Title: Second Grave on the LeftAuthor: Darynda Jones
Series: 2nd, First Grave on the Right
Pages: 307
Published: August 16, 2011 by St. Martins Press
ISBN: 9780312360818
Source: Publisher for honest review
Description: When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?
I Give This ...
I always have a hard time with a book that I think deserves half rating. Do you round up or down? With Second Grave, I took in to account my enjoyment of the first book and decided to round up.
Charley felt a little off in this book for some reason. She still had her spunk and her sarcasm, but it didn't feel like such a defying characteristic and I missed it. This time around I felt like she was following more than leading. Her instincts seem a little overshadowed by her complete infatuation with finding Reyes. And she was really air-headed. I didn't feel like there was so much going on in the book that she shouldn't be able to keep up with characters' names. It drove me a little crazy. I also missed some characters that got more face time in the first book (like Rocket Man).
The ghost involved with this book was down right creepy. I'm still not prepared for were ghosts show up. This time it was in the trunk of Cookie's car and then he sticks to Charley like glue. But, he never talks and has a tendency to show up at odd time like when she's in the shower. But, I enjoyed the mystery of who he really was and how he came to be in the trunk. I also really liked the mystery of Cookie's friend. It turns out Mimi was forced to hide something that happened in high school and now fears for her life. The culprit is kind of sprang on you and totally now who I thought it would be.
I find Reyes to be a fascinating character that I can't quite get a handle on. He genuinely seems concerned for Charley and what happens to her. But, he's got a really nasty dark side and I'm not sure how that connects to Charley in the long run. Overall, it makes me unable to firmly decide which side he's on. I'm not sure he knows himself.
Not as good as the first one, but a decent addition to the series. I'm still looking forward to the next one.
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