Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

2011, St. Martin's Press

Series:Book 2 of Charley Davidson

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Synopsis: 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?

The Good: I love Charley and her ability. I love the ghosts, which is totally saying something as I HATE reading about ghosts. Charley's funny, tough, but also cares for her friends and does what's right in her mind. I absolutely loved the mystery here.

The Bad: Reyes is sort of bumming me out. The repetition of Charley: "Tell me where your body is", Reyes: "No", got old the first six times they had the conversation. The super hot vibe between them from the first novel is all but gone and I fear it may not be coming back.