Published By: Piatkus
Released : Available Now
Details: Paperback from Library , 320 Pages
RATING: 5 Rawrrrr REYES STARS!!
Blurb: Goodreads
Welcome to the world of grim reaper extraordinaire, Charley Davidson. Try as she might, there's no avoiding her destiny.
Sometimes being the grim reaper really is, well, "grim." And since Charley's last case went so awry, she has taken a couple of months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above . . . or at least get dressed. It becomes clear something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she's insane. But the more they refute the woman's story, the more Charley believes it.
In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, is out of prison and out of Charley's life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved.
Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans in this hilarious fourth installment in the "New York Times "bestselling series from Darynda Jones.
BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:
I should always know when I crack open a Darynda Jones book, I am not going to be putting it down until it is finished. The humor and wit is on every page, woven into a story about the Son of Satan, Reyes and whatever mess Charley finds herself in.
Charley is a grim reaper, but she is never grim. The wit and sarcasm and dialogue that will have you giggling to yourself as you read is what I needed this week. I needed to laugh.
From the first page, if you have never read a Charley Davidson book, you will get an immediate understanding that Darynda doesn’t take herself seriously. She can write great characters that we adore and we almost want to be written into her books as a character , just to see what she does to us. Just to see what she gets us to say.
Charley likes to name things. The sofa may or may not be named Sharon...... hehe.
Charley likes to name her body parts. I must say my errrr chest, when I was younger was named Betty and Wilma ( boobs) so I totally understand Charley’s need to name her ( girls) Danger and Will Robinson. Not strange at all. Barbara is her brain, Misery is her car and Margaret ( a new addition ) is her gun.
Oh yeah and Fred. I’ll save that one for you to find out.
BAHAHAHAHAAAAAaaaaAAaaa!
I unzipped my window, wondering if I should think about getting a car with all the latest gadgets. I could do without unzipping windows, but Misery was such a part of me, I couldn’t imagine my life without her. Unless my new ride sported a jaguar on the hood. Then I’d kick Misery to the curb faster than a crushed aluminium can.
I patted the dash. “Just kidding, girl. I’d never abandon you. Unless you catch fire and I have to run for my life.”
As if launching a comeback, she sputtered and shimmied before returning back to her normal purr. Such sass. We were totally made for each other.
I patted the dash. “Just kidding, girl. I’d never abandon you. Unless you catch fire and I have to run for my life.”
As if launching a comeback, she sputtered and shimmied before returning back to her normal purr. Such sass. We were totally made for each other.
Darynda , when I need to smile. You plaster one on my face . You are infectious in a wonderful way.
There are our fave sub characters giving Charley a hand, Cookie, Swopes, although I suspect he is there under duress, hehe. Dad, Ubie aka Uncle Bob, Gemma and Sister Mary ( although that chick is almost scarey with the knowledge she overhears, but can’t pass on). Rocket, Blue and Strawberry are always an interesting side order and Aunt Lillian and Mr Wong .
Mr Wong, dude, you are hilarious without even trying and more often than not, moving a muscle.
Not to forget Angel the gang banger. He is only thirteen in looks, but much older in errr, vintage. I keep forgetting he is only thirteen!
And Artemis. Love Artemis.
“No way,” I said, looking back and forth between the two of them. “You have information that I could use , and you won’t hand it over?”
“It is not our place,” the mother superior said. “This information is sacred. It was given to us so that we may pray.”
“I can pray,” I said, insulted. “Just tell me what to pray about. I’ll totally put it on my to-do list.”
“I can pray,” I said, insulted. “Just tell me what to pray about. I’ll totally put it on my to-do list.”
Well, if anything would affect the psyche, it would be a trip to hell. I didn’t know what to say. “What was it like?”
He waved his beer in the air. “You know. Hot. Lots of screaming. Lots of agony. I would not recommend it for a vacation spot.”
There is also a new edition who is a great character. I am looking forward to his character coming into play in further installments.
The relationship between Cookie and Charley is a great friendship to read. There are the funniest moments between the two of them. Cookie is always there for Charley, often with words of wisdom and she always has Charley's back.
“Gemma thinks that maybe you need a hobby.” She looked around at the boxes. “A healthy hobby. Like Pilates. Or alligator wrestling.”
“I know.” I leaned back and threw an arm over my eyes. “I considered writing my memoirs, but can’t figure out how to put seventies porn music into prose.”
“I don’t know what to think of Reyes.”
“Oh, honey, who does? He’s an enigma wrapped up in sensuality padlocked with a dozen chains of desire and topped off with a razor-sharp ribbon of danger. There are more layers to him than a billionaire’s wedding cake.”
Then we have the relationship?? between Reyes and Charley and the humor and how he handles her words that spew forth from her mouth. She really is a most hilarious character. Very lovable. Under all the humor she has her own shiz she is dealing with and the way she handles being hurt.
He turned the paper over. “It’s written on a Macho Taco receipt.”
“I improvised.”
“And it’s for a million dollars.”
“I’m expensive.”
The barest hint of a grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “I don’t have a million on me at the moment.”
“We can go to the nearest ATM, if that would help.”
“Sadly, no.”
“I know.”
“How?” I asked, surprised.
“I watched you talk to him for a while.”
I pressed my lips together, then said, “Stalker.”
“Nut.”
I gasped. “Neanderthal.”
“Fruitcake.”
“Ape.”
“Psychopath.”
Why did his entire repertoire of insults question my mental stability? I scowled up at him and leaned in. “Demon.”’
And then you have Charley, just being Charley with the other characters in the book. I did LOL at this one.
“Agent... Agent Carson,” I said panting into the phone.
“Yes , Charley.” She seemed unimpressed, but I wasn’t about to stop now.
“I -- I know who the kshshshshshsh are.”
“I’m a little busy right now, Davidson. What is a Ksh, and why do I care?”
“I’m sorry. My kshshsh... is kshshsh...ing.”
“I repeat. What is a Ksh? And why do I care if it is ksh-ing?”
She was a tough one. I knew I should have waited and brought a Butterfinger at the Jug-N-Chug. Those wrappers crackled like Rice Krispies on a Saturday morning. “You aren’t listeni-kshshsh.”
“You’re really bad at this.”
“Bank ro-ksh-ers. I know who they kshshsh.”
“Charley, if you don’t cut this crap out.”
I hung up and turned off my phone before she could figure out what I was trying to tell her and call back. The whole thing would have been more convincing if she’d found me tied up on the floor of an asylum.
And then you see bits in Charley that you find yourself doing.....she is trying to make ends meet, like the next person. When I see her like this, I want to hug her as she gives so much of herself to help everyone around her and then she is getting out all her plastic and trying to buy a cup of coffee. Hehe!
There was an awesome twist, which truly I should have seen coming, duh, but I did not. So booyahh to Darynda.
Oh and I must, must mention that gorgeous trio from the Bandits biker gang, Michael, Donovan and Eric.
Humma, Humma!
Seriously , those lads could have their own spinoff....hint..hint.
I clutched at Donovan’s arm and said, “This is not winning you any brownie points, mister.”
When we got to the door, Donovan whispered into my ear, “Nice to see you, too, beautiful.”
Eric bent over the back of the chair and kissed my neck. “See you on the flip side, gorgeous. Don’t go breaking into anything I wouldn’t.”
I smiled and nuzzled him between my head and shoulder. He was a good kid. And sexy as all get out.
Michael offered me that cool smirk he carried with such style and bent to kiss my cheek. “I have a feeling we’ll meet again,” he said before saluting and heading away.
Yet kneeling in front of me was one of the sweetest men I’d ever met. Biker or not, he knew how to treat a girl.
True , he duct-taped me to a chair, but that had been my idea.
“I’ll let you know where we are when we get there,” he said, not waiting for an answer from me. “You’ll always be welcome.”
“Right,” I scoffed, not believing him for a minute. “You’ll find some Mexican beauty who makes you want to get married and have pequenos banditos for the first time in your life, and you’ll forget all about me.”
The sadness that washed over him spilled out onto me. “Not likely, love.” He ran his thumb over my bottom lip, then covered it with his own, taking it between his teeth and suckling before pressing his mouth to mine.
“Really ? This is how you’re going to leave me?”
Before I could say anything else, he lunged forward and planted his mouth on mine again. This kiss was anything but gentle. Need and longing radiated out of him as his tongue slipped past my lips and between my teeth. Just like last time we’d kissed, he tasted faintly of beer and cinnamon. I heard a soft moan, and realized it was coming from me.
His hands rose to my face, his fingers diving into my hair, pulling parts of it loose from the hair tie. He cupped my chin with one hand and angled my head to give him better access. Slanting against me, he deepened the kiss even more . I wanted to mold myself to him again, to feel the hardness of his body against mine, but he’d taped me to the back of the chair. Of course, that didn’t stop one hand from meandering back to my ass. He pulled me closer - chair and all - then let his hand slide up to Will, to measure her weight in his palm,to test her peak with his thumb.
See what I mean. SPINOFF PLEASE!! The lads aren't in each book much, but the impact they have when they arrive... phwoaarrrr!
Darynda starts this book off with Charley getting an intervention from Cookie and her friends. She has become a home shopaholic. Boxes fill her small apartment. Now at first I was like, what does this have to do with anything? Then I was like, why am I surprised that something as addictive as home shopping while convalescing for Charley is odd to me, cause it’s not. Charley is a funny girl, she does funny things. But...... there is always something behind the odd things that Charley does.
I surveyed all the boxes and decided to turn the tables on Cookie. To play the victim. To blame the whole thing on her. I pointed at an Electrolux and gaped at her. “Who the hell left me unsupervised? This has to be your fault?”
“Nice try ,” she said, completely unmoved.
“Nice try ,” she said, completely unmoved.
It was something that took me by surprise in this book and made me realize, when people are hurting , they will do crazy things. They will become misguided. Start doing out of character behaviour to stave off what is really the issue at hand.
Reyes Farrow, dear lord that lad is growl worthy. His day job would not earn favours with your mamma, but the lad is smex appeal times a thousand.
I forced my attention off his face to his wide shoulders, laid bare for the fight, exposing the ancient tattoos he’d been born with. The tattoos that doubled as a map, a key to the gates of hell. I could read a map as well as the next girl, but how did one use such a map to travel onto the other plane and traverse the desolation of infinity to get to a place nobody wants to be?
I closed my eyes at the image he offered me. “You want to do that anyway.”
“True , but this is stronger. You’re the reaper, and nothing on earth is more mouthwatering to one of my kind than the prospect of licking fear off your skin.”
I am beginning to wonder if he even remembers the team he is supposed to be batting for. He just doesn’t feel bad...until he does that where’s a bucket I need time out to chunder, internal spine splicing thing. Gahh!
I was sitting in the docs waiting room , finishing off this book as this doc appointment I had been waiting months for, and it rudely interrupted my reading of this book . I was reading the chapter titles out to hubs trying to explain Darynda’s humor. Even he was giggling at the mostly T-shirt chapter titles, there was a bumper sticker thrown in for good measure.
I 'll leave you with some of the chapter titles in no particular order.
Doing nothing is hard. You never know when you’re done.
Welcome back. I see the assassin’s have failed.
You can’t fix stupid, but you can numb it with a 2 by 4.
Hi. I’m trouble. I heard you were looking for me.
Insanity does NOT run in my family. It strolls through, takes its time, and gets to know everyone personally.
Hubs loved this one!
Two drinks away from girl-on-girl action.
This one evoked a loud giggle from me in the waiting room.
Since killing is illegal, can I have a Taser just for shits and giggles?
Drink coffee! Do stupid things faster and with more energy.
I meant to behave. There were just too many other options.
Doing nothing is hard. You never know when you’re done.
Welcome back. I see the assassin’s have failed.
You can’t fix stupid, but you can numb it with a 2 by 4.
Hi. I’m trouble. I heard you were looking for me.
Insanity does NOT run in my family. It strolls through, takes its time, and gets to know everyone personally.
Hubs loved this one!
Two drinks away from girl-on-girl action.
This one evoked a loud giggle from me in the waiting room.
Since killing is illegal, can I have a Taser just for shits and giggles?
Drink coffee! Do stupid things faster and with more energy.
I meant to behave. There were just too many other options.
Michelle
Interview with Darynda Jones
Very cool insight into Charley Davidson - Also I call Reyes = Reece but it is pronounced Rayus = Reyes
This is really worth a watch as you learn a lot from Darynda and her writing process.
Very cool insight into Charley Davidson - Also I call Reyes = Reece but it is pronounced Rayus = Reyes
This is really worth a watch as you learn a lot from Darynda and her writing process.
This is quite a good cast vid.
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