I loved this series and can't wait for more! The MC had me at page one.

Sometimes it’s good to read all the books in the same que as they are published, but this is not the series. I have read the books in totally random order (as I have gotten them from Netgalley) and it’s not a problem at all, that I do not know what has happened in the beginning or in a middle. And at the moment I have the first book to read.

So how did it all start? Not from the moment when Charley hears and sees the first dead of from the moment that she learns that she’s the grim reaper, no, all those things happened the moment she was born and her fist customer was her mother, but there was somebody else too. That somebody else has always been around here helped her but still somehow, she is afraid of him/it. But lately this thing has been visiting her nightly and those hot nights … But when he appears to her also while she’s awake, she gets more information about him, about his incarcerated and unconscious status and a clue that she might have met him about ten years earlier.

But besides her dealings with her “wet dream guy” she also has a customer who is in prison and a case of couple of missing teenagers. She has no moment to relax since every case has do date and so she involves everybody around her into solving these mysteries, her friends, relatives and friendly ghosts.

And so she rescues Reyes, remembers tome things about herself and solves the crimes she was hired to solve. But this is just the beginning.

I love the way how Charley’s stories haw the hot but refined sex scenes and smart humor and every chapter begins some smart expression from a pamper sticker or T-shirt of on later version from meme or … it’s fascinating and entertaining. So all I have to do now is to find time to read all the 13 books in between, but maybe not in a row and not all at once :).

Among the elements most readers expect in a paranormal romance is an interesting heroine, maybe some humor, some interesting side characters, of course the fantasy element, and most of all the object of the romance: the hero.

For a lot of readers, the hero has to be broody and mysterious as well as drop-dead hot, maybe even brutal. Not for me. My ideal hero can hold his own in witty banter, rather than grunting one word sentences, tender rather than brutal, trusting and trustworthy rather than a seeming rapist.

Well, this book has got the second kind of guy, who comes on stage in the early chapters by giving Charley Davidson, PL who also recognizes the dead, hot sex in her dreams. He's mysterious and threatening, has an angsty, angry past, and seems to be a villain but Charley just knows that he is really a hero because of those out-of-body visits. If you like that kind of guy, you can join the millions of happy readers of this successful series.

I don't, but I read this book anyway, because the narrative voice was so funny, I loved Charley's female friends, and her paranormal powers were so intriguing. There is a mystery involved, which mostly gets resolved, but then a bigger one is set up at the end, launching a series.

A well-written, funny, action-packed book! Charley Davidson is a full-time Grim Reaper and because the dead people come to her when they die in less than ideal circumstances she helps them find justice. With a little romance thrown in this book had me laughing and I did not want to put it down. As the first in the series it did a great job hooking you in to the characters even though it can be read as a standalone story.

This was a well-written, funny, action-packed book. Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Dead people come to her. Sometimes they died under "less than ideal circumstances" and they want her to help them find justice. She also been having some very hot dreams about an Entity who has been following her all life. She starts to think he might not be dead - and he might not be human either. This book had me laughing out loud and I couldn't put it down. It can be read as a standalone story, and it is also the first in a series featuring Charley. I am going to go read the rest of the books in this series as soon as possible.

The Charley Davidson series is one I have been hearing about for some time often referred to with lots of superlatives and much praise. Charley certainly is an interesting woman; her role as a grim reaper is to help the dead pass into the light. Some of these recently departed folks have an unresolved problem or issue. They want Charley’s help before going on to the next plane. Using her PI license, Charley solves murders and mysteries for the living and dead alike. Her irreverent style and sassy mouth make this book a lot of fun which is no small thing because really, death is far from amusing. Charley’s version of a grim reaper in this tale is the antithesis of the more familiar scary specter figure which speaks to Darynda Jones’ talent as a story teller. Charley’s compassion for the families of those she helps does challenge her mental and physical well-being. Adding to that, her talents complicate the relationship with her landlord father who knows she is different. Along with her detective Uncle Bob who is also aware of her talents, Charley aids the police in her spooky way with some very serious cases.

Charley’s also dealing with her own personal haunting by a man or some type of being who has recently been visiting her dreams every night in a sensual way. He is much more real than something from her imagination as she met him years before. This dark and dangerous Reyes Farrow is quite an enigma who captivates her; she is determined to figure him out. Although Charley is a supernatural herself, she still has much to learn about that world.

This unique tale is a fun combination of humor, mystery, romance, and some interesting storylines that are vastly entertaining and fresh in the often crowded paranormal romance, urban fantasy world. I really look forward to reading the next in the series and am very happy several books are already published. Not much makes me cheerier in the reading world than to find a new to me series that promises such a continued good time.

WOW, why have I not read this book sooner!!! Fantastic, sexy, funny and just flat out AWESOME!!!! I loved everything and I feel like there is no way this ends like this, can't wait to read more. Where is this going?.... where can this go?.... so many questions but definitely not a full on cliffhanger, just a teaser.

Darynda Jone's First Grave on the Right is not a cozy mystery but it is much more. Charley Davidson is not your typical PI. She is also the Grim Reaper. The dead come to her usually for her help. As the Grim Reaper she is a portal to life after death. Not only does she help the dead but she also assists her Uncle Bob who works for the Albequerque Police Department solve murders. There is more than a few touches of the paranormal. Seeing the dead is one thing but then there is "The Big Bad" and Reyes. Throw in a little HOT sex paranormal style and you have a sizzling mystery. Definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the other books in this series. (ARC) #Paranormal, #PI, #Spirits, #Mystery

I was completely engaged I felt for Charley and I needed to know what happened! If you love paranormal supernatural romance mystery series don't miss this one! Now I need to know more on Reyes on to book 2 toodles!

I'd been hearing about this series for quite some time now and just hadn't had the chance to read it yet. WHY did I wait so long to dive in? This was an amazing start to what I presume is an amazing series! I absolutely love Charley and her family drama along with her cases.

This is my second book from this author! I am sorry, but I still find this book a little cheesy!

Charley Davidson is the grim reaper, which means she sees dead people and helps them “go into the light.” But since that doesn’t pay anything, she’s also a PI who uses her dead-people skills to help her cop uncle with his cases and also bartends at her ex-cop dad’s bar. When three lawyers from the same law firm are murdered, Charley’s Uncle Bob calls her in. Can Charley help solve the case before more people end up dead? And does it have any connection to the mysterious dream lover who’s been haunting her for the past month?

I liked Charley’s attitude. She’s hilarious and acts like she doesn’t take anything seriously. Sometimes her quirks got a bit annoying, but her reactions are explained by her (slowly revealed) back story. I especially liked the gradual reveal of her history. As you’re reading, you get hints about why her relationships with her family and most people are antagonistic, but it’s not until near the end of the book that you get the full story and start understanding how strong and resilient Charley is.

Now, for the negatives. There was definitely a hint of the “I’m so hot, everyone wants me!” trope, which I personally can’t stand, but it was not egregious enough to stop me from reading. I also have reservations about the main love interest, since it felt like a lot was revealed about his identity towards the end of the book and not really dealt with, but I’m hoping that is explored further in the next book. Also, the plot is… well, it’s a bit of a mess. It flips back and forth between investigating the murder of the three lawyers and figuring out the identity of her dream lover with a speed that gave me whiplash.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book, mostly thanks to Charley’s humor. It’s a light, fun read, basically book candy. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for an urban fantasy/paranormal romance mash-up with lots of sarcasm and humor.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a good long while to get into this book. I'm not sure why. It wasn't poorly written or anything like that, and normally, I like books in this vein, but this one, in particular... I just never could really get into it. I finally did finish it, and overall, it was a pretty decent book, but I did not just love it like I was expecting that I would.

I think maybe this book was part of a series (and not book #1 in that series), and so maybe THAT was why I could not get into it... I'm not sure.

I DID, however, like the character of Charley. She's got that perfect mixture of bad-assedness meets vulnerable enough that she doesn't annoy you. Ha. And I liked the idea of a chick who can help solve crimes because she can talk to the murder victims and find out what happened to them.

I wasn't really feeling the whole "will they? won't they?" with Garrett though. I know he's supposed to be this gorgeous man who doesn't like our heroine but then, eventually, has a change of heart and falls for her and you find out he's been treating like garbage because he's really been looking out for her this whole time and yada yada yada.... but to me, he just kind of came off as a giant asshole. So no. I wasn't feeling him or his relationship with the main character.

All in all, it was a solid three star book, I suppose. I guess I was just hoping for a little something more.

One of the BEST books I've read in years! Grim reaper Charley Davidson is my new she-ro! She's LAUGH OUT LOUD hilarious. As a PI she helps the depated tie up loose ends while working with her homicide detective uncle Ubie, her bestfriend Cookie and a host of ghosts. I literally didn't want to put this book down. Before the end I made sure to purchase the next two in the series to binge read.

Thanks to NetGalley I've been able to review a super book and am now addicted to a new series.

I don't know how I missed this series. It's funny and has a good mystery for you to follow and solve. Charley, short for Charlene , is a PI in her spare time since she is the Grime Reaper. She helps ghosts through to the other side and since she is a brilliant white light they flock to her for help. When three lawyers are found dead she is called to the scene by the police, her uncle being in charge. Great story line and I'm already reading the next book. There are already 13 or more on the market as several short stories in anthology's are listed. Way to go Darynada Jones.

I’m sitting here not quite sure what to say about First Grave On The Right. Did I like it? Why yes, yes I did. It was funny and witty, and interesting. But…sometimes, well most of the time actually, it was just too freaking much.

Charlie is one of those characters I absolutely, positively should have loved. And I did like her a lot. She was fearless when it came to doing what needed to be done. She didn’t think things through at times, but her heart was usually in the right place. Unfortunately, she had the attention span of a gnat and was constantly cracking one-liners either verbally or in her head. At first, it was funny, then it was annoying which quickly turned into overkill.

What didn’t make sense to me the most about Charlie (and I say “the most” because that girl was a mess) was her job as the Grim Reaper. She was the gateway to the other side. Most people pass through quickly, but some stick around for reasons of their own and she has to help them finish their business and head on out to the hereafter. Sounds cool huh? And it is. But there is only one of her in the entire world. Do you know how many people die each day and this chick is the only gateway to the other side? She wouldn’t have time to eat her Wheaties to keep her strength up much less come up with all her one-liners. And that’s even before you consider how many of us have unfinished business. It was like the black hole of plot holes for me.

Reyes was the main love interest. I’m not going to say hero, because well, he only said one word throughout most of the book and he wasn’t quite…solid. He just glowered, grunted, and acted all mysterious and badass. Oh, and he made Charlie horny as all get-out every time he popped into a room. We got clues here and there and eventually an info dump as to who and what he was, well kind of. Actually, now that I think about it, he was just as much a mess as she was.

Aside from Reyes and his issues, there was what was supposed to be the main mystery: who killed three lawyers and why (except it was constantly put on the back burner for the whole Reyes things because ghostly orgasms are more important than solving who killed some lawyers). The book kept jumping back, forth and all around which issue Charlie was working on, making it hard to keep up what was going on. I was up for the task, but it annoyed the crap out of me.

The characters were interesting and I actually liked most of them. I did think Charlie was too forgiving of her stepmother’s behavior and I thought her Dad was a POS for allowing the evil witch to act like she did toward his daughter. Her Uncle Bob was my favorite, and I liked Cookie too.

I know it sounds as if I didn’t enjoy the book, but I did. Even though the jokes and snark were way overdone and came off as trying too hard, a lot of them were funny and had me cracking a smile. Huge plot holes aside, I loved the idea of this story. I did my best to put my blinders on and just settle in for the ride and ended up having fun with it. I’ve heard the books get better and better as they go along, so I do plan on snagging the next one at some point and seeing where this goes.

Rating: 3.5 Holy Snark Overload, Batman! Stars

Ever read a book where you are almost peeing your pants laughing because it is hilarious? That is exactly what First Grave on the Right did to me. I couldn’t stop laughing. I read the book laughing and with a permasmile. After the last couple of weeks that I had, 2 out of my 3 kids were sick, I needed to read this book.

First Grave on the Right starts off with Charley being woken up after a couple of hours of sleep to go to a crime scene. Charley has some unique abilities. She is able to talk to the dead and she is able to guide them towards the light. She calls herself a grim reaper and in retrospect, she is. Charley ends up getting involved in an investigation that will push her to her limit. The other major plotline is Charley and her unique connection to a man named Reyes Farrow. Charley must solve the crime, find out exactly who and what Reyes is and keep herself from being killed. Which is not easy since she attracts danger like trash attracts flies.

Charley has to be the snarkiest woman that I have read in a long while. Her outlook on life and her gifts was hilarious. While she was snarky, it was a front. She was still that little girl who was berated for using her gifts in public. Her father did nothing while his wife did her best to break Charley and in my eyes, that made him as bad with his wife. Charley did have a wonderful support system, alive and dead. Her biggest protector was an entity called Big Bad. Big Bad was present at her birth and he has protected her since then. Her trust issues with friends were well founded too. The scene where she opened up to Cookie was heartwarming and sad. All I have to say is thank you that Cookie took everything Charley said and believed her.

There is only one sex scene in this book. But, there is lead up to it. I mean, Reyes visited Charley every chance he got and he tormented her before leaving. When they finally did the dead, holy crap. I swear that I saw fireworks go off, it was that hot. Of course, seeing that Reyes was incorporeal, I did wonder how they managed to do it….lol.

The action scenes in this book were fantastic too. I did like that the author chose to portray Charley as human. She had to take time to somewhat heal before going out to do the next outrageous thing. It made the book more believable and likable to me.

The end of the book shocked me. It also set up for book 2. Once I catch up with my backlog of reviews, I will be reading the rest of this series!!

First Grave on the Right was a humorous read. It had snappy dialogue, a main character that cracked me up and plotlines that were fantastic. This is a series that will definitely be worth my time reading.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language, violence, sex

I would like to thank Jones, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review First Grave on the Right.

All opinions stated in this review of First Grave on the Right are mine.

I received no compensation for this review

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

A big thank you to NetGalley for the copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I read this book years ago 2011 when it first came out . I loved it then and rereading it brought back fond memories. I rate this a 4.5. I think most readers would enjoy this book. It's the first in a good series. Enjoy

Charley Davidson has the most unique voice I've ever come across. At first, I thought she was just another Sookie Stackhouse, but she's much more than that. She's definitely sassy, but in this book she really starts doing a lot of soul-searching (pun intended). She's starting to find out the extent of what she's capable of.

I can't say this is a piece of fine literature, but that's not really what it's about. First grave on the right is a fun introduction to some concepts of death, but it's also just a fun ride to see what she'll do or say next.

This book has a little bit of everything, paranormal, suspense, mystery, hints of romance, an intriguing story line that keeps readers wanting to know more and a main character that is snarky and vulnerable which has readers wanting to get better acquainted.

Charley Davidson’s character seems to have her life together, she’s a private investigator who consults with cops occasionally but she also has a secret side; she’s the grim reaper and unfortunately while she knows a little, there seems to be a whole lot that she doesn’t know about which adds a lot of intrigue but also makes her character vulnerable and one that readers can relate to. She has a snarky attitude and she’s full of pizazz which readers can’t help but like. The story hints at some hot and heavy chemistry with a shadow character that Charley’s not real sure is even real which adds even more suspense to a story that already has plenty and then there are a bunch of secondary characters that are every bit as fascinating as Charley who add quirkiness, laughs and drama.

An original storyline that hooks readers from the get go and the intrigue just keeps coming with twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats and unable to put the book down. A bit of mystery, a bit of action, well-written characters and quite a bit of dramatic interaction plays a big part in this book, add in a few laughs and readers never have dull moment.

Overall, the author does a fantastic job of engaging the readers with the multiple sub-plots, wonderful characters and a series opener that promises a phenomenally great time and I am looking forward to reading more of Charley’s adventures. Did I mention that I really love her name?