{Quick Review} Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Synopsis:

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?

Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the year: Second Grave on the Left.

The first book in this series was ok for me, but I really loved the second.

That’s probably because Reyes was a much more integral part of the plot. We weren’t just searching for Reyes, we got to see Charley interacting with him on a regular basis. They have fantastic chemistry, and I loved getting to see them together so much more. This isn’t your typical romance either. Reyes is frequently frustrated with Charley (and not just in the sexual way, if you know what I mean). There’s a lot of anger in between the romance for these two, which makes for an interesting developing relationship. They seem to have an understanding that they are important to each other, but outside of that, all bets are off.

I found myself much more involved with the investigation they were working on as well, since they were looking for a friend of Cookie’s. Everything felt a little more connected and put together than the first one, which felt pretty disjointed to me.

Second Grave on the Left seemed to hit more humorous marks as well, like Jones settled into the humor a little better. The first always seemed to fall a little short in the punch lines for me, but I didn’t find that to be true in Second Grave on the Left. Charley is still sassy, but her jokes are more clever.

I can’t wait to continue this series, and learn more about Reyes and Charley. I can sense that it will be a very long, rough road for those two.