The Curse of Tenth Grave (Charley Davidson, #10)

by 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...

• ISBN10: 1466890517
• ISBN13: 9781466890510
• Publish Date: 28 June 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: St. Martin's Press
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

I love when we get answers and my mind snaps the puzzle pieces into place. The Curse of Tenth Grave does just that. So many answers! Jones reveals the significance to the names Angel writes. Total Mindgasm!

Jones does a wonderful job of refreshing our memories about the climatic events that occurred at the end of Dirt on Ninth Grave. Not that this reader needed refreshing, my jaw was still hanging open catching flies but it was lovely just the same.

Charley learned troubling things about Reyes and it is weighing heavily on her. Not to mention the separation anxiety she is facing regarding Beep. Their return has created a little distance between Reyes and Charley. I hated seeing this couple having marital trouble but between the stress they are under and those blasted prophecies, it wasn't hard to imagine.

Charley is working cases and as always, her life is crazy. She has folks stalking hers and trying to clear the name of murder suspect. In addition she is dealing with a blackmailer. Charley concerned Reyes might go nuclear has to decide whether to share information she learned with him. Jones created a great spin to this thread. I laughed when everything is revealed. Each of these threads was well done and laced with the danger, humor, and intense revelations.

Jones is a masterful storyteller and despite all that is going on I never felt overwhelmed. In fact, quite the opposite happened. The outside world slipped away and I completely lose myself in the story. Let us hope the Charley Davidson series never comes to Netflix because I would be a couch potato mindlessly sipping coffee and watching episodes for hours.

While reading Dirt on Ninth Grave I did not feel like we gained a lot of information towards the overall arc. After reading Curse of Tenth Grave I realized Jones revealed some significant information and Tenth clarified them. We have always known Reyes is the son of Satan, but in Tenth, we learn of his beginnings and life before he came to this plain. A certain promise made by Reyes to Michael has me a tad nervous. We had an intense scene that will leave readers wiping tears from their eyes.

Always the master juggler thanks to copious amounts of coffee Charley has a handle on things. Even if it feels like things are totally out of control. She is fearless and at reckless but she gets things done. She places a friend in jeopardy who plays a significant role in the future. I am curious about this friend and cannot wait to uncover their secrets.

Jones gives us plenty of romantic time despite all the nonstop action. She left me happy at least for the moment. Once again Jones fed my craving for this world, giving me all the feels from laughter to tears with a few swoons for good measure.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

After we spent all of The Dirt on the Ninth Grave in Sleepy Hollow, in The Curse of the Tenth Grave, we are back in Albuquerque. Charley has her memory back and has learned a lot of new things that she didn’t know before she got amnesia. Some of these things weigh heavily on her shoulders, but as per usual Charley, she doesn’t let them get her down.

The case in this book is brought to Charley by a prosecutor who knows someone who is arrested for murder. The case against him is solid as solid could be. However, he didn’t do it. Oh, and there is no body, just a car with lots and lots of the victims blood. Charley has been brought in because she is the only one who can solve this case. It takes her a while, but she does figure it out as always and it was a surprise to find out what happened.

Also, there is a young girl who hangs out not far from the restaurant and Charley’s office. She is a homeless runaway and Charley sees that she is taking food from a guy down the street, who isn’t known for being a nice guy. When Charley starts to talk to her, she learns that the girl ran away from a foster house where many kids have died over the years. She is convinced that the house is cursed and that she is next. Charley decides she needs to take up this case as well.

On top of all of that, Reyes has pulled away from Charley and they are having some communication issues. Charley even moves in with Cookie and UB for a little bit. Add in the loss of Beep and this makes things a little stressful for our grim reaper. Oh, should I mention that we learn a lot more about Rocket and his names?

I don’t want to say anymore. There are several things that could be spoilers to some people. Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I continue to love the humor in this series. I love watching the cases that Charley and Cookie work on and see them solve in amazing ways. I love that Cookie does some amazing investigative work, even though she has no super power. I am a little frustrated that Charley and Reyes continue to have these communication issues. They spelled out a lot of their secrets in this story. I hope they don’t start to build up again.

If you’re looking for a fun paranormal series with a TON of humor, some great sleuthing, a super hot hero and a heroine that doesn’t always need a hero to come to her rescue, but is great at getting herself into trouble, Charley Davidson is a great series for you. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it.

“Let me get this straight. You have no intention of telling me what’s wrong. You don’t want to talk about whatever is wrong. And you’re going to let me continue to believe I’ve done something horrible before you’ll open up. Even if, say, I restrain you? Force it out of you?”
“The only thing you are going to force out of me under the confinement of restraints is an orgasm.”
Finally! “So, you’d be open to my restraining you for my own sexual pleasure?”
“Wide open.”
“And, it would be something you’d enjoy?”
“Who wouldn’t?”

Narration
This is a series that I started out on audio. I knew that I liked Lorelei King from listening to the Mercy Thompson series. So when I saw that my library had First Grave on the Right, I gave it a try several years ago. I’m so glad that I did. I’ve only ever listened to this series and I will continue to do so as long as Lorelei King continues to narrate it. She does an amazing job of bringing out the humor of the series. I love her voices for all the different characters, both men and women. She is able to make me laugh and cry with the characters. If you’ve never given Ms. King a try, I can’t recommend her narration enough.

**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[littleread1]

... With every book I hope I see the relationship between Reyes and Charlie make sense. And with every book I am disappointed. It seems so ... superficial. If someone asked me why she loved him, I would say it's because he is apparently the most beautiful being to ever grace this planet. I think maybe the focus is always too much on his looks and not enough on anything else. It's more the pretty boy with the tough past with a golden heart. But there isn't any substance to him. I am not sure if that is because we are seeing things totally from Charlie's POV and she is just shallow or if maybe I skipped a book somewhere (I didn't) or what, but it just isn't sincere to me.

That being said, there is a lot of humor in these books, and that is probably the only reason I will continue. Though if the series continues on for much longer I will probably just walk away. I don't like never-ending series.

[MurderByDeath]

Ah, this is much better.  We're back in New Mexico, Charley's home and she has more than a couple of very cool cases.  She's owning who she is in a rather fabulous way; neither all good nor all bad and only either when it's necessary.   

The only bee in my bonnet was the whole relationship let's-not-talk-about-what's-bothering-us trope, and it was followed up by what should have been a fabulous scene consisting of several pages of Charley and Reyes talking everything out and uh...other stuff.  In fairness, it was a good scene, but at that point I was itching to move the mythological story line along, so it was definitely my impatience, not Jones' failure.  On a side note, I'm totally going to use the Twister idea the next time my nieces are fighting (read the book; it's not as weird as it sounds).   

Jones kept me waiting for the mythology, but when she delivered she delivered big.  Fascinating stuff, tons of reveals, although it seems she's going further than just stretching classical biblical mythology, using it instead as a springboard for a much larger polytheistic mythology of her own.  I think she's missed the point of Jehovah's true nature, but I'm still on board - I want to see if she'll take forgiveness as far as it actually goes.  Lots of good theological conversation starters here.   Can't wait for 11!

[Berls]

NO!!!!!! Talk about a cliff! I've been waiting to hear more since that little nugget was dropped way back when and we get it just to be left! I need January to be hear now.... So good!

I love that Reyes and Charlie were struggling in this book - it felt very authentic for this moment in their relationship. And OMG, it's still just so hilarious. And great mystery as always. Can't wait for more.

[EBookObsessed]

This series is sexy, fun and addictive. We can’t get enough to Charlie Davidson and Reyes Farrow. Charley is back in New Mexico and back to doing what she does best — getting into trouble.

Charley’s bout of amnesia is over and she has returned to Albuquerque, New Mexico with all her friends. You would think returning to your old life should be as easy as putting on your favorite pair of slippers, but life has changed significantly for Charley since she walked out her front door almost a year ago. She now has a daughter that she had to give up for her own protection. Charley’s light is a beacon to the dead and to all the malicious supernaturals out there. Satan and his minions still want to get their hands of the baby girl who is destined to bring him down.

She has also picked up several secrets before she left New York. She has in her pocket a god glass which can trap even the most powerful celestial beings, and she might just have to use it on the father of her child. Charley learned that Satan used the god glass to trap one of three Gods of Uzan. He chose the most evil and powerful of these gods, Rey’azikeen, to create his son, known here on earth as Reyes Alexander Farrow. Charley fears more than anything else that she has faced that once Reyes remembers that he was a god, he will become a danger to their daughter and she might just be forced to trap him forever in a hell dimension.

You would think that once she remembers her own celestial name, she would have garnered knowledge of all her celestial abilities and the power to wield them. That and $4.50 will get you a mochachinno. In a human form, even the fact that Charley was a goddess in another dimension doesn’t allow her to wield unlimited power. Not fair, right.

Well, ignoring the possible apocalypse and overwhelming amounts of angels and demons who want to rumble in Albuquerque, Charley Davidson Investigation is back in business. She finally has a case but there is something very fishy about the fact that the ADA has hired her to investigate a murder charge on behalf of the defendant. Nick Parker is so certain that the defendant didn’t kill his girlfriend that he is even willing to hire Charley to find out who did. While Nick and Charley aren’t BFF’s, Charley does agree that Lyle Fiske is innocent. That doesn’t yet give Charley the answers that she needs: if Lyle didn’t kill his girlfriend, who did and why is ADA Parker so certain he didn’t do it?

Charley’s life might not be exactly as she left it a year ago, but one thing never changes, when trouble arrives, and it will, Charley will be right in the middle of it all.

THOUGHTS:
Darynda Jones once again delivers the goods on our favorite grim reaper. While things have changed significantly for the characters in the lat few books, this story brings us closer to the Charley Davidson we knew and loved from the beginning of the series.

While I enjoy a good Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, in this series I enjoy Charley just being the quirky, ditsy character that she is, blended with her ability to see and work with the deceased. Even making Reyes the son of Satan didn’t distract from the nice blend of investigation and paranormal fun. The last few books with Charley’s pregnancy, and throwing prophecies, celestial beings, archangels, gods from other dimension, it is all mucking up the fun and intriguing story lines. while none of that is going to go away, since that is now the underlying focus of the series, this story is more reminiscent of her first several stories and the focus is mostly on Charley and her investigations.

The one complaint that I had through the beginning of the story was the strain between Charley and Reyes. Charley keeps harping that she isn’t sure she can trust Reyes since he was created from an evil god and what if he tries to hurt Beep. Really?? This man hasn’t already proven that even though he’s the son of Satan he is firmly in Charley and Beep’s corner? Then she keeps complaining that Reyes is pulling away from her when she is the one constantly giving him the side-eye and pulling away from him. Reyes has always feared that Charley would walk away from him once she knew who she truly was. In Ninth Grave, being with and near Reyes, doesn’t trigger Charley to remember who she is and now in Tenth Grave, Charley is distrustful and standoffish of Reyes. Of course, Reyes is pulling away. He believes that Charley doesn’t want anything to do with him now that she knows who she is, just like he predicted.

This is the kind of sudden distrust that should be the end of Charley and Reyes once it comes out. All Reyes’s secrets have to do with protecting Charley, whether from demons, hellhounds or evil gods. Charley distrusts Reyes’s loyalty because she found out that he was created from an evil god. He still was the son of Satan before she found out about the god thing. Just because she knows now, that changes what? She is also keeping the fact that he is a god and the fact that she has access to a hell dimension in case she needs to trap Reyes there forever. I think Reyes should be offended that she doesn’t trust him after all they have gone through together.

See more at EBookObsessed.com

[Cocktails and Books]

A solid entry into the Charley Davidson series. Charley wasn't as funny this time and some of the maturity I saw in the last 2 seemed to drift away a bit, but she was still Charley. Her relationship with Reyes still makes me smile. Full review to come.

[Linda]

Both the action and the romance came back to the forefront in this 10th installment, and I have to say Charlie had more than one difficult decision to make. And live with...