• First Grave on the Right

  • Charley Davidson, Book 1
  • By: Darynda Jones
  • Narrated by: Lorelei King
  • Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (10,209 ratings)

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First Grave on the Right  By  cover art

First Grave on the Right

By: Darynda Jones
Narrated by: Lorelei King
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Editorial reviews

Charlotte “Charley” Davidson is not your stereotypical Grim Reaper. She’s sexy, sassy, and likes to help dead people with unfinished business before they cross. She’s more of a bright light kind of girl than a hood with an axe. For her day job, Charley is an Albuquerque private investigator and a consultant to her police detective uncle. Lately, her nights have been steamed up with dreams of a hot mystery lover who may or may not be real. It’s chick-lit meets paranormal with a touch of mystery in the buzz-worthy First Grave on the Right.

Inevitably, this book will be compared to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. They both have feisty female protagonists, snappy dialogue, and zany characters. Veteran narrator Lorelei King also performs the Stephanie Plum books and is well-cast in this novel. What makes her fantastic in the Plum series is her ability to define the voices of all the secondary characters and inject them with interest and distinct personalities. In this performance, she does not disappoint. King seamlessly switches among the characters and has fantastic comedic timing. She elevates the work and keeps the laughs coming.

This is a debut novel from Darynda Jones. It will not be her last; this is clearly a launch for a series. There’s quite a bit of set-up as Charley begins to understand more of her abilities and the presence of other supernatural beings. Jones has created an interesting premise and characters. The mystery element is weak, however, and the writing is on the mediocre side. Jones is at her best with witty dialogue and keeps things moving at a brisk pace. Overall, it’s a fun, breezy listen and an enjoyable escape.

Fans of Janet Evanovich, Lorelei King, and paranormal romance will want to give this new series a listen. Julie MacDonald

Publisher's summary

First Grave on the Right is the smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper.

Charley sees dead people. That's right, she sees dead people. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

This is a thrilling debut novel from Darynda Jones, an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

First Grave on the Right is the winner of the 2012 Rita Award for Best First Book.

Keep chilled: spend some more time with Charley Davidson.
©2011 Darynda Jones (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Sexy, sassy . . . Jones's characters, both living and dead, are colorful and endearing. . . . Cheeky charm . . . sarcastic wit.” —The Associated Press

“Jones's wickedly witty debut will delight aficionados of such humorous paranormals as Casey Daniels's Pepper Martin Mysteries and Dakota Cassidy's Accidental Friends series.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Fast-talking Charley's wicked exuberance and lust for life will appeal to fans of MaryJanice Davidson and Janet Evanovich and maybe fill a hole for those mourning the recently canceled Ghost Whisperer.” —Publishers Weekly

Featured Article: Spooky Supernatural Romance Audiobooks to Get Your Heart Racing


The two genres combined here—paranormal and romance—each have highly engaged, passionate fanbases who make finding quality recommendations easy. Listeners are enraptured by these stories. We too love the double escape provided by both fantastical and romantic elements, and for the countless ways authors continually play on listeners’ expectations to keep stories fresh. Whether you prefer werewolves, witches, or wyrs, there’s a listen for you.

What listeners say about First Grave on the Right

Average customer ratings
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Awesome story and narration!

Excellent world building for the first in a series. I love Charley and all of her support system!! Lorelei King is the PERFECT narrator for this series— just the right amount of snark and spark!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

I picked this book because it had a female author and a narrator I like. It looked like a fantasy about a strong woman who solves crimes by talking to dead people. But it turned out to be a trashy romance about a weak woman who gets sexually assaulted, likes it, and then fantasies about her almost rapist. I hate this kind of crap. Why do authors romanticize sexual assault? I expected better female characters from a female author.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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awesome sauce

loved it
so good... had all the right elements in all the right places... super entertaining. I need the next one now

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent book couldnt stop listening

Would you consider the audio edition of First Grave on the Right to be better than the print version?

yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of First Grave on the Right?

the whole book keeps your intrest

Have you listened to any of Lorelei King’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

yes all of stephine plum and its right up there with those she is a great narrator

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the way she lets the people go though her and can see all there pain and happiness

Any additional comments?

just cant wait for the next one

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

If you like Stephanie Plumb you'll love these book

What made the experience of listening to First Grave on the Right the most enjoyable?

I love the humor in these stories. The characters are so much fun.

What about Lorelei King’s performance did you like?

I love this narrator. She is always a pleasure to listen to.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Love it!!!

Amazing listen, couldn't stop!!! It's good for those who believe in the paranormal and hits some of the points right on the head. A good pairing between the author and the story. I can't wait for the next one!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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This One is Pretty Good!

I have been going through Jeanine Frost withdrawl. I have spent too much money and listened to other books in this genre but have yet to find something that is even half a good as J.F"s books...Until now the content of this book is smart, funny and most of all entertaining. Lorelei King does a wonderful job with her narration. Her voice was nice to hear compared to the many "smoker" type voices in this genre. At last another aurthor I can count on.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Super good!

I bought this book in a whim because it was on sale and got good reviews. I was not disappointed! It's funny and just enough serious that it completely keeps you enthralled. I was not completely happy with who is narrating the book, however the story line makes up for it a thousand times over.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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This audio book deserves a Five Star Rating

Since I'm on the third audio book in this series in two days, I can truly say this is one of the best in urban or paranormal fantasy. The author's sense of humor is amazing and the character's "voice" is strong and clear. The wit, humour and mystery is unique and Lorelei King, perfect!
I bought this book on a special with two credits for the entire series. Good move, Audible. If you want to laugh and listen to a creative, unique story without all the "formula" writing, listen to this one and the next and the next. I am a new, true fan of this author and look forward to future books in this series.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Too much sex

Too much trashy sex. Would have been better without the details. Not my cup of tea

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