Friday, December 7, 2018

Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones


Never underestimate the power of a woman
on a double espresso with a mocha latte chaser high.
– T-shirt


Charley Davidson isn't your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper. She's more of a paranormal private eye/grim reaper extraordinaire. However, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. To further complicate matters, Reyes is her main suspect in an arson case. Charley has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth... but then dead women start appearing in her apartment, one after another, each lost, confused, and terrified beyond reason. When it becomes apparent that her own sister, Gemma is the serial killer's next target, Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes's help. Arsonist or not, he's the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return. Charley. All of her, body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she is willing to pay.

Charley Davidson is at it again in the sexy, suspenseful, and laugh-out-loud funny fifth installment of the New York Times best selling series.


Add to Goodreads –


Book 5
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby☆☆☆☆☆
The further into this series I get, the more questions I have about Charley and her "abilities," and Reyes and his purpose.

Fifth Grave Past the Light was an excellent follow up to the darker tone of book four! Exciting and action packed, there is just so much happening: a serial killer is on the loose, and an adulterous husband are the main mysteries. Of course, that's not all that's happening. Charley's dad is withdrawing, but why? Reyes is pushing himself into Charley's everyday life. Gemma is even becoming a mainstay in Charley's life.

I found this book to be fast-moving and informative, but as I learn more, I'm always left questioning something else. We learn more about the powers Charley possesses as a Grim Reaper, but don't know what the cost of using them.

I do have a few things that are bothering me and am hoping are resolved in the next books.
1) I feel like Charley only feels a physical attraction to Reyes, we never truly learn about HIM. They don't talk or discuss their true feelings (does that make sense?), she mentions how attractive he is, or how everyone drools when he walks in a room. I crave more dimension to Reyes.
2) At what point does Charley stop being so reckless? I would figure with all that she's been through, she'd use a bit of caution when dealing with strangers. (NOT that she can/could control many situations she gets into, but she could use some common sense.)

Having said that, I love Charley Davidson and Cookie, I love Amber and Quentin, and Reyes, and Uncle Bob and Swopes, I love Rocket, Blue, and SS... and I can't stop reading this series. There is just so much left to learn about everyone and everything!


Erica☆☆☆☆☆
Fifth Grave Past the Light is obviously the fifth installment of the Charley Davidson series, and I suggest against reading it as a standalone, as plot threads and themes overlap from book to book.

This installment has less police work and more paranormal exploration, along with a healthy dose of Reyes between-the-sheets action. That son of the devil sure does know how to woo a lady.

Charley has no idea the scope of her abilities, so this is where she begins to slowly come into her own. She has a small side case for her private investigator business, involving a cheating man who loves bigger ladies, and the client is a woman who has recently dropped a ton of weight.

On the grim reaper front, Charley wakes to discover woman after woman, ages from child to middle-age, filling her apartment. Ghosts, obviously. Twenty-seven victims in fact. As usual, the grim reaper life runs parallel with Charley's working with the police department.

Swoops brings facts straight from Hell. The rest of the supportive cast stays true to their roots, bringing the comedy but also emotional depth. Charley's estrangement with Dad is still tenuous. Her deep emotional connection to her uncle is heartwarming. Her budding best-friend-esque relationship with her sister sparks of hope. Even the varying friendships she shares with the ghosts. The side cast draws every emotion out of Charley.

Reyes quite literally brings the heat. Hellfire, ya know? In the bedroom and in the kitchen, and everywhere in between.

Charley is struggling to come to terms with what she is, what she's able to do, and what she may have to do to Reyes, as well as what that means for her and the son of evil. She deals with some hard-hitting events, showcasing how real evil is reflected from innocuous human beings, not the supernatural creatures created from light and dark (not good and evil),

The GPS voices were a highlight for me, between Ozzy and Yoda. Darynda Jones should have added Gordon Ramsay. Everything GPS Ozzy said just about had me peeing my pants. Bela Lugosi topped me off.

This lighthearted, witty, sarcastic humor was a must to offset the very dark content, especially right at the end.

Highly recommend the series. Wish I could start the next straight away, especially with Reyes's Post-It note at the end.


Dawn☆☆☆☆
Another great addition to the series, if I'm being honest I preferred this one to the last one, it's a lot lighter.

So what's happening in Charley’s life? Just a serial killer! She also has a job to catch a cheating husband in the act, piece of cake for Charley Davidson.

We get to see more of Reyes in this book, he has kind of pushed his way into Charley’s life, so that she has to deal with him daily.

Cookie, who doesn't love this woman? I'm glad she is getting some of the like light.

The story is unfolding nicely, I like where it is heading.

I'm now going off to dive into book six!


Ruthie☆☆☆☆☆
This is the fifth book in the series, and things are hotting up! I would absolutely recommend that you read them in order, and that you get to it now, so that you too can get why I gave this installment five super-hot stars.

The previous book gave us an inkling as to just how important Charley is in the scheme of... well, everything. She is slowly realising that Reyes often means literally what he says, even when it seems unlikely. Now that he is free, and in fact living in the apartment next door, the chemistry between them is sizzling over, and we get to confirm that all that hellish talent can give Charley all the pleasure she desires!

The cases this time are very cleverly interwoven, and ramp up the tension, as well as giving key people the chance to provide some light relief. There is really so much going on, that in thinking about it, I am thoroughly immersed in their world. I love that the intensity is maintained at a level which ensures I am more or less on edge all the time, but then I can also dissolve into giggles at the crazy. It is in fact all crazy, but in such a totally read-worthy way, that I am already plotting when I can get onto the next installment... after all, the post-it note ending needs following up pronto.

Thank you, Darynda Jones, thank you – you have created a wonderful series, which I am already looking forward to re-reading, in the certain knowledge that I will find out more even depth to the story as I slow down a bit, not needing to know exactly how it turns out!


Also Available in the Charley Davidson Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our First Grave on the Right post.


Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our Second Grave on the Left post.


Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our Third Grave Dead Ahead post.


Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet post.



Darynda Jones is the winner of the 2009 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Novel for her manuscript First Grave on the Right. Darynda can't remember a time when she wasn't putting pen to paper. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than twenty-five years and two beautiful sons, aka the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Connect with Darynda

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram


http://www.stmartins.com/


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson #5) by Darynda Jones to read and review.

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