First Grave on the Right is a fun romp through the living and the dead. This is the first book in the Charley Davidson series, but it feels like Jones writes characters as if we're already familiar with their backstory. This would make sense in subsequent novels in the series, but makes you question if you're missing a story somewhere. There are some fun characters that support or challenge Charley, the lead character, who sees and makes a career out of the dead. In this first novel she's trying to figure out why three lawyers were murdered, while trying to sort out her relationships with Cookie, her sidekick, Garrett, a tracker employed by her uncle in the know, and Reyes, a mysterious man from her past who's doing a very pleasant job of occupying her thoughts. Overall, an enjoyable book.

"First Grave on the Right" is a concoction of everything. It turned the cliched story line of grim reapers into that of a novelty. Have you ever considered a grim reaper being a cocky girl with an attitude? I certainly didn't.

I found the story line to be fast – paced, filled with humor and mystery. I also found the mixture of characters a little confusing but I got used to it. Jones has created an incredible character with originality - Charley Davidson. I found her to be resilient, strong, humorous and what not.

Jones has done an incredible work here. I love her narration and the way she made the story flow without it getting too complicated all at once due to its many characters.


Charley Davidson is the grim reaper. Not in a creepy scary way. She’s nowhere close to being creepy or scary. The story starts off with Charley waking up from her dream – where a hot entity shows up and seduces her all the time.
At first, the dream part felt like a whole different story. During the day she’s an exceptional private investigator with a unique ability to communicate with the deceased – being the grim reaper and all. And at night she’s having dreams about an entity who seems very familiar but she couldn't exactly pinpoint who it was until the day the entity called her ‘Dutch’.

So, she investigates who this entity is and also investigates a crime scene were three lawyers were murdered. Without Charley, I don’t think the story would have stood as a novelty. I guess the characters make the story and not the other way around. Or at least, this is how I found this book. Charley made the story, she lighted the story into a brilliant flame captivating the readers. She’s one of the best female leads I've ever come across.

Reyes Farrow was an enigma from the beginning so I’m not going to clear this part. It’s better if you read the book. All you need to know about him is he’s hot and sexy. The rest, read the book and find out.

Garrett Swopes is a private investigator like Charley but he doesn't believe a thing about her ability in communicating with the deceased. But slowly as the story flows, he tries his best to understand her. They share cocky remarks about each other and Charley kind of likes and dislikes him at the same time and I think the feeling is mutual.

Overall, "First Grave on the Right" was a unique read. Jones managed to make this book funny and serious at the same time! There’s a lot of grins for a few pages and lot of seriousness in the next. I loved it! This is one outstanding urban fantasy read.

I'm not usually a fan of paranormals (other than time travel), but I've been hearing about this book for years and was in the mood for something different from what I usually read, so when I saw that the first book in Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series was available through Net Galley, I decided to take a chance and try it out. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed "First Grave on the Right." Granted, it had its share of cheesy one liners (a few of which became repetitious and therefore kind of annoying by the end of the book), but overall, it was a fairly light and humorous read. The characters were mostly likeable, and surprisingly enough, the ghosts didn't creep me out as much as I thought they would.

I plan to read at least the next book in the series in the near future. Charley's story is certainly very unique and engaging, and I am interested in learning more about her abilities and how they affect those around her.

3.5 Wine Glass #Review of First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones


Fun, fresh, and sexy, First Grave on the Right is a slapstick introduction into the chaotic life of Charley Davidson. Private investigator. Grim Reaper. And consultant for the local police department.

Charley can see dead people. Sometimes she even gets to help those dead people cross over. Other times she finds justice for their murders. Right now, she needs to find the person behind the shooting of three lawyers, so that they and their families can have some closure. But she also needs to insure that one of her clients got away from her abusive husband safely and figure out the reason behind her decidedly erotic dreams... especially when those dreams begin to appear in her waking hours...

First Grave on the Right is a book that I may not have loved, but I liked a great deal. The story, which is told mostly through the inner dialogue of the protagonist, Charley Davidson, was a little too sporadic for my tastes but I am hoping that with each installment the plot will flow smoother. Darynda Jones weaves a complex story line of life and death, and all of those interesting nuances in between. Replete with mystery and intrigue, these puzzles unfold for the heroine and reader alike. Though there are still so many questions left unanswered at the end!

I did enjoy the characters of the series, Charley is full of snark and walks a fine line between annoying and lovable. While the secondary characters are quirky and fun. Uncle Bob and Garrett kept the dialogue entertaining while Cookie lent it support. Though there were a few random exchanges that threw me from the story on occasion. Reyes, enigmatic and decadent, instantly fascinated me. I wish the story focused a little bit more on that enigma but expect that future books will satisfy.

All in all, First Grave on the Right had a good premise. I look forward to reading more of this series and learning about Charley and Reyes purposes.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 Grim Reaper Stars

I'm not one to compare a series against another, but for the sake of helping readers decide if they would enjoy the series... Charley Davidson is reminiscent of Stephanie Plum with a paranormal twist.

Charley has 3.7 jobs, and she never gets enough time to live life, let alone get a moment's peace to take a shower. When she does manage to get a few winks, they're interrupted by the best sex she's ever had – in her dreams.

Charley sees dead people.

The brightest of beacons, Charley is the grim reaper. One foot on two different planes, ghosts come to Charley to cross over. However, being a private investigator from a cop family, she ends up solving their deaths or passing on their final messages to loved ones.

The ghosts can be inconvenient, popping up at the worst of times, but also several are a large help in her professions. This installment's mystery revolves around three dead lawyers to a man who was falsely incarcerated for murder.

Crime sleuthing aside, the real mystery surrounds Charley's nocturnal visitor and The Big Bad, for both Charley herself and the reader. The driving force is to solve the mysteries of Charley's past with a boy named Reyes.

The ghosts add comedic relief to the heavier emotions Charley experiences when dealing in death – instead of over-the-top antics, the humor is more dry wit, sarcasm, and puns. The emotions felt real, making the characters resonate with me, especially Charley's dynamic within her family. The steam of the novel was more paranormal in nature, giving it an extra thrilling twist. The romance and connection are a lifetime in the making.

This is my second go-around reading First Grave on the Right, reading it years ago, and I appreciated it more this time around. I look forward to starting the second installment in the series as a treat to myself.

Recommended to those who enjoy humorous, mystery/suspense sleuthing, with a paranormal twist. I could see how the series could be a binge-worthy addiction.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
In a genre full of vampires and werewolves, a series about the grim reaper is a wonderful breath of fresh air. I enjoyed the balance of original and complex world building alongside a relatively simple police/PI procedural.

The concept for this series reminds me of Amazon’s Lucifer (although the books came out four years before the show). I love the slightly Biblical, slightly fanciful set up for the story and I love the quirky humour gently mixed into the drama and action. I like that the author introduces a whole alternate reality in this story while also allowing readers the satisfaction of following a single PI case to its resolution.

The actual investigation is a relatively gentle case – think Charlaine Harris’ Aurora Teagarden mysteries – but it is good fun and a great introduction to characters I expect to see more of in later books.

I found it impossible not to love Charley. Full of attitude, her sass and sarcasm sometimes dip toward bitchy and nasty – but she’s always funny. I’m seven years late to this series but Charley reminds me of some of my favourite UF heroines – Sookie, Mercy, Merit, Anita... Charley is another woman trying to get a grip on her supernatural abilities while working in a male dominated industry. I enjoyed her voice in this first book and I like that the author has left room for Charley to grow into herself. The first few pages had me worried that this was going to turn into paranormal romance, but fortunately Charley stays focused on her case. For the most part,

I enjoyed this first book and I’m excited to learn more about Charley in future books.


Dawn – ☆☆☆☆☆
First off, I can't believe I waited so long to read this book. The style of writing is right up my street, I loved all the little one-liners and comedy, it literally made me laugh out loud.

I always love a strong female lead in a book and Charley Davidson ticks all the boxes – a PI and a grim reaper, what's not to love about that?

All the mystery around Reyes kept me turning pages too.

I will definitely carry on with this series; I really enjoyed this book.

A solid five stars from me.


Shelby – ☆☆☆☆
First Grave on the Right was a light, but funny crime drama with a hint of paranormal. I know, strange combination, but it really works!

Charlotte Davidson isn't your "normal" Private Investigator, she isn't "normal" at all. She's the daughter/niece of police officers, she has strange insights, a great sense of humor, and she just so happens to be the Grim Reaper.

Quirky one-liners, developing relationships, and strange encounters, all made this an interesting and entertaining read. I will say that some "mysteries" were easy to put together, but some kept me guessing. The end, though, that kept me hooked – I need to see what happens next!

Darynda Jones is a new author for me and all I can say is that I fell in love with all her characters mostly Charley Davidson.Charley is a grim reaper with no handbook and Private investigator. I don't want to give anything away let's just say that's with Charley a grim reaper and her choice in career she gets stuck in all sorts of situations that are hilarious at times and a little concerning at others.

I'm Reading the next one in the series ASAP.

E-book/Urban Fantasy: This is a reread for me. I am going to read Books 1-12 thanks to NetGalley and I can't remember but a few details about Charley's verse. My BFF got the first book off a sales table at BAM and couldn't read the books fast enough. I had borrowed the 1st book and I've bought two or three of the e-books when they are on sale on Amazon or B&N.

I love Charley. She speaks several languages including snarky. There are some first person books where the narrator is too rambunctious with sarcasm and it soon becomes annoying. We'll see how this series goes. I like the fact that she has accepted her status of grim reaper. I have read a lot of grim reaper books and I've already read the struggle to figure out who you are. All-in-all, I think I like her ghost friends more than her human friends.

As for the parts I didn't like: Charley really doesn't have to work for anything. Information comes to her a little too easy. She's a PI and her sidekick may as well have the computer resources to find people like FBI Agent Penelope on Criminal Minds (which is also too easy). She is also doesn't have money problems for someone self-employed. I also felt there wasn't enough backstory about Reyes. His whole childhood did not make sense and I hope it is better explained in later books.

I started the second book last night so we'll see how this goes.

This book is so much fun! The snark and silliness kept me smiling the whole time. I can't wait to read more.

Well, it started out as a reread of first grave and turned into a reread of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th.....13th. So as you can see Charlie is like a bag of potato chips you can’t have just one. You get lost in the story and the next thing you know you’ve stayed up all night your eyes are burning and your poor kindle is flashing red cause your too far away from your charger.
With the first book it sucks you into Charlie’s world. The characters make you love them, sometimes hate them. But you just can’t wait to read more. This series is by far at the top of my list of favorites.
I still remember seeing the blurb and cover on goodreads and then stalking amazon until the book released. Darynda is a fabulous author who has a way of weaving her words together to create this crazy, funny, emotional series. I can’t believe the end is here.

Oh, what a pleasant surprise! Meet the Grim Reaper, who is anything but grim! Charley Davidson sees the dead, sends them on their merry way to the ever-after and does part time private investigating on the side. She also has some pretty steamy dreams of a mystery man who has been in the shadows her entire life.

Darynda Jones’ FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT is a sassy tale of a sassy woman whose attitude and penchant for getting in trouble is matched only by her wit and sarcasm! Add in the heat from her mystery dream man and her discovering he may be more than a dream, and we are off and running.

A fast-paced, fun start to a series that is bound to cause a lot of laughing and consumption of ice water to cool the flames of passion igniting.

I received a complimentary copy from St Martin's Press!

Wow, what a fun read! This is the first in an urban fantasy series featuring Charley Davidson. Charley is a part-time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper and she is a fantastic character. An extremely promising start to what looks like being my new favourite paranormal romance series. Bring on the next book.

“Never knock on death's door. Ring the doorbell then run. He totally hates that.
- T-shirt”
Charley Davidson sees dead people. Yes, she's the grim reaper. She's also a PI helping her Uncle Bob solve police cases. And then there is Reyes. The sexy entity.
This was one fun, sizzling and fast paced read. It reminded me of Stephanie Plum series with a paranormal twist. I liked the paranormal part a lot. But the crime solving part not so much. It seemed a little forced. And what about Reyes? I'm not sure how I feel about Charley being so in to him when she's only seen him once. I will have to read the next book to find out what happens to them.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.

First Grave on the Right is the 1st in the PI Charley Davidson paranormal/mystery series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Series Background:
Charley Davidson has a few jobs. She is a Private Investigator, handling mostly domestic cases. She tends bar at her Dad’s when needed. She is also a “consultant” with the Albuquerque Police Department (with her Uncle Bob). Finally, she is the Grim Reaper. She sees dead people, and guides them into the light. Most of those dead people died unexpectedly. As the Grim Reaper, she has been a big help to both her father (an ex-cop) and now her Uncle in solving crimes. It really helps when the victim can tell you who did it.

My Synopsis:
Charley has a few things on the go in this book.

She has just helped a woman escape to Mexico while she kept her abusive ex-husband busy, and has a lot of bruises to prove it. Unfortunately she hasn’t heard the end of this case.

She is also helping her Uncle Bob with the murder of 3 lawyers, who have remained around in spirit to help with the case. Charley ends up trying to find evidence to get their client out of jail…again at great personal risk to herself.

But to Charley, the most important thing she is doing is trying to keep her demon lover alive.

Charley learns a lot about herself in this book, things she has never realized before. Knowing she can talk to the dead and guide them into the light is the least of her abilities.

My Opinions:
Let’s start with saying I am not a reader of romance. Nor am I a reader of humour. This one had me hot & bothered and laughing at the same time. Now for a middle-aged woman set in her ways, this was refreshing!  Definitely not in my comfort zone, and still laughing.

Darynda Jones created her main character to be a strong woman in her mid-20’s, with a lot of attitude and sass. Sarcasm is her strong suit. The supporting cast are just as interesting.

This book has everything….romance, humour, paranormal suspense, mystery…and a lot of craziness. I loved it. Although this series has been around for a while, I found this on NetGalley, and am going to check for more.

The plot, writing and characters are simply great. It was a fast, light read. It is not a deep murder mystery by any means. It is not particularly suspenseful. It is more chick-lit fantasy than dark and scary.

What it is…..it’s fun! Totally entertaining, but it’s not for everyone.

What I truly loved – a series with a lot of books I have not yet read :) I’m on it!

My First Grave on the Right reread was everything I’d hoped it would be! When I read this book the first time I don’t think I gave Charley Davidson her due. I definitely found myself liking it more than I remembered. Charley’s witty, and her family and friends are entertaining, and I enjoyed every moment of this reread!

There was a dynamic between Charley and the people around her that I adored. I loved the antagonistic banter between Charley and Garrett, the way Charley teases her beloved Uncle Bob, and the sexual tension between Charley and Reyes. It was all so delicious!

If there is anything I would critique this time around, I think I would have liked if the story focused less on Charley’s looks, particularly her boobs. I’m not sure why it always throws me out of a story, but I’ve found that endless descriptions of boobs is a turn off for me. Charley had so much more going for her. She’s funny, intelligent, badass, and kind. I wish we focused more on that.

Overall, this was exactly what I was looking for. Excellent Urban Fantasy series.

I enjoyed getting to meet this group of people. It is funny how they all interact with each other.
Charley is a part-time p.i. and full-time grim reaper. So she sees dead people and it helps her do her p.i.. She also needs to help the dead move on to the other side. Charley helps the police when she finds out someone was murdered. While she is working on balancing her life and works, she starts to have some HOT dreams of an entity that has been following her all her life. As she investigates, she finds out her entity may be a real person. Now she needs to find out what he the entity wants with her. Can she resist him?
If you want a book that will make you laugh this is it.

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones is a 2011 St. Martin’s Press publication.

Uproariously funny and Unique!!

This is the first book in the Charley Davidson series. I’ve noticed a few of my GR friends have read books in this series and it seems to be popular, but I was not sure about diving into a paranormal/ urban fantasy series after burning out on the genre during the ‘Twilight’ craze. So, I initially passed on it.

But, I am craving something otherworldly right now, so when I noticed a new installment in this series was coming out soon, and picking up a little chatter, I decided to see if this one would be a good fit for me.

If this first book is any indication, then I’d say I could fall completely under the Charley Davidson’s scathing, testy, and snappy spell.

Charley is a private investigator and a grim reaper. By grim reaper I mean she is able to see dead people and her job is to lure them into the light. To convince them, she often has to help them find peace by discovering who murdered them or finally getting justice on their behalf.

With the help of her uncle, a deceased former gang member named, Angel, and her best friend, Cookie, Charley solves crimes, and helps the dead pass over. But, in her personal life, she’s coping with an unseen entity that visits her dreams in a super- hot sensual way. Finding who and what this entity is that has followed her around her entire life is her most fervent wish. But, as they say- Be careful what you wish for!

I’ve read urban fantasy stories that were light and funny, some that were serious and super dark, but I’ve never read one that mixed such sharp wit and gallows humor, with action, adventure, dark fantasy, and a genuine murder mystery before. But, that’s not all! Capping it all off is a dangerous forbidden romance.

I’m sold! I need to start another series like I need a hole in head, and I loathe the idea of binge reading, but I’m signing on for this one all the way.

Can’t wait to read the next book!!

This was a temptation I just couldn’t resist, in more ways than one.

The Charley Davidson series has been recommended to me multiple times, but I tend to have an approach/avoidance thing with books that too many people try to get me to read. Not that they’re not usually right, but sometimes I just don’t want to follow the crowd, or at least not right away.

But the thirteenth and final book in this series Summoned to Thirteenth Grave, is coming out in January. So I don’t think it’s exactly a coincidence that the publisher put the WHOLE SERIES up on NetGalley this week, hoping to generate some pre-finale buzz.

It worked for me. I can never resist “collecting the set” so here I am, fresh from finishing First Grave on the Right. And now I know what all the fuss was about.

Charley Davidson is a Grim Reaper. Actually she’s THE Grim Reaper, or at least the current incarnation thereof. It’s not just that she sees dead people, but that her job is to help them figure out why they haven’t crossed over, help them take care of their unfinished business, then lead them towards the light. Which happens to be, well, herself.

She sees dead people, and dead people see her as that light they’re supposed to go to. They pass through her on their way to heaven. As long as she manages to stay out of there herself.

Which doesn’t seem to be easy. Charley has a knack for getting herself into not just trouble, but downright dangerous trouble. Because she doesn’t just see dead people, she also interviews them for her Uncle Bob the police detective. His closure rate for homicides is off the charts – just like her dad’s was before him. (Don’t worry, Dad merely retired. Charley still sees him the usual way.)

In addition to helping both the cops and the dead people, Charley is also a private investigator. While that helps to give her a cover explanation for why the Albuquerque PD uses her as a consultant, she also has a dangerous sideline – she helps abused women get away from their abusers – some of whom go after her.

The case in Charley’s first recorded outing is a real doozy. Three lawyers appear in her office, all dead. All partners. All shot the same night. While some might call that a coincidence, and considering all the jokes about lawyers, some might call it a “good start”, Charley knows instantly that this bunch has unfinished business.

They need to see justice done in their multiple murders. And they need to get an innocent man off of death row. That their need for justice turns out to involve taking down the kingpin of a human trafficking ring is all in Charley’s day’s work.

That she has either a supernatural or extra-dimensional stalker who is invading her dreams and her waking life with irresistible sexual magnetism is either icing on Charley’s cake, or the beginning of her worst nightmare.

Or, with Charley’s luck, both.

Escape Rating B: There is a lot to love about this series opener. So far, at least, the Charley Davidson series sits right on that borderline between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Charley’s cases, for the most part, fall into urban fantasy. She not only sees and talks to dead people, but she uses their help to solve her cases, which also involve dead people. Sometimes they are the dead people, and sometimes they become the dead people.

There’s also a “romantic” element, for certain definitions of romance. I have to admit that this was where things didn’t quite work for me. This grim reaper has an equally grim stalker who has been intervening in Charley’s life on a regular basis – whenever she’s been in really, really, really big trouble. I repeat the really to emphasize that this being only shows up when Charley is in imminent danger of becoming her own client – because Charley seems to be in some kind of trouble all the time.

Because her stalker has amped up his “game”, he’s been showing up in Charley’s dreams and her waking life for the past month, taunting her with hints that he knows more about her past than she realizes, and ramping her libido up to the max just by appearing in the vicinity.

It’s not working as romance for me. I enjoy watching the chase, and this feels all about the catch. And the identity of her “mystery being” went a bit over the top. At least for moi. He felt more stalkerish than romantic.

Thjs may not have been helped by my sense that all of the men in this story are either Charley’s relatives or dead or douchecanoes, and sometimes two out of three. The ONLY good guys seem to be her Dad and her Uncle. While some of the terrible behavior can be attributed more to their reaction to Charley’s grim sideline than to simply her female existence, it would still have felt more balanced to me if at least some of the men were decent eggs.

None of this detracted from the book being terrifically fun to read. Charley is a very likeable character, particularly if you like your snark-o-meter set to high, which I do. I not only love the t-shirt quotes that serve as chapter openers, I know where nearly all of them come from!

The mystery that Charley needs to solve is as twisted and convoluted as anyone could wish. Her methods of combining info from her dead clients with standard PI techniques both ground the series in the real and give it the right touch of woowoo to put it firmly in urban fantasy territory.

But speaking of woowoo, this book reminded me of a couple of other paranormal-ish/urban fantasy-type series, and not the ones that people usually mention. While this series does have some of the madcap elements of Stephanie Plum, Charley seems to be way more competent than Stephanie, who was always much more lucky than good. Charley is both lucky and good, and that seems more reasonable over a long (13 book) haul. Stephanie is so hapless that she should be dead ten times over by now. Charley’s enemies are darker and deadlier, but Charley seems to have a better grasp on what she’s supposed to be doing – not that she still wouldn’t like an instruction manual.

Instead, what this series reminds me of most is the Anita Blake series – only the first few books before it got to be all about notching Anita’s bedpost as often as possible. Once upon a time, Anita was a kick-ass urban fantasy heroine who solved cases and righteously put bad guys away – or underground. Charley has some of that part of Anita in her. But this series also reminds me of Karen Robards’ Dr. Charlotte Stone series (start with The Last Victim), where her much-damaged psychologist not only sees dead people, but falls in love with one. Charlie Stone and Charley Davidson would have a lot to talk about.

I’ll be back with Second Grave on the Left the next time the mood strikes!

I suppose this isn't technically an ARC review but the publisher (via NG) made most of this series available for reviews to hype up the final book so.. it sorta counts, I guess.

Anyway, yes, late to the boat for the <I>Charley Davidson</I> series, but the great thing about paranormal romance is there are usually a lot of books per series and who doesn't love a binge, am I right?

I can't say FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT is amazing, because it isn't really, but there is a huge amount of potential for this series opener. There's a lot of information to process, a quirky heroine to adjust to, a world full of grim reapers and ghosts and hell, and human mystery upon not-so-human mystery.

Some of this was very funny and very interesting, and some of it was neither. Which is usually how book ones go, I think. But I'm very interested to continue the series and glad I have the next few books at hand to continue on with Charley et company.

Charlie Davidson is one interesting girl. She's a private investigator- and the fact that she's in a family of cops doesnt hurt her abilities. But you now what really helps? The fact that she can see and talk to dead people. She's the light, the person they use to finish the unfinished business before they cross over. She's the grim reaper. she's a strong woman who doesnt let anything scare her. Well, except for maybe that shadow that appears. Who is it?
I really liked the storyline and it made me curious enough that i need to continue it to see where it goes next. All the side characters are interesting too- Cookie, Strawberry Shortcake, Angel, Garett. However, i did think there were a bit too many cliches and puns throughout. I'm hoping it was first of the series jitters and it balances out as the series progresses.
thanks to netgalley and St Martin's Press

Charley Davidson is the grim reaper - she can see and speak to dead people in order to help them move on to another plane. While doing this she helps her uncle solve murder cases.

The first chapter of this gives you an idea of what to expect from the rest of the book. It starts with Charley having an erotic dream and there are a number of these throughout the book so if explicit scenes aren't your thing, I'd give this a miss.

As the heroine's name would suggest, this book is trying to be humourous. I say trying, because a lot of the humour was quite juvenile and based round insults which didn't entirely work for me.

On the plus side there are a lot of good secondary characters who I'd like to know more about ie Cookie.

I'll certainly read the second to see how this develops, but this isn't an immediate favourite.