Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones is a 2011 St. Martin’s Press publication.
When a friend of Cookie’s goes missing, Charley is on the case. However, Charley has a lot going on in her personal life right now, as well. Charley has absorbed the fact that Reyes is literally the son of Satan. But, right now, he is haunting her after leaving his corporeal body, with the intention of dying, and won’t tell her where his body is.
The mystery is great! Very solid, twisty, lots of big revelations. The other parts of the story are emotional and very tense. I was absolutely riveted. Of course, Charley’s trademark snark and wit are front and center and had me laughing out loud.
The ending is a bit controversial, which had me feeling conflicted. If that weren’t bad enough, the book ends with a cliffhanger. Thankfully, I’ve got book three already queued up and ready to go. Can’t wait to see what happens next!!
4 stars

Even though I had tons to read and other commitments this one was squeezed inbetween because I am addicted. Jumping into this one right after first one I follow her in her search for the one who boils her blood and makes her scream. She also has another case she is on but so much happens in this one you could get whiplash. Her character grows before your eyes with this one being another aspect she discovers. Her friend Cookie too is a hoot. Your blood will escalate you along with each page you turn but of all the ones who help her figure something out was a kicker. When she does you are stopped in midway with whatever you are doing stuck until the final word in this one stunned but sniffing out the next fix.

Still waiting to love this series and/or the characters, they each seem to take turns being ridiculous or dumb but then redeem themselves later so it's hard to stay mad too long, but I liked the plot of this one more than book one. There was something of a twist to the mystery/Murder of the Week and I loved that bit. It's still a bit OTT on the humour and is almost always not appropriate for the moment but it's also still kinda fun ish?

I have to say, though, I'm getting whiplash on the romance element because there's mystery tied up in there, too, and I don't know why Jones keeps including these total non-winning lines for Reyes to say to Charley because, um, not sexy and wow terrible. I don't know. It's probably misdirection and it's definitely keeping the suspense up but honestly it's also not making me root for them, sooo.

Honestly right now the highlight of this series (so far!) are all the interactions between Charley and her uncle. Those are just the best.

Terrible review is terrible.

I think I’m becoming addicted to this series. After reading book one and the first novella, I totally love all the quirkiness that is Charley, Cookie, Uncle Bob and the rest of the gang, which include the dead.

I enjoyed reading about this case and how it unfolded. As Charley is working her way to solve the mystery of a missing woman, she is also trying to help Reyes. Unfortunately, he doesn’t want her help and he gives her dire warnings along the way. I don’t want to give too much away but I will say that I absolutely love Reyes even though we see very little of him. This is much more about Charley with a touch of romance thrown in. That little bit makes me want so much more.

Laced with humor that tickles me every step of the way, it also has an intriguing storyline that kept me trotting along as fast as I could read. There are still so many things left unanswered and small particulars that I’m curious to see if they will affect future cases.

I’m definitely digging into the rest of the series with fingers crossed for more of Reyes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So this series is going to be up to number 13....and I just discovered it. Where the heck have I been?

I loved this. LOVED IT.

Charley is funny and snarky and my new alter ego.

The book is dark and hilarious and made me cry.

And now I'm reading them all.

I am in soooo much trouble.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Another exceptional installment in the Charley Davidson series! The heat is ramping up between Reyes and Charley, and it's not all romance. There's a lot of anger between them, and distrust. I'd never call this series a slow burn, but there is a level of acceptance that's moving slower than I anticipated.

In addition to that relationship, Charley has a lot of friends and loved ones, and I enjoy all of her interactions.

I'm a fan of urban fantasy and I love humorous books, how on earth I never heard of this series before ?
It's perfect: well written, humorous, with a great plot and wonderful characters.
A great discovery, I look forward to reading the other books in this series because this one was unputdownable.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC

Love the Charley Daniels series; Jones continues to write engaging plots and great characters. I always look forward to the next installment!

I received a free copy of SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT (Charley Davidson Book 2) by Darynda Jones in exchange for an honest review. The series is a mostly humorous urban fantasy mystery series. Charley Davidson, a private detective and a grim reaper, deals with the stress in her life by being deliberately absurd. In this installment, Charley has a full plate. She has to find her secretary’s friend, figure out why the friend went into hiding, discover who has been killing the friend’s acquaintances, and exonerate her friend’s husband in one of those deaths. Charley also has to find and save Reyes, who is missing, under siege, and completely resistant to any assistance. Plus, why is there a dead guy in the trunk of her secretary’s car?

This is a great series, and this was a great follow-up to the first book. This series does deal with some dark topics.

#SecondGraveOnTheLeft #NetGalley

Second in this amazingly funny series, the snark is to die for. lol (grim reaper joke). There are a lot of moving parts to these stories, which keeps the reader entertained and interested. Fun, good read.

I needed a pick me up on a gloomy day in New Orleans, so I turned to the entertaining snark of Charley Davidson!

In this installment, which takes place a week after the events of book one, Charley is investigating a missing person. She battles with faux FBI agents, hit men, and of course, some demons from hell all at the same as serving as the grim reaper. Her relationship with Reyes also takes an interesting turn.

The last few pages left me wanting more. I love reading this series--it’s a great mindless escape filled with witty banter, fun characters, and some romance. Such fun!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I adored the first book and could not get enough of this second adventure... the laughter, love and uniquely engaging bounds of family and friends make this series a must read. There is danger lurking around every corner, massive secrets that are hard to keep and wildly inappropriate thoughts that are too fun not to devour. What more could you want?

The mysteries in these books are interesting and I like Charley's family dynamics, but the romance is just...not my favorite. Reyes is kind of creepy and I don't feel the chemistry and it really ruins the series for me. The books also read as being pretty dated, and there are some casual racist undertones that aren't great (such as it being "at odds" with someone's "Asian appearance" that she has a southern accent....).

All I can say is I'm hooked on the Darynda Jones Charley Davidson Series. Funny , Sexy , Fast paced I absolutely adore the world Darynda has created for us . On to the next one... I Highly Recommend this series.

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones, is a fantastic mystery fun filled suspenseful romance! It’s about a woman named Charley who is a PI but also works with her uncle to helps solve crimes for the local police department. She is also the Grim Reaper! She is witty and strong and oh so funny with her relationship with her best friend Cookie. It is a book and series you can get lost in. It had me on a roller coaster of emotions because my heart broke for Charley and Reyes. They both deserve happiness. It definitely will keep you guessing at what’s going to happen next and leaves you wanting so much more out of their story. I am so excited to see what happens next with these characters, they have some sizzling Undnyable Chemistry! I am voluntarily leaving my honest review after reading this arc.

I read the first Charley Davidson and was charmed by the ditzy, madcap anti-Twilight feel of Charley’s life as a snarky, glow-in-the dark grim reaper crushing on Reyes, the son of Satan. I made the mistake of thinking the rest of series was the same superficial fluff - boy, was I wrong. This second visit to Charley’s world was full of sexy terror, secrets, and revelations. I can hardly wait to hit the next book.

Charley has been trying to figure out the mystery of Reyes’ whereabouts, not to mention the mystery of his who, what, and how. This is the son of Satan, people, and the guy who makes Charley twisted in the best kind of way:
Reyes had been calling me Dutch since the day I was born, and I had yet to find out why. He was like the desert, stark and beautiful, harsh and unforgiving, with the promise of treasure behind every dune, the allure of water hidden just beneath the surface.


Dead souls who haven’t passed to heaven! Sexy offspring of Satan! Family squabbles! The action is non-stop, and so is Charley’s mouth.
“There is only one thing in this universe [the demons] want more than human souls.”

“The breakfast burritos at Macho Taco?”


Reyes is fighting the demons who want Charley but Charley won’t let the demons have Reyes. Maybe because if Reyes’ corporeal body dies, he becomes the Antichrist. But Charley is also fighting for Reyes because she will always be tied to him and vice versa.
Reyes raised a gloved hand to my face. The heat that emanated from him caressed me like hot silk. “Kill you?” he asked, his velvety voice winding its way to my core. “That would be like smothering the sun.”


The epic battle at the end of this book shows Charley and Reyes’ story is only beginning. I almost wish this was the first book because there was so much amazing world building. I can hardly wait to start the next installment.

Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed this book which was generously provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

This is book 2 in the Charley Davidson series and I have read the first book but it was a few years ago so I really didn't remember much from the first book. I wasn't confused though but like it is best to read the first book first.
I have very much enjoyed Second Grave on the Left. It is one I didn’t want to put down but unfortunately, life has been crazy so couldn’t read as long as I wanted so had to read this just a bit at a time. If I had the time to sit down for hours I would have read this book in one day.

I can’t wait to read the next book.

I love these stories keep them coming... I'm binging them all on to book 3 I need to see what happens next....

Ahhh I want to be Charley's BFF - LOL She's a hoot and I adore her attitude and gumption.

If you haven't read the first book, you are ok jumping into book two as the author does a lot of recapping in spots to keep you caught up.

While my review schedule was full, I couldn't resist getting into this Reread Tour. I love these books. It was fun to go back to <strong>Second Grave on the Left</strong>, which is at the beginning of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/52637-charley-davidson" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Charley Davidson series</strong></em></a>. Charley is our gateway to the world. Her observations are often hilarious.  I often laugh out loud.
<blockquote>“Neil, I don’t want to lie to you.”

“And I don’t want to be lied to, so this whole thing should be pretty cut and dry.”

With a deep sigh, I said, “If I tell you the truth . . . let’s just say you won’t sleep well at night. Ever again.”

He tapped a pen on his desk in thought. “I have to be honest, Charley, I haven’t slept all that well since your last visit a couple of weeks ago.”</blockquote>
I enjoy how Charley learns and grows while she solves cases. There were so many different people involved with this group of cases. And Charley was also trying to find and save Reyes.  Charley's family dynamics were on stage as well. I'm shocked how I remembered the problems / the mysteries but none of the solutions!

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<h4><strong>Narration:</strong></h4>
These are amazing on audio. I read this one the first time. I own some in paperback and some in Kindle format. But I'm starting to collect the audios. Lorelei King is perfect for the sassy and humorous flavor of Charley. I normally listen at 1.25x but I got a little short on time and I was able to listen at 1.5x speed for part of this one.

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<h3><b>A FUN FACT FOR EACH OF THE CHARLEY BOOKS: </b></h3>
<strong>First Grave on the Right</strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The concept for First Grave came about while Darynda was working as a sign language interpreter in her hometown. She stole many of the names from students at the schools where she worked, including Reyes, Garrett, and Amber. As far as Darynda knows, they have all forgiven her for her thievery.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>Second Grave on the Left </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Uncle Bob is a combination of two people: Darynda’s oldest brother, Luther, and the principal at the high school where she worked for several years.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>Third Grave Dead Ahead </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was originally titled Third Grave Straight Ahead, but Darynda’s web designer, Liz Bemis, asked her to change the name to Dead Ahead. Firstly, it fit the content better, and secondly, Liz got tired of spelling the word Straight wrong while updating the website. Dead is much easier to type.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quentin Rutherford makes his first appearance in this book. While his first name was stolen from Darynda’s little brother and his last name stolen from yet another Jr. High student, Quentin is physically sculpted from her oldest son, Jerrdan, a bona fide blond-haired, blue-eyed devil with a sparkling smile that melts even the staunchest of hearts. And, like Quentin Rutherford, he was born Deaf. Not that he let it stop him for a second.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>Fifth Grave Past the Light </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This book was fun to write! Darynda was trying to come up with something truly creepy to throw into the book, and she figured what would be creepier than having an apartment full of departed women crawling up the walls, skittering across the ceiling, and huddling in the corners? Also, it is one of the hotter books, so that was fun, too. Because, you know, Reyes.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>Sixth Grave on the Edge </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Darynda really wanted to open this one on a humorous note. She wanted to have Charley on a stakeout with a departed elderly man, who also happens to be naked, riding shotgun. Which begs the question: Are we really stuck in (or out of) whatever we are wearing when we die for all eternity? ‘Cause that would suck.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>Seventh Grave and No Body</strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Osh’ekiel was originally supposed to be in one book only. And he was supposed to be a very bad guy. But Darynda fell in love with him while writing the book and decided to redeem him and give him a bigger role. Just how big his role would become didn’t come to Darynda until plotting Eighth Grave. He has been one of her favorite characters since she wrote that first scene with him.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>Eighth Grave After Dark </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Darynda wanted to really turn the tables on Charley and force her to have to stay in one place, thus the sacred ground of the convent came into play. It was fun and challenging to write a “locked room” mystery, so to speak, but that’s why she loves writing so much.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>The Dirt on Ninth Grave </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of Darynda’s favorite books in the series, she looked forward to writing this book ever since she came up with the concept while plotting Sixth Grave. Part of what makes a romance so fun is the falling-in-love part, and she wanted Charley to fall in love with Reyes all over again. This book was doubly fun because the audience knows all the characters’ backstories, and they get to watch in anticipation as Charley slowly unravels the mysteries of her past, while seeing her fall head-over-heels for the same guy all over again.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>The Curse of Tenth Grave </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This book had one of those too-close-for-comfort calls. Right before Tenth Grave went to print, after going through editors and copyeditors and readers of all shapes and sizes, a savvy proofreader let Darynda in on a little secret: A Sherpa is part of a culture, not an occupation. Thanks to this razor-sharp reader, Darynda narrowly escaped insulting an entire culture in one fell swoop. Aka, her worst nightmare. Her gratitude is unending.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>Eleventh Grave in Moonlight </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Darynda dreamed of going to Scotland for so long, she finally decided to just put it in one of her books. She had Charley accidentally materialize in the magical country, only to find out weeks after finishing the book that she would finally get to go there herself. In person. For realsies. It was even more magical than she’d imagined it would be, and she can’t wait to go back.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>The Trouble with Twelfth Grave </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This book has one of Darynda’s favorite epiphanies EVER!!! She thought, what if someone out there in the universe, a child perhaps, knows everything about Reyes and Charley? Everything starting from their supernatural heritage to their human identities? And what if that person wrote a book about them? Or a series of books? Say, perhaps, a set of children’s books and Garrett just happens to stumble upon them while doing research? How fun would that be? And the international bestselling children’s book (fictionally speaking) </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The First Star</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was born.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong>Summoned to Thirteenth Grave </strong>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">By far the hardest story in the series to write, penning the last Charley book was a bittersweet experience. But Darynda knew she had to go big or go home, so what better way to go out with a bang than to end the world as we know it by starting the zombie apocalypse? Because that’s what writers do. We start apocalypses. </span></li>
</ul>
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I always enjoy reading these books, and I have the next one to read. The final book, <strong>Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave</strong>, is being released at the beginning of 2019. My review will be in January.

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