Review: Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones

Title: Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet

Author: Darynda Jones

Series: Charley Davidson, book 4

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: E-book

“In Darynda Jones's Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, sometimes being the grim reaper really is that. Grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above. Or at least get dressed. She quickly realizes something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. The more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it. 

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, has been cleared of all charges. He is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved. Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans.” 

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is the fourth installment in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones.

Let’s start this review by saying I wasn’t planning to review Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet but I loved it so much I knew I have to spread the voice.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet starts two months after the events in Third Grave Dead Ahead. Charley hasn’t recovered from her ordeal and is suffering from PTSD; she also hasn’t left her house during those two months. She has spent every minute in front of the TV eating ice cream and buying all kind of stuff from the home shopping channels.

Cookie has had enough, they are running out of money and decides to cancel Charley’s credit cards; with the help of Charley’s sister Gemma and her uncle Bob they do an intervention. After a lot of denials charley decides to do an effort, starting with leaving the house. Charley’s luck comes to knock at her door, a new client needs her help. Harper is sure somebody is trying to kill her and Charley believes her despite that everybody that knows Harper consider her insane and a seeker of attention.

If Harper’s case wasn’t enough to keep Charley occupied uncle Bob also asks for her help with an arsonist case. But in best Charley’s style, her life couldn’t be that easy, while she is working on those cases demons are trailing her and now that Reyes is out of jail he is just a touch away, especially when he’s fighting such demons. *swoon*

As I said before I loved this book, Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet was Awesome, yes with a capital A and all.

In this installment we see another side of Charley, her vulnerable one, past ordeals have left her scarred inside and out and she has lost a bit her thunder, that doesn’t mean she is not still great because she is, she is still the snarky heroine we all love with her ADD and all, the only difference now is that she doesn’t run into danger without thinking about the consequences. She is experiencing fear and sometimes that is leaving her unable to act. Instead of making her less, in my opinion it made her better, it made her feel more human even though in this installment we learn she is far from it.

In Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet we learned a lot about Charley, what she is, her origins and what she is capable of, we learned all that thanks to sex-in-a-stick also known as Reyes. Oh Reyes, here I have to thank Mrs. Jones because she gave us a lot of Reyes in this book. Yes, this book is charged with Reyes, that only made it better and better and *swoon* Reyes opens up with Charley and gives her a lot of information, things we have wanted to know since the first book, we also learn why he calls her “Dutch”.

Reyes and Charley still have a weird relationship, but they are moving forward, they both have come to realize they can’t live apart from one another and are doing things to be closer than ever. I will leave it at that; let’s just say there were sparks, sweat and more in this book. Yay! Thank you again Mrs. Jones.

The secondary characters are as amazing as in previous books, Cookie is the perfect best friend and exactly what Charley needs, they complement and balance each other perfectly. We see more of Charley’s sister Gemma and she is a great, I’m glad that Charley has her in her life now that she needs her more than ever.

Uncle Bob is the same loving, caring and trying not to show it man, with many funny moments between him and Charley.

We also see Charley’s father, whom she has a grudge with after what he did in Third Grave Dead Ahead, we learned why he did it and a lot more about him. We also see more of Charley’s evil stepmother, I don’t like her but I can’t help but feel bad for her.

Donovan has a small part in the story but one that will leave you wishing for more of him.

Garret has also a small part, but his behavior in this book left me a little bit confused. After what happened to him in Third Grave Dead Ahead he had a one to one with Satan who told him many things; I guess what he learned in Hell is going to have an important part in future books.

Harper’s case was made in the best Darynda Jones’ style. It had many twists and turns and with an outcome that I’m sure it will surprise many. I kind of guess it from the beginning but still I loved the way it was done.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is a roller coaster of emotions that will have you glued to its pages from beginning to end. You will be laughing out loud in one page and with heartache in the next. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is an action-packed-page-turner-difficult-to-put-down book, one I recommend you all to read it. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet should be read as part of the series, it doesn’t read well as a stand-alone.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is made of awesome and a must read book. Believe me people, I didn’t read this book, I devoured it.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet will have a place in my top favorite reads of this year, it might even have one of the first places, yes, it’s that Good.

Saying I’m looking forward to the next installment, Fifth Grave Past the Light, it’s the understatement of the year, July 9^th, 2013 can’t come soon enough.

My Verdict: 5 Paws

Other books in the series

First Grave on the Right

Second Grave on the Left

Third Grave Dead Ahead

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet

Fifth Grave Past the Light (July 9^th, 2013)

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