Third Grave Dead Ahead

So after 3 books in this series, here's what I've learned.

I adore Charley. Her sarcasm, stubbornness, humor and general bad ass-ness. Oh yeah and her pop culture references.
Cookie (and Amber by extension) is fabulous.
Uncle Bob, while at times irritating, is awesome.
As is Garrett, who more often than not deals with Charley's barrel of crazy with an eye roll or shrug. (his top five list of things not to say to the grim reaper was fantastically awful)
I even like Donovan the guy from the biker gang. (Hello? He was upset about Artemis, the dog. I was required to like him because of that)

The B plot was fun and not a completely by the numbers missing person mystery. It mostly kept me entertained.

My problem? I don't particularly like Reyes. Which is a little bit of a problem considering he's pretty essential to the over-arching plot in this series. I know, I know. I'm probably 1 of like 10 people with this issue. The thing is I can't quite pinpoint what exactly pushes him into the not liked column. Maybe it's the over all vagueness, even when he speaks. Or the sudden about face with regard to proving his innocence (that plot development felt a little too much like Ms. Jones picking up the Deus Ex Machina card). It's not enough to make me stop reading the series, though it does make me sometimes wonder if I'll make it to the end of the series.

Charley isn't sleeping. At all. Every time she closes her eyes, Reyes is there. And, since she bound him, he is not happy. She also has a missing persons case to solve. No sleep, dreams haunted by Reyes, a new case, how will she survive? Oh, did I mention getting up close and personal with the biker gang that owns Rocket's asylum? This series just keeps getting better!! I love it!

Charley and Reyes! Oh My. Well, wow those dreams Charley is having, lets just say, pass them this way.

Sorry, I needed to fan myself for a moment, I'm okay now. Well Right, Charley bound Reyes to his body, so he can only leave his body when Charley calls for him, which apparently anytime she falls asleep. And, well, she is trying really hard not to fall asleep. Garret, Ubie, and Cookie are all along for the ride, per usual, and omg, there is a biker mc? Yes please! We even see Reyes old cell mate and best friend! And then Reyes does a big nono, and and pisses off Charley.

I really enjoyed this installment, the only problem I had is how many people they tell their secrets to. Like, for reals, do you need to tell everyone you meet you are a grim reaper, and Reyes is the son of Satan? That seems silly, otherwise, this book is pretty darn good, and I already checked out the next book from the library.

Oh the feels at the end of this book. -sniffle- Wow Darynda Jones. I love how you're able to make the Charley Davidson series so funny and light with Charley's witty comments yet just enough serious to keep me from calling her a stupid bimbo. Thank you. This book is a work of art. -sniffle- Now gimme more.

no es perfecto, pero amé cada maldita palabra

Original de: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

¿Me descuido un rato y hay tropecientos mil libros en la serie ya? Es bueno porque más de Charley y sus aventuras. Y medio preocupante porque son un montón u.u

Darynda Jones es otra de mis escritoras de seguridad, cuando siento que estoy a punto de entrar en algún tipo de bloqueo o simplemente mi cerebro necesita descansar, ella es una a las que recurro. (La otra es, hasta ahora, Kelly Oram, por si te estabas preguntando)

Retomar la esta serie me tomo casi un año, el motivo exactamente no lo sé, me digo que es porque quiero que me dure mucho y en parte es la razón. Se me hace curioso porque antes tendía a leerme series de corrido, sin parar. Daba Miedo. Supongo que es mi evolución como lectora. ¿Te ha pasado?

Third Grave Dead Ahead continúa siendo tan divertido como sus libros predecesores, creo que es el que más me ha gustado de lo que voy leyendo de la serie hasta ahora. Tiene el suficiente misterios, sensualidad y narración fluida como para que me tenga pegada al libro desde la primera página. Quiero decir, esos subtítulos/anotaciones (no sé cómo se dice D:), son para reírse a carcajadas.

Creo que lo que más gusta es que en cada libro, vamos llenando más integrantes a la pandilla. Lo que empezó en teoría con tres (Charley, Cookie y Ubie), en cada libro al menos agrega uno o más como personaje recurrente ¿Y lo mejor de todo eso? Que son personajes variados, desde razas, tamaños y habilidades. Eso sí, todos son extremadamente bellos. Obviamente no me quejo.

Sé que leo Young Adult el 90% del tiempo, pero de vez en cuando me gusta reconocer mi adultez (?) lo bueno es que las escritoras que me gustan, publican libros hasta decir basta.

Muy, muy sexy y divertido, Tercera Tumba Todo Recto era lo que necesitaba para relajarme.

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So, I've become a bit numb to the word “series” since it is so often used nowadays. For this reason alone, I was subconsciously waiting for that tipping point. You know the one...(most basic example, House of Night series). It's the point where even though you loved the books in the beginning, it just became to be too much to continue on with the series, even if you desperately want to know what happened to the characters because really, they weren't all that bad, right? However, with the very adult and funny as hell Charley Davidson series, I'm thinking that if it does evidently have a tipping point, it was not in this installment. Hah, if half of the YA authors could be as talented as Darynda Jones, I wouldn't have three shelves full of books that I'm still trying to get rid of. It just seems that publishing houses are maximizing on the word “series”, and I don't know about you guys, but it is becoming such a huge turn off.

Anyway, we were all heartbroken when Reyes didn't want Charley to see him at the prison. I mean really, who wouldn't be? But of course, Charley being the cool cat she is, completely ignores this–or tries to–and throws herself into another case of a missing woman. Really, they're selling those like hot cakes. After meeting Dr. Nathan Yost, her would-be client and the missing woman's husband, dick Charley immediately knows that he's guilty. It's what he's guilty of that soon becomes confusing and a bit too tangled for her to just be rid of the case so soon. Alas, what more could possibly add to her troubles except being carjacked by an escaped convict who also claims to be the son of Satan and innocent of killing his cruel kidnapper of a father?

Charley is still the sassy, smart mouth that we all know and love, but Ms. Jones decided to bestow some just development on our girl that really made her shine. More of her beacon-light shown through as we got more of an insight into the supernatural world that overlooks her reality. I'm looking forward to the “powers” she supposedly possesses because the glimpse I got in Third Grave Dead Ahead was abso-freaking-lutely awesome. Reyes, of course, is always a bonus in these books. Even though they love each other but don't ever say it, I got the feeling that the romance took a back seat in this book and let the other sub-plots dominate. Not to say there weren't any Yummy, Sexy Times, but throughout the majority of the novel, I liked the fact that Charley was able to show more of her bad-assness and crime-fighting, mystery-solving skill.

Once again, I must applaud the rest of the cast of characters because really, they just add to Charley's charm. All the men that we know and love, like Garret Swopes and Reyes, and all the new men we are introduced to, like the bikers, are all so...delectable. Cookie, with her spunky mama-bearness; Uncle Bob for his resiliency when it comes to putting up with his adorably, misunderstood niece; Mr. Wong for his consistency of doing nothing. I love them all.

And that ending. Oh God, it wasn't till I got to the last chapter that I started bawling. I knew it was coming but why, oh why did it have to be him? For the sake of not revealing too much–and because it's wonderful to watch you squirm–I'm going to end it here. Parting with a mention that Ms. Jones can do no wrong.

A