Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson, #5)

by Darynda Jones

[EBookObsessed]

Women are flocking to Charley’s Dad’s bar and something has got them in a tizzy. There are also women flocking to Charley’s apartment, but these women are all deceased and apparently all traumatized. There is a serial killer on the loose and Charley needs to get some answers from one of the victims before her sister, Gemma is next.

Charley Davidson is a private investigator and grim reaper. She can speak to the departed, which makes solving their deaths so much easier. Charley sometimes works with Uncle Bob, a detective with the Albuquerque Police Department to solve crimes.

NOTE: There might be small spoilers here on the emerging relationship between Charley and Reyes since the last book. You’ve been warned.

Women are flocking to Dad’s bar and men are hitting on Charley, at least one dead guy, and she’s trying to get the husband of a client to hit on her as well, but according to the dead guy, Charley’s not his type. So Charley moves to Plan C — Cookie. All is going well until the husband starts to smell a set up and Cookie ends up pulling a gun, in the middle of a bar full of off-duty cops. Could it get any worse?

Apparently, it could. Angel’s mother shows up in Charley’s office wanting to know why Charley is depositing money into her bank account each month, and Angel is adamant that Charley not tell her he is still around. His mother grieved for a long time and he doesn’t want her to suffer any more. But his mother is just as stubborn as Angel and she’s not letting go until she has answers.

When Charley visits Rocket, he is afraid to show her the name he’s written on his wall — Reyes. Alexander. Farrow. Reyes isn’t dead yet, but Rocket is certain he will be soon and Charley will do whatever is necessary to make sure that doesn’t happen.

The topper is when Charley gets back to her apartment, it is filled with women — dead women. All blonde, all traumatized. None of them will speak to her about when happened or speak to her at all but they are there for a reason and Charley needs to find out why because more show up every day and it’s getting hard to take a shower when a traumatized departed is already in your tub.

Charley makes a new friend. Unlike Quentin and her friend Pari, this woman doesn’t see dead people, she experiences their deaths as if they were her own. Charley is hoping she will be able to lead Charley to the serial killer, especially when it looks like the serial killer is eyeing Gemma as his next target, Charley puts herself in the way and it doesn’t go well for Charley.

THOUGHTS:
Another mix of fun, sex and torture for Charley. It is not easy being the heroine in an Urban Fantasy.

Reyes has a thing for post-it notes in this story and it’s adorable that he keep leaving them all over for Charley to find. The son of satan can be intimidating and cute too.