Review: Seventh Grave and No Body

Seventh Grave and No Body is the 7th (obviously) book in the Charley Davidson series and I'm being honest when I say that these books could probably go on forever and I will never get tired of them.  This is mostly due to the fact that the main character, who is the one and only grim reaper, is so hilariously fun and crazy that I find myself laughing out loud all the time.

Synopsis from Amazon:

Lead me not into temptation.
Follow me instead! I know a shortcut!
--T-shirt

Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out Charley Davidson’s jugular and serve her body to Satan for dinner. So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and as she retraces his last steps she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life. But all of that barely scratches the surface of her problems. Recent developments have forced her to become a responsible adult.  To conquer such a monumental task, she’s decided to start small. Really small. She gets a pet. But how can she save the world against the forces of evil when she can’t even keep a goldfish alive?

A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it.

We’re doomed. 

My Review:
When I discovered this series, I was just coming from reading a book that was part of a series I started out loving and ending up hating because it was just the same plot every single time.  I was hesitant about picking up another series but something about this one made me take a second look and I was so glad I took the chance.  If you are looking for a new series, love paranormal romance, and love to laugh, you will not be sorry.  Just be sure to start with the first book in the series, First Grave on the Right. If you plan to purchase the first book, stop right here and come back once you catch up.

Charley Davidson is the main character and as usual, she is full of snark.  While her personality always drips sarcasm, this book is particularly humorous because she has decided to give up caffeine and isn't exactly having the easiest time of it.  There are several plot lines. First, the twelve beasts are hunting Charley so there are several large, fast-paced action scenes where she, her fiance (and Son of Satan) Reyes, and her other friends/protectors are fighting for their lives.  Second, someone is kidnapping people and leaving suicide notes in their wake, and third, bodies are being dug up and their ghosts are asking Charley for help.  If you have read any of these books, you already know that Charley is not the best when it comes to decision making, and, as usual, this drives Reyes crazy.  Even I wanted to slap her a few times. However, all of her bad decisions are well intended so I guess that makes up for it. Plus it also helps to know you have Satan's son on your side, and the fact that he is tall, dark, and handsome doesn't hurt either.

All of the characters in this book are engaging.  I especially love Cookie and Ubie, who have finally gotten together, and Osh becomes quite endearing in this story as well, even when he is showing off his deadly demonic side.  Mr. Wong is still hovering in the corner of Charley's apartment and I can't wait to find out who he really is and what his purpose is in Charley's life.

Just fair warning, these books will be hard to set aside so leave plenty of time for reading. They will all have you laughing out loud but they also have some sad parts, some gore (but not too graphic), and a lot of coffee drinking... decaf this time, of course.