Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*Sniffle Sniffle Sob*
What an ending - I need to dive into the 3rd book and get past this. Wow
But first ....

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.

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. And if they 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? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?

Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the summer: Second Grave On The Left.

 Jen's Review

We start off as Charley is sleeping (again) It's been a week since the last time someone tried to kill her. Cookie starts shaking her awake and throwing clothes at her telling her to get up. But we all know how Charley is at 2 am when she is bone tired. But Coolie is insistent.

Even though she's stumbling around, she's still awake enough - and she knows when Cookie tries stuffing her in the trunk of her car, something is defiantly off.

First of all, there's a dead guy back there, so there is NO WAY she's going to get in the trunk. So Charley was a better friend then that, and didn't think Cookie would want to know about the dead man in the trunk.

So Cookie caved and told her to get in the back seat and throw a blanket over herself. HIDE!

Tears welling in Cookies eyes. Only two things made cookie cry, Humphrey Bogart movies and someone close to her getting hurt.

Mimi disappeared 5 days ago.
"And you're just now telling me? "
"You were a little busy"

Seems that Mimi had called Cookie, asking all kinds of questions about Charley. Wanting to hire her. She wanted Charley to make her disappear.

She was going to come in and talk to Charley, but never showed, but then Cookie got a text asking to meet Mimi at the coffee shot - "Come alone"

When Cookie tried calling, she couldn't get through. So she called Mimi's house and talked to her husband. He was freaking out wanting to know what was going on, too.

So they drive to the coffee shop. They met Norma and Brad - the waitress and cook :) Love Brad -he's funny -

Anyways - so they take a look around, not seeing Mimi or finding anyone who has seen her, after all it's now 3:30 in the morning. And Norma just started her new shift. Brad didn't see anything since he's in the kitchen, but told them to talk to Izzy - her number was on the Men's bathroom wall.

So off they go to check out some new reading material.
That's where cookie loses it, but luckily Charley has her head in the game. She notices the fresh letters decorating one wall in the women's restroom.
So they got a new name - Janel E Yourk. Along with a few other things.

So the next day, Charley goes to see Rocket. Love Rocket. Only once Charley brings up Reyes name again, Rocket starts to panic. And when Reyes actually shows up, Rocket freaks out and disappears. Which causes alarm to Charley. But when Charley starts asking him where he hid his body, he leaves quickly.

OK - so in this book, we have Charley still looking for Reyes body - and this time Reyes is not happy with her looking for him. He is busy fighting off the demons, but they're torturing him. He doesn't have much longer and he's actually waiting for his body to die. It's making him too vulnerable. But Charley won't have anything to do with him dying. No one knows what will happen, since he's the Son of Satin and all.

She also has Mimi missing, and Mimi's husband is so far the number one suspect. Since Charley has a way with reading people's emotions, she knows he's Innocent, but proving it is another thing.

So much going on in this story, looks like more people are out to kill Charley. But of course she's not going to go down without a fight :)

Great story - jumping into the 3rd book now :)


A Few new "Charley Davidson Quotes"

I found myself struggling to keep up with her in my bunny slippers. - With a sigh, I realized I was getting way too much exercise. I'd just have to counteract it later with cake.

What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?

"Did you just call me buddy boy?" "
"Damn straight I did, and if you know what's good for you," I said taking another step toward him, "You won't insult me for not coming up with anything better on such short notice."

hoping I wasn't bleeding internally from Reyes's blade. I hated it when I bled internally. If I was going to bleed, I wanted to see the evidence, revel in the heroics of it all.

"Tell you what," I said slipping into negotiation mode. "you show me yours, and I'll show you mind."
"So I have to go first, is that what you're saying?"
I smiled in affirmation.
"Damn it. I always have to go first, then half the time, you girls chicken out and run away before showing me yours."