SUMMONED TO THIRTEENTH GRAVE
Charley Davidson # 13
Darynda Jones
St. Martins Press
January 15, 2019
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave brings to an end the long-running series of the adventures of Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper and so much more. I started with the beginning book, First Grave on the Right, which captivated me with its humor and sheer imaginative power. To all appearances, Charley is an ordinary twenty-something who is trying to start a private investigation business. She lives upstairs over her retired cop father's restaurant in Albuquerque. Her main sidekick is Cookie Kowalksi, researcher extraordinaire, and Charley's secretary. Only those recently deceased and those who can see into the supernatural realm can also see Charley's light, a beacon summoning them to "pass-through" her into the next world. Enter Reyes Farrow, the devastatingly handsome, compelling new neighbor at the end of Charley's hall. Reyes is Charley's lifelong Guardian and the Son of Satan. The arc of the series follows Charley and Reyes through to the culmination of Charley's mission to save the world. Along the way, Charley and Reyes acquire more companions who help or hinder her mission. Some are family, others are friends and neighbors. All are quirky and believable, whether dead or alive, human or non-human. Most important is their baby daughter, nicknamed "Beep," whose mission in her turn is to again save the world from Satan's machinations.
I got a bit bogged down in the most recent books, to be truthful. It often seemed to me that the story just added more twists and turns and did not progress much. However, the final book ties together all the loose ends into a very satisfactory resolution. It's not quite the happy ending I was looking for but a good one, paving the way for the future of "Beep."
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING- 4 Stars
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