The Gravedigger's Son
Written by Darynda Jones⎮ Narrated by Lorelei King
Author: Darynda Jones
Narrator: Lorelei King
Length: 3 hour 20 minutes
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Released: May 11, 2021
Genre: Paranormal
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Synopsis
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Darynda Jones comes a new story in her Charley Davidson series...
The job should have been easy.
Get in. Assess the situation. Get out. But for veteran tracker Quentin Rutherford, things get sticky when the girl he’s loved since puberty shows up, conducting her own investigation into the strange occurrences of the small, New Mexico town. He knew it would be a risk coming back to the area, but he had no idea Amber Kowalski had become a bona fide PI, investigating things that go bump in the night. He shouldn’t be surprised, however. She can see through the dead as clearly as he can. The real question is, can she see through him?
But is anything that’s worth it ever easy?
To say that Amber is shocked to see her childhood crush would be the understatement of her fragile second life. One look at him tells her everything she needs to know. He’s changed. So drastically she barely recognizes him. He is savage now, a hardened - in all the right places - demon hunter, and she is simply the awkward, lovestruck girl he left behind.
But she doesn’t have time to dwell on the past. A supernatural entity has set up shop, and it’s up to them to stop it before it kills again.
While thousands of questions burn inside her, she has to put her concern over him, over what he’s become, aside for now. Because he’s about to learn one, undeniable fact: she’s changed, too.
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new listeners, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
Sophia Rose's Review
4.25 Stars
After the big bang ending of the Charley Davidson series, like most readers, I was not done speculating about some of the endearing side characters and what the future held for them. This was definitely true of the dynamic teen duo of Amber Kowalski and Quentin Rutherford. We got to watch them grow up and now we get to see them when they’ve come into their own.
The Gravedigger’s Son is a post-series story and could be listened to standalone in a pinch, but I know those who will get the full effect of the story are those who have followed the series and seen this pair of characters from the beginning.
Amber and Quentin have grown up and, heart-aching of all, have been apart since college. Amber is now a PI and a ghostseer like her aunt Charley. She has had to pick up the pieces since Quentin inexplicably ghosted her after he’d had a near-death experience during college. Quentin’s life has been one tough challenge after another and an experience at college and what came after were even more so. He never meant to come back, but a demon hunt brings him face to face with the only woman he will ever love and he broke her heart. Only, he hasn’t come through it all alone…
I was braced just in case their reunion went into high angst, but I should have trusted the author to give me more of her tried and true humor, action, and sensual romance against a fascinating urban fantasy landscape of demons, ghosts, gifted humans, and the rest of the human race rubbing shoulders in a tough world. There is a case and it’s a whopper- big bad killing demon come to town. Their reunion was parts explanation and parts demon fighting. I had a good time with this pair and even got a little emotional over some of the reveal. There is room for more from this pair which left me hopeful.
Lorelei King, the narrator of the series kept her role through this standalone novella. I enjoy her work and she’s a gifted storyteller and voice actress. I did feel Amber’s voice was a bit young like a kid's, but other than that this was another fab listening experience.
All and all, a fun reunion with Amber and Quentin, an exciting plot, and a wonderful addition to the series. Urban Fantasy fans who enjoy a lot of humor and some mystery should definitely give this series a go.
Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
Sophia has been devouring books for decades and the love for audio books in particular probably started with the portable turntable record player and hearing, ‘when the chime sounds, please turn the page’. In the last five years of reviewing, she has started listening for review and honing her narration tastes. Sophia is an equal opportunity genre lover though history and mystery, sci-fi and romance will always be the front runners.