Second Grave on the Left

by Darynda Jones Narrated by Lorelei King

Overview

Second in the Darynda Jones' award-winning paranormal series that's "hilarious and heartfelt, sexy and surprising." (J.R. Ward)

When Charley Davidson and Cookie (her best friend/receptionist) have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. A friend of Cookie's named Mimi disappeared five days earlier. This friend then sends Cookie a cryptic message telling them to meet her at a nearby coffee shop. The coffee is brewing, but Mimi's still missing. There is, however, a clue left on the bathroom wall: a woman's name, scribbled by Mimi. Mimi's husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He's left his body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can't let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they'll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven...well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?
Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the summer: Second Grave On The Left.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Jones perfectly balances humor and suspense in her tight second paranormal thriller featuring grim reaper, PI, and "all-around badass" Charley Davidson (after First Grave on the Right). In separate cases, smart-mouthed Charley pursues two missing persons by using a mix of ghostly informants, family police contacts, quick thinking, and just plain luck. The first, Mimi Jacobs, disappeared just as several of her old high school classmates met untimely deaths; the second, Charley's frustrating but sexy sometimes stalker and occasional lover, Reyes Farrow, who's literally the son of Satan, decided to permanently leave his body to demons and live in the immaterial realm. To complicate Charley's quest, Reyes has hidden his body so she can't find it. The fiery relationship between Charley and Reyes will satisfy paranormal romance fans, but it's the distinctive characters, dead and alive, and the almost constant laughs that will leave readers eager for the next installment. (Aug.)

Library Journal - Audio

Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and a full-time grim reaper. When her assistant Cookie's friend Mimi goes missing, Charley discovers that Mimi's high school crowd is dying, one by one. Is Mimi next? As a grim reaper, Charley is a portal through which the dead must pass from earth to the hereafter. A plague of demons wants to go through her to invade heaven. Charley's sometime lover, Reyes (who is the Son of Satan, literally—but a good guy), leaves his corporeal body in order that his spirit can be a barrier between the demons and Charley. It's complicated but delightfully so. Jones skillfully keeps the normal and the paranormal plots from getting muddled—the listener is always amused but never confused. Lorelei King's narration is ideal for all the characters. Highly recommended for public library collections. Note: the audio includes an interview with Jones by narrator King and a chapter of the series' third book. ["Charley's second adventure ends on a cliff-hanger, so there's certain to be more to come," read the review of the St. Martin's hc, LJ 6/1/11; the pb, also by St. Martin's, will publish in December.—Ed.]—Nann Blaine Hilyard, Zion-Benton P.L., IL

Library Journal

PI/Grim Reaper Charlotte "Charley" Davidson, who made a splash in her acclaimed debut, First Grave on the Right, returns in another comic paranormal mystery. In investigating the disappearance of Mimi, a friend of her business partner, Cookie, Charley has an advantage that most sleuths lack—she's able to communicate with the dead. Her investigations reveal that a number of Mimi's former high school classmates have disappeared or died, and the prime suspect is a U.S. senatorial candidate who may have something to hide. Meanwhile, Charley's relationship with sexy Reyes Farrow (also known as the Son of Satan) continues to develop. Reyes has a lot of secrets, but he's about to reveal something so startling that even the Grim Reaper has a tough time accepting it. VERDICT The Grim Reaper angle makes this an obvious choice for urban fantasy/paranormal fiction readers, but the blend of humor, heat, rapid-fire dialog, and suspense brings to mind a paranormal Stephanie Plum. Charley's second adventure ends on a cliff-hanger, so there's certain to be more to come. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/11.]—Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL

Kirkus Reviews

Grim Reaper Charley Davidson (First Grave on the Right, 2011) returns to solve a missing-person case and to protect the Son of Satan Reyes Farrow from demons.

Private investigator Charley Davidson, otherwise known as the Grim Reaper, is woken in the middle of the night by her assistant Cookie, frantically explaining that her friend Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she received a text message to meet her at a coffee shop. When the two women arrive at their destination, they discover no Mimi, but Charley finds a cryptic message scrawled on the bathroom wall—a clue that will eventually lead them to a tragic event that occurred at a party when Mimi was in high school.Meanwhile, the enigmatic Reyes Alexander Farrow, who has been Charley's protector and is the Son of Satan, has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. In a seductive moment between the two, Farrow confesses that he has left his body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure and use Charley as their portal to heaven. Terrified to lose him, Charley insists that he tell her where he has hidden his body to save him from a grisly death.Interwoven subplots include finding out the mysterious identity of Cookie's ghostly passenger, who resides in the trunk of her car and refuses to crossover, and Charley's strained relationship with her family.Jones includes back story in this sequel that explains Charley's powers as the Grim Reaper and her complex relationship with Farrow. Much of that information does little to enlighten new readers to the series.

An onslaught of over-the-top, sarcastic and infantile one-liners and observations become increasingly tedious. These inconsequential comments have little connection to the story, and the reader grows weary to not care whether Charley will save Farrow from his demonic torturers or whether she will find the missing Mimi.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169340174
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	08/16/2011
Series:	Charley Davidson Series , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged

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