Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the ninth installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series, The Dirt on Ninth Grave In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she’s more than a little taken aback. Stranger still … little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.
But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her-even from her new and trusted friends-the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn’t help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she’s lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.
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The twist in this one was crazy. It was nice to see everyone this way though. I still love Charley and Reyes. I will be continuing the series.
I have to start my review by pointing out that I’ve only read two books of this now nine book series. I started with book eight (Eighth Grave After Dark) and when I finished that book, I told myself I need to go back and start the series from the beginning. But I got distracted and when I was asked to review The Dirt on Ninth Grave, I was excited since book eight ended with a cliff hanger. But at the same time, I was a little apprehensive because I hadn’t caught up on the back story. In all honesty, I probably would have liked this story even more if I had read the entire series. The book can “kinda” stand alone. However, I really wouldn’t recommend jumping in with this story or you’d likely be lost.
Charley has amnesia (going by the name of Janey) and is in a small New York town working in a diner. Her friends and family are showing up in town, but she doesn’t recognize any of them and they’re determined to let her find her own way. She’s learning tidbits about herself, like how she can see dead people and that she can’t help but help others and get involved in their problems.
I think one of Ms Jones’s trademarks is her humor. There were so many laugh out loud moments. Seriously… she’s in a town called Sleepy Hollow and Charley is chased down the street by a ghost version of a headless horseman. Charley’s internal musings and observations and just how she goes about life just makes me chuckle and shake my head. As a warning, sometimes the humor is a little crude.
All the supporting characters from prior books in the series make appearances, but most aren’t as featured as normal due to Charley’s condition. In some ways, the reader gets to meet them again through Charley’s observations. As a relative newcomer to the series, a times I was confused as to who people were… but then again, that’s how Charley was feeling so why shouldn’t I feel the same way?
All in all, I enjoyed this book and once again I feel the strong need to go to the beginning of the series. But I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I may be off the mark since I haven’t read all the books, but I get the feeling that this series just took a major turn and I’m curious as to what’s going to happen next.
My review originally posted at Romancing the Book.
The Dirt on the Ninth Grave, by Charly Davidson, is just as fast and wonderful as the eight before it. Charly wakes up in New York, no memory of who she is or of her past. Cookie, Robert, Reyes , and the rest are there, but cannot reveal themselves to her—Charley must swim through the murky mess until she comes to her real self. I loved that she re-experienced her crush on Reyes and we were along for the ride. Cookie is the perfect bestie and Robert rocks, as usual.
I read an ARC in 2016 but recently read/listened to this on audiobook. So engrossing to hear the story!
First off, there’s a lot wrong with that book description. She’s not in New York. No one confronts her to say he’s going to kill her. I’m not sure how the truth is going to kill her or the fry cook. It’s almost as if the back cover copy was written about a previous version of the story, because that doesn’t really follow the plot. (The summary on Amazon is better than this summary off Goodreads.)
While I did enjoy the fresh take on book nine in a series (amnesia — I great way to keep it fresh!), this wasn’t my favorite book. It dragged for me in the beginning, though it did pick up at about the midway point. Once Jane/Charley stopped explaining things and started meddling again it got more interesting. I don’t recommend skipping it (it explains some things I’m sure I’ll need to know for book ten), but I’ll admit that I listened to the audio book at 1.5 speed to get through it faster.
Overall, not a bad book but not the best in the series. Don’t skip it though! There are some fun scenes. I loved seeing how Charley’s personality shone through as Jane as well.
As always, R-rated for sex and swearing.
There is also dirt in this one by the time you get to it. Memory seems to have taken a vacation leaving her she still has to go on. What she learns is more than the average person could handle but this is Charley whom also has some fabulous guardians. Oh and that cook he spikes the chemistry and has the blood heating but truth is not his forte it would seem to her. She has to make decisions though and carry on or death could be the next one she takes a vacation with.
OMG! This was a crazy addition to the Charley Davidson series. Amnesia! That about says it all. I did NOT see the ending coming at all. I knew her memory would come back, obviously, but this series just gets more and more involved.
I’m onto book 10!
Charley is back to being her crazy, sarcastic self. If only she could remember who she is. Her crew rallies around her.
A nice refresh to the Series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.
I honestly can’t say this was one of my fave installments of the series. Charley and the gang are as amusing and entertaining as ever but the story was just weird. The whole storyline is just getting very weird. Oh well, I love the motley crue just as much as ever though and will continue with the series.
I have read nearly all of Darynda Jones books and absolutely love them I highly Recommend her work it’s funny and full of great characters Charly is hilarious and for some of the spirit’s they need to use her to cross over to the light There’s some really sad part’s where some of the spirits don’t realise there actually dead and don’t won’t to cross over but Charly help’s them to understand that it’s beautiful and there loved one’s are waiting for them and nothing will harm them Of course she has to deal with some bad spirits but with the help of her friend’s & family she usually gets it sorted Her boyfriend Reece has a dark side to him but she loves him so has to except him and what he is and the fact that he’s hot obviously helps You can’t help caring for her and her querky nature Once you read one of her books you will want to read them all When you start you won’t want to put this book down until it’s finished
This is probably my lease favorite Charley book. It was ok overall but the overarching story doesn’t really go anywhere
This is probably not my fave in this series, I wanted the story to move faster and all the good bits were at the end. I will move on to book ten to see where it’s going now.
I would rank this book as one of my favorites in the series. I haven’t had this much fun since book #1. Charley doesn’t remember who she is or what has happened to her. The only clue she has is a wedding ring on her finger and the dead people around her.
As Charley (aka Janey Doerr) is trying to figure out her past, she gets a job as a waitress where she meets a good friend and a sexy cook. Cookie, Reyes, and the rest of the gang try to be around her at the diner to help her jog her memories, and they do the sweetest things to help her.
Even though she lost her memories, she is still the same quirky and energetic girl trying to help others in bad situations. I LOVED this book, and I couldn’t get enough of Reyes and Charley!
Charley finds herself in Sleepy Hollow, New York with a bad case of amnesia and no idea who she is. Going by the name Janey Doerr, she gets a job at a cafe and tries to understand why she sees dead people and can hear a difference between someone lying or telling the truth. In fact she spends most of the book around this setting, in NY.
Cookie, Reyes and lots of other friends and family make the move to Sleepy Hollow, NY, too. They love Charley and want to help her, but have been cautioned against outright telling her anything. It could cause Charley harm. So, they circle around and do what they can and lie about what is necessary. To the lie detector. Yeah, I was confused about how that would work.
Ultimately, at tremendous personal cost, someone gives Charley her memory back. In addition to her memories being restored, even more is revealed to Charley.
I can’t wait for the next book! Good thing it’s already been downloaded.
I read and reviewed a copy courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, all opinions are my own. Review posted on NetGalley, Amazon, BookBub, and Goodreads.
I wasn’t sure what to expect after the ending in the previous book. I thought there would be all kinds of drama and excitement as well as the usual humor. While this one certainly had the drama and excitement, it came much later in the book without the usual build up the previous stories had. The humor was still present but much more laid back. All of that to say, I still enjoyed this one but not as much as the ones that preceded it. However, we are given some extremely hard core information that I’m sure will come into play as this series begins to wrap up. I’m talking some serious stuff that had my blood pumping again.
I’m anxious to start the next but have mixed emotions. I’m so close to finishing and I want it to last but I’m excited to learn what happens and how all of these characters, not just Charley and Reyes, end up in the future.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My emotions are all over the place on this journey. I felt it all in this book and then some. The uncertainty, sense of loss, drowning sorrow and a small amount of undeniable joy….. She starts out so lost yet in her marrow still the snarky and strong hero she has been all along… The whole gang is here yet we are getting to know them all over again and learn some shocking new things along the way… Highly entertaining evening of reading.
I found this book slower than the rest of the books in this series. Charley lost her memory and although she doesn’t know who she is, her chemistry with Reyes is undeniable and the sex scenes are steamy as always. She has to remember in her own time but she’s still surround by family and friends even if she doesn’t remember them. Her instinct to help those in need is a instinct that comes naturally and in this story she does what Charley is known for. Lives are at stake, deals are made, memories and promises need to be kept. Although this wasn’t my favorite read it was still a good one and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
: 4.25 stars—THE DIRT ON NINTH GRAVE is the ninth installment in Darynda Jones’s CHARLEY DAVIDSON urban fantasy series focusing on part time PI/ full time Grim Reaper Charley Davidson.
SOME BACKGROUND: This is the continuing story of Charley’s life as the Grim Reaper, the corporeal spirits who have yet to pass, and the man to whom she has pledged her undying love-the son of Satan-Reyes Farrow. Charley Davidson is the key to saving or destroying the world. If you have not read the previous installments there may be some spoilers.
Told from first person point of view (Charley) THE DIRT ON NINTH GRAVE is a bit of a departure from the series as our heroine wakes up in the small town of Sleepy Hollow with no memory of her past. The amnesia follows the heartbreaking events of EIGHTH GRAVE AFTER DARK and focuses on Charley through several weeks as she tries to come to terms with the ability to ‘see dead people’ and the loss of everything and everyone she has ever loved: Enter Reyes, Cookie, Uncle Bob (Ubie), Osh, Angel, Garrett and a host of others, dead people, and demons from her past who tread lightly in the path of the woman now known as Janey Doerr- a bumbling waitress at the Firelight Cafe who believes she is from the future. As Janey continues to search for the truth, our small band of family and friends keep an eye on the woman they love. Strawberry Shortcake and Artemis make a cameo appearance. And the local cop who saved ‘Janey Doerr’ has some nefarious plans for our broken heroine.
Throughout THE DIRT ON NINTH GRAVE we follow Charley ‘aka Janey’ as she endeavors to unravel a mystery involving the antique storeowner Mr.V and his missing family, as well as the infiltration of what appears to be the Russian Mob which in my opinion reads more like a ‘red herring’ that is irrelevant to the entire story and series but for all intents and purposes brings together several people from Charley’s past. Meanwhile, as per usual, Charley is visited by several corporeal beings who have yet to cross to the other side, in the hopes, of passing on a message to loved ones, or to help Charley in what it is she is supposed to do.
Darynda Jones continues to add her off-beat humor, sarcastic witticisms, and funny one-liners but because of Charley’s amnesia some of the humorous moments are few and far between as our heroine must come to terms with what she has lost-Janey ‘Charley’ knows that she has lost something fragile and small; someone she has left behind and spends the majority of the storyline feeling powerless and lost (herself). The relationship between Charley and Reyes is seductive and provocative as Reyes heats up the pages with his need and protectiveness of the woman he loves.
THE DIRT ON NINTH GRAVE is an intriguing but slow building installment that followed many paths to reveal a little more about Charley’s history-from the beginning of time-and why it is, so many gods, demons, fallen angels and angels are battling for control of Charley Davidson, but saying that, NINTH GRAVE did not reveal its’ purpose until the very end. We spent much of the storyline focusing on ‘Janey’s’ need to save the family across the street, and solve the mystery about one family’s numerous dying children. Charley’s true purpose is slowly revealing and with it comes the inevitable possibility that when the time comes, there will be many broken hearts and painful tears. Reyes knows that Charley must discover who she is without any assistance from the man that she loves, or the people in her life. But it is the loss of someone close that will aid Charley in the recovery of her memories, and all that she holds dear.
I will add, that at times, I kept thinking that part of the premise felt familiar-too familiar- that I was confusing it with another UF series, so much so, that I thought I was reading –ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN by Jennifer Estep. Jennifer’s heroine works at a diner frequented by all of her friends and supernatural beings, and is constantly investigating strange happenings in and around her small town (similarly to NINTH GRAVE). I love both Darynda Jones’s CHARLEY DAVIDSON and Jennifer Estep’s ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN series-a compliment to both authors.
If you are a fan and have read BOTH series, please let me know what you think after reading THE DIRT ON NINTH GRAVE.
What the heck. I was angry sad I had all kinds of feelings about this book. The ending was beautiful.
These books get better as the series moves on. The stakes are higher and every minute is edge of your seat. I laugh and cry and gasp all in the same page.
Title: The Dirt on Ninth Grave
Author: Darynda Jones
Genre: Urban-Fantasy-Romance
Format: Ebook
Pages: 336
Rating: 5 Stars
Setting: Sleepy Hollow, NY
Main Characters: Charley/Janey, Reyes
Supporting Characters: Cookie, Bob, Garrett, Osh
Summary: Janey Doerr, AKA Charley, has no idea who she is or what has happened so far in her life. She’s baffled by the fact that she has no clue as to her name or type of person she is but can remember how to cook, drive, walk, talk etc. She can see ghosts, feel people’s emotions, can tell if they are lying but doesn’t know why.
Thoughts: As an avid reader of this series, and always anxiously waiting for the next book, this one was really different. Charley/Janey was somewhat herself, snarky, smart mouthed, and sarcastic but it was still so not the same. I absolutely LOVED it! I had problems putting it down just so I could get back to work. As usual Ms. Jones sucks the reader into her world and takes you on a rollercoaster of emotional turmoil. I laughed, cried, screamed in frustration, visualized slapping characters, and was left with my mouth hanging open at the end, not wanting it to be over. This just keeps getting better as the series progresses and I look forward to what trouble Charley gets into next.
I received a copy from NetGalley for an honest review