RECOMMENDED: 
First Grave on the Right is the first book in Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series, and it's $2.99 right now. I linked to this sale over the weekend, but now books two and three are also $2.99 – see below. The newest book in the series, Sixth Grave on the Edge, comes out May 20.
This book won the Golden Heart in 2009, and the RITA for Best First Book in 2012. As I've mentioned before, I listened to the audiobook performance by Lorelei King (after buying the Kindle copy on sale I was offered a discounted audio copy so take a look and see if that's true for you if you buy, k?) and the audiobook was really good. I didn't want to stop walking the dogs, that's for sure.
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.
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RECOMMENDED: Second Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones is $2.99, and it's the second book in the Charley Davidson series – hooray for obvious series order titles! All of the books in this series have 4+ stars, and they blend mystery, paranormal, comedy and romantic elements wonderfully. They're a little addictive, too. Be warned.
If you hang around with dead people, life can get pretty complicated. Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Complicated is her middle name. The deceased find her very sparkly. Demons find her irresistible. And one entity in particular wants to seduce her in every way possible.
When Charley and Cookie (her best friend/receptionist) have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate.
Cookie's friend Mimi disappeared five days earlier. Mimi then sends Cookie a cryptic message telling Cookie to meet her at an nearby coffee shop. The coffee is brewing, but Mimi's still missing. There is, however, a clue Mimi left on the bathroom wall: a woman's name. Mimi's husband explains to them that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old high school friend had been murdered. The same woman whose name Mimi had scribbled on the bathroom wall.
Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He's left his body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can't let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they'll have a portal to heaven…well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.
Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?
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RECOMMENDED: Third Grave Dead Ahead is $2.99 and…yes, you guessed correctly, is the THIRD book in the series. Genius titles, I tell you. Charley's adventures continue, and this book, like the others, has many reviews that mention the humor, the emotion, the mystery and the strength of the female characters and their relationships in the story. Charley and her friends are pretty bad ass.
Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever.
Charley Davidson is back! And she's drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan.
Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hell-bent on murder when the devil's son just won't give up?
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Tea: A Recipe and Guidebook Quick and Easy to Make Tea Recipes That Are Nutritious, Relaxing, and Energizing by Jenna Mars is $2.99 (or free to borrow through Prime memberships) at Amazon for the Kindle. This is a cookbook all about making your own tea, and the reviews on Amazon and GR say it's a terrific gift for those friends for who are tea aficionados. And if you're ready to read three Charley Davidsons and want some tea, this book can help you out.
Do you want great health and live a longer, happier life? Drink tea.
This is the ultimate book of tea that will help you do just that. We’ll begin our journey with the history of tea and its benefits before moving on to special guidelines to help you brew the best cup of tea possible. In addition to the recipes that will follow, you’ll also learn about taking care of tea – keeping it fresh and flavorful, always – and growing your own tea garden! Although these teas have roots all around the world, the ingredients used for the recipes can be easily obtained in local supermarkets.
From this book you’ll get:
• a collection of delicious recipes for the major types of tea that are prepared with easily available ingredients
• basic understanding of the history of tea and why it is so good for your health
• a basic introduction of the different types of tea, the benefits of each, and how they are processed
• guidelines to brew the best tea
• guidelines to preserve tea
A glance at few of the health benefits of tea consumption:
• Tea helps in keeping the arteries clear of residue and hence reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack.
• Tea helps in maintaining stronger bones, courtesy of the phytochemicals present in it.
• Fluoride and tannins contained in tea help prevent the plaque formation, which in turn helps improve dental health.
• Antioxidants present in tea help to protect the body against cancer and the aging process.
• Tea contains less caffeine than coffee. Coffee usually contains two or three times caffeine as compared to the tea.
Are you ready for a cup?
Grab your copy of this book now and together, let’s prepare the best cup of tea in the world!
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If you're going to have Charley Davidson and tea, you should have cupcakes, too, right? Of course you should! (No, no I'm not enabling you, why do you ask?)
Betty Crocker The Big Book of Cupcakes is $2.24/$2.99 digitally, and contains more than 170 recipes for basic batters and frostings, plus unique combinations (organized by topic, such as Kids Parties or Bake Sale – which is really smart) like Chai Latte Cupcakes, Hot Chocolate Cupcakes, Peanut Butter High Hats, and Lemon Meringue Cupcakes. (I'd enjoy one of each, I think.)
Get ready for adorably decorated and deliciously flavored cupcakes made easy! Betty Crocker The Big Book of Cupcakes features 175 delightful cupcakes, all using new and fun decorating ideas anyone can master and simple ingredients available anywhere. And as a unique feature, almost every cupcake can be made from scratch or with a mix: You decide which method to follow.
Recipes include kids' party favorites like Double Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes, as well as sophisticated flavors like Mocha-Caramel Cappuccino Cupcakes. You'll find:
More than 175 cupcakes, with a tantalizing full-color photograph of every cupcake, plus helpful how-to photos showing easy decorating techniques
A special Kids' Party Cupcakes chapter with decorated treats like Puffer Fish Cupcakes, Monster Truck Cupcake Pull-Aparts and Campfire S'Mores Cupcakes
Dazzling Holiday and Special-Occasion Cupcakes chapters including fanciful creations like Easter Egg Baskets, Almond-Filled White Christmas Cupcakes and Molten Caramel
Apple Cupcakes
Perfect for bake sales, birthdays, holiday parties or just an everyday treat, Betty Crocker The Big Book of Cupcakes is one book that really takes the cake.
I am not really into paranormal, but tea and cupcakes? I’m. So. There.
Charley D. Boring retread of many paranormal romances. And irritating. Not recommended.
I’m with K swan there. I did try the first two, but have no desire to pick up the third.
I’ll third that; the first book is nice enough, but one was enough for me. I think I’m wary of series after being burned by LKH with the AB series – I invested so many years and a goodly amount of money in those books and feel betrayed by the the crap she’s turned out the last several years.
I’d honestly be shocked if anyone could bring anything fresh to paranormal – after several years and a flooded market, everything really has kinda been done at this point. I know people could say the same about historical romances, etc, but paranormal just feels more like retread than other genres to me.
In the paranormal genre, I’m still enjoying Seanan McGuire, Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews and Jim Butcher, but I guess I’d describe them all as fantasy series with elements of romance rather than paranormal romances. I’m also still finding decent YA paranormal (Olivia Samm’s ‘Bea Catcher’ series features a refreshingly realistic and flawed teen heroine, who’s also a WOC.)
I think this series is hilarious. It’s a light fun read.
I agree with Heather S LKH has become such a disappointment.
I’m an older reader. A woman of a certain age, if you will. I mention this because after thinking far too much on the subject, I find it’s not enough for me that she’s hot and he’s hot and they get hot together. Honestly, there are still moments when I like that—but free fan fiction fills that need nicely. From writers further up the food chain, I expect to get balance with romance. Characters that grow and change. (You notice I don’t say “mutate,” which is what Anita Blake and Sookie Stackhouse did.) Secondary characters that contribute to the story. When romance comes to a character that is working hard at a job, at a goal, at overcoming and achieving . . . all my buttons get pushed.
In the paranormal category I haven’t seen anyone recommend Stacia Kane’s Downside series. Her female “hero” Chess is a church witch junkie, whose dependence makes you want to smack her up side the head. But Kane’s world building, and Chess’s romance with Terrible is heart rending and pulls you into a strange, dark place. Start with Unholy Ghosts, it’s only $2.99 at Amazon. The Audible version is narrated by Bahni Turpin, whose throaty narration, and handling of the criminal street dialect is awesome.
I actually enjoy the Charley Davidson series. I like Charley’s voice, and it hasn’t bored me yet, though it may in time. Sort of like a cross between Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum and Spencer Quinn’s Chet & Bernie mysteries, only with the woo-woo. Though I’ve broken up with both series, I had a good and hilarious run with them. As for paranormals being tired, I just think of them as a subspecies of fantasy and try to avoid imitative series. I really respect Charlaine Harris and Kim Harrison for opting to end long running and popular series.
I’m with PamG: Charley’s voice hasn’t irked me, but I space them out lest the quirks of her character and of the plots start to grate on my nerves.
Are you guys kidding? Charley Davidson rocks! And those books are NOT romance. They are a fantastic mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance with paranormal elements. Darynda Jones is so fresh and funny. Lumping her in the same old same old paranormal category is erroneous. These books are so much more!
I think reading the first three in quick succession was a mistake on my part. I found the author’s voice fairly entertaining at first, but I couldn’t totally buy into her world building, and aspects of the central romantic relationship finally got too irritating to me to continue. I might check back in if she ever concludes the series to see if/how she creates a HEA, but otherwise I’m passing on the series.
I’m sorry, can we talk about HOW INCREDIBLY MESSED UP the first Charley Davidson book is?! I just bought all three, and I am STUNNED that the big love interest Charley is in instant lust with, who has been molesting her in her sleep for months, turns out to be the guy who THREATENED TO RAPE HER to get her to leave him alone when she was a teenager… I literally could not believe that was the “night of heat and body” she was talking about when they first met. He literally says, “Have you ever been raped?” as a threat right before he shoves her against a wall and gropes her crotch until she begs him not to. Yeah, he sounds like a real champion, a guy who threatened to rape an underage girl who was bothering him, yet she’s all teary eyed over the thought of him getting hurt when that was literally the only interaction she had with him… and later she’s aghast at the thought of him having gone to prison and lists rape as one of the unforgivable crimes when she’s trying to come up with reasons why he would have been jailed. Well, apparently not THAT unforgivable, since that’s basically how she fell for him to begin with, and she regards it as the hottest night of her life. AND EVERYONE SHE TELLS THIS TO DOESN’T BAT AN EYE. It’s presented as this big romantic, hot story she’s been telling everyone who is all jealous about it. HOW STUPID ARE THESE PEOPLE? Good lord.
I’d like to thank you Sarah for posting Darynda Jones’ books and for recommending them. I’ve just finished all three on your recommendation and loved them. Really I can’t tell you how much. I feel like I’ve found a heroine I can route for and who is just like me. Only I can’t see dead people and I don’t have anybody as incredibly delicious as Reys Farrow in my life.
But on that note, I will say that I love this blog but I don’t comment like ever and it’s because of some of the comments on here. It’s like this is the place for all the toxic people to come and vent their frustrations at having no life or whatever is their reason. Honestly, these books are amazing. I won’t comment again if anyone wants to start one of the wars your readers are so fond of, but I’m just upset that novel authors have to come read this kind of negative crap. I wish people would get over themselves and enjoy a book for what it is, entertainment. Maybe try getting laid or something. The only one INCREDIBLY MESSED UP is some of your readers.
That is all.
@KattyOne:
I’m really glad you liked the Jones books and got them on sale – it’s a great price, especially if you liked them a lot. I like the heroine, too.
But …whoa. I have to disagree mightily with you, both about the comments and about the people who disagree with us about these books and the characters.
First, I’m totally and openly biased here, but I think the comments section here is pretty awesome most of the time. We can disagree without getting angry, we can debate what we did or didn’t like about a book, and we’re a pretty welcoming posse of people talking about books. I’m very sorry if you’ve felt unwelcome, and I do want people who desire to comment to feel like they can.
But it’s really unfair of you to assume that anyone who disagrees about these books or doesn’t like the characters within them is someone who has “no life.” I don’t think the people here are fond of starting wars (I’m not – they’re exhausting!) but we do disagree about books all the time. That’s ok – that’s normal. (It’s actually good for a book discussion, because it makes more readers curious what their opinion of the book might be).
No one makes authors come and read comments, or read reviews, or even participate – it’s not a requirement anywhere. Moreover, when an author publishes a book, people aren’t going to like it. That’s part of publishing a piece of entertainment for public consumption. No one 100% agrees on anything, really. And no reader should feel like they can’t or shouldn’t share why a book made them angry or sad or happy or upset because the author might see it. Once a book is published, the author doesn’t have any right to control or influence the conversation about it.
I’m probably spending way too much time on this comment, given that you close with the idea that anyone who disagrees should “get laid” and that they’re “incredibly messed up.”
Yikes.
People aren’t going to like the books you like. That’s ok. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them for not liking it, and that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you for enjoying it. Opinions differ, especially about books like this series, where the figure of Reyes is very menacing and sometimes acts like a total buttcheese.
I’m really glad you like the blog and I’m glad you’re here, but please, don’t insult readers who disagree with you. There’s no need for that. It’s the internet; we haven’t run out of room for everyone’s diverse opinions yet, and I don’t think we will.
@Dora:
I was reading your comment and thinking, “Well, when you put it like that….” and then was trying to figure out why that didn’t bother me when normally I’d be tossing the book into the street as fast as I could. Part of it was definitely that I was listening to it rather than reading, so I wasn’t about to toss my phone in the street, and also, I was listening to the performance, which probably portrayed the characters differently than my imagination would.
It is really messed up – I agree with you. I’m trying to figure out why it didn’t trip my rage switch.
SBTB is a fabulous site. I love the reviews and the blogs, and recommend this place to my friends for hours of entertaining reading and pointers to find good fiction. I don’t post often either, or comment on reviews. But here’s the thing . . .
In romantic fiction, as in other areas of life, your mileage may vary.
I wasn’t specific when I noted that I found Charley D.‘s story boring and irritating. The relationship between the main characters was the main reason. For Dora, the specifics of that relationship were disturbing enough to motivate a detailed criticism. We’ve all got our buttons, good and bad. Based on the specifics of Dora’s comments, personal outrage rather than negative crap is reason enough not to find “entertainment” in a novel.
Authors really don’t need cheerleaders (who aren’t family members). They need paychecks. When they reach a reader, I’m sure fan mail is appreciated. When they spectacularly fail to reach a reader, they don’t have to read the bad reviews.
Easy peasy. And, BTW, someone who claims to be turned off by toxic people and warmongering doesn’t default to the recommendation to “get laid” over a difference of opinion.
@SB Sarah,
I think in part it’s because we’re not really expected to overthink it the way I did. I’m supposed to read it and go, “Oh, of course, he’s the hero, he would never actually DO that, it’s just an empty threat,” instead of going, “WHAT SORT OF DOUCHEBAG THREATENS A TEENAGE GIRL WITH RAPE” It seems like something we’re supposed to brush off, especially since it’s treated in such an off-hand way, but I think it bothered me because Charley’s reaction to it was one of fond, sexy memories, and her best friend is actually jealous upon hearing the story. It just seems like the sort of thing that would leave a horrifying first impression instead of the instant lust Charley has for him, and nobody ever reacts to it as anything other than a perfectly normal thing for a brooding sexy hero to do. It just seems like such a drastic departure from logic, especially since, as I said, when learning he might have been incarcerated Charley prays it wasn’t for something “unforgivable”, citing rape as one of the most horrible crimes she can think of. I needed more context than a rape threat to suddenly explain why Charley was in love with this guy and had been telling the story like a hot encounter to people for years, and it threw the entire romantic subplot’s believability into question for me. I like a lot of things about this book. I just feel like the romance is happening in bizarro world.
@ Katty One,
None of this is an attack against the author herself. When I asked “how stupid are these people”, I was referring to the characters in the story who to a man (or woman) found a threat of rape to an underage girl to be something swoon-worthy. This is a statement of an issue I had with the way the romantic aspects of the plot were presented. It’s not personal outrage so much as it is complete and utter bafflement at the way the this particular romance got its start and the illogical reactions of the characters to it based on their own discussions and actions. It’s okay to like a book I don’t like. It’s okay to be INTO things someone else isn’t… lord knows I’ve read my share of “dark” romances. Conversely, it’s also okay for someone to have a strong reaction to a book and talk about why. I just wish you would have seen fit to phrase your response to me in something other than a snide, insulting personal attack… maybe with that same politeness and open-mindedness you seem to feel I was lacking. I’m not sure why you would feel I would be inclined to reverse my position after your ironically hostile remark… last I checked, fires didn’t build bridges and open minds. Cheers.
Yes! This bothered me a lot. I felt like I was just expected to accept that Charley reciprocated and that made the encounters okay. The last straw for me was the explanation of the origin of his “love” for her. I was like, WTF, that seems really creepy and not romantic at all.
I do think that the author created a fun and engaging character in Charley, but the romance made me want to throw the books at a wall, and since they were library books, it was better just to stop checking them out.
I appreciate this site for providing a venue for discussion. It’s interesting to encounter reader reactions that differ, sometimes dramatically, because they often highlight things that I wouldn’t have considered on my own.
Interesting discussion. One of the reasons that this is one of the few sites I visit often is its civility. I don’t know whether Sarah moderates the comments, but I’ve never seen the nastiness here that I’ve seen elsewhere. However, I have to say that while I was taken aback by the tone of Katty One’s response, I couldn’t help but also feel a twinge of sympathy.
Certain types of criticism tend to make me feel defensive when they are aimed at something I like. That’s my knee-jerk first reaction, and I own it. I don’t like being pushed out of my comfort zone in these cases, and I feel a bit as though I’m being attacked for my preferences. At this point in my life, I don’t tend to respond quickly or with anger; rather, I try treat it an opportunity to reexamine my responses and my assumptions. Still, I’m left thinking, Wow! How could I have missed that? If the criticism is presented as an absolute rather than an opinion, it makes me feel dumb or perhaps that I’m being labeled as dumb.
In general, I don’t like rapey romance and I loathe the romanticization of rape. However, I never got that from these books. The story is told in Charley’s voice, and I accept that she doesn’t consider herself a victim. She is a strong character and her response to Reyes seems legitimate to me. I tend to let characters define themselves, not interpret their feelings as though I stood in their place. Reyes is messed up in a million major ways, which cannot justify his behavior, but, for me anyway, explains it. It seems to me that it requires more than saying that Reyes is the SON OF SATAN to establish him as a bad boy. Threatening and groping Charley is pretty unforgivable, but he needs some baseline evil to overcome. Reyes is an ambiguous character who requires some believable nastiness to establish his potential for evil. He is an abused kid himself, and while Jones has yet to satisfactorily explain how he can simultaneously be a general in Satan’s armies, it is an area where I’m willing to suspend disbelief. As far as the dream sex is concerned, I never saw it as an invasion of Charley’s sleep, so much as a consensual thing.
It’s been a while since I’ve read the first book, so I may be misremembering this, but I just didn’t find the rape or stalker elements that straightforward or overpowering or unforgivable. I recognize that another reader might find it so, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me. Actually, it’s good to have this type of discussion, so that other readers can figure out whether or not this book would be catnip or catastrophe for them. I’m saying catnip, and I’m not apologizing for that.
I didn’t find the stalker-ish elements quite as off-putting as say, Edward Cullen, but I’ll admit I did think of Cullen and the rest of his demon-lover-stalker ilk while reading these books. I just don’t like the idea of people watching me while I sleep, or trying to make love to me while I sleep, or invading my dreams, or doing anything other than quietly making me coffee for when I eventually wake up and stagger, drooling and incoherent, in the direction of the coffee machine. I do realize that other people might find the idea of somebody stalking their sleep very exciting, however. They probably snore less than I do.
If You Give A Reader A Cupcake, she’ll want some tea to go with it!
Thanks for the reviews of this series. It’s looked interesting, but I hadn’t tried the first one yet.
@Pam G:
I have the same reaction to some criticism, too. I know just what you mean. And, much to my deep and angry shame, I used to criticize things I disliked in a way that criticized the people who liked those things. (Guilt. I has some.) But it’s, like you said, very useful to know what things make you feel defensive and why – it’s all revealing, our various reactions to the things we read.
I don’t moderate, if you mean I stop people from commenting or flag comments so that they don’t show up. I try to moderate the spam, but every now and again someone trying to sell us larger penises or shoes or something gets through. I look at the comments and read them, but I don’t flag or suppress them usually unless they’re spam.
I’ve got some controls on the back end (hur) for comment management, but I don’t really have to use them very much, because y’all are so awesome. We might get mad at each other and we have heated discussions but 99% of the time, the responses are about the issue or the book, and not about the person commenting. I learn so much from listening to y’all and am so, so thankful you’re here.
@SB Sarah
I was reflecting on the response to criticism thing after I’d posted, and I reached a surprising conclusion. Treating a person’s response to a book as reflecting a political (in the broadest sense) stance, I am much more likely to find a response/criticism upsetting if I perceive the commenter/critic as coming from my own end of the political spectrum. If someone clearly has a different worldview from mine, I accept that person’s criticisms much more easily, but tend to dismiss them equally easily. Hence, Dora’s comments above and your own review of The Grand Sophy made me think furiously and work to understand why I didn’t respond to those books in the same way. Which is a good thing. On the other hand, if someone were to criticize the theology in the Charley Davidson series from—say—a Christian fundamentalist viewpoint, I know that my reaction would be far less intense, though the subject is potentially quite interesting. Maybe it’s just that the why of an opinion is almost always more interesting than an opinion without context.
Also, I think it’s amazing that you don’t moderate SBTB. I’ve found this to be such a diverse but courteous community since I first started lurking here ~6-7 years ago. I guess it’s true; romance readers are the best.
I, too, thought the Charley Davidson one weird and annoying in some aspects. Others talked about how Reyes was molesting her in her sleep, but…
but…
Why has no one brought up the fact that he was there as she was being born? Like RIGHT THERE if you know what I mean! And then now he’s lusting after her? I just couldn’t get over that.
It’s like how you can never get a full Brazilian again after having birthed your own daughter (speaking from experience).
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