Eleventh Grave in Moonlight

November 28, 2016
Jones’s lively 11th novel featuring PI grim reaper Charley Davidson (after 2016’s The Curse of Tenth Grave) finds her highly enjoyable established cast of characters doing their usual things, including lots of argument-fueled, lightly supernatural sex between Charley and her husband, Son of Satan Reyes Farrow, and a few confused dead people using Charley to pass over to the other side. But at this point, strenuous efforts to ratchet up the stakes of Charley’s cosmic saga have diffused the series into an endless soap opera that plays out on the human and celestial stages, making this entry a less than memorable transition toward the next piece of the story. Paranormal PI lovers may be disappointed at the blandness of the main investigations: a chase down of the stereotyped religious zealots who were Reyes’s original adoptive parents and a red herring of a stalker plot for Charlie’s coworker’s daughter, Amber. Still, Uncle Bob fans will be glad to see him take some strong stands. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners.

Part-time investigator and full-time grim reaper Charley Davidson is portrayed by narrator Lorelei King in a wonderful clear, focused voice. King's adept and brisk delivery pulls listeners into this slightly strange combination of paranormal and love story. Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she's a goddess with a lot of untapped powers. Her quirky ways make her seem real despite the unusual story. Regulars Angel and Uncle Bob figure strongly in this eleventh book of the series. The use of humor, good character development with subtle vocal variations by King, and the alpha-male love interest of Reyes are enjoyable elements in the complicated plot. The story and characters are suitable for both newcomers and series fans. S.C.A. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine