[yasr_overall_rating]
Grim Reaper Charley Davidson copes with not having her infant daughter in her life while solving cases and learning how to use her powers.
All of Darynda Jones’ books, in the Charley Davidson series, are fast-paced and witty, and book eleven is no exception. By page three you will be laughing so hard your stomach will ache, but this will not stop you from reading. Book eleven follows the same time-proven formula as the previous books in this series; coffee on tap, sex scenes that will make your toes curl, ineptitude from a god, and well-formulated characters bring laughter on every page. Oh, and a cliffhanger which induces an inability to think about anything else for the next six months. Yeah, the book is that good. If you have not read any of the previous Charley books in this series, then chances are this review will not make a whole lot of sense to you. Might I recommend, ‘First Grave on the Right,’ book one in the series?
All of our favorite characters are back. Charley is still ridiculously funny and incapable of comprehending the full extent of her abilities as a god. Reyes is smoldering hot and still trying to keep Charley out of his past. Cookie is supportive and the best assistant the grim reaper could ask for in a best friend. Ubie is hiding his plans from everyone in his determination to keep Charley safe from the plethora of bad guys determined to kill her, or in this case, eat her soul. The whole cast is busy this time keeping Beep safe and hidden and tracking down the evil fanatics.
Charley is scaring the wits out of a dead psychiatrist in chapter one. By the next chapter, we learn she has picked up a new case: The Fosters. Yep, the same people who kidnapped Reyes and then released him to pure evil, are on the docket for this installment. Shawn Foster believes his parents are up to no good, including not being his parents, for a start. Amber has a racy stalker putting her ill at ease. Uncle Bobby is more tight-lipped than normal, as he plots something he is keeping from both his wife Cookie and his niece. If that weren’t enough to deal with, Charley also spends quality time with her hubby learning to use her god powers and finally tap into her abilities without an emotional trauma.
Charley acting like a human is the overwhelming purpose of this novel. As one of the most powerful gods in all the dimensions, she can’t quite see past her corporeal skin and bones. Reyes is there to teach her, by throwing her off a bridge, literally. Slowly our funny gal is starting to understand her powers are inside of her, somewhere deep. The other theme is coping with the limited powers God has allowed her while in His dimension. I was apprehensive about the God aspect of this novel, but Darynda Jones is handling this aspect decently. Yes, Charley is mad at Jehovah, but only to the same extent most humans are when they see suffering around the world, and feel powerless to do anything to help stop suffering. When given the opportunity to fight the Arch-Angel Michael, she calms down understanding her place in God’s world and His authority. I hope the future novels continue to keep a healthy respect for God and his Son.
Charley’s penchant for naming inanimate objects is the highlight of the books in my professional fandom opinion. She names a grain of sand Digby, does it get any better than that? From a person who named her sewing machine Julia and her desk Roberto, it does not get better (The desk is an Italian antique, he deserved a name). My favorite scene, by far, was Charley climbing up to the rafters of her ceiling to rescue a departed toddler. Stacking other furniture on to Captain Kirk, the sofa, and then a ladder, when she has the ability to get up there by supernatural means, was hilarious and heartwrenching at the same time. With an angel playing spectator, Charley manages to climb up, but then Ubie manages to strand her on the ceiling! Did I mention Charley is being stalked by a lot of angels in this book? Just one more fun little element, to keep us, and Charley, on our toes.
Everything about this book is fantastic; it’s the whole shebang. You’ve got romance, paranormal, sci-fi, action, adventure, humor, and the deep questions all rolled into one book. I cannot wait to find out what happens in book twelve. Maybe, if we are a very good audience, we will get a glimpse of the power housed inside of tiny baby Beep and what is in store for her, in coming novels. Grimlet’s across the nation will be anxiously waiting to find out what happens to our bright Grim Reaper next.
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