The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Charley Davidson, Book #12
By Darynda Jones
ISBN# 9781250147554
Author’s Website: http://www.daryndajones.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
Charley doesn’t know her husband ever since he came out of the god glass. All signs of the man she knows and loves is gone, in his place there is a man that looks like him, but is cold; emotionless. A man that appears to be disgusted by her. He is the god, Rey’azikeen and he makes it clear that her husband is gone. Charley knows that Reyes is in there somewhere, she just has to find out how to get him back.
“it was his idea. I didn’t want to send him into that hell dimension. I was going to go in myself. Check shit out. Come back no worse for the wear. But noooo. The man with the balls had to go in because he’s manly with manly balls and a penis to guide him. And now he’s all savage and wild, but he still has his balls. That’s all that’s important, by God. His man parts.”
Now God has put a time limit on Reyes, a time that has expired. Charley talks Michael into giving her one more day, but she has no idea what to do!
There has been a rash of murders that even Charley can’t solve as the departed are not hanging around to talk to her. The victims have strange burn and claw marks on them. Charley fears this could be Rey’azikeen’s work and she doesn’t know how to stop it.
Meanwhile, Amber and Quentin have started their own investigation firm and look to Charley for advice.
Everything that is going on appears to be connected, and it’s up to Charley to figure out how, and more importantly how to fix it all! But can she solve the case before time runs out?
I enjoyed this book, but it read a bit slower for me than most of the other books in the series. I found I could put it down a little too easily. Maybe because our sexy son of Satan wasn’t himself and the steam between this duo wasn’t to the level that I’m used to? However, even a malevolent god isn’t oblivious to Charley’s charms.
“Did you learn anything, at least?”
“I learned that Rey’azikeen is just as good at coitus as his alter ego.”
The humor we always expect from Charley is still present in this book, even when her very life is at stake. I love that even when Reyes looks like a lost cause that she doesn’t give up on him completely. And even when Reyes has been taken over by a powerful god, he does what he can to protect his daughter.
And, I really adore how the relationship between Charley and Garrett has evolved over the course of the series.
“They walked to the doors, and she unlocked them. Before she could say anything, I began the show.
“Garrett! Oh, my God!” I rushed forward and threw my arms around him. “What happened? Who did this?”
“I was mugged.”
“Do we say mugged in Albuquerque?”
He glared at me.
“I’m so sorry. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Disappointment lined the guard’s face. But it quickly transformed into confusion. “Wait, I thought you said your name was Reyes. Reyes Farrow.”
After I gaped at him for an eternity, an eternity in which he struggled to conceal [a] mischievous grin, I turned back to her. “It is. It’s Reyes Garrett Farrow. Not Reyes Alexander Farrow.” I snorted and waved a dismissive hand. “That’s another guy altogether.”
She wrinkled her forehead in suspicion.
“Gotta go,” I said, hurrying him along. “Have to get this man to a hospital for multiple stab wounds.”
“He was stabbed?” she asked with a concerned gasp.
“Not yet, but the night is young.”
I think Garrett would give his very life to protect Charley and Beep, and he proves that time and time again. His protective side is really something to behold and I absolutely love him.
We also get to see our favorite slave demon, Osh, in this one. He’s doesn’t have a big presence in this book, but he’s there long enough to give me a chuckle or two!
“Osh, we are going to have to tie you up and torture you. Sorry.”
“Really?” He stood and removed his top hat, a broad grin splitting his perfect face. With the enthusiasm of a virgin at a brothel, he slapped his hands together and rubbed them in anticipation. “Where do you want me?”
“That chair will be fine. Just scoot it to the middle of the room.”
Cookie’s office wasn’t huge, but it was big enough to tie Osh up and torture him.
Gemma’s eyes rounded in concern when Osh sat down and Garrett began the bondage process. Was it wrong that I had a hankering for gay porn at that moment?
I walked over to them to make sure Garrett’s knots were inescapable. But inescapable to a human and inescapable to a Daeva were two very different things. Osh could most likely get out of pretty much any sticky situation, but if it did nothing else, it would damned sure slow him down. Garrett’s handiwork made certain of that.
Osh grinned up at me. “You gonna do the deed, sugar? You gonna hurt me?”
This book leaves us with yet another cliffhanger and I never anticipated what Charley did at the end, but in her case, I’m not sure I wouldn’t have done the same thing. I have no clue where this will leave her in the next book, but I have no doubt that those who love her, even the fiery god himself, will move Heaven and Earth to set things right (or at least their version of right).
