Don't you just love it when the majority of your friends love a book and keep telling you to read it but for some reason you don't get around to it. Then when you finally do...the only question that begs asking is why didn't I read this sooner?? That's this book exactly! But beware...if you do not like snark, do not read this book. It is loaded with snark with more snark on top and even some snark sprinkles but any girl that names her boobs "Danger" and "Will Robinson" and her ovaries, "Beam me up" and "Scotty" is A-OK in my book. Charley is a private investigator and works closely with the Albuquerque police department (namely her Uncle Bob who is a Detective) but she is also The Grim Reaper and her main job is to help dead people pass to the other side. This is a bonus for Charley in that she can often talk to victims and help solve their crimes. I really enjoyed Charley and thought she was hilarious. It was great that there were things she didn't know or understand and that she was doing a lot of things on the fly. The one thing that was a bit strange was that she is described as being 'sparkly' as in the light she gives off being the Grim Reaper aka portal. It just gave me a weird Twilight vibe. Charley has an assistant who is her best friend and who also lives right across the hall from her named Cookie. Cookie is the best friend ever. She is always there for Charley and accepts her as she is. I really enjoyed her but would have liked to get more 'about' her. Of course, there are a couple of men. Garrett Swopes is a skiptracer (think bounty hunter) and while taken back about Charley in the beginning, it does seem that he is coming around. And then there is Reyes...hot, hot, hot Reyes. and did I mention intense? hot and intense and naughty!! That's right...naughty. And right from the start we find out that nightly he is trying to get into Charley's pants and doing a darn fine job! The problem is he's only doing that in her dreams. Here's a little visual....Yep...Reyes is no Gandy Candy...he's hot and earthy and growly. He's a big part of the story and we find out lots of interesting things about him as does Charley. I have a mighty need to know why he calls her 'Dutch'. Of course, there is a police case going on and things do get a bit muddled. It's just that's there so much going on and so many characters but the good part is that towards the end, you should have a good grip on things. I'm sure this will make the next books much easier. The other part that needs mentioning is the chapter titles with the tshirt and bumper sticker sayings. A couple of my favorites are:Never knock on deaths door. Ring the doorbell then run. He totally hates that. T-SHIRTI may not look like much, but Im an expert at pretending to be a ninja. BUMPER STICKERLOVED the ending and definitely a fine start to what seems to be a great series. Twenty lashes with a wet noodle accepted.Favorite quotes: Were you just possessed? Cookie asked after a long moment, awe softening her voice.  Cause let me tell you, sweetheart, if that was possession, Im selling my soul. "Why does the Earth seek the warmth of the sun? My brows slid together, trying to understand. Or the forest seek the embrace of the rain?

Where was the laugh track, Jones? Darynda Jones litters First Grave on the Right with her sometime witty, sometime corny humor. "You're about as inconspicuous as a monster truck at an exotic car show."Wince. I don't mind bad analogies in lieu of clichés. At least she didn't say "a sheep among wolves." Jones owns her narrative; the formula doesn't own her. Put that on a plaque. But she really needs some restraint. Jokes continue as she's fleeing a murderer or dying from blood loss until you just want to take her aside and say, "Darynda. Give it a rest."That killed the mood a little, but I probably wouldn't have rated Grave three stars if the narrative didn't focus so much on heroine Charley's fixation on a boy she met in high school. She pines after her one crummy memory of him threatening her with rape (for a good cause!). I don't get it; I remember high school boys. Years later, this boy grown up is fantasy fodder. He protects her faithfully, he invades her dreams, he wordlessly saves the day and conveniently poofs out of existence again when he isn't needed. Dude doesn't speak until the last chapter- excuse me, second to last chapter. He is just a fantasy. I was embarrassed for him.Since the "romance" was a focus of Grave, that meant that I was not convinced of one of the novel's key claims. I could see Jones exploiting this and saving the series if Charley decided in the sequel, Second Grave on the Left, that hey, I don't really know this guy, and endured all the trials of a relationship as whatshisface and Charley learned about each other. Or if she realized hey, I actually know this other guy Garrett beside me and he's cool and he's into me too, forget the ghost. Since, however, Charley ends the book madly in love, I doubt it.Grave also includes a carefully seeded plumbing of Charley's history throughout the novel for those of you who like full immersion, so that we are discovering her -kudos- and a complete murder mystery (despite rumors to the contrary). However, these take a distinct backseat to Charley and her prop- er, fantasy- er, man. It's not a mystery novel.His poofing in and out is pretty cool though. And his killing with the smoke and the blades. Like something out of Mortal Kombat. (I have Mortal Kombat on the mind.)

I enjoyed this and loved Charley's sass and attitude but it tended to drag in some parts for me. I have heard that this series only gets better so I will definitely read the next book!