Charley is back for another go ’round in Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones. This time she has to help her receptionist and BFF, Cookie, after her old classmate, Mimi, goes missing. There seems to be a trend as Cookie and Mimi’s high school classmates are turning up dead, almost 20 years later.
And then there’s Reyes Alexander Farrow, Son of Satan, and now Charley’s personal poltergeist/incubus. He’s once again separated from his corporeal form which is being hidden and tortured. His body is the perfect bait for demons to lure Charley to them. They want in to heaven, and she is their key. But if she doesn’t get to Reyes on time, he will be corporeally dead…forever.
The first book started out pretty good and then dropped off for me. I can say that I consistently enjoyed this book at the same level all throughout, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the beginning of the first book. The punchlines still don’t let up, but I tried to adjust to it a little better. I didn’t laugh at most of them, but one or two made me chuckle. I have a sense of humor, but less is more for me.
I’m still a little put off by the lack of true paranormal adversaries. Her biggest issues are still mere humans. I’d like for her to be more capable of kicking butt. She’s only the Grim-frickin’-Reaper. Yet time and time again she is on the business end of one attack or another. She just takes lickin’s and keeps on tickin’, but I want her to fight back.
I am trying to become attached to Reyes, but it’s not really happening. It’s even harder to care about their relationship. Maybe it’s harder to buy it because he’s incorporeal, so it’s not “real” enough. Since they spend most of their screentime together sucking face and then some, there are countless opportunities to become invested, but it’s become boring quickly. I want to see more regarding his back story as the Son of Satan and the demons. That’s the only thing that keeps me hanging on.
There is still a chance for the lore behind the other worlds to pick up in the next novel. It still didn’t get a satisfying amount of focus, but I will give the next read a go to see if anything substantial happens. Though I can’t guarantee that I will read any further it doesn’t.