The Trouble with Twelfth Grave: A Novel

THE TROUBLE WITH TWELFTH GRAVE is the twelfth instalment in Darynda Jones’ contemporary, adult CHARLEY DAVIDSON urban fantasy series focusing on part time private investigator, full-time grim reaper, omnipotent god Charley Davidson. THE TROUBLE WITH TWELFTH GRAVE should be not read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events of book eleven -ELEVENTH GRAVE IN MOONLIGHT. NOTE: If you have not read the previous installments there may be some spoilers in my review. Told from first person point of view (Charley Davidson) THE TROUBLE WITH TWELFTH GRAVE picks up three days after the events of Eleventh Grave in Moonlight wherein Reyes Farrow’s return to this plane of existence as the god-like deity Rey’azikeen comes with the release from Hell of innocent souls, a demon assassin, a malevolent deity, and a fifteenth century priest who will continue his murderous ways by targeting the supernatural. Not only does Charley struggle to locate the man that calls to her heart but our heroine must battle the Almighty’s Michael and his army of sword-wielding angel warriors, Hellhounds, and General ‘Wong’ for control of her husband’s destiny and possible demise. Meanwhile, Charley’s PI business and her abilities to talk with the spirits that continue to haunt the living push our heroine towards an elderly woman who believes her house is haunted by the dead; and a friend’s misfortune to become the target of a serial stalker but a stalker who will not survive his own violent tendencies. A series of unexplained brutal deaths with the lingering burn marks by an otherworldly being find our heroine facing a conundrum as the likely suspect is the man that she loves. THE TROUBLE WITH TWELFTH GRAVE follows Charley as she searches for the man once known as Reyes Farrow. Convinced she will be able to ‘reach’ Reyes before Rey’azikeen does any further damage, our heroine will soon learn that the god has other plans upon his return to Earth. There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including the return of Cookie and Ubie, Amber and Quentin, Garrett Swopes, Charley’s sister Gemma, former slave demon Osh, Rocket and his sister Blue, gang-banger Angel, Strawberry Shortcake, Mr. Wong, Officer David Taft, FBI Special Agent Kit Carson, and Artemis the dog. Garrett Swopes will make a discovery; a series of interesting reads that will be all-important to our story line heroine. Darynda Jones’ continues to amaze and delight with our heroine’s sass and sarcasm; the one on one interplay and witty repartee between Cookie and Charley; double entendre, euphemisms, snark and Charley’s need to label and name not only the parts of her body but Cookie’s as well. The premise is revealing, startling, energetic and animated; the characters are familiar, colorful and engaging. THE TROUBLE WITH TWELFTH GRAVE and Darynda Jones’ CHARLEY DAVIDSON UF series will captivate, energize, amuse and startle. Take a chance on Charley; fall in love with Reyes; become life long friends with the story line characters.

The second-to-last book in the ongoing saga of Charley the Grim Reaper brings everything to the table – great victories and even greater losses, questions, dangers and a few laughs as the tale picks up just after the end of Eleventh Grave in Moonlight left off. No rest for the struggling to defeat wicked, Charley is possibly the only person convinced that Reyes is still somewhere within the evil got released when the God Glass shattered, in her living room. Of course, the angels, led by Michael aren’t taking any of this lying down, and Charley and Cookie have an awful feeling that this version of Reyes is responsible for a series of murders as he pops about searching for something he’s convinced that Charley has. When you add in Amber’s determination (with her deaf BF Quenton) and their own ‘detective agency’, Pari the tattoo artist being a suspect in the murder of a man she dated -TWICE – who has turned up dead, the asylum being razed and Charley losing track of Rocket, Blue and Strawberry, and none of the answers just sitting on a shelf waiting to be noticed, the action is never-ending and full of surprises, some revelations and plenty of smart-ass comments, life-threatening impulsive actions and Cookie doing a strip-tease with a lightpole while staging a ‘diversion’ and the emotions in this one are present, palpable and occasionally in conflict. But, as Charley is the only one who actually needs to believe that Reyes is within the dangerous, threatening and often sulky god that seems to be determined to threaten her and those she loves, and her own determination to get a ‘stay of execution’ for this god from his brother, the one who tricked him into creating the dimension attached to the God Glass, and the niggling thought of the actual culprit in the murder, not to mention her clearing Pari the tattooist for a murder she didn’t commit -her friends, however pushed to their limits of what is possible are ever-confident in Charley – and a children’s tale, a series of 3 books provide an interesting perspective, some answers and a key word that bring things into perspective for Charley – with a bonus for Beep – just as our world is coming under fire…. But, Charley is herself – loving, determined, protective and ever-loyal – and her defiant sacrifice for Cookie at the end of the book leads us into the finale – a challenge where everything she’s learned, and even things she hasn’t yet, will come into use – as we say goodbye to the series. You can’t even begin to understand this series of events unless and until you’ve read the entire series in order. It’s one of the best hideaway and read series that I’ve encountered in a long time- with characters that breathe and laugh and plot mischief in the corner, while tossing the dice on the chance that something they’ve thought of will work. You won’t regret the time – and not having to wait ages for the penultimate story will be your reward. I received an eBook copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Ms. Jones is a sadist! I have felt as much during the previous books in this series, but after surviving everything this one encompassed and then reaching its ending, I know it for a fact. My heart was nearly broken at the end of book 11 so I was a tiny bit relieved that things with Reyes and Charley, while dire, did not continue down a long and angsty road. I should have known better because after all, this is Charley we’re reading about. The girl’s got spunk, and attitude and coffee. All of those things help her to reach this book’s conclusion, which I should have known was going to devastate me. This one, while familiar, also had a different feel to it as Charley is battling so many different issues along the way, most of all the issue of finding Reyes within the god that is now controlling him. I love how in each book, this one included, Charley’s cases seem to build upon each other, how exactly always unknown to the reader, until they culminate into an awesome reveal and then usually followed by a huge showdown. We once again have the amazing cast of characters to help her along. Somewhere along this journey they have become like family and while I can’t wait to start the final book, I’m going to be very sad to see them go. Nevertheless, everything has been leading to the next book and the ending of this series and I refuse to yield to the sadist who controls the fans of Charley Davidson…I’ve got an early release copy and I’m jumping in!