Getting the opportunity to return to the Charley Davidson world after the grand finale events of the last book in the series was a sensational pleasure. The author left things at a good spot to finish that series arc and prepare for the new one with the next generation of characters and plot. It was grand to get this novella that bridges that gap and ties off a thread for one of the side characters.
The Graveyard Shift is a novella that falls after the end of the series so it may be a standalone in some ways, my advice is to save it until the reader/listener has caught up with the original series so pretty much everything makes better sense.
Garrett Swopes, ex-military and then private investigator and researcher on Charley's team of help, has seen some crazy stuff. As a human, he took a bit to get on board with all the supernatural woo-woo going on around Charley and an accidental trip to a hell dimension did the final convincing for him. He is all in when he is entrusted with Charley and Reyes' beautiful daughter, Elwyn, to protect and help guide her along with a full compliment that includes Beep's human grandparents, a biker gang, a pack of hellhounds, and Garrett.
As the child of two gods, saying five year old Elly is precocious is a huge understatement. Garrett and the others can barely keep up with this little child's brilliant mind and her powers, but they try to give the little girl opportunities to be a child while teaching her responsibility and prepping her for her future as the prophesied enemy who will defeat Lucifer in battle.
On a walk, Garrett watches Elwyn disappear before his very eyes and he is in no doubt that she was taken by supernatural means. The others are at a loss and coming up empty in their searches. He knows he has to bite the bullet and approach the last person he wants to for help- the woman who pretended to have a relationship with him only to have a child and then hid said child from him until he discovered the truth.
Marika Dubois did what she had to do with the knowledge of the future she got when her mother and grandmother used a powerful, dangerous magic to get that knowledge. She will not feel shamed for using Garrett who came from a powerful line of magic users like her own to equip her son to survive the coming battle he is predicted to fight at Elwyn's side. But, if she is honest, the pain of falling for a man after using him and losing every ounce of his respect still aches in her heart. When Garrett appears on her doorstep needing help locating Elwyn, she is determined to help find the little girl she has come to love from her visits with the family and she is equally determined to keep Garrett from knowing her feelings for him. Too bad, the infuriating man gets through anyway, but he claims she has effected him as well.
The Graveyard Shift had the excitement I have come to appreciate from the series as they figure out how to find Elwyn and come across a supernatural mystery involving weird creatures, the ghosts, and the magic Marika wields and shares with Garrett to give him a fighting chance in a war he has been fighting blind as a human.
I was glad to see Garrett and Marika coming to terms with their past, but I have to admit that I get Garrett's feeling of betrayal so I get why he had hang ups about a woman he was attracted to. I was glad that the focus stayed more on the rest of the story since I couldn't get comfortable with this pair though I'm glad they found their happy.
Oh my, there were some pretty interesting appearances and new situations toward the end that leave me curioser and curioser about the new season of the series. It was great to see Cookie and Uncle Bob, the bikers, and our favorite hellhound besides Garrett on the track of Beep.
Lorelei King has been a fabulous voice of the series and I'm glad she continued with this novella. She has such distinct voices for her characters and does banter so well.
All in all, this was a sensational revisit with many series characters, catching up on where everyone is, and getting things put in place for what is to come. This urban fantasy world continues to amaze and I can definitely recommend the series for those who want humor, action, mystery, bands of quirky friends, and sexy romance all rolled into one.
I rec'd a digital audio from Brilliance Audio to listen to in exchange for an honest review.