Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones-a review

FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET ( Charley Davidson #4) by Darynda Jones

FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET is the fourth storyline (October 30, 2012 release) in Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series focusing on Charlotte “Charley” Davidson as the grim reaper and her no-nonsense approach to getting things done. Darynda continues her amazing and humorous writing style using one-liners and sarcasm, once again ensuring we laugh and nod in agreement with Charley’s take on the reality of the situation. Very few people are safe from our heroine’s tongue in cheek look at life and everything it has to throw at it.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet finds Charley hoarding in her apartment about 2 months after her torture at the hands of a man once presumed dead. After her father turned her into the police and shut down her PI business, Charley felt it necessary to hold up in her tiny apartment maxing out credit cards on the Shopping Channel. How many turkey basters does one person need? Apparently 7!!! But hunger and poverty have a funny way of forcing her back into the real world when Charley accepts a new assignment investigating the strange accusations of a woman claiming she is being harassed. And to complicate matters, she hasn’t seen the man who weakens her knees in almost the same amount of time. The only contact with the outside world has been her assistant and BFF Cookie and Cookie’s daughter Amber, but things are about to change. Oh, and a rash of bank thefts by a group labeled the Gentlemen Thieves-the thieves all look very familiar to Charley.

Since her confinement, Charley has not seen her dad. Anger, hurt and feelings of betrayal surface whenever she thinks about the one man she could depend on in her life. But something is wrong with her father and no one has come forward. As she continues to ignore her father’s requests to talk, it becomes apparent that her father may be moving on without her –in more ways than one. The father-daughter dynamic is infinitely strained and worsens when he tries to prove that Charley has changed. He knows more about Charley than she ever thought possible.

The other constants in Charley’s life will continue to amuse us. Mr. Wong is currently buried beneath the rubble of boxes in Charley’s apartment she has labeled Area 51 and Aunt Lil will finally come to realize that she is no longer ‘living’ on this plane of existence but has no desire to cross over and miss out on all of the fun. Angel returns as Charley’s spiritual investigator, but when Charley begins to hunt for Reyes, it is Angel who will lead her into an impossible situation. And Darynda references many previous storylines and premises throughout every novel, to keep the reader well-informed without the need to look back and wonder what we missed.

Reyes is the Son of Satan, a warrior and Charley’s protector. And finding Reyes risking his life time and time again, will force Charley into some situations that will risk both of their lives. Hunted by demons, Charley is slowly learning that she is developing some impossible powers and abilities. But the demons want her to join them in a war between heaven and hell, and the only person standing in the way is the man with whom she is falling in love. And Charley has another guardian of sorts, when Artemis makes her presence known every time a demon attacks.

As Charley and Reyes grow closer, it will be an injured Reyes who reveals more about Charley’s heritage and direction in life. From birth, Charley has known she was the grim reaper, and with that acceptance also comes a price. As one of the demons has stated: they are waiting for the key of darkness to be inserted into the locket of light. Could Charley and Reyes mating be the beginning of the end?

Garrett Swopes returns as a skiptracer with the ability to locate people and things. But Garrett died in a shoot out a few months ago, and his return to the living has come with some complications and information that he would have rather not have experienced. Withdrawing from Charley is his only option when he learns the true nature behind Reyes’ existence and Charley’s potential involvement in the war between good and evil.

As Charley’s ‘harassment’ investigation continues so does the witty interaction with Cookie. Playing off each other’s fears and anxieties, curiosity and inquisitiveness, Cookie and Charley are like an old married couple who know exactly how the other will react. And it is Cookie’s reaction to the horror of Charley’s Shopping Channel nightmare that will leave the reader with a giggle or four.

Reyes and Charley’s relationship continues with the pull of the attraction and the push of fear. As Charley’s fear increases, so do the demon attacks and Reyes’s need to defend. The chemistry and heat between Charley and Reyes is palpable and a little intimidating. But it is Charley’s fear of what happened over two months ago that will have to be resolved before she can take the next step. And jealousy will rear its’ ugly head when it looks like both have someone else waiting should the other one fail.

In the end, a father and daughter will have to make a choice as to whether they will let the past come between them: a young girl will reveal that children are not oblivious to the world around them: what is on the surface can be misleading: and the love a ‘man’ has for a woman, will temporarily quiet the demons-if only until the next book: And a twist in the harassment investigation that you never saw coming.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is a well-written and fantastic instalment in the Charley Davidson series of books. Darynda has once again, drawn the reader into the storyline using humor, sarcasm and the face-to-face confrontations making you feel like you are part of the story. The people are as real as the people you meet everyday with the exception of the paranormal powers and beings. I hope Darynda continues this series for a long time to come. If you need to start a new series, I highly recommend Darynda Jone’s Charley Davidson series. You will not be disappointed.

Copy supplied by publisher.

READING ORDER
1. First Grave on the Right
2. Second Grave on the Left
3. Third Grave Dead Ahead
4. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
5. Fifth Grave Past The Light (2013)

LINKS TO PRE-ORDER
Amazon / The Book Depository / Barnes and Noble / Books a Million

Reviewed by Sandy