Sixth Grave on the Edge

Charley and Reyes are moving closer – he’s even proposed to her, but there are still some obstacles getting in the way. She keeps trying to dig up his past despite his protests and he can’t keep standing by and watching her put her life in danger

A habit she continues when she gets involved with both a soul trading demon and a major organised crime cartel. Neither bring the people who love her peace of mind. And these are just the major challenges, the ongoing chaos of her life continues with commitments and adventures everywhere.

I am happy to be able to praise the immense fun of this book again. I think the last couple of books just got a little too extreme and pushed the zaniness a bit too far. It felt contrived and silly and show more destroyed a lot of the fun.

This book toned it down and worked a lot better with it. Charley and Cookie are back to being their extremely fun and freaky selves. They continue to bounce off each other excellently and Charley’s endlessly distracted asides are hilarious. Charley is just so much incredible fun even if I would completely understand if everyone around her would merrily strangle her in a minute. I can’t really think of a book series or a protagonist that is this consistently hilariously fun.

One downside of Charley being so hilariously, randomly, zanily fun is that it makes it hard to fully accept the fact that Charley is living with a lot of trauma. She has night terrors, she has anxiety, she has flashbacks. She’s actually an excellent example of a character who is dealing with PTSD after what she has suffered. And, in some ways, the zaniness does work with that- because having PTSD doesn’t mean you ca never have fun or never enjoy life or never find anything funny again – I like the idea of presenting a character with a mental illness who doesn’t just BECOME that mental illness. But the overwhelming light funness of the story just turns her symptoms into another punch line.

The fun of Charley and her random nonsense makes this book. It made me enjoy it for start to finish, which, I have to say, is kind of more than what the plot line did. I’m not saying the plot was bad (and anything that let me enjoy more of Charley’s zany fun is a good thing), but there were too many plot lines and plot-ettes.

We have some minor mysteries, like what exactly the nature of the ghost in her living room is and we have Angel’s (the ghost who kind of works for her) family and we have the ghost that has taken up residence in her car. We have a deeply traumatised ghost and Charley trying to deal with that and the people who hurt her and were equally traumatised. All of these are nice little moments that ensure the daily life of Charley continues even when she’s involved in a mystery. But then we have the saga of getting Cookie and Uncle Bob together (which is elaborate and convoluted because it was one of Charley’s ideas so of course it is). Then we have the FBI agent and the historical case she wants Charley to look into which is also connected to Reyes. Then we have something going on with Charley’s dad and stepmother.

Then we have the actual main plot mystery of the week (which is kind of convoluted and complex anyway because Charley and involves organised crime and all sorts of stuff) and tucked behind that is a final nod to the growing meta-plot, the prophecy, the 12 (possibly two lots of 12) which may be good bad or hellhounds. There’s also Charley’s own growing role and developing powers and her understanding of what it even means to be a Reaper

This book is about 250 pages long and that’s a lot to pack into 250 pages. It works, it works because Charley and Cookie together are so much fun that it could be a book about them watching television or going to the gym or baking a cake or anything similarly mundane and it would still be hilarious fun because these two are hilarious fun. But they’re also extremely good friends and we have some really good moments, especially when they both discuss parenting Amber (Cookie’s daughter).

Related to Charley’s PTSD I also like that there is some addressing and challenging of Charley’s recklessness and selflessness. Recklessness is an obvious character flaw, but it links to her selflessness as well. Time and again we see Charley willing to risk it all for people she hardly knows or doesn’t know at all, which is all very noble and honourable but at the same time it’s ok to want to protect yourself, especially after what Charley and people who love Charley have been through. I’m glad to see people, even if it is Reyes, challenging Charley to not constantly put herself at risk to the despair of those who love her.

Time for me to make the same complaint I’ve made every book – I really really really don’t like Reyes. Yes, he has saved Charley’s life repeatedly, but saving her life doesn’t entitle him to act the way he does. Saving her doesn’t mean he then owns her. Saving her life doesn’t then entitle him to do whatever he wants with her.

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Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50

Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? The end of Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones has me counting down to the 7th book!

Story Thoughts: Why am I always on the countdown with this series? I mean seriously I am usually annoyed with cliffhangers but each of these just leave me more intrigued (not annoyed). That being said, the main reason I love these is the mystery. Darynda would make a darn good cozy mystery writer should she ever decide to venture into that category. The mystery is often not easy to figure out and Charlie really has to work to get all her ducks in a row. The show more mystery solving is strong in that one (and Cookie too). While the Reyes/Charlie storyline is the backbone of the series, I do enjoy the Charlie/Cookie sleuthing time just as much (if not more).

Character Thoughts: Cookie, Uncle Bob, Rocket, and all the side characters are the rockstars to me in this series. Yes I love Charlie (still warming up to Reyes--I know everyone else LURVES him) but to me Charlie is better because of her family and friends! You can't go wrong with this cast of characters just trust me on that!

Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Lorelei King / Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Perfect combo! Can't go wrong!

Final Thoughts: Counting down once again! show less

*Book source ~ Library

It’s only been a few weeks since yet another deranged person, place or thing has tried to wipe Grim Reaper Charley Davidson from the face of planet Earth, but she’s hard at work again attempting to solve cases for her PI business, drooling over her sexy soon-to-be-affianced son of Satan AKA Reyes and trying to get her best friend laid by Uncle Ubie. That last one she doesn’t want to think about too closely lest it squick her out. In addition, she’s working a 30-yr-old cold case, trying to get a client’s soul back, worrying about her dad, finding a missing woman before one of her friends gets iced, figuring out her powers, deciphering a prophecy and juggling her Reaper duties. No worries. This girl has mad show more skillz. Right?

Six books in and this series is still going strong. I love, love, love Charley & Co. Charley is a delight as always, Reyes is yumminess personified, Cookie is the bestest of best friends and every other character (no matter how minor) has depth and nuance not usually seen in a book let alone a series. The things Charley has to deal with are numerous and yet nothing gets ignored or short-changed. Somehow, she pulls things together though she gets hurt yet again and then does something, several somethings, that implies they will have drastic effect on future books. I do have to say, I’m getting a little tired of certain people telling Charley that she has to learn some of this shit “in her own time/way” because, well, do they know her at all?!

My curiosity is off the charts for what is coming because I know it will be big. There are many loose threads dangling that I’m itching to pull and yet the big picture is slowly revealing itself. More! Must have more! Thank the Book Gods there will be another book out this year. *sighs in relief* show less

Yep, I'm on the bandwagon with all the lovers of this series. I may have begun loving it because it's so geeky and Albuquerque everything and the bumper stickers and the t-shirts are just too spot-on memory-lane for me not to gush over them, but I stay because I've fallen in love with Charley.

She DEFINITELY has a death wish. Her snark alone makes her deserve anything that's coming to her, and that's including the end reveal(s) of this novel.

Fortunately, for a Grim Reaper to have a Death Wish is all kinds of funny. Not even Funny-Funny, but more Groan-Funny, and the way these women fawn over the son of Satan? Let's not go there. Or go there much.

Strangely enough, we finally got some interesting and DIFFERENT sex scenes. Because I know show more there's a huge percentage of the lovers of this UF that are ALL in it for the sex, I won't disparage them, but I did have to mention that it got... INTERESTING. Rather than just explosion this and explosion that. :)

But jeeze. That end. Not the END END spoiler, but the one in the mental institute. ; ; *sigh* show less

There's nothing more enjoyable than listening to a Charley Davidson book. Charley is such a fun and sarcastic and smart heroine. Charley knows she bumbles around but she also figures things out. She doesn't need anybody to take care of her but it sure is nice having Reyes Farrow and her rottweiler. What impresses me most about this series is that I'm on book six and never tire of listening to them and always come out of one thinking they are too short. I laugh, I cry, I get tense. All the things I look for in a book. And Lorelei King is the perfect narrator.

Another winner from Darynda Jones. This has quickly become one of my favorite series. I never get tired of the characters. They all bring their own brand of fun to the story. Charley continues to make me laugh out loud as I read but she also wears her heart on her sleeve, often putting the needs of others above her own. She still ends up in every possible bad situation and this just makes the book even harder to put down. Reyes, her almost fiance, is a perfect mix of deep, dark, and deadly and incredibly hard to resist. We did get to learn a bit more about him in this book and I found it hard at times to remember he was the son of Satan because he was so protective and caring toward Charley and her friends. Finally, I can't forget to show more mention Cookie, Uncle Bob, Artemis, and Angel. I love them all, every one.

There is plenty of action in this book and things are definitely escalating. In addition to Charley's obsession with coffee, the naked ghost in her jeep, the ghost stuck to her face, and Mr. Wong in the corner of her apartment, it is easy to see that something big is on the horizon, something big and bad. The main case Charley works in this book is locating a demon who has taken a man's soul. He wants it back and she vows to help him. In addition, she and Garrett are also trying to figure out what the prophecies about her and Reyes really mean and it isn't looking good. We have been leading up to a big event since the beginning and I feel we are getting closer to finding out what that event is going to be. I can only hope that whatever crisis these characters face, even if it is the possibility of the end of the world, that they somehow come through it together.

Even with all of these ominous clouds of doom approaching, I did laugh out loud often as I read, probably even more than in the other books. I could make huge lists of favorite Charley Davidson sayings and laugh over and over again every time I read them. I continue to love the t-shirt and bumper sticker sayings at the beginning of each chapter. My favorite one in this book being, "I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure." I also loved when the ghost of Miranda stuck herself to Charley's face and Charley says, "and for the love of pancake syrup, get her off of me!" I could go on and on but I'll control myself...

In all seriousness, this series is truly enjoyable. If you like paranormal romance with attitude and you haven't tried this series yet, please pick up First Grave on the Right. I promise, you will not be sorry. show less

I continue loving this series, Charley is such a great character and the author has done a terrific job balancing the book's plot along with the overall series plot and both are moving along nicely. Charley and most of the characters are really funny and the book needs that with such dark plots. If the characters weren't so enjoyable the books would become depressing.