First Grave On The Right: Number 1 in series (Charley Davidson, #1)

by Darynda Jones

Private investigator Charlotte Davidson was born with three things: looks; a healthy respect for the male anatomy; and the rather odd job title of grim reaper. Since the age of five, she has been helping the departed solve the mysteries of their deaths so they can cross. Thus, when three lawyers from the same law firm are murdered, they come to her to find their killer. In the meantime, Charley's dealing with a being more powerful - and definitely sexier - than any spectre she's ever come across before. With the help of a pain-in-the-ass skip tracer, a dead pubescent gangbanger named Angel, and a lifetime supply of sarcasm, Charley sets out to solve the highest profile case of the year and discovers that dodging bullets isn't nearly as dangerous as falling in love.

• ISBN10: 0749956046
• ISBN13: 9780749956042
• Publish Date: 3 November 2011 (first published 1 February 2011)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Piatkus Books
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

Review appeared first on Fantasy is More Fun.

4.5 stars
I’ve owned First Grave on the Right on audio for what feels like FOREVER, but for some very stupid reason I didn’t read it until it came up as a selection for book club. Well thank goodness that made me read it! There was absolutely nothing about First Grave on the Right that I didn’t love – but I’m giving it 4.5 stars because I wasn’t quite blown away enough to push it to 5.

Charley is nothing like I expected – she’s THE Grim Reaper, that comes with certain dark, badass expectations. Even though that’s not her at all, I adore her. She gets into loads of trouble (she’s not exactly a badass LOL) and has a really sarcastic and somewhat inappropriate sense of humor. As in snark overload. But you love that, right? I know I adore a grim reaper that names her boobs “Danger” and “Will Robinson”!

Charley also has a HUGE heart. Having a heart like hers could be a liability when you have to deal with death so frequently, and it kind of is for Charley – remember all the trouble she gets into? – but I loved that she doesn’t let some pretty horrendous things keep her from caring.

And I just loved her dynamic with her best friend – Cookie. Cookie is Charley’s assistant at her private investigation firm, but she’s also just a GREAT friend. Charley’s life is far from normal and Cookie just excepts it. Sure she freaks out and mothers Charley when Charley almost gets herself killed (notice a theme –> Charley gets into a lot of trouble), but that’s what a good friend does.

And then there’s Reyes. So when I heard his name, I thought, “Ohhhh Reyes!” Needless to say I’ve heard all about Reyes but I didn’t realize he belonged to this series. Yes, I like Reyes. He earned some sighs from me too. But he didn’t illicit the reaction I thought he would, given the hype. That’s okay, because I still really like him and I’m super curious about him – he’s a bit of a twist in the plot all on his own, so I can’t say much without being spoilery.

The way this world works is neat – grim reaping is nothing like I expected. Charley has an awful lot of ghosts around her and I found myself thinking, “aren’t you supposed to reap those souls?” But it doesn’t work that way – Charley is really just that bright light souls pass through. They have to choose to pass through her – so she’s more of a gate than an actual active soul collector.

I really enjoyed First Grave on the Right and look forward to reading more. If you’re one of the few out there that haven’t read it like me – I’d recommend it, especially if you enjoy snark, a bit of paranormal woo-woo, a light (almost cozy) mystery, and some sexy fun! And I’d definitely recommend it on audio – Lorelei King nailed it! I think the personalities, humor, and snark really came to life BECAUSE if her reading. This will be audio only for me, for sure!

[nitzan_schwarz]

Originally published on my blog.

Wow, Charley Davidson's voice is one of THE best voices I've ever had the pleasure of reading!

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, but it was the gorgeous cover that convinced me to give it a try (and buy it). Once again, I am in debt to pretty covers.
Edit: I admit I no longer find this cover pretty. I've grown tired of faces on covers. Still, I'm thankful to my past tastes in book covers. 

With Charley Davidson, duh! 

Charley is the main character of the story and the one who tells it. Her narration is just so awesome! She is a Grim Reaper, and the least Grim person I've ever had the pleasure of reading of. In fact, how do the departed know to find her? She glows. Yes, folks - glows. Like looking into the sun, or a newborn galaxy or something (don't be jealous, Edward, it's okay to just sparkle.) She is sarcastic, hilarious, has a big case of ADHD (and I love every second of it), easily distracted, kind of silly and says so many quotable sentences she's to die for. Err, just don't take that literally...

"Maybe if I hovered over the pot, it would develop an inferiority complex and brew faster just to prove it could."

Charley also has so many near-death experiences she should be glad she is, in some ways, a messenger of death, or she wouldn't be alive now. And that would create quite a few problems, as she is the only grim reaper in existence. How exactly is she supposed to cross-over if she's not there to cross her over??? Wait. What happens when she dies? 

Then there is the rest of the cast, all absolutely fantastic; uncle Bob (Or Ubie, if you ask Charley), Swoops (sexy), Reyes (sex on a stick!!), Angel, Cookie, the Lawyers and more! Actually, this book probably has one of the biggest character set I've ever read of, but somehow Jones manages to include them all without getting us confused for a moment. That takes talent, folks! 

Maybe I needed sensitivity training. I once signed up for an anger management class, but the instructor pissed me off.

Reyes is the strongest love interest in the book, what with them having sex and all... in dreams. Yeah, don't expect me to explain that one. Let's just say they have a unique relationship. I think Reyes is great. We didn't get to see him much, but he's pretty sexy, hot, and sounds like a really good person, despite his past. But, c'mon, with a father like that, he was bound to have some mishaps, until he finally saw the light (literally and figuratively).  

As for the romance itself... I enjoyed it! Sometimes, the fact Charley says stuff like "she doesn't know what she'll do if he wasn't in this world" when she doesn't even really know him bugged me, and at others I could ignore that. It was one of the better handled stories with a kind of 'insta-love' feel for it, because the romance didn't take stage center much. 
Plus, the story was super hot, without being that explicit. 

My fore-parts, as you so eloquently put it, have names." I pointed to my right breast. "This is Danger." Then my left. "And this is Will Robinson. I would appreciate it if you addressed them accordingly.” 

I thought the plot was great; we had many angles and they all mixed together well and flowed perfectly. The whole pace of the book is very well done; it's not too quick but there are really no dull moments. Also, the world-building doesn't overshadow the plot, slow the story or takes from it, as sometimes it does. It's perfectly done!The story is fun, funny and light, though you can detect many dark undertones beneath it. Some parts of it, especially Charley's views on herself, are surprising and really sad. The whole situation with her stepmother is rather heartbreaking, and I hope that sometime along the series those two can patch up things a little.

Also, I love the title of the book, and the general theme for the series titles. It makes it so easy to know the books' order, and from a person who often gets frustrated with that at bookstores (being unable to tell which book comes first in a series), I think that is just fantastic!

Originally published on my blog.

[inlibrisveritas]

I’m so happy I finally got a copy of this book since I’ve been hearing good things about the series since it came out last year. I remember thinking I could hold off on it because it would be just another paranormal mystery series that I would have to catch up on, but now I’m a bit mad at myself for not grabbing this sooner.

The opening chapter gives you a good taste of what to expect from this book. Right away you get the snarky humor of Charley, a small teaser of heat, and a pretty good idea about what kind of trouble this woman can get into. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like Charley, she took a bit time to get use to but once I did she had me laughing out loud.Each of the characters clearly have their own personalities and I could imagine the whole cast with no real trouble. Cookie, Charley’s friend and assistant, was probably my favorite side character due to her own larger than life personality. Reyes is probably the quietest male I’ve seen in a book recently, but he definitely knows how to demand attention. I wish he had talked just a tad more but it’s rather clear he doesn’t need to, he’s got a whole lot going for him. The ghosts are fantastic and each one is just as vibrant as the living the characters in this book, in fact they are not much different…though some seem to have lost that control “filter” that keeps them from saying/doing hilarious things.

The plot of the book is pretty fast paced, and if I hadn’t been so lazy I probably would have finished this in a day or so. There isn’t much downtime so all of the big questions that pop up are answered within a reasonable time, and by the end of the book most things are tied up pretty good. The lore that the book uses is refreshingly different in some aspects, and it’s a tad complicated but the author does a good job at explaining everything. I definitely see this as a series I’ll continue to read and I’m super curious to see how things will play out for Charley and the gang.

[layawaydragon]

Interesting. Steamy. Not sure on continuing but not ruling it out either. Not bad, but Charlie can be irritating and the sex steals the focus suddenly. And of course, angels and demons are now are factor. *sigh*

[Amanda]

Original review: http://onabookbender.com/2012/05/16/audiobook-review-first-grave-on-the-right-by-darynda-jones/

For me, First Grave on the Right is like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum meets the paranormal. Except instead of being a bounty hunter (we’ll leave that to Garrett), Charley is a private investigator. Who can talk to the dead. Because she’s the grim reaper and all. I loved Charley’s world, and her being the grim reaper — the grim reaper being a bright light and the actual portal to heaven.

I love love love the voice of Charley. She’s got an attitude that won’t quit, and most people think she’s crazy (she can see dead people, after all) so she rolls with it rather than fights it. In fact, she’s so much fun that I’m looking forward to diving into the next book right away. The other characters are a ton of fun as well. And the ghosts!

Part of the reason why First Grave on the Right hit all the right notes for me is that it had a little bit of everything I love: mystery, romance, and the paranormal. Well, and it had quirky characters that you can’t help but love. PLUS, Charley Davidson’s name is a play on Harley Davidson, and Charley makes it work.

There were actually two separate storylines going on here: one regarding the mystery of who killed the three lawyers, and the mystery regarding Charley’s orgasmic dreams and the “big bad” who has been saving her all her life. Despite Charley’s crazy attitude, she has really been through a lot, and we did get a number of stories about Charley’s past and how these shaped who she became. The mystery was pretty standard — but well done — and the other, well, that was fascinating, and I hope we learn more about it in the next book. Even though we’ve learned a lot about Charley, it’s hinted that there’s more to know.

Audiobook specific: I think the Iron Druid Chronicles and Luke Daniels are like a double edged sword; they got me into audiobooks, but they’re a tough act to follow. I wasn’t quite as charmed by this narrator, especially regarding different voices, but it was still enjoyable.

[Melanie]

I listened to this as an audiobook. Great story. Fast paced. Nice to have something different. I have not done a book with a grim reaper before. There are some very funny spots, so it was great to have something fresh and funny. I haven't had a funny book in a while.

[elvinagb]

An interesting paranormal/romance. Charlie is a grim reaper/PI/police consultant helping her uncle solve crimes, helping her clients with problems and helping the dead cross over.

[liz089]

LOVED IT !

[MurderByDeath]

Well, based on the blurb I read, this is not the book I expected it to be. But it's MUCH better. While Charlie is a smart mouth with a bad attitude, the book is far more mature than it's 'chick-lit' blurb description would lead you to believe. Or at least the one I read. Great humour, a few sincere moments and very good plot lines kept me reading this book until I was finished. Luckily I was smart enough to buy the second one at the same time, so I can get right to reading it.

[Cocktails and Books]

Great first book in the series. Someone had said these were like a paranormal Stephanie Plum...so right.