blood so it's a huge shock to her system when she goes cold turkey! In the grand scheme of things that's the least of her worries though, she's being haunted by her best friend turned enemy, her dad has gone awol, she only has about 8 months to learn how to be a responsible adult, oh and there are twelve deadly, impossible to kill, hellhounds who are out for her blood. Just a normal day for her really.

I love the snark in this series, these books never fail to make me laugh out loud but I've also come to genuinely care about Charley and her motley crew of sidekicks. It was easy to fall for Reyes and his mysterious bad boy persona but Cookie, Ubie, Garrett, Angel & Rocket are all firm favourites and I really like new addition Osh too. As much as I love seeing Charley working as a PI and solving cases I'm really liking the way we're getting to learn more about her grim reaper abilities and that the supernatural is playing a bigger role in the stories.

There was a lot to love about this book and one particular scene at the end was something I'd waited a long time for and was very happy about. Unfortunately it was followed by something that was absolutely heartbreaking for Charley and it's going to be hard watching her deal with the fallout from that in the next book. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series though and can't wait to continue reading.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Sixth Grave on the Edge - Darynda Jones

Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that Reyes Farrow has asked for her hand, Charley Davidson feels it's time to learn more about his past, but Reyes is reluctant to open up. When the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap, Charley decides to go behind her mysterious beau’s back and conduct her own investigation. Because what could go wrong?

Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap—one with dangerous implications. Some very insistent men want Charley to hunt down a witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn't come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear.

Add to that a desperate man in search of the soul he lost in a card game, a dogged mother determined to find the ghost of her son, and a beautiful, young Deaf boy haunted by his new ability to see the departed as clearly as he sees the living, and Charley has her hands full. The fact that Reyes has caught on to her latest venture only adds fuel to the inferno that he is. Good thing for Charley she's used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.

Charley Davidson Series:
First Grave on the Right
For I Have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Shimmer (Free Short Story)
Glow (Free Short Story)
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (Novella)
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave
The Curse of Tenth Grave
A Very Charley Christmas (Free Short Story)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The Graveyard Shift (Novella)

Visit Darynda Jones' website for more information

Review:
I know Charley's sense of humour isn't for everyone but I love her and lets face it if you don't like her then I'm pretty sure you'll have given up this series long before you reached book six. Charley may be more than a little insane but has a heart of gold and she's willing to put herself in danger to help even strangers so it's no wonder she has loyal friends. I love her friendship with Cookie and her daughter Amber, I love how protective her uncle Ubie is of her and of course, like pretty much the rest of the female population, I'm obsessed with her nigh-fiancé Reyes. If there was one thing I found slightly frustrating in this book it was her holding out so long before giving Reyes an answer but since they were having fun teasing each other about it I was willing to overlook that.

As always Charley has a lot on her plate, she's still trying to find out more about her Reaper abilities, she's got a client who accidentally sold his soul to the devil, there's the naked dead guy who won't get out of her car, Cookie and Ubie are being stubborn so she's trying to push them together, she's also worrying about Rocket's prediction for Reyes, looking into Reyes' human family and if that wasn't enough she's held at gunpoint by two men who want her to find a woman who is currently in the witness protection program. Yes, there's definitely a lot going on in this one and the way things are going it looks like the series is just going to get even more intense from her onwards.

It's not all action though, there are some great moments between Charley and Reyes as they try to figure out how their relationship is going to work, we get some revelations about her ghostly sidekick Angel that brought a tear to my eye, and there is definitely something strange going on with Charley's father. I'm still not very happy with him so I really want to see more of a redemption arc as we start to unravel his secrets. As long as that arc doesn't include a happy ending for Charley's step-mother I'll be okay with it, that woman is a monster and she does NOT deserve any kind of forgiveness from Charley. Especially after the way she acted in this instalment!

Anyway, I think that's enough to show that I'm still loving this series so I'm signing off here so I can get started on book seven.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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