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A review by amym84
The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones
3.0
I have loved the Charley Davidson series from the beginning. I have been along on the ride for whatever Darynda Jones decided to throw at our grim reaper and her son of Satan love. So it's with great sadness that while reading Ninth Grave I found myself not entirely on board with the direction Ms. Jones took in this installment.
After the events of [b:Eighth Grave After Dark|22922356|Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson, #8)|Darynda Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413161725s/22922356.jpg|42490126] the Charley we know wakes up without her memories in Sleepy Hollow. Not knowing what else to do, Janey Doerr, becomes a waitress and bides her time until something triggers her memory. While working she meets and becomes good friends with fellow waitress Cookie and Cookie's husband Robert. She also gets to know some of the regular customers that come in every day, some times multiple times per day.
It's in this way that she meets the mysterious Reyes Farrow. There's just something about the man that Janey can't help but be attracted to, but there's also an air of danger and darkness to him. But with so much missing from her past, can she really take such a risk on her future?
It was kind of strange to read this story about "Janey" all the while knowing it's Charley. The things that are unknown to Janey are already known to Charley (therefore already known to readers) so I guess I didn't understand the redundancy in having us go through things again. Learning to trust Reyes, learning about her powers, etc. We've been through it. Janey only showcased the things that we already know about Charley. I guess in a way you can say by having trouble follow Janey around and have Janey jump headlong into said trouble as Charley would do only proves the point that this is what Charley is supposed to be doing. That these things; helping people, solving mysteries, seeing the departed; makes up the sum of Charley no matter who she is or what life she inhabits. This would have been her life no matter what.
As always, I loved the chemistry between Charley and Reyes. I don't think that's something that can ever be off in these books. There were also some pretty sweet moments between Janey and Reyes as he insinuates himself in her life without outright saying who he is and what he means to her. We get a lovely glimpse of some real feelings. These moments are usually small and in passing, but I loved them all the more. The small moments are probably the best thing about this book for me. Not only is Reyes in Sleepy Hollow letting Charley work to getting back to herself, but everyone who cares about Charley that can be is there too: Garrett, Osh, Cookie, Uncle Robert, even Charley's father's spirit, plus others. Seeing the devotion these people have to their friend was wonderful.
I was very interested in the direction it appears the series is headed in the next book. However, as one of my fellow reviewers pointed out in the Vampire Book Club Review it doesn't really make sense until close to the end and by that time I'm wondering what the point was for the rest of the book. Because honestly, this book is full almost to the point of bursting with Janey getting into one scrape or another trying to help someone out or whatever. There were so many side storylines that they couldn't all be done justice and therefore they all came out a little on the weak side.
I don't want there to be any mistaking though, I thought this was an OK read. Not the best in the series, but nothing that will keep me from reading and enjoying future installments. I appreciate what Darynda Jones tried to do here, for me, it just didn't work out.
After the events of [b:Eighth Grave After Dark|22922356|Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson, #8)|Darynda Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413161725s/22922356.jpg|42490126] the Charley we know wakes up without her memories in Sleepy Hollow. Not knowing what else to do, Janey Doerr, becomes a waitress and bides her time until something triggers her memory. While working she meets and becomes good friends with fellow waitress Cookie and Cookie's husband Robert. She also gets to know some of the regular customers that come in every day, some times multiple times per day.
It's in this way that she meets the mysterious Reyes Farrow. There's just something about the man that Janey can't help but be attracted to, but there's also an air of danger and darkness to him. But with so much missing from her past, can she really take such a risk on her future?
It was kind of strange to read this story about "Janey" all the while knowing it's Charley. The things that are unknown to Janey are already known to Charley (therefore already known to readers) so I guess I didn't understand the redundancy in having us go through things again. Learning to trust Reyes, learning about her powers, etc. We've been through it. Janey only showcased the things that we already know about Charley. I guess in a way you can say by having trouble follow Janey around and have Janey jump headlong into said trouble as Charley would do only proves the point that this is what Charley is supposed to be doing. That these things; helping people, solving mysteries, seeing the departed; makes up the sum of Charley no matter who she is or what life she inhabits. This would have been her life no matter what.
As always, I loved the chemistry between Charley and Reyes. I don't think that's something that can ever be off in these books. There were also some pretty sweet moments between Janey and Reyes as he insinuates himself in her life without outright saying who he is and what he means to her. We get a lovely glimpse of some real feelings. These moments are usually small and in passing, but I loved them all the more. The small moments are probably the best thing about this book for me. Not only is Reyes in Sleepy Hollow letting Charley work to getting back to herself, but everyone who cares about Charley that can be is there too: Garrett, Osh, Cookie, Uncle Robert, even Charley's father's spirit, plus others. Seeing the devotion these people have to their friend was wonderful.
I was very interested in the direction it appears the series is headed in the next book. However, as one of my fellow reviewers pointed out in the Vampire Book Club Review it doesn't really make sense until close to the end and by that time I'm wondering what the point was for the rest of the book. Because honestly, this book is full almost to the point of bursting with Janey getting into one scrape or another trying to help someone out or whatever. There were so many side storylines that they couldn't all be done justice and therefore they all came out a little on the weak side.
I don't want there to be any mistaking though, I thought this was an OK read. Not the best in the series, but nothing that will keep me from reading and enjoying future installments. I appreciate what Darynda Jones tried to do here, for me, it just didn't work out.