Review - Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3) by Darynda Jones

Title: Third Grave Dead Ahead

Author: Darynda Jones

Series: 3rd (First Grave on the Right, Second Grave on the Left)

Pages: 310

Published: January 31st 2012 by St. Martin's Press 

ISBN:  9781250001542

Source: publisher sent for honest review 

 

Description: Charley Davidson—grim reaper extraordinaire, private investigator . . . meh—is practicing her profession under the influence, caffeine and copious amounts of it, due to an extreme desire to induce insomnia. Every time she closes her eyes, Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan, is there. Only thing is, he’s a tad peeved. She did bind him for all eternity, so it’s hard blame him. But 13 days without a wink is bound to bring out the crazy in a girl. So, when a man hires her to find his wife, Charley accepts the job with one goal in mind: Put the man behind bars, and not the wet kind. She can sense the guilt waft off him and vows to find the woman’s body and prove he’s a murderer. In the meantime, Reyes is back in prison and none too happy about it . . . so Charley thinks, until she is carjacked by the dark-haired rake, who swears the very man he went to prison for killing is not only alive, but close by. And he wants Charley to find him. While a visit to her old friend Rocket sheds no light on Reyes’s situation, Charley finds out the man’s wife is still alive and time is running out. Finding her before she dies would be a miracle, but she has to try. Together with the help of a fashion-impaired receptionist named Cookie, Charley sets out to bring the bad guys to justice. She just hopes Reyes is not one of them. And that she’s not hallucinating from her self-induced bout with insomnia. 

I Give This ...

 

I was really curious as to were this book might go since the 2nd in the series left me with mixed emotions.  I was hoping the book might go back to the sarcasm I loved in the first book.

I'm very happy to say that I got that sarcasm back and then some.  Charley on little to no sleep is down right hilarious.   It took everything I loved about the first book in the series to the next level.  I loved how Charley get tangled up with everything from dead clowns to biker gangs.   She takes on a new case with a doctor and his missing wife.  Turns out the case is way more complicated than it seems.  I always find it interesting that each outside case in the book is not the focal point of the story.  Yet, it adds just the right mix of events to break up the idea that the book is solely about Reye's.

Speaking of Reye's, he was different in this book.  In each book, his character seems to take a different tone.  While, I think I like him the best in the first book, he seems more true to his nature in this one.  He is the devil's son, and I think it shows.  Some of his actions didn't sit well with me.  But, then I reminded myself who he really way.  I'm curious as to how he really feels about Charley though.  I couldn't get a good read on it this time around.

A great addition to the series, especially after a bit of a let down on the second book.  Makes me that more excited to read the next installment.   Although, it's a long wait.  Maybe the author's new young adult series can tide me over this fall...