Third Grave Dead Ahead , by Darynda Jones

Paperback, UK, 310 pages

Published February 2nd 2012 by Piatkus (first published January 31st 2012)

more details...

ISBN

0749956143 (ISBN13: 9780749956141)

edition language

English

series

Charley Davidson #3

characters

Charley Davidson, Reyes Farrow

setting

New Mexico(United States)

Paranormal private eye . Grim reaper extraordinaire . Whatever . Charley Davidson is back ! And she's drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because every time she closes her eyes she sees him : Reyes Farrow , the part-human , part-supermodel son of Satan .


Granted she did imprison Reyes for all eternity , but how is she supposed to solve a missing-persons case , deal with an ego-driven doctor , calm her curmudgeonly dad , and take on a motorcycle gang hell-bent on murder when the devil's son just won't give up on his plan of seduction..... and revenge ?

 

 

My Review

Now in my opinion that is most certainly the way to start a book, to get the reader so hot and steamed up that they are just left wanting more and more, and so they therefore continue to read onto the book. Now I am not a prude, but usually a book that seems to have a little too much focus on sexual exploitation puts me off of a booik. But the way in which the author wrote about it, decribed it and enhanced it here in her pages was enough to make you feel like you were the one who was playing charley, and yes by that, I do mean that it left me tingling and places tha are best not mentioned on my blog that family can access. The series does seem to develop well as the books progress and that is a good thing because it means that I am more willing, wanting and needing to read on in order to see what else is going to occur and how. Yes the adventure in this one was perhaps a little more died down, less Reyes, more focus on the other investigatons. However this is most certainly not the case, even if it does appear that way at first. Once you start reading it, you get the clear feeling that there is more than meets the eyes to a lot of the cases and that perhaps, just maybe, everything could be linked back to the main case at hand. There was still a huge element of mystery within the novels and I like and enjoy the fact that within each book the mysteries have been fresh and new, even when they seem similar.

 

I do like cookie and the way she just has that mum slash big sister slash best friend role. she just seems to have every caring sentiment about her and yet you can see the young side of her that just wants a night of pleasure like a lot of girls. In a way, I think that the character I most get annoyed with is charleys dad and uncle bob, just because they don't really feel like they are truly there there within the novel. sure they are mentioned, uncle bob more so than the dad, but wouldnt it be nice to read a little more about them, their part in the mysteries, thoughts feelings and emotions? or perhaps I am just wanting to much because I want to carry on reading and never stop. that is a huge possibility. The booik isn't perfect; it felt rushed in quite a few places, like the sudden missing person case, the breaking out case, the hostage and kidnapping case. just a lot of it seemed to be done very quickly and somewhat quietly. However, I can see why this was done because had it been dragged out to perhaps, say, its full potential of detail and depth, it could have become tiresome and boring which would mean the reader was a little blah with the book and less willing to carry on.

 

Not just that though, other than whole thing with reyes which is clearly the main focus and topic of the book, your left with a lot of unanswered questions, like what power does charley have, why won't he tell her and is he really good or bad? Also some of the other investigations just seem so ordinary and been done in the other two books. But if you were to sit and look at it logically, the book is correctly produced because most private investigators probably would deal with very similar cases each and every day. So yes there is a benefit to the repetition of scenes in that you get a feel for the real life and can therefore imagine the novel a lot better than say perhaps a book on the fey or the vampires. The book just pulls you in and like the other one, I was unable to put it down, well that was till I had finished it and even then I wanted the next one (please tell me there is a next one....)

 

I am giving the novela  five out of five rating because it did keep me hooked, had me hanging onto a cliffe edge with my mind always asking questions like how and why and what. For me a book that has me living and thinking and questioning all at the same timne, is a good book because it means its a book that provides me a whole new world to escape to and a new adventure to live in without having to literally be there. I do think that the author has a lot of potential and I hope the series continus to grow better and better. but also I cant help but fall in love with the cover art. its just unique and beautiful and yet original all at the same.

 

My rating