First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Feb 20, 2011 Thenia rated it liked it

Shelves: series, paranormal, reviewed, 2011

A unique story about Charley Davidson, reaper. It's got mystery, romance and a lot of wit.

Charley tended to be a little bubble headed and scatterbrained, but she did have some lines that made me smile.

It'll be fun to see where the story goes and what happens with the elusive Reyes Farrow. ...more

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Feb 10, 2017 Netanella rated it liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, mystery, romance-suspense, ghosts, humor, 2017-february-reading-challenges

First line: I’d been having the same dream for the past month—the one where a dark stranger materialized out of smoke and shadows to play doctor with me.

First Grave on the Right is the start of an urban fantasy series staring Charley Davidson, a grim reaper and a self-proclaimed "certified connoisseur of sarcasm." She's an awesome character - she can remember every day since the day she was born, she intuitively knows every language on Earth, she sees dead people. And she's got a wicked sense of ...more

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Jan 04, 2019 Marla rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, paranormal, girl-power, with-reservations, adult, mixed-reviews, romance, challenged, series, fantasy

3.5 stars. Good but not great. I will continue the series, but though I like Charley Davidson, her sexy mystery man, her best friend Cookie and the snarky dialogue, I'm not compelled to rush out and read the next book. Premise is great, it just wasn't as good as it could've been.

Likes:
* Cute cover
* Grim reaper is a sassy, busty female private investigator, Charlotte "Charley" Davidson
* Ubie, Uncle Bob ~ dad's brother, Albuquerque Police detective
* Charley's father retired from Force & owns bar
* ...more

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Oct 25, 2010 twinfish2 rated it really liked it

I won this book from goodreads.

I really loved this book and you should add this to your wish lists for Feb 2011. I loved the characters, they are well fleshed out and interesting. All of them. I loved Charley, she is a super snarky heroine who is a PI who helps her uncle, a police detective, solve crimes as a police consultant. She is also the Grim Reaper and helps souls find closure and cross over to the other side. I mean she is a doorway to the other side and they literally move through her ...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Christal rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, female-lead, demons, series-second-chance, ghosts, pi-detective-cop, death-as-a-character, disappointing, reapers-and-ghost-whispers

I didn't hate this book but I didn't like anywhere near as much as I thought I would. Charley was funny, but sometimes it was just too much. The plot was too convoluted with lots of different, unconnected threads. The romance backstory with Reyes didn't make any sense to me. I don't know why she looked back on it fondly. I might try the next book, just to see where the big reveal leads, but it won't be on the top of my TBR pile. ...more

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Mar 16, 2011 The Flooze rated it liked it

Shelves: vanquished_2011, urban-fantasy-paranormal

**3.5**

It started off as a interesting urban fantasy plagued with forced humor.

It ended as a strong debut to a quirky, promising series.

My first impressions of Charley Davidson were marred by the author’s overuse of witticisms. Don’t get me wrong - Darynda Jones has a good sense of humor. However, she doesn’t ascribe to the maxim that less is more. Instead every line throughout the first third of the book incorporates some clever, amusing observation or metaphor. It weighs down the text, feels **3.5**

It started off as a interesting urban fantasy plagued with forced humor.

It ended as a strong debut to a quirky, promising series.

My first impressions of Charley Davidson were marred by the author’s overuse of witticisms. Don’t get me wrong - Darynda Jones has a good sense of humor. However, she doesn’t ascribe to the maxim that less is more. Instead every line throughout the first third of the book incorporates some clever, amusing observation or metaphor. It weighs down the text, feels forced, and prevented me from taking Charley seriously.

Perhaps the distance it created was purposeful. As Charley learned more about herself and opened up to a chosen few, the frequency of funny comments lessened. I was grateful - both because I could stop rolling my eyes every page and because I finally got to connect to Charley and see her for the likable, intriguing character she is.

Once First Grave on the Right found its rhythm, I was sucked in. Charley’s irreverent attitude is balanced by her distinct desire to help people, living and dead. She takes most things in stride, which is logical considering she’s been seeing the dearly departed for as long as she’s existed. We’re not subjected to an Adjustment to Newfound Powers and I like that. I enjoy reading about a character who’s confident about her role and does her best with what she has at her disposal. She’s wary of some people and masks her discomfort with bravado, but all of that helps her seem more real, more human.

At the onset, those overabundant witticisms made me presume a lack of substance. Turns out I was wrong. As they wound down, Jones brought more complicated emotions to the fore. In several well-written scenes, the author made me frown, sigh and worry. She sparked empathy for the people Charley encountered, making me hope for our heroine’s success. Jones also made me see Charley in a serious light, whether through flashbacks of intense personal experiences or brief moments of self-doubt. By the end of the book, Charley is a relatively well-rounded character.

It’s nice when a story exceeds my initial expectations.

Some of the author blurbs on the jacket mention the word “sexy.” I’d agree! What started off as a rote Dream Lover plot thread turned into something mysterious and enticing. And when it comes to steamy scenes Darynda Jones knows all the right buttons to push without falling into the overly cheesy (or completely graphic) side of the spectrum. I do so appreciate when an author manages the right balance, allowing me to imagine the scene with an “Oh, my” instead of an embarrassed eye-roll.

First Grave on the Right implies there’s a lot Charley needs to learn about herself and the wider wonders of the world (so I suppose there will be some Adjustments in her future). With her propensity for trouble and the author’s willingness to tackle both the harsh and the humorous, I have high hopes for the rest of the series. Congrats to Jones for an engaging debut.
...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Kelly (Maybedog) rated it really liked it

Shelves: where-grr-mine, what-modern-fantasy, how-audiobook, what-mystery, what-paranormal-romance

My review is in spoiler tags because it hasn't been edited yet. It probable has too much negative stuff as that's what I tend to think to write down. If I'm enjoying myself, I don't want to stop reading! Plus, I listened to it in the car and couldn't really stop to take notes

(view spoiler) ...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Deyara rated it really liked it

Fun, light-hearted take on the Grim Reaper. Charley is pretty funny, and I enjoyed the family interactions. Quick read, lots of fun.

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Feb 11, 2011 Joanne rated it liked it

Shelves: audio-book, read-2011

This book would probably have gotten a higher rating if I had read it instead of listening to it. My mind kept wondering and I had to rewind often. The reader was great. She reads most of Janet Evanovich's books and Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson books both of which I love to listen to. So I don't know what went wrong this time.

I will definitely read the next book in this series instead of listening to it and see how it goes.

...more

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