by Terrance Mc Arthur
Details on how to win a copy of Only the Good Die Young at the end of this review.
Jensen Murphy was murdered thirty years ago, but she hasn’t seen much of the world. She’s been stuck in a time loop, reliving her last moments of terror, until a psychic named Amanda pulls her free. Jensen is grateful, but Amanda has her own agenda; she wants the girl to haunt a murderer in Only the Good Die Young, by Chris Marie Green.
The leading lady is a ghost, but that doesn’t mean it’s a horror story. It’s more of “The Education of Casper the Friendly Detective Ghost.” Jensen has to learn about the changes in the world, like cell phones and the Internet. She has to learn to use her ghostly powers, from riding power lines to diving into dreams. She gets help from other ghosts and learns how to pull the music of her life out of the air. She meets beings and forces that challenge, tempt and scare her with powers she can’t seem to match.
Known for the Vampire Babylon series and for work under the names Christine Cody and Crystal Green, Chris Marie Green has built a strong existence for her phantom detective. Jensen’s powers are usually reasonable and sometimes quite clever. Some folklore about ghosts and keeping them away are touched upon, and Jensen discovers that some of the living are more sensitive to her presence than others. It takes some practice for her to learn how far into a mind is safe and how far is too far. This isn’t scary, but it will grab your attention.
Will Jensen get her quarry to confess, or will she fall for him when she enters his memories? Will the person who appears in her long-ago-boyfriend’s image get her to go into the light…or somewhere else? Are the psychic’s motives in Jensen’s best interests? Will her ghostly friends find release, or will they just hang around so they can party all night long for eternity?
This is the first book in a new series with great promise (Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire), so some questions will take time to be answered, but won’t it be fun getting the answers!
To enter to win a copy of Only the Good Die Young, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Young,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 29, 2014. U.S. residents only.
Check out more fantasy book reviews in our fantasy and fangs section.
I’m not much into the supernatural but the cover caught my attention and I’d love to give it a read.
We have a winner
Lorie Ham, KRL Publisher