Darynda Jones Books in Order (Updated April 28, 2026)

Darynda Jones writes paranormal mystery, urban fantasy, romantic suspense, young adult fantasy, mystery, and paranormal women’s fiction. She is best known for the Charley Davidson series, about a private investigator who is also the grim reaper.

Her catalogue is not difficult once the main boundaries are clear. Charley Davidson, Darklight, Sunshine Vicram, Betwixt & Between, and The NeverNeath are separate reading areas.

The only series where order is truly strict is Charley Davidson. That series has a long central arc, major relationship developments, and several post-finale novellas that should not be read early.

The Order That Matters Most

Read Charley Davidson in exact series order.

1. Read Darklight in order because it is a completed young adult trilogy.
2. Read Sunshine Vicram in order because the mysteries, family history, and town secrets build across three books.
3. Read Betwixt & Between in order because Defiance Dayne’s magical discovery and Salem life progress book by book.
4. Treat The NeverNeath as a small separate fantasy/suspense shelf.

Charley Davidson Books in Order

This is Darynda Jones’ main series. Read the novels in order and place the novellas where noted, especially after the series finale.

1. First Grave on the Right (2011): Charley Davidson is introduced as a private investigator, a grim reaper, and a woman whose dead clients keep pulling her into murder cases.
2. For I Have Sinned (2011): A short Charley Davidson story told around a newly dead woman’s need for closure, best read after the first novel once Charley’s role is clear.
3. Second Grave on the Left (2011): Charley’s next case pushes her deeper into danger while Reyes Farrow’s mystery continues to complicate her life.
4. Third Grave Dead Ahead (2012): Charley investigates another case while her connection to Reyes becomes harder to ignore and harder to control.
5. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (2012): Charley is recovering from trauma while another investigation forces her back into the work of the living and the dead.
6. Fifth Grave Past the Light (2013): Charley’s apartment fills with the dead, while her personal and supernatural problems become more tightly linked.
7. Sixth Grave on the Edge (2014): Reyes’ proposal and Charley’s ongoing cases pull the series toward larger supernatural consequences.
8. Seventh Grave and No Body (2014): Hellhounds and dangerous revelations raise the stakes beyond ordinary ghostly investigation.
9. Eighth Grave After Dark (2015): Charley’s pregnancy, the hellhound threat, and the fate of her child make this a major turning-point book.
10. Brighter Than the Sun (2015): A Reyes-focused novella that looks back at his history with Charley, best read after Eighth Grave After Dark to avoid undercutting the main-series reveals.
11. The Dirt on Ninth Grave (2016): Charley is living as Jane Doe with no memory of who she is, creating one of the series’ biggest reset points.
12. The Curse of Tenth Grave (2016): Charley is back in motion, but the supernatural questions around her identity, powers, and future continue to deepen.
13. Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (2017): Charley investigates new threats while the mythology around her and Reyes moves closer to the endgame.
14. The Trouble with Twelfth Grave (2017): Reyes becomes a direct danger after escaping a hell dimension, forcing Charley into one of her most personal crises.
15. Summoned to Thirteenth Grave (2019): The main Charley Davidson series reaches its finale, resolving the central grim-reaper arc while leaving room for later side stories.
16. The Graveyard Shift (2020): A post-finale novella about guarding Charley and Reyes’ daughter, best saved until after Summoned to Thirteenth Grave.
17. The Gravedigger’s Son (2021): A later Charley-world novella that follows side characters after the main series has already concluded.
18. The Graveside Bar and Grill (2022): A post-series novella centered on Donovan St. James, giving the Charley world another side-story expansion.
19. The Grave Robber (2023): A later Charley Davidson novella focused on Eric Vause, best read after the main novels and earlier post-finale novellas.
20. Graveyard Dog (2024): A newer Charley Davidson novella about Michael Cavalcante and Izzabel Walsh, placed after the earlier post-finale novellas.

Darklight Books in Order

This is a young adult fantasy trilogy. It is separate from Charley Davidson and should be read as its own completed sequence.

1. Death and the Girl Next Door (2012): Lorelei MacAlister’s normal life begins to unravel when Jared Kovach arrives and her parents’ disappearance connects to a larger supernatural mystery.
2. Death, Doom, and Detention (2013): Lorelei’s world is no longer ordinary, and the second book continues the fallout from Jared’s arrival and the dangers around her.
3. Death and the Girl He Loves (2013): The trilogy concludes Lorelei’s arc, so it should be read only after the first two books have set up the supernatural conflict.

Sunshine Vicram Books in Order

This is a three-book mystery series about Sheriff Sunshine Vicram. Read it in order because the town mystery, Sunshine’s past, and family relationships carry across the trilogy.

1. A Bad Day for Sunshine (2020): Sunshine Vicram returns to Del Sol, New Mexico, as sheriff and immediately faces a case that collides with her own unresolved past.
2. A Good Day for Chardonnay (2021): Sunshine’s work as sheriff continues while the secrets around her history and the people closest to her become harder to avoid.
3. A Hard Day for a Hangover (2022): The trilogy’s final book brings another dangerous investigation while tightening the emotional and family threads built in the first two books.

Betwixt & Between Books in Order

This is Darynda Jones’ paranormal women’s fiction series. Read it in order because Defiance Dayne’s magical identity, Salem life, and found-family circle develop progressively.

1. Betwixt (2020): Defiance Dayne inherits a house from a stranger and discovers that her life has been tied to magic in ways she never understood.
2. Bewitched (2020): Defiance’s new magical life continues, with the second book building directly on the house, inheritance, and witchcraft revelations of Betwixt.
3. Beguiled (2021): Defiance is more fully inside the magical world now, and the book depends on the first two entries for character and spell-world context.
4. Moonlight and Magic (2022): This entry follows the first trilogy and contains spoiler-heavy continuation material, so it should not be read before Betwixt, Bewitched, and Beguiled.
5. Midnight & Magic (forthcoming): Book 5 has been announced for Betwixt & Between, but the official cover-reveal post did not provide a fixed release date at the time checked.

The NeverNeath Books in Order

This is a small separate fantasy/suspense sequence. It does not need to be read before Charley Davidson, Sunshine Vicram, or Betwixt & Between.

1. The Monster (2018): The NeverNeath begins with a darker speculative premise and introduces the strange world beneath ordinary reality.
2. A Lovely Drop (2020): The second listed NeverNeath story continues the unsettling, impossible-feeling atmosphere of the first entry.

Anthologies and Extra Short Fiction

These are optional. They are not required before starting any Darynda Jones series.

1. Heroes of Phenomena: Audiomachine (2014): A collaborative creative project that includes Darynda Jones but is not a main-series novel.
2. Dark Screams: Volume Three (2015): A horror anthology with multiple authors, useful only for completists or readers tracking Jones’ short fiction.
3. Fire of the Frost (2021): A midwinter fantasy romance anthology containing work by several authors, not a required part of any Jones series.
4. Pride Not Prejudice: A Romantic Charity Collection Celebrating the LGBTQIA+ Community (2023): A multi-author charity collection and optional short-fiction entry.
5. Infinity: A Suspense Magazine Anthology (2023): A multi-author suspense anthology that should be treated outside the main series order.
6. From Friends to Forever: A Love Grows Collection (2024): A 1001 Dark Nights collection that includes Charley Davidson-related material, best treated as optional unless collecting all Charley-world stories.

Recommended Reading Path

For the clearest Darynda Jones experience, begin with the series that matches the tone you want.

The best full-series route is:

1. First Grave on the Right (2011): Start here for Darynda Jones’ signature blend of paranormal mystery, romance, danger, and humor.
2. Continue Charley Davidson through Summoned to Thirteenth Grave (2019): The main novels form one long supernatural arc and should be read in order.
3. Add the post-finale Charley novellas from The Graveyard Shift through Graveyard Dog: These stories work best after the main finale because they rely on the changed status of the Charley world.
4. Read Sunshine Vicram next if you want mystery without the grim-reaper mythology: This trilogy is shorter, grounded in a sheriff’s town, and easier to finish quickly.
5. Read Betwixt & Between if you want midlife witchcraft and paranormal women’s fiction: This series is separate enough to start fresh, but order still matters.
6. Read Darklight when you want a completed young adult fantasy trilogy: It is cleanly separated from the adult series.
7. Read The NeverNeath and anthology stories last: These are side shelves rather than the main reading route.

Strict Order vs. Flexible Order

• Strict order: Charley Davidson, Sunshine Vicram, Darklight, and Betwixt & Between should all be read in their internal order.
• Flexible order: You can choose among those series in any order because they are not one single required timeline.
• Optional order: The NeverNeath stories, anthology pieces, and most short fiction can be saved for completist reading.

Latest Darynda Jones Release Status

At the time of writing such as April 28, 2026, the newest Charley Davidson novella verified in current listings is Graveyard Dog.

The next Betwixt & Between book is Midnight & Magic, announced as book 5. A cover reveal has been posted, but the official post checked for this guide did not include a firm release date.

The official site also references a Beep & Osh project connected to the Charley world. Because stable retail title-and-date details were not clear enough in the sources checked, it is best treated as announced or developing rather than placed in the main reading order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Darynda Jones book should I read first?

Start with First Grave on the Right. It introduces Charley Davidson, the grim-reaper premise, Reyes Farrow, and the tone that made Darynda Jones’ main series popular.

Do the Charley Davidson books need to be read in order?

Yes. The Charley Davidson novels should be read in order because the mythology, romance, family reveals, and supernatural stakes build heavily from book to book.

Where does For I Have Sinned fit?

Read For I Have Sinned after First Grave on the Right. It is optional, but it fits best once Charley’s grim-reaper role is already established.

Where does Brighter Than the Sun fit?

Read Brighter Than the Sun after Eighth Grave After Dark. It is Reyes-focused and works better once the reader already understands the relationship and mythology.

Are the post-finale Charley novellas required?

They are not required to understand the main thirteen-book arc, but they are important for readers who want the later Charley-world side stories.

Is Sunshine Vicram connected to Charley Davidson?

Treat Sunshine Vicram as a separate mystery series. It can be read without reading Charley Davidson first.

Is Betwixt & Between connected to Charley Davidson?

Treat Betwixt & Between as a separate paranormal women’s fiction series. Read it in its own order, beginning with Betwixt.

Is Darklight for adults or young adults?

Darklight is a young adult fantasy trilogy. It is separate from the adult Charley Davidson and Sunshine Vicram books.

What is Darynda Jones’ latest book?

The latest confirmed Charley Davidson novella in current listings is Graveyard Dog. The next announced Betwixt & Between book is Midnight & Magic, but a firm release date was not confirmed in the official announcement checked.

Final Reading Advice

Start with First Grave on the Right if you want the main Darynda Jones experience. Stay with Charley Davidson through Summoned to Thirteenth Grave, then read the post-finale novellas.

Choose A Bad Day for Sunshine for a shorter mystery trilogy, Betwixt for paranormal women’s fiction, or Death and the Girl Next Door for young adult fantasy. The series do not need to be merged into one timeline, but each one reads best in order.