Summer Reads: First Grave on the Right, A Book Review

First Grave on the Right by American author Darynda Jones is a fiery mix of sass, supernatural, and spicy romance. This adult novel has all the right ingredients for a light and easy read for the summer months that promises to be a wild ride right from page one.

In Jones’ novel, the Grim Reaper is anything but an evil grouch with a malicious joy of dragging souls to suffer all eternity in the fiery pits of hell. Instead, the Grim Reaper comes in the form of Charley Davidson, a whole other force to be reckoned with. Charley is a “get what she wants kind of girl” who is a part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper that ferries souls to the other side. Except, it’s not as easy as it seems when the dead refuse to move on until their less than ideal deaths have been dealt with.

In this debut novel, Charley tries to help three murdered lawyers understand who killed them and why. Working with her Uncle Bob, a detective on the case, they use Charley’s ability to see and communicate with the dead to find the bad guys and bring them to justice. Which seems simple enough until she starts having dreams about an entity that has been following her all her life … that may not be a ghost like she initially thought. As the draw she feels to this entity increases, Charlie is faced with questions such as who they are and what do they want with her. Which begs the question: what does she have to lose by giving in to her desires for them?

A wildly humourous novel with the right amount of kickass and suspense that will have readers diving into these pages to ride the ups and downs of Charley Davidson’s not-so-easy life. Jones’ fast-paced novel and witty writing promises to have readers laughing through the good, the bad, and the insane.

“A wildly humourous novel with the right amount of kickass and suspense that will have readers diving into these pages to ride the ups and downs of Charley Davidson’s not-so-easy life.”

The First Grave on the Right (St. Martin’s Paperbacks) is one of many featuring the addictive character Charley Jones and promises to be worth the read. For the author’s most recent novels, see: daryndajonesofficial.

About the Reviewer: Kaitlyn Sutey lives in Bracebridge, Ontario. She completed a double major in English Literature and Creative Writing in May 2019 from Dalhousie University. Back at home, she spends most of her time reading and writing novels. Kaitlyn aspires to edit manuscripts for a publishing company, and to one day release a novel of her own. See Kaitlyn here