Charley Davidson

Darynda Jones
Urban FantasyParanormal Romance
Cover image for Charley Davidson series
Urban FantasyParanormal Romance

Summary

Charley Davidson threads through a city that never fully settles—where jokes hide a blade and every favor costs more than it seems. A recent pulse of hauntings tugs at the edges of ordinary life: a barroom smile that doesn’t quite reach the eyes, a doorway that shouldn’t be open, a client who insists she’s figured out his killer but won’t name him. Charley’s seen worse, knows the ghosts keep score, and trusts Reyes Farrow’s dangerous magnetism about as far as she can throw him—if she can stand the pull long enough to outsmart a threat that travels through both masks and memories. In the tense hours that follow, she confronts a choice that can’t be unmade: protect the living by bending every rule she swore to uphold, or risk losing her own soul to save them all.

Darynda Jones’s Charley Davidson series sits at a sharp crossroads of urban fantasy and light noir. It showcases Charley’s rapport with the living and dead, anchored by Reyes Farrow’s dangerous pull, and its brisk banter has helped define a cheeky, propulsive voice in the genre. The series has enjoyed steady popularity, spawning several installments that expand on Charley’s world without losing its core rhythm of moral gray areas, personal costs, and sharp humor. Critics have often noted its entertaining blend of wit, romance, and otherworldly crime-solving, even when some entries lean more toward rom-com atmosphere than grimdark edge.

Main Titles

1
First Grave on the Right
Book cover for First Grave on the Right
Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, ferrying souls to the next world while trying to keep a messy life intact. When a troubled teen's murder pulls her...
Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, ferrying souls to the next world while trying to keep a messy life intact. When a troubled teen's murder pulls her into a tangled web of secrets in Albuquerque, Charley faces threats both living and dead. Her sharp wit and irreverent voice mask a haunted past and an ability to talk to the dearly departed that draws dangerous attention. She doesn't have to face the danger alone. Enter Reyes, a dark, magnetic presence with hostile intent and an intimacy that confuses her. As Charley hunts a killer, she learns that death isn't always permanent and that uncovering the truth could cost more than her heart. Loyalties are tested, lines are crossed, and Charley must decide how far she will go to protect the living who rely on her—and the dead who won't stay silent.
2011 Year
9 Publications
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2
Second Grave on the Left
Book cover for Second Grave on the Left
Charley is juggling missing-person cases, a chaotic household, and a darkness that claws at the edges of her life. When a local girl vanishes, Charley's ability to hear ghosts leads her into a...
Charley is juggling missing-person cases, a chaotic household, and a darkness that claws at the edges of her life. When a local girl vanishes, Charley's ability to hear ghosts leads her into a labyrinth of lies, and the trail grows colder as choices she makes ripple out with dangerous consequences. Haunted visions and cryptic visits escalate, forcing Charley to confront secrets that hit far closer to home than she expected. Reyes remains a constant, a complicated anchor who both helps and frustrates her. As loyalties strain, Charley must navigate shifting alliances and moral gray areas. The investigation pushes her to rely on friends—both mortal and spectral—and to reconcile the person she pretends to be with the woman who stands toe-to-toe with death. Every clue deepens the mystery and tightens the noose around those she loves.
2011 Year
9 Publications
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3
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Book cover for Third Grave Dead Ahead
A series of brutal attacks tests Charley's ability to separate vengeance from justice. When bodies begin appearing and a pattern emerges, Charley's connection to the dead forces her into the center...
A series of brutal attacks tests Charley's ability to separate vengeance from justice. When bodies begin appearing and a pattern emerges, Charley's connection to the dead forces her into the center of a case that threatens to expose dangerous truths about her role as a conduit between worlds. Old wounds reopen, and the stakes rise as a predator targets those she cares about. Reyes's presence grows more layered—both protector and mystery—pushing Charley into choices that blur duty and desire. Families fracture, alliances shift, and Charley is compelled to dig into shadows that refuse to stay buried. Every revelation tightens the web, and the closer she gets to the killer, the more she realizes that the cost of protection may require sacrifices she never anticipated.
2012 Year
9 Publications
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4
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Book cover for Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Charley's life spirals as danger slips past the surface into places she thought were safe. A professional case collides with personal ghosts when a murderer who thinks he’s untouchable sets his...
Charley's life spirals as danger slips past the surface into places she thought were safe. A professional case collides with personal ghosts when a murderer who thinks he’s untouchable sets his sights on those around her. Charley races to untangle motives while grappling with a destiny that keeps pulling her toward death's threshold. Reyes becomes entwined in the hunt in ways that test Charley's control; his hidden past seeps into the present with consequences neither of them saw coming. Friendships are tested as Charley balances humor with hardened resilience to survive. Every step closer to the truth reveals that some graves hide more than bones—they hide choices that will redefine who she trusts and who she will become.
2012 Year
8 Publications
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5
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Book cover for Fifth Grave Past the Light
When a string of baffling deaths and a mysterious figure from beyond her normal cases emerge, Charley must confront a darkness that threatens to cross into the living world. Her role as a detective...
When a string of baffling deaths and a mysterious figure from beyond her normal cases emerge, Charley must confront a darkness that threatens to cross into the living world. Her role as a detective for the deceased drags her into a complex conspiracy where the boundary between right and wrong fractures. The investigation pushes Charley to the limits of endurance and faith in her own powers. Reyes's past connections pull them both into perilous circles; his loyalties become an arena where desire, trust, and truth clash. Charley leans on an eclectic cast of allies, both human and spectral, as she pieces together motives that are more sinister than anticipated. The closer she gets to the light—and past it—the more she recognizes that salvation and damnation can look frighteningly similar.
2013 Year
7 Publications
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6
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Book cover for Sixth Grave on the Edge
Charley's life unravels further as a predator uses fear as a weapon across her community, stirring panic and suspicion. As bodies pile up and suspects multiply, Charley is forced into a race...
Charley's life unravels further as a predator uses fear as a weapon across her community, stirring panic and suspicion. As bodies pile up and suspects multiply, Charley is forced into a race against time where every decision holds mortal weight. Her own family becomes collateral, and the investigation turns deeply personal, pushing her to determine which instincts to trust. Reyes's involvement intensifies, and the lines between ally and adversary blur. Charley must reconcile the disparate parts of her life—detective, sister, Grim Reaper—and choose what she will sacrifice to keep others safe. In a world where betrayal can wear any face, Charley learns that power without control is as dangerous as ignorance, and that the edge she walks could become the very place she falls.
2014 Year
7 Publications
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7
Seventh Grave and No Body
Book cover for Seventh Grave and No Body
A desperate plea leads Charley into a maze where a missing person yields no corpse but countless questions. The emptiness of a grave with no body torments the living and teases Charley’s sense of...
A desperate plea leads Charley into a maze where a missing person yields no corpse but countless questions. The emptiness of a grave with no body torments the living and teases Charley’s sense of justice. As she follows threads through neighborhoods and nightmares, she discovers secrets that others would kill to keep buried and truths that shake the foundations of her relationships. Reyes stands at the center of danger again, his presence both a shield and a mystery that deepens. Charley is forced to confront the limits of her powers and the consequences of choices made for love. With stakes escalating and allies tested, she must rely on wit, stubbornness, and a stubborn moral code to bring light to shadows that refuse to be ignored.
2014 Year
6 Publications
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8
Eighth Grave After Dark
Book cover for Eighth Grave After Dark
Night brings new terrors as Charley faces threats that thrive in darkness. When a series of supernatural incidents ripples through Albuquerque, she must untangle a conspiracy that blurs the line...
Night brings new terrors as Charley faces threats that thrive in darkness. When a series of supernatural incidents ripples through Albuquerque, she must untangle a conspiracy that blurs the line between earthly crimes and otherworldly vendettas. Friends find themselves targeted and secrets rise like ghosts to demand judgment, leaving Charley to reconcile her role between two realms. Reyes’s intensity escalates the danger, and his secrets inch closer to the surface, forcing Charley to choose between instinct and trust. The investigation pulls her into alleys of both the city and her own heart, where each discovery forces a redefinition of loyalty. As night after night yields new puzzles, Charley learns that surviving the dark requires more than humor—it requires hard, costly courage.
2015 Year
6 Publications
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9
The Dirt on Ninth Grave
Book cover for The Dirt on Ninth Grave
Charley digs deeper—figuratively and literally—into a case where the dead refuse to stay buried and the living hide behind layers of self-deception. Accusations fly, alliances shift, and the truth...
Charley digs deeper—figuratively and literally—into a case where the dead refuse to stay buried and the living hide behind layers of self-deception. Accusations fly, alliances shift, and the truth seems to crumble with every scoop of dirt. The case penetrates deeper into her life, threatening everyone in her orbit and forcing Charley to reconcile past mistakes with present dangers. Reyes's connection tightens the noose around a conspiracy with roots that reach back farther than Charley imagined. As she navigates betrayals and hard truths, she discovers that sometimes the most dangerous secrets are kept by those closest to you. The hunt pushes her to redefine what punishment and mercy look like, and to decide how much she can bear to reveal.
2016 Year
6 Publications
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10
The Curse of Tenth Grave
Book cover for The Curse of Tenth Grave
An ancient pattern surfaces, suggesting that Charley's cases follow a darker design beyond coincidence. When a curse seems to latch onto those connected to her investigations, Charley struggles to...
An ancient pattern surfaces, suggesting that Charley's cases follow a darker design beyond coincidence. When a curse seems to latch onto those connected to her investigations, Charley struggles to protect loved ones while keeping up the relentless work of settling the unsettled. Fear and superstition complicate an already dangerous mix, and Charley must parse myth from malevolence to stop a chain of suffering. Reyes is increasingly entwined in the fallout, his past scars becoming crucial to understanding present threats. Charley relies on a ragtag team of supporters—both living and dead—to confront forces that defy easy explanation. As the curse’s reach grows, she must choose whether to follow rules or rewrite them, knowing that the wrong choice could doom more than one heart.
2016 Year
7 Publications
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11
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
Book cover for Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
Under moonlit skies, chilling patterns intensify and Charley confronts enemies who flourish in the half-light between worlds. As a series of eerie encounters and escalating dangers converge, she...
Under moonlit skies, chilling patterns intensify and Charley confronts enemies who flourish in the half-light between worlds. As a series of eerie encounters and escalating dangers converge, she must use every resource at her disposal to shield those she loves. The investigation becomes more personal than ever, revealing betrayals and alliances hidden beneath polite façades. Reyes’s presence grows more complex and urgent, forcing Charley to reconcile desire with duty. She leans on her nimble wit and hard-earned resolve to survive entanglements both supernatural and human. With every revelation under the moon, the stakes climb, and Charley must decide what lines she will never cross—and which ones she will willingly blur to save lives.
2017 Year
6 Publications
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12
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Book cover for The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Trouble multiplies when Charley uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to upend the fragile balance she maintains between life and death. The case forces her to confront painful truths about her...
Trouble multiplies when Charley uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to upend the fragile balance she maintains between life and death. The case forces her to confront painful truths about her gifts and the people who will exploit them. As danger encroaches on her home and her heart, Charley finds that old rivalries and new enemies conspire to push her to the brink. Reyes’s loyalties and motives become more urgent and inscrutable, and Charley must decide how much of herself to risk. She rallies allies and tests limits, determined to protect the innocent and unmask those who manipulate fate. The closer she gets to the center of the trouble, the clearer it becomes that surviving will require more than strength—it will require hard choices and a willingness to embrace painful truths.
2017 Year
4 Publications
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13
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave
Book cover for Summoned to Thirteenth Grave
Summoned by a force that cannot be ignored, Charley faces a culmination of threats that have shadowed her life. Old debts and new dangers collide, forcing her to confront enemies who have been...
Summoned by a force that cannot be ignored, Charley faces a culmination of threats that have shadowed her life. Old debts and new dangers collide, forcing her to confront enemies who have been waiting in the wings. The pressure becomes personal as stakes rise to a level where ordinary solutions no longer suffice, and Charley must embrace the full scope of her role as a bridge between worlds. Reyes stands at her side as confidant and enigma, and their bond is tested like never before. Charley marshals every ally, living and spectral, to confront a destiny that feels both inevitable and mutable. In digging through layers of deception, she must determine who she is willing to save and what she can live with afterward. The summons is more than a case—it’s an ultimatum that will redefine her future.
2019 Year
3 Publications
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Additional Titles

All-In-One

Short Fiction