Review: First Grave on the Right

English Cover

German Cover

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‚First Grave on the Right‘
by Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson # 1
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Synopsis:
Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.  (Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
I’ve been looking forward to finally read this book, because of the wonderful cover and I had it on my wish list for such a long times, because I had already read great reviews. Often when I’ve high expectations of a book, I’m usually disappointed in the end, but to my luck here it wasn’t that case and my expectations were even exceeded.

I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot, but I would like to summarize it briefly to give a short insight:

Charley is a reaper and hence has from time to time amusing, as well as also sad, occurrences with dead people. Particularly with those, which can’t say goodbye to the world, because they have fallen victim to a murderer and would like to clear up their death or also hold on to other things in their former life.

Here it’s time for Charley to show up and in her case it’s also very handy that that her uncle Bob works as a cop in the homicide squad, and she can stand helpfully at his side – of course it’s also kind of practical that she just can ask the ghost by herself who has killed them. But in this book the current murder case is much more complicated and is more obscure than usually – add to that comes the fact that Charley isn’t able to get free from a mystifying ‘being’; a mysterious dark stranger, who constantly appears in her sexual dreams …

Okay, now at the latest everybody probably knows that this isn’t a YA book, but also contents more ‘explicit’ scenes and I’ve enjoyed every single one of them! 😉

However I’ve to admit that at the beginning I had some difficulties to get along with the writing style of Jones. It’s a little sloppy and rough and I just needed some time to get used to it, but as soon I got into the story and got to know the characters, I didn’t notice the writing style any more, it even fits perfectly to the plot, as well as to the whole atmosphere of the book.

Already like after a chapter it has started to please me very much and also all of the characters were really interesting and likeable. Above all of course the main character, called Charley, who was so funny I had to laugh so much and which will he leave nobody cold, but she is also stubborn or clumsy, though really sassy and likeable. But moreover she is tough; a fighter who can deal out but also take in and on top of that she shows charming qualities as well, so that you just have to take her in your heart.

I also found her scenes with her uncle Bob or with Garrett, one of the police officers, very interesting and amusing, by her cheeky tongue and her attitude not to mince matters.

But also the passages in which she meets with Reyes are great – okay, here some women will die for yearning 😉 – and all of them are top-class and will push you to read on feverishly from side to side and will leave you longingly on the couch.

But the book turns not only to be about erotic scenes or witty dialogues between the protagonists, but it also becomes really thrilling in the crime/ murder case Charley tried so solve together with her uncle and Garrett. By that Charley also gets in quite a lot of precarious and dangerous situation and these carry the reader away so fast that you won’t be able to put aside the book for just one minute.

The end leaves some things open for further books – luckily there are going to be another three parts – but there is no cliffhanger at the end which makes waiting more acceptable.

Cover:
Though I like also the English cover and there everyone sees immediately what it’s about, the German one is also just a ‘feast for the eyes’. I find the color wonderful, as well as the squiggly letters and the picture. It’s really gorgeous and one of the nicest covers of late.

All in all:
The book is an absolutely great prelude of the Charley Davidson series and which leaves you behind greedily for the next book. It’s absorbing thrilling, full of relish erotic and crazily funny – the perfect mix for a dreamlike reading pleasure.

Rating:
4,5 of 5 points – (soo awesome!)
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A huge THANKS for the reviewer’s copy to:

© Egmont Lyx

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Quotes:

Charley: „My fore-parts, as you so ineloquently 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.”
Garrett: „You named your breasts?“ I turned my back to him with a shrug. „I named my ovaries, too, but they don’t get out as much.”

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

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Succession:

# 1:     Darynda Jones – First Grave on the Right »»
# 1,5: Darynda Jones – For I Have Sinned (eBook)
# 2:     Darynda Jones – Second Grave on the Left
# 3:     Darynda Jones – Third Grave Dead Ahead
# 4:     Darynda Jones – Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet

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(© goodreads)

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About the author – Darynda Jones:
NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones won the 2009 Golden Heart® in the paranormal category for her manuscript FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. After the Golden Heart final, she pimped herself as best she could, landed an amazing agent and has sold 8 books to St. Martin’s Press. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons
(Source: goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »».

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