First Grave on the Right

Charley Davidson, Book 1

By: Darynda Jones

Narrated by: Lorelei King

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

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

Great listen!

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

Haven't read the books, but loved listening!

What other book might you compare First Grave on the Right to and why?

Was looking for a new series after listening to the series Halfway to the Grave,etc. This series is just as enjoyable, Humour, superb narration, well developed characters and plot lines, and steamy love scenes.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were many favorite scenes for me but the first time we are introduced to Mr. Wong is hilarious!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen to this in one sitting while working in my art room, the time flew by and I was sorry when it ended.

Any additional comments?

Thank you for the great listen!

AMAZING STORY LINE AND BOOK

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

I did not read the print version however I would consider audio books better due to the ability to have a narrator read and you are able to get a different picture in your mind of the story.

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

The love scenes were very well written and narrated. The suspense was very well delivered as well.

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

First listen from this author and i will be purchasing the whole series.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes i had to control myself and not listen to it at work lol

Captivating, hard to put down!

Loved the book. The narrator captivates her audience in telling the story of Charlie AKA The Grimm Reaper, leaving you wanting to move onto the next book. Laugh out loud humor.

Funny and intriguing

I can't wait for the next book. I'm loving this series. Glad I found it

Funny with a bit of lust

I love daryanda jones and her characters. Charlie has the best wit and easy goingness that anyone would love to have.

Lorelei king is one of my favorite narrators! She really brings the characters alive!

I 'm so confused

First, let me say I did very much enjoy this book. I liked the story line and the characters. I will read the remaining books in the series. Now, why did I only give it four stars instead of five? Because the whole time I felt like I was listening to a work by Janet Evonavich. Did Janet clone herself? I absolutely love Ms. Evonavich's books. Ms. Jones has beautifully duplicated her writing style in every aspect. I loved the dialog especially the comedic aspect. I kept waiting for Lula, Ranger or Gramma Masser to pop up but all in all I still enjoyed the story. Hopefully as the books evolve, I will feel less like I'm reading a Stephanie Plum adventure and more like a Charlie Davidson escapade.

Entertaining, light read romance

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

When Charlie finds out what Reyes is... Steamy it had built up to a great scene

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

When Charlie is speaking to Reyes sister and finds out about his childhood

Wow....

I downloaded this book probably almost one year after I had purchsed it. I could kick myself. Once I listened to this book, quickly hurried to download the rest located on audible. I rarely find books who's storyline gets better and better with each book. I LOVE Charlie.....She is sooo freakin funny......I hope this series doesn't end anytime soon. I see that the fifth book is coming out this year "2013" I will be right there to purchase it. This book is soooo worth the credit.

something different

Funny tidbits mixed in with some sad stories all tied together with an interesting twist on the Reaper. As this is a series I am not sure how well it will progress. All in all it was an acceptable read.

Fun but a bit western mythos heavy

The story was engrossing and the protagonist entirely enjoyable. The writing style is both playful and believable, and King's narration perfectly conveys this. (Kudos for the sultry rasp.)

My only qualm came near the end when the book took a sadly typical turn and repurposed overdone Christian mythos. It strikes me as lazy, like Jones is simply riffing off the stories she's heard growing up. It makes the book suddenly seem like a superbly executed "me too" novel. So much creativity went into the novel, it's a shame Jones phoned it in on the metaphysics.

However, this only happened at the end of the book, so I'm dinging only one star. I fear, though, that subsequent books in the series will integrate the derivative concepts more deeply, making them more central to the upcoming plots, given that this will already have been established to be the underlying struggle.

Still, the book is an amusing popcorn book.