The Dirt on Ninth Grave

December 21, 2015
Jones's fast-paced ninth Charley Davidson novel (after 2015's Eighth Grave after Dark) alternates between the comical and the mystical. Charley, who's suffering from amnesia and is known as Janey, has been working as a waitress at the Firelight Grill in the Hudson River town of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. Unaware of her paranormal powers, Charley is perplexed by her ability to see dead people and understand multiple languages. Charley attempts to see the humor in her everyday life even as she feels the otherworldly forces around her. Meanwhile, she's attracted to customer Reyes Farrow and seeks to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the family of Mr. Vandenberg, a nearby shop owner. Fortunately, Charley's unexplained supernatural abilities prove beneficial to her amateur sleuthing efforts. Charley's adventures build to an apocalyptic conclusion that uncovers the true meaning of her life. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners.

August 1, 2015

These days, Grim Reaper Charley Davidson isn't nudging lost souls toward the light; she's working in a diner in upstate New York, having lost her memory. (Could the blazingly handsome fry cook watching over her be her beloved Reyes Farrow, the son of Satan?) She's puzzled about being able to see dead people and senses danger around her. But when a stranger shows up claiming that he's been sent to kill her, her powers are set seethingly on the rise.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
Jones delivers a clever, fun reboot of this series, which finds Grim Reaper Charley, who has the ability to talk to the dead, suffering from amnesia and going through life as struggling waitress Janey. She has no memory of who she is or how she ended up in the cafe, but she is grateful for the job and her new friend, Cookie. Then her past starts reasserting itself: she is still able to converse with the dead, and she realizes that there are beings out there trying to kill her. Then there is Reyes, a customer at the cafe, to whom she is attracted. Is he who he claims to be? Either way, the romance delights. Jones continues to make her Grim Reaper into a layered, fascinating heroine. In its ninth installment, this series, despite its unusual premise, needed a boost, and Jones delivers that with style. Paranormal-crime fans will be pleased.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)