Grim Reaper Much?

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Summary: Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

Review: A poor grim reaper, a creepy male love interest, and an too easily solved mystery. 

So Charley is supposedly the grim reaper, but knows so little about her abilities. It's a wonder she manages to convince the dead to cross over. There would have to be more than one grim reaper since there are so many dead people. I personally thought of Charley as someone who helps the dead to cross over and not the grim reaper since she doesn't actually kill anyone. I found it amazing that a few people actually seemed to believe Charley's power to see and talk to the dead. 

The love interest was downright creepy. So this mysterious man or thing saves her a number of times in her life. The first time she actually meets him, she tries to help him and he responds by threatening to rape her to get her to leave. That's downright creepy. Then he visits her in her dream and has sex with her in her dreams, which I consider rape since Charley could not give consent since she was sleeping. I don't understand the care she has for him. The mystery she is trying to solve seems to take second place to saving the creepy man. 

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy fiction about grim reapers and those who see the dead.