The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones

In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

Goodreads Summary

I could never even guess how frustrating and scary it must be to completely forget your life. Even worse, I think it would be a very creepy experience to have people come up to me and reveal that I wasn't so great to others in some situations when I thought I was good. Identity crisis situations can really mess with someone's head, and piecing things back together would probably take a person to their whits end. Top that off with a mystical inexplicable force, and you have what makes for a great story to tell.

I liked how well the author sets up the feeling that amnesia can bring to a person's head. Not knowing how you got to where you were, and wondering what your family was like has to be only the tip of the iceberg. Its great how the book builds to a great suspenseful adventure as the pages fly by in the journey to the end of the story. As I got further in the book, I certainly found myself wanting to read more and more and my enthusiasm growing towards finding the answers for our main character. If you have been reading the other books in this series, you will find it fun to go through turning back the clock and re-experiencing a second chance at certain parts in life. This is definitely a faced paced and fun read.

3.5 Stars

Reviewed by Chris

Q&A with Darynda Jones

1) Who was your favorite character to write about and why?

Charley! Definitely Charley, though Reyes and Cookie were tied for a close second. In The Dirt on Ninth Grave, Charley has amnesia, and while I don’t normally like stories with that trope, this was just too fun to pass up. It was kind of like a new beginning and Charley got to relearn all about her powers, her friends, and her soul mate. In fact, she got to fall in love with him all over again. I figured it would be fun. I was right.

2) Which character do you personally most identify with?

Again, Charley. Sadly, I don’t have any powers and I can’t see dead people, but we are both a bit scatterbrained and irreverent. I’m told the irreverence is a defense mechanism. I’m good with that. :)

3) What was your favorite scene to write?

While I really liked having a headless horseman chase Charley down a dark and deserted street (they’re in Sleepy Hollow, after all), I’d have to say my favorite scene was probably the kitchen scene. Let’s just say someone gets tied up.

4) Where is your favorite place to write?

In my office. One might think that is boring, but my office is pretty neat. It’s very Poe-esque, with a raven and a skull and lots of old books.

5) Do you have a page goal in mind when you begin writing?

I’m more of a word-count kind of girl and it depends at where I’m at on drafts and deadlines. When I’m working on a first draft, I like to get anywhere from 2k-5k a day.

6) Sum up your novel in 6 phrases to show us why we should run out and buy a copy!

The pressure! Okay, The Dirt on Ninth Grave is about a girl who woke up in an alley in Sleepy Hollow, NY, with no memory of who (or what) she is. She soon learns she has the ability to see into the supernatural realm, which includes those who have departed. Because of this ability, she quickly finds herself neck-deep in trouble, not the least of which arises from the dark, brooding man she’s insanely attracted to. But something much deeper and much darker wants her dead. Will she figure out who (and what) she is before it succeeds? Or will the supernatural realm mourn the loss of one of its own?

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