BOOK REVIEW - FIFTH GRAVE PAST THE LIGHT by DARYNDA JONES - CHARLEY DAVIDSON # 5 - PIATKUS - ADULT URBAN FANTASY - 5 STARS - BOOYAHH!

By: Darynda Jones
Published By: Piatkus
Released: Available Now
Details: Paperback from library, 339 Pages

RATING: 5 WELL, CHECK OUT THAT ENDING!!!

Blurb: Goodreads

The fifth in this fun and sexy New York Times bestselling paranormal series...

Charley Davidson may not look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper, but she has vowed to reap grimness wherever she goes despite this unfortunate fact. Sadly, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. As he is the main suspect in her arson case, she has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth.

However, when dead women start appearing in her apartment—lost, confused and terrified beyond reason—Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes' help, especially when it becomes apparent that her own sister, Gemma, is the serial killer's next target. With his ability to observe incorporeally, surely he can find out who's responsible. And even if he can't, he is the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who orwhat 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 might be willing to pay...


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

Miss Darynda’s writing is like a happy place balm of humor and wit that washes over me when I read a Charley Davidson book. I laugh, I get those silly bursts/ snorts of giggles when Charley starts inner monologuing and also outer monologuing which would probably equal dialoguing.


“I have depth. I’ve read Proust. No. Wait, that was Pooh. Winnie-the-Pooh. My bad.”

Only Miss D could use a GPS voice system to her advantage. Oh, did I almost pee myself laughing at Ozzy.

BAhahahahaaaa!

I got to say this installment certainly had its usual pounds worth of humor and wit, but, all is not humor, she does throw in the serious stuff too. Some of the cases Charley is working on aren’t pretty and are tragic.

Miss D gave us some multitasking for Charley and brought in Captain Eckert. I mean you can only go so long solving multitudes of cases before somebody’s ears prick up and want to know more. Want to know how and why. I quite like Captain E.

“Yeah, but now he’s getting curious. He’s digging. I totally shouldn’t have solved a murder, missing child, bank robber, and a serial killer case all in one day. It drew too much attention.


I love it when Swopes comes back into the Charley party. She has such fun with him.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked.

“To my pleasure, duh. I get all kinds of joy annoying the ever-loving crap out of you.”

“I meant, what’s going on? Is the world ending? Is a mass murderer stalking you? Are you trying to stay up for days at a time to avoid alone time with your evil neighbour?”


Swopes, you stun me! I was like WT! You are one brave man. He also helps shed some light on something.

What? I thought that pun was quite well used.

Garrett Swopes was a lot like a hot gay friend only he wasn’t gay, which was too bad because then I could tell him how hot he was without him getting the wrong idea. He had smooth moch-colored skin that made the silvery gray of his eyes even more arresting. And again he had abs to die for as evidenced not by his lack of a shirt but his negligence in buttoning said shirt.

I drank in a hearty swig of Garrett-abs before addressing him. “How’s it hanging, Swopes?” I asked, ducking past him.


Darynda gave me more direction in this book to where this whole Reyes, Son of Satan and Charley, you-got-more-powers-than-you-know-what-to-do-with. No seriously, she has no idea of her capabilities. I think before this installment in the series, we were happily immersed in humor, good fun, cases to be solved, Reyes popped in and out splicing and lusting. Not necessarily in that order.
Ubie was getting a helping hand from his niece and being the one to understand her.

“Unle Blob,” I said, fighting my tongue’s refusal to work right.

“I know you’re upset, Charley, but that’s no reason to call me names.”

“No, lou lon lullerland.” What the hell did I just say?

It sounded like You don’t understand when I thought it in my head.


Cookie and Charley continue to show us what a great friendship they have. I could listen to those two verbal sparring all day. But, I don’t think we were getting a lot of headway with where the series was going.

Whahhh! Holy mac and cheese, we get a rather large helping of moving forward in this book. In more ways than one.

Charley and Reyes aren’t just doing the verbal tango.

“Have you ever boxed?”

“Took some lessons. Didn’t want to be anybody’s bitch in detention.” He didn’t look convinced, so I explained. “I went to a rough high school. Our mascot was a hit man named Vinnie.”

“I thought you went to La Cueva.”

“I did. I went to a subdivision of La Cueva called La Bettawatch-yaass, Girlfriend. “


“No, your other boyfriend.”

I thought a moment. “Donovan, my biker dude?” I did miss him. Too bad so many of my boyfriends ended up in Mexico, running from the law. That could be a sign of something.

“No, your other -- Fuck, how many boyfriends do you have?”

We also get down and dirty with those two lustful characters.

“Hey, wait,” I said, pulling back, “you are the son of Satan. Maybe we need a safe word.”

His grin morphed into something wickedly charming. “Okay, how about, ‘Oh, my god, it’s so big’.”

Laughter burst out of me before I could stop it. Not that it wasn’t. “That would be a safe phrase, but okay.”I thought about it, then said, “How about ‘Is that all you’ve got?’”



“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to perform an exam.”

“An exam?” I laughed as he carried me to a small area he’d set aside for a dining room table and laid me across it. A startled gasp escaped me when my back touched the cold wood. “Oh, my god,” I said with a shiver.



“You’re under arrest, mister.”

His mouth tilted and a dimple emerged on one cheek as I took his wrist and threw him against a wall. Or, well, urged him toward it. I held him against the cool wood with one hand and frisked him with the other. Slowly. Deliberately caressing parts of him I had no right to caress in public. I ran my hand over his buttocks, caressed first one pocket, then the other. Then slid my hand under the apron and did the same to the front pockets. he tensed when my fingers brushed across his crotch. Feeling the heat surrounding him magnify, I ran my palms down his thighs, front and back, then up over his stomach and ribs. I had no idea frisking could be so fun.


All our faves pop in and out and do their thing. Angel is a fave of mine and so is Quentin.

Oh dear lord did I laugh out loud at Amber’s sign language err... technique/faux pas. 

Cookie’s face would flame, if she knew. I nearly dropped my book.

HA!

Speaking of Cookie, I am so glad she got some lessons in side arms, because I really think she needed some protection when hanging about with Charley. Wit alone will not save her from a baddie.

Hold the phones. Maybe Satan had ADD , too. It would explain a lot.


It feels like Miss D is setting us up with quite a few seeds that may eventually get sown?

Mr Wong! I am beginning to think you are a super undercover ... well in the corner spy, for the dark side, or a side of sorts.

Is this possible?

Just when I was thinking to myself, gee Charley has gotten through rather unscathed ... then ...

WTH!

Most noticeably for me was the absence of that biker gang The Bandits. Now I know Miss Darynda sent them away in Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet.
It had to be done.

But , after a rather smexi WT! moment with Charley and Donovan , I can only assume and totally am making this up in my head, with no factual basis for it what-so-ever, that Miss D is going to give me a spinoff.

Because we are besties, not that we have ever met or know each other, but if we were besties and I had asked her to do this for me she would. Maybe?

Or not?

See, I totally made that up, but I dare to dream. I mean, you can’t just send those handsome lads away, never to be heard from again?

Could you?

Really?

NooOOoo! I stamp my foot on the ground, hands on hips.

This is a quote from Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet from Donovan.

“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.

See, he can’t forget Charley. There’s got to be something in the wind.

*sniff, sniff*

That’s me checking the wind.

Miss D has me laughing, again, at her chapter titles. She just doesn’t understand the words less is more and I love it. The more wit , the better, I say.

I’m a virgin.

But this is an old shirt.

So , that brings me to the end of another Charley Davidson installment, and I am a little sad, well, not because of that ending, but because I have no more to read.

I cannot recommend this series enough. Pick it up and try it on for size. I am sure it will fit. Miss D will give you a really good time, trust me! 

Her books are the best laugh medicine. 

And... shiz just got real intriguing.

Michelle