Only The Good Die Young

Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire #1

by Chris Marie Green

You know the theory that ghosts are energy trapped when someone dies violently? It’s true. I know it for a fact...

My name is Jensen Murphy, and thirty years ago I was just an ordinary California girl. I had friends, family, a guy who might be The One. Ordinary—until I became a statistic, one of the unsolved murders of the year. Afterwards, I didn’t go anywhere in pursuit of any bright light—I stayed under the oak tree where my body was found, and relived my death, over an over. So when a psychic named Amanda Lee Minter pulled me out of that loop into the real world, I was very grateful.

So I’m now a ghost-at-large—rescued by Amanda (I found out) to be a supernatural snoop. I’m helping her uncover a killer (not mine—she promises me we’ll get to that) which should be easy for a spirit. Except that I’ve found out that even ghosts have enemies, human—and otherwise…

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Ghosts, Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Supernatural

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 4, 2014

About the author

Chris Marie Green, former school teacher turned full-time writer, gets out of the office by taking long trips to places such as Japan, Italy, and New Orleans. When she’s not causing international incidents, she enjoys yoga, movie-going and dabbling in firsthand research such as fencing, Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She also writes under the name Crystal Green and Christine Cody

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirty years ago, Jensen Murphy was murdered...her killer never found. Since then she has been stuck in a loop, reliving the last violent minutes of her short life. When Psychic Amanda Lee Minter pulls Jensen out of the loop, Jensen is grateful. Amanda asks her to help her solve a mystery. Her friend Elizabeth Dalton was killed two years ago. Amanda believes Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend, Gavin Edgett, killed her. She asks Jensen to scare him into a confession.

This is the first book in the Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire trilogy. I thought the premise of the story was interesting. I liked that Jensen didn't know she has powers or how to handle them until she spoke to other ghosts who taught her some of the things she can now do. Of course, there is a learning curve for these things.

The story started out well, but then it slowed to a crawl until the halfway point. There is a mysterious character that Jensen calls "FakeDean" because he looks exactly like her old boyfriend. I'm looking forward to finding out more about this character. I’m not sure if he is a good guy or a villain. My rating: 4 Stars.

[Mogsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

Vampires, werewolves, and even faeries and ghouls populate the urban fantasy genre in abundance, but it's not often that I stumble across a series centered around ghosts. Even rarer still to find a one that's told from the perspective of a ghost, which is why I was initially drawn to this book.

Only the Good Die Young is the first of a brand new series by Chris Marie Green featuring protagonist Jensen Murphy, a twenty-three year old woman who was murdered in Elfin Woods sometime in the 1980s. Her death was so traumatic that not only did she lose all her memories of that night, her spirit was also trapped in a time loop and became an imprint until a psychic medium named Amanda Lee came along and snapped her out of it. Ever since then, Amanda Lee has been helping Jensen get up to speed on all that has happened in the last thirty years (unsurprisingly, our protagonist's mind is totally blown by this whole internet thing).

The psychic has been keeping secrets, however. It turns out that one of the reasons she rescued Jensen was so that she could have access to a ghostly assistant, in the hopes that her spirit abilities could help identify the killer of one of Amanda Lee's dearest friends who was murdered a few years ago. The main suspect was the victim's ex-boyfriend. Convinced that he did it, Amanda Lee now wants Jensen to haunt the guy and scare the bejeezus out of him so badly that he will eventually break down and confess his crime.

Putting it that way, the plot sounds rather goofy, I know. I'm actually still coming down from the surprise of how light this book ended up being, since I was admittedly expecting something a lot darker given the brutal circumstances around Jensen's death (someone in a creepy mask, wielding an axe, alone in the woods, etc.) Not that this book is all sunshine and rainbows either, but it definitely contains a lot less horror and bleakness, and instead a lot more humor and energy than I'd anticipated. For a ghost book, that is.

I have to say this one took its time to grow on me. I was so unimpressed by the main characters at the beginning, turned off by Jensen's yielding nature and especially by Amanda Lee's judgmental and cynical ways. Because someone designed a violent video game, he must be guilty of murder? People only adopt children from third world countries because doing it is a symbol of status? Oh my, get as far away as you can from this woman, Jensen, just get away as soon as you can. The fact that she just kept hanging around this Amanda Lee person made it difficult for me to continue reading.

But then, something happened. As Jensen also noted about herself, she grew a backbone. She stuck up for herself, found some new friends to hang out with. And how fun these new friends are! I loved the "ghost budders" Randy, Twyla, Scott and Louis, who teach Jensen what it is to be a ghost and what she can do. Ghosts in this series have some pretty cool powers, actually. They can induce hallucinations, imitate sounds and throw their voices around. They can enter dreams and sift through your memories. These abilities take a lot out of a ghost though, because they are made up of pure energy. To recharge, they have to draw from a source of electricity in order to juice up again. Some really neat ideas in here, and the imagery of Jensen and her fellow ghosts sitting on a power line is pretty funny!

Amanda Lee also didn't turn out to be so bad after all. Of all the characters, she was probably the most invested in the outcome of the mystery, even more so than Jensen. As her character became more and more defined, it grew easier to see where she's coming from even if I didn't agree with her methods. At the end of this, the identity of her friend's murderer comes to light, and the answer may shock you! I certainly didn't see it coming.

So yes, I liked this book a lot more once it got going; certainly my feelings about it were more positive by the end, and I'm glad the plot ultimately sorted itself out. Still, there's a bigger murder mystery to be solved here, that of Jensen's, of course. Somehow, I have a feeling her story is going to be a part of a much bigger arc. Now that I'm fully on board, I'm looking forward to finding out.

[Alice Liu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book, but ended up only with a bunch of issues. First, the book lacks dramatic tension. It begins with Amanda Lee finding Jensen (ghost) and setting her out to solve a murder. Jensen just seems to go along without much questioning, like she's a servant. She doesn't seem to have much curiosity about her own murder, and her motivations to solve a stranger's murder don't feel authentic. Second, the plotting is mechanical and most of the reveal about the mystery is done through Jensen entering people and reading their emotions and past rather than through outer interaction or ingenuity. Third, Jensen feels free to destroy people's lives in trying to solve the murder. She enjoys feeling people's fear and enters their minds in what almost seems like a psychic rape. The only time a heroine can get away with behavior like that is when she is so fully developed that the reader sees the action as just a small aspect of her...temporary deviation However, the superficial character development in this book doesn't support that range of behavior. Instead, it just makes Jensen seem ignorant and self serving.

[Karekon · Rating 1 out of 5]

At a specific point I just lost all interest.

"His name was Gavin Edgett, and the Internet said that he had made a mint creating video games, and I’m not talking Ms. Pac-Man or Donkey Kong, either. From my marathon TV and computer binges, I noticed that a lot of modern game play basically trained a person to mutilate and butcher. And guess what. Our suspect in Elizabeth Dalton’s murder had gifted society with Blood and Blades about four years ago. Coincidence?"

"“Have you played any of his games?” “As much as I could stomach. And what I saw of them told me enough.” “That he’s violent.” “I would say that his dark side is certainly on full display.”"

Yep. All people who like violent games are murderers in the making 8D. SNORT.

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is another book where the blurb interested me, I found the author's note of how this book came to be fun to read too. However what didn't work for me was the book itself.

I really didn't care for Jensen, she seemed like an air head. Granted she was stalled by being dead 30 years and coming into today's world is very different, but some thing still seemed off to me. It seemed like Jensen was being used by Amanda, the woman who "saved" her. What was just a little too much for me was when Jensen was attracted to the man she was investigating. So many problems with that, the least of which was her being a ghost. In the end this one wasn't for me.

[Melliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon avis en Français

My English review

It’s been awhile since I had not read a novel featuring ghosts and even less a novel where the main character is specifically a ghost! I saw the book several times on blogs before its release and when I saw the reviews later I knew I had to read it. The thing that interested me most in the reviews I crossed was the fact that the author finally really focuses on the murder investigations, and with that a very good mystery. But that’s not all because we also have a very interesting world, with characters we love to discover.

Murphy Jensen was killed in the 80′s and is left without her knowing it, in a loop that makes her relive her murder since. But everything changes when Amanda Lee saves her from this cycle so that she can help her to accomplish a mission. While Jen would like discover the reason behind her murder and the culprit (something she does not remember about), she also understands the need for justice. And while she discovers during this investigation what it exactly means be a ghost and the actions she can perform to interact with humans, she also understands that there are some entities who don’t want her any good.

Elizabeth is a young woman whose murder is still misunderstood but Amanda Lee Gavin believes that the ex-fiance of the young woman is the murderer. To confront him, Jen agrees to haunt him and test her ghos’s powers on him to understand what really happened to the young woman. Yet it may well be that our heroine involves herself much more in this story than she should, even threatening her life several times. But in addition to this, the young woman will face an entity that no one seems to know and who appears very interested in her, always looking like her ex-boyfriend and trying to convince her to join him. Fortunately for her, Amanda will be there for her as well as her new ghost friends who will teach her the ropes and give her some crucial tips for the future. But they will also be present for her when she needs it the most!

I loved Jensen, she is a very interesting character to explore. Even if it is true that she is sometimes very naive about certain facts, it was fascinating to see and discover this new world with her and to understand the subtleties. We would all want to understand what happened the night of her murder, and at the same time we know that it will not be easy to know everything. But seeking for justice, she will do anything to complete her mission and to understand who murdered Elizabeth instead. The plot is really well set up and I admit that the end was quite surprising because I did not expect at all about this culprit. We had many revelations at the end of the story that I did not see coming and even though we have very little information about Jen herself, I am very curious to read more. Regarding Amanda, it’s true that it was a little more difficult to statute about her… We understand very well the reason behind her actions and at the same time it is difficult to trust her and even at the end of book, It’s hard to know what to think, especially after everything she has done in the back of our heroine. But there are also the false Dean, this mysterious entity who seems fascinated by the young woman and it’s true that many questions arises about him without having even the beginning of an answer…

You will therefore understand, I had a great time with this novel. I have a lot of questions now and I hope some of them will be resolved in the next book. I also wonder if we will have the opportunity to see the characters that we discovered during the investigation as Gavin and Wendy again, but one thing is for sure, we’ll see Amanda and all the ghosts who helped the young woman in her investigation. A good surprise for me.

[Monet The Book Sniffing Unicorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I'm really not sure where to start with this book.

I was really excited to receive Only The Good Die Young, and jumped right into reading it the day I got it in the mail. I finished it almost two months later. This is rare for me.

The beginning of the book was rough. The main two characters were not relate-able, or likable. And while I liked the idea of the story, it didn't make sense the more it began to play out. One of the main issues I had with the story, is one I'd see most "gamers" having issues with, the terminology used to describe the gaming industry and environment. Maybe some more research could have helped there. Another place I found myself stopping to reassess was some of the terminology and attempts to make the story relate-able. Some of the references didn't fit, or were just out of date for a YA to relate to now. And that brings me to my final issue with the story. Is it YA or is it Adult Fiction? The language, by one character alone, would go from cursing like an adult would, to silly made up phrases a child would use out of anger. The jump from child to adult to juvenile was beyond distracting from the story through most of the first half of the book.

Then I got to about page 260 and the book made a drastic change. I was able to finish in one sitting. The pace picked up. The action took off. And the writing was almost like a different author. The book was not only entertaining and gripping, but very enjoyable. The characters became more like-able, the story began to flow much better, and it made me finally want more.

I think there is something in this series that could be wonderful. The first book wasn't quite there. But I look forward to the next installment.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great first offering from Chris Marie Green. The characters are interesting and multi-faceted and the situation is believable. It's fast paced when there needs to be action and well paced when explanations are called for. Jensen is a likeable character and easy to relate to and mourn. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one. I hope this author continues with this series for many books to come. I highly recommend this first in a new series.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Genre* Paranormal, Ghosts, Mystery
*Rating* 3.5-4

*My Thoughts*

Chris Marie Green, author of the Vampire Babylon series, opens a new series with Only The Good Die Young featuring Jensen Murphy as the lead protagonist. Jensen was killed 30 years ago, and until psychic Amanda Lee Minter came along and released her, she was stuck in a never ending time loop where she continued to experience her own horrific death over and over again. She has absolutely no clue as to who killed her, but has some idea that it wasn't a pretty death. Jensen now has to learn a whole new way of living, which includes befriending some lively ghosts like Randy, Twyla, John, and Scott who enlightens her into what it means to actually being a ghost, and how to recharge when they're drained.

Amanda Lee intentionally sought out Jensen in order to get her assistance in solving a 3 year old murder of her best friend Elizabeth Dalton. Dalton was romantically linked to billionaire Gavin Edgett at the time of her death and Amanda Lee absolutely believes that he is a murderer that needs to pay. Amanda Lee has also promised Jensen that she will do everything in her powers to search, and find a way to get to the bottom of Jensen's own murder if she's successful in her discovery of who killed Elizabeth.

I will say that I liked Jensen's characterization by Green. I liked that she was from the 80's and therefore needs to update herself on the current trends, and devices that humans take for granted these days. I liked that Jensen understands that in order to get to the bottom of her own death, she has to rely on herself as much as she does Amanda, Randy, John, and Scott who are apparently part of a new ghost squad to help Jensen when she gets into a jam. Jensen also knows that being a ghost comes with some perils as well since you never know when you might find yourself in another time loop permanently.

Only The Good Die Young is a paranormal story with a solid mystery of who really killed Elizabeth and why. I will say that there are more than a few questions that need to be answered since this is the first book in the series but that just means that I will be back for the sequel. Some questions are; Who is the mysterious Fake Dean, and why does he want Jensen so badly? Who is the dark spirit who came after both Amanda and Jensen and said YOU WILL PAY? How did Jensen end up with a BLACK WALL that blocks her memories of her own horrific death, and will we discover if it was planted there on purpose, or an after effect of being brutally murdered?

Thank YOU Chris Marie Green for sharing a copy of Only The Good Die Young with me. I absolutely appreciate your patience and your openness in providing me this copy when so many of us are like eager beavers searching the world for books to beg, borrow, and badger authors for!

*Recvd from Author* Expected publication: February 4th 2014 by Roc

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love, love, love ghost books. Love! So when I was offered this one I was all over it! I have been meaning to read a Chris Marie Green book for ages and have at least two of them (no, three, because I have one from her pseudonym). First off, she's a brilliant writer so I know that I have to dive into her other series asap. Next up, I loved that the ghost aspect in this book is so strong. The main character is a ghost and we learn a lot about ghosts in the book. Of course that's just for this particular book series, but I thought it was done quite realistically. I felt like the way the ghosts were explained made sense, that it could be real. While I believe in ghosts 100%, I don't know how they always 'work'. How they retain energy, how some stay in time loops and others aren't in loops, etc. In the book this is discussed and made sense to me, like it could be real.

Jensen was a great character and I liked her immediately. She died 30 years before but was trapped in a time loop reliving her death over and over. She was pulled out by medium Amanda Lee and asked to help solve a murder. Jensen has to learn a lot about being a ghost, she doesn't know what she can do and what to watch out for. She doesn't want to be used by Amanda Lee but it takes her a little time to realize how to deal with Amanda Lee and do what she feels is right. She meets other ghosts and learns more about being a ghost. I love these bits of interaction between ghosts because all of them are from different eras and they each have distinct personalities. I hope we see more of them in the future.

This is a mystery. Jensen is trying to figure out who murdered a girl a few years previously by doing some haunting. While Amanda Lee thinks she knows exactly who is guilty, Jensen isn't so sure and she's determined to find the truth. Luckily Jensen is not an evil ghost and while pushing the haunting a bit in some cases, she's really not trying to be a mean ghost, she's just trying to get some answers! I didn't figure out who was guilty, and never would have guessed how things would play out. I was very surprised with the conclusion to the mystery, it was crazy and intense and very well done!

While there were a few different plot threads through the book, this one mystery was the main one and it was fully solved. Some other things were pieced together as well and there are still some things for Jensen to figure out, regarding her own killer. I know that I will be around to find out because I'm dying to know! Even though we still need to find that out, this book did not have a cliffhanger and I was very glad for that.

Fast paced, impossible to put down, and incredibly well plotted and pieced together, I very highly recommend this one! I think I'd even give it 4.5 stars, it was that good!

You'll find this review on my blog closer to the release date at http://www.candacesbookblog.com

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.

Only the Good Die Young is the first book in the paranormal series entitled Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire by Chris Marie Green. This was a great start to a series that will have a ghost named Jensen Murphy as its lead character because it provided a bit of back story on Jensen but left out the most important tidbit: who murdered her. She's a strong heroine--curious but not naive, brave but not foolishly so--and her journey is one that readers will enjoy going on from one book to the next. Jensen is one sassy spirit.

I liked that Amanda Lee is more than what she seems and that makes me curious as to whether she has other secrets she's keeping from Jensen. Of course, it's highly possible that her only secrets where the ones revealed in this first book, but the fact that Jensen's trust in her is tenuous at best, makes their relationship rather shaky. The other ghosts were interesting as well but not as much as the mysterious pseudo ex-boyfriend in otherworldly form constantly showing up, making him a bit of of a spirit stalker.

The other character that truly captured my attention and piqued my curiosity was Gavin Edgett. For most of the book, you can't help but wonder if he's a good guy or a bad guy, and why he seems to be able to not just feel Jensen but to experience her presence on a different level. There's a connection between the two of them that makes me hope that he'll be around for the other books because I do love the idea of a ghost and human developing feelings for each other, especially since their beginning was somewhat adversarial.

This was a truly enjoyable and fun-filled read, one that sets the pace for a series that I sincerely hope has already garnered a firm and loyal group of fans, a group you can now count me in. I can't wait to read what else is in store for our ghost for hire and how she'll navigate through Boo World and the more modern and advanced world that she still lingers in. And, like I mentioned earlier, I've got my fingers crossed for more of Gavin and Jensen together. Only the Good Die Young is a worthy paranormal read and gets 4.5 stars. ♥

[Dahrose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Damn, I'm about to come across as the biggest bitch in the world. How did this book get published? The idea of a ghost haunting the living to exact justice? That's not a bad idea - but the execution was woeful. From the story line to the characters.
There is barely a character here to like. Jensen - bland, with no real personality or plan. Says one thing, does another. The mysterious Amanda Lee, constantly lying her ass off, using Jensen, okay, maybe I understand her motivation, but the way she goes about exacting her revenge is beyond weird. There has to be a simpler, smarter way of proving who the killer is.
Which brings us to the silly story line - Why, oh why would Jensen not want to focus on her own murder? hang out with the detectives on the case at least and read their thoughts? We have weird, out of left things happening - the Keeper. Who we don't know what his real agenda is. And every reaction Jensen has is wrong, wrong, wrong. She's attracted to all the bad guys, talks about that, doesn't stop doing it. Every decision she makes is also weird.
everything about this book was weird and off.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Only the Good Die Young" starts well but the longer it went on the more I lost interest - it was a struggle to finish it.
Jensen Murphy was murdered 30 years ago and has spent the intervening time trapped in a loop of her final minutes.
Psychic Amanda Lee Winter brings her back to 'life' and offers help her find out who killed her. But first she wants help in proving that Gavin Edgett was the killer of her lover, Elizabeth Dalton. Gavin was Elizabeth's final boyfriend.
The most interesting part of the book involves Jensen learning how to master her supernatural abilities. She is helped by a motley crew of ghosts.
I am 90% sure that I did not read this book before but the story of the drunken sailor ghost, Randy, eternally searching for his girlfriend's last letter to him, rang all kinds of bells. I've definitely come across this story before.
If it had been cut by a third it might have tightened the plot and given the book a sharper focus.
2 Stars.

[🐥Erica 🐥 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if this book started off slow, or if I just had too much going on when I started it, but after the first 2/3 chapters it became quite interesting. The writer used a bit more artistic license with the concept of ghostly abilities than I normally see in fiction, but since I don't read the paranormal genre for reality, it's not a problem. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in ghostly paranormal fiction.

[Edward Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although, I wouldn't say this book is purely horror genre there are enough elements in it to make it interesting. I enjoyed how the world of ghost (Boo World) was explained and the abilities and limitations of Jensen. I'm in the 2nd book of the series now and am enjoying it thus far.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I thought it was a little more than okay but still had some issues with it.

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe if I was into mysteries I'd like this series. I just couldn't get into the story or any of the characters. Returned to library, DNF.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the concept of this book and the mystery of the tale. Excellent

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

***1/2

[Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.

Only the Good Die Young is the first installment in a brand new Urban Fantasy series by Chris Marie Green. I have a couple of Mrs. Green’s novels on my shelf (having won them from her release party) but haven’t gotten around to them yet. But when Mrs. Green offered bloggers a chance to review her new Jensen Murphy series; I immediately jumped at the opportunity because Only the Good Die Young is one of my most anticipated reads of 2014.

Only the Good Die Young is narrated in first person POV by our heroine Jensen Murphy. Jensen Murphy was murdered in the Elfin Woods thirty years ago and was trapped in a time loop reliving her death over and over again until physic Amanda Lee pulled her out of it. After getting out of the time loop, Jensen learns the rope of what it’s like being a ghost and about the world since she last left it; how advanced technology has gotten over the thirty years, people with their cell phones, iPod/mp3, and portable laptops. But the main reason that Amanda Lee rescued Jensen from the time loop is because she needs Jensen’s help in solving a murder case from 3 years earlier; a murder case near and dear to her heart.

I don’t know what I expected when starting this book, but I definitely was surprised at how tamed and light the story was. I guess since the book featured a ghost protagonist, I thought there would be that scary-creep factor but Jensen was more Casper the friendly ghost than the lady from The Grudge. But it doesn't mean that I didn't like Jensen, I do. You’d think that someone that died violently (I’m guessing since there was a hint that an ax was used) and was murdered like Jensen was that she’d be a vengeful spirit but that wasn't the case. When Jensen learned that she was tasked to find who killed Elizabeth Dalton (who died young and horribly as she did) she was really gung-ho about seeking justice for Elizabeth and her friends/family that she left behind on earth. Though I must say I was shocked that Jensen put a stranger’s murder case before hers, and that she didn't ask too many questions regarding her savior Amanda Lee. But the good news is that Amanda promised Jensen that after they find Elizabeth’s killer, they’d work on finding her killer next.

My favorite aspects of the novel were the information on ghosts and the mystery. I do believe in ghosts, especially when everyone in my family experienced or saw something that can’t be explained…but I don’t know much about the make-up of ghosts. I found Green’s explanations on ghost extremely interesting, whether she researched it or made it up. For example some of the things Jensen/and the other ghosts were able to do in the book was not the usual haunting that one might think, although there was the occasional energy fluxes that causes the electronics to go haywire. However, Jensen was able to cause hallucinations when she touched a person or if she delved deeper she would be able to see/feel a person memory or enter their dream state and be more corporal. Also ghosts are somewhat made up of energy, so when Jensen exerted herself too much in a haunting or would travel too far from her death place she’d need to recharge herself by extracting energy from electronics/cable-power lines.

As for the mystery itself, I thought it was well done. It kept me on my toes the entire way through. I was shocked when the killer was revealed and the turn of events towards the end was the biggest surprise. I didn't see it coming at all. The book started out slow with nothing much happening in my opinion…Jensen used some of her new ghost abilities hoping to scare information out of the Edgett family but by the 300 page mark the book morphed into what I was waiting for…a more intense and dark read.

Overall, Only the Good Die Young is a good start to a new series. The first half of the book is more like 3 stars and the last half 5 stars. I would have probably given this book a higher rating if the beginning of the book had match the feel of the last half of the book. While the book got off to a bumpy start, I am happy with how the overall story played out and am interested in seeing where this series goes that I’ll be back for a sequel. If you’re a fan of ghost and Urban Fantasy like I am, I’d recommend picking this series up and giving it a try. It didn't blow me away by any means but I’d say this book is worth reading.

[Jessica (a GREAT read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a ton of paranormal reads out there with all the classic "monster" heroes, but there's rarely a ghost who's the hero-ine, let alone the main character. At last author Chris Marie Green has given us this particular kind of read with Only the Good Die Young, wherein Jensen Murphy, a ghost who was murdered 30 years ago is learning a little Haunting 101 alongside Crime Solving!

Now I know there's probably "ghost" books out there with the ghost being the main character. I know of some YA ones, but no adult ones, hence my phrasing above. I am not meaning to dismiss anyone, this is just what I know based on what I read! Feel free to leave recommendations in the comments about other "ghost" books!

Anyway, Jensen was murdered in 1984 when she was just 23 years old. Thirty years have gone by and now she's a free ghost, since she was caught in a time loop and constantly reliving her murder, but still never knowing who her murderer was. Amanda Lee, a psychic has brought Jensen out of her time loop to have her (Jensen) help her solve the murder of one of her friends. It happened three years ago, but Amanda Lee believes that the murderer is still walking free. She knows who he is and wants Jensen to haunt him and scare a confession out of him.

Along the way, as I mentioned, Jensen learns what it means to be a ghost and what she can do. She definitely has quite a set of abilities about her. Ones that she uses to her advantage in scaring a suspected murderer. She meets some other ghosts who she learns from. It's great to see her interacting with her own "kind", it's always nice to know that you're not alone.

But Chris doesn't stop there! There's also a mysterious ghost...who's not quite a ghost. He's something more! Jensen and him have a few interactions, and he's even a mystery to her! All we know is that he appears to her in the form of her boyfriend from years past. So he's a powerful something or other, uber powerful really. But that's about all we get. I can't wait to learn more about this mysterious entity as time moves on!

This book works really good for a mystery! There's so much unknown in this story. I mean, who is Amanda Lee really, even? Who is Gavin? Besides Amanda Lee's #1 and only suspect for her friend's death? So many unknowns...but it works for a mystery! I like that it's all a learning experience for Jensen and she learns rather well. It's more like unknown instincts that she happens upon as situations call for it.

There's not much romance in this one. There are some possible romantic-like moments between Jensen and the mysterious specter I mentioned, but it's unclear who that guy is or what he is really. And if you're unsure of that, how can you be sure of their character? Is he a good guy? Or is he not? But he did seem to like Jensen at times, so who knows where that will go, but I am eager to find out.

I have to admit, I didn't see this murderer coming. And while I do love guessing and being right, I still enjoy it when I can't guess and the murderer just gets revealed! It's still a shocking surprise! And while this is a first in the series, I can see some of the remaining characters appearing in the future books. I don't know if we're totally done with our "live" ones yet, but with the final page in the book I could see them reappearing in the next one. Which thankfully comes out later this year as Chris mentioned!

If you're dying for a GREAT ghost read, look no further than Chris Marie Green's Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire series!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

[Kristin Taggart]

I don't use star ratings, so please read my review!

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)

“My name is Jensen Murphy, and thirty years ago, I was just an ordinary California girl. I had friends, family, a guy who might have been the One. Ordinary—until I became a statistic, one of the unsolved murders of the year. Afterward, I didn’t go anywhere in pursuit of any bright light—I stayed under the oak tree where my body was found, and relived my death over and over. So when a psychic named Amanda Lee Minter pulled me out of that loop into the real world, I was very grateful.

Now I’m a ghost-at-large—rescued by Amanda (I found out) to be a supernatural snoop. I’m helping her uncover a killer (not mine—she promises me we’ll get to that), which should be easy for a spirit. Except that I’ve found out that even ghosts have enemies, human—and otherwise.”

This book takes a bit of patience at first, because as the first book in a new series, there’s a lot that needs to get set up. Along with the mystery that Jensen is investigating, a good chunk of the page space goes to setting up some of the rules of the world of ghosts. The patience is needed not because any of that is boring, but because there’s a lot of time devoted to it. It’s understandable, and I don’t fault the author for it, but readers may come into this book expecting a straight mystery and there’s more to the novel than this. Much of the worldbuilding concerning the ghosts occurs in the first half of the book, and it might have helped the pace to spread it out a bit more.

On the plus side, Green has created some very well-developed characters, especially the family of Gavin, the man Jensen is investigating. The four siblings each have depth and their characters get revealed slowly over the course of the book. Jensen’s ability to observe them without being noticed helps in fleshing them out as the readers gets to see them in unguarded moments. The author does a good job of keeping the suspicion on the original suspect while throwing doubt on his involvement. Jensen’s relationship with Amanda Lee also has some complicated aspects. There are issues of trust that come up as Jensen gets to the heart of why Amanda Lee is so gung-ho to prove that Gavin is guilty.

Not only is there a “bad guy” in terms of the murderer Jensen is trying to find, but there’s also an enigmatic spirit character who takes the form of Jensen’s former boyfriend. It’s not clear if his motives are good or not, but he does try to tempt Jensen into giving up on her new “life” as a roaming ghost. By adding him to the story, the author demonstrates that her afterlife is more than just a haunt-or-move-on proposition. It’s obvious that this will play a greater part in subsequent books.

Only the Good Die Young is a pretty solid start to a new series. While a little exposition-heavy in the first half, the story finds its rhythm in the second half and delivers a lively (or is that deadly) tale of mystery and betrayal. The next book is due out in November, and I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.

This review originally appeared on Owlcat Mountain on February 17, 2014.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting urban fantasy type book a bit different as the main character is a ghost which I've not seen before, ghost sidekicks sure but not the main character.

Jensen Murphy is a ghost killed in her 20's in the 1980's in such a way that she was trapped in a loop for 30 years reliving her death. Along comes Amanda Lee a psychic who manages to break Jensen out of her loop. But the murder was so traumatic that Jensen has blocked out who the murderer was.

Amanda Lee offers to help Jensen find out who killed her but wants some help getting justice for a friend of a friend of hers who was murdered in a similarly nasty way to Jensen and the perp never found. Amanda is sure that the ex boyfriend did it and want's Jensen to use her ghostly mojo to scare him into confessing. Jensen is on board for the justice aspect of this but isn't so sure that the guy did it. So she sets out to use her ghostly powers to find the truth and punish the guilty.

The ghostly aspect of this book is interesting Jensen slowly learns some of the things she can do she can't pass through solid objects but can slip through cracks or through holes. She learns to tap into living peoples memories, thoughts, and dreams and this is the key tool in her investigation. She can also influence electronic things so can surf the web or travel as pure energy from place to place. Hallucinations and phantom sounds and a small amount of telekinesis are also in her bag of tricks.

She is tied to her death spot and the further she travels the less energy she has but this isn't much of an imposition as she can recharge from any electrical source.

The book takes some time to find it's feet and even then seems to meander a lot. There's not really any pressure the murder happened ages ago the police have closed the book on it there is no rush to find out who did it. Jensen is unsure how to go about finding the truth and often just trys things with no plan.

On the way Jensen meets various other ghosts who end up helping her or giving advice some of the best bits are her interacting with her ghost buddies. The relationship with Amanda lee and the way the psychic has blinders when it comes to the possibility that the ex boyfriend is not guilty is handled well.

Watching the dysfunctional family of the ex boyfriend and their antics pointed me to who the killer was quite early the family were less well fleshed out with Wendy and Gavin getting most of the screen time the others fading into the background for most of the book and then coming back only towards the end.

Overall I enjoyed the book even if it felt a little slow in places the novelty of a ghosts investigator was enough to keep me interested. The extra unresolved story arcs of Jensen's murder and what is going on with the odd spirit or creature that takes the form of a 1980's version of Jensens ex boyfriend (who is still alive and in his 50's in the modern day) will probably make me try a sequel to see how they turn out.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only the Good Die Young is the first in a new series, Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire. The series and idea sound pretty interesting. The cover and title for the first book…not so interesting. When I started Only the Good Die Young I almost gave up and called it a DNF a few times. I had a hard time connecting with Jensen, the ghost of a murdered girl from the 1980′s. I don’t care for the wide-eyed “What is the internet,” “What is a smart phone” type deal. Seeing today’s technology and fashions through the eyes of someone from 1980 is pretty boring. I was born in the 80′s, so most of the references to the 80′s were understood but not re-lived for me. I have a vague idea of what she is talking about most of the time. But I was definitely more interested in the ghost stuff.

When Jensen Murphy is brought out of her time loop to become an interactive ghost by Amanda Lee in the hopes of making a murderer confess and bring closure, she starts getting her ghostly legs and learning a little about how her new reality functions. There are good ghosts, bad ghosts, demons, reapers and an unknown and powerful entity called a keeper. When Jensen starts meeting other ghosts and learning about how to function as a spirit the story moved from a 1 to 3.5 star story. It was good. Not fantastic, but hopefully the next novel, maybe where Jensen starts investigating her own murder will pick up the pace and excitement. I also like that this series is a mystery series first and foremost. I like the idea of ghost avengers trying to solve crimes with their special talents. The writing was solid, and the dialogue very good. The pace was too slow, and the time warp element too short to be interesting for me. Dying in the 80′s and waking up in 2014? Not to confusing, really.

Jensen was a normal girl in life, and after her murder she was stuck in a time loop for roughly 30 years. When she realized that she had a second go-round she decided to not become a washout again. I appreciate that thinking, and I hope that her gumption sticks! Here is my favorite line summarizing her new point of view:

As a person, I hadn’t done much of anything in life. Who knew that dying would bring such opportunity? -p.58
I will read the next book in this series, and hopefully it will push up into in the 4 or 5 star realm. It just needs to hit it’s stride. If you start Only the Good Die Young make sure you finish it, as the pace and interest grow with each chapter!

[Vilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review from Backchatting Books

Jensen Murphy was murdered thirty years ago and relived her death over and over until Amanda Lee shocked her out of the loop. Amanda begs Jensen to get justice for a woman named Elizabeth Dalton and scare the ex-boyfriend and suspected killer (Gavin Edgett) into confessing his crimes.

Jensen is a fairly curious creature as she blithely accepts just about everything Amanda tells her without considering the consequences in too much depth. Given her age, I expected her to be a little less naive. Her moral compass is clearly not working properly as she enjoys invading the ex's mind under the guise of 'investigating' the situation. This serves as a fairly clunky plot device because much of what she discovers, she misinterprets. I would have liked her to do some actual investigating besides using this technique or Google and making simplistic assumptions such as a hack and slash video game designer being violent in real life. Jensen acquires ghost skills insanely quickly and a little more of a learning curve would have made her feel a little more realistic. Her voice was very contemporary sounding apart from a few pop culture references which was a shame as I really wanted a creature of the 80s.

Green has introduced a number of characters that I hope she develops in the next novel. Amanda's skills and her vigilantism need fleshing out as does the weird 'collector' who takes the shape of Jensen's former boyfriend. While we get a clearer idea of Amanda's motives, the collector remains fairly ambiguous. We don't know exactly what he is, where he is or what his interest in Jensen is.

The first part of the book moved quite slowly as Jensen discovered her powers and a bit about the Edgett family. This could have been trimmed back easily as not all of it value-added. Things get disturbing once we are taken inside Gavin's mind and the family dynamics are fairly unpleasant. I did find the range of ghost powers interesting although I would have liked them to have a few more weaknesses to counter the substantial strengths that came from being dead.

I loved the idea of a ghost protagonist that acted as a sleuth but the execution didn't quite work for me. I couldn't quite relate to Jensen which made it hard to get absorbed in the story as it unfolded.

[Kt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

I'm really not sure why but I just could not get into this book. It really had a heck of a time keeping my attention, to the point where I was easily distracted and kept putting it down. Despite being intrigued by the blurb, and knowing up front that the protagonist was a ghost, I think that was a lot of the problem. I just had a hard time getting attached to the threats didn't seem real enough as she was already dead. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely threats to Jensen, and due to some energy issues it does get a bit hairy, but I just wasn't "feeling" it, so it didn't affect me or suck me in like I would have liked. Another issue I had was that this story seemed to be much more murder mystery, which isn't really my genre of choice. Sure, it's technically an Urban Fantasy due to the premise of it being told from a ghost's perspective, but it just didn't have the same feel. There were just too many questions left unanswered, and instead of drawing me into the story, it turned me off.

Speaking of being turned off, I had a lot of issues with the way Jensen had no problem causing fear and manipulation to get to the bottom of the murder. She didn't care at all who she hurt or what stood in her path, and it just left a foul taste in my mouth, disconnecting me even further from the book. The way she would just "enter" into the people to get her answers instead of actually interaction, felt like a cheat, especially as the people could sense what she was doing. It just struck me as wrong, and I didn't care for it at all.

All that being said, based on other reviews/ratings I've looked at, it seems that the response to this book has been largely positive. So, maybe it just wasn't the right book for me at the time as like many I do seem to have reading moods, and will work better for someone else, particularly fans of a murder mystery type plotline. So if the blurb sounds good to you, give it a try and don't let me discourage you.

[Elayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this ghostly tale, from a different point of view. We read this story as the hauntee, (is there such a word??), not as the haunted. I found it amusing (and disturbing to imagine!!) for the ghost in question to figure out how to go about scaring the crap out of someone...and actually learn from other ghosts!
Jenson Murphy has been dead for 30 years, brutally murdered at the tender age of twenty three, she has been in a continuous loop of her last moments for all of these years, until she is brought out of it by Amanda Lee Minter, a medium, on the 30th Anniversary of her death, into the real world. Amanda has plans for Jenson, she wants her to help prove the guilt of a man, in the murder of a young woman three years previous, a man, Amanda is convinced slayed this young woman and then dismembered her body. Jenson, after some persuasion, agrees to help however she can, in exchange for help in discovering her own murderer's identity.
Jenson has a lot to learn in this haunting business and meets other ghosts along the way, she also meets other entities too and some are "darker" than others. She also discovers Amanda is not always being honest with her! She has a lot to learn....including the "magic" of the modern world and technology! A lot goes on in this first book, she visits an old friend and an old love, who have moved on without her, not always with a happy outcome, but such is life, she becomes involved in the family of the man she is "haunting" and the turmoils of a troubled group of people!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only The Good Die Young is a mystery within a mystery with urban fantasy/paranormal underpinnings.

Jensen Murphy died at the age of 23 back in the 1980s. She was murdered by someone wearing a mask and wielding an ax in a forest where she had gone for a party. This plunged her into a loop for 30 years, and she was unable to cross over. She relived the incident over and over until she was pulled out of the loop by a psychic, Amanda Lee, who wanted her help solving the death of a friend and lover, Elizabeth. Jensen agrees to help Amanda Lee with her unique ghostly skills, but first she must learn how to get along in her new world, and adjust to the changes wrought by her new status as a ghost bumping around in the present. (Cell phones, computers, electric cars, and all.)

Jensen makes new ghostly friends, from different time periods, who help her adjust. They are great characters and make a good Scooby gang. One of them died drunk and so he is always a bit tipsy, and another was experimenting with a new hairstyle when she dropped her hair styling tool into the sink and electrocuted herself. She is doomed to have one style on one side of her head and another on the other for eternity apparently. What a nightmare that would be. :)

Jensen and her friends get down to working on solving the mystery of the death of Amanda Lee's friend, and the fun begins. The book winds up with a satisfactory conclusion to that part of the story, but we are no closer to finding out who Jensen's murderer was. I am sure this will unfold more as the series progresses, and I am looking forward to the next book.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can sometimes be daunted by the amount of pages in a book and set it aside for later. Not so with this one. It is 403 pages, but it moves super-fast and I finished in a couple of mornings of coffee and reading time on the back patio. It was so enjoyable with such a cool premise that it was difficult to put down to go to breakfast or movies with the young'n who is on summer break and likes to go to breakfast and the movies with me. So I did...I'm a mom..but I was glad this was my purse book and it could go along with us....
Jensen Murphy was murdered in the 80's and was caught in a time-loop until Amanda Lee, a psychic intuitive, brought her out of it. Amanda Lee wants to help Jensen solve her murder, but Jensen finds out Amanda Lee wants more than that.
I liked watching Jensen come to terms with being a ghost and how to be one. It's a process, one doesn't automatically know the ins-and-outs of ghost-dom apparently. Jensen is smart and ready to figuratively stand on her own two feet as a ghost, especially after finding out Amanda Lee isn't all she claims.
There are other ghosts to meet and learn from, all from different eras. They get bored easily, do ghosts, so they like helping Jensen. For the most part.
I am really looking forward to the rest of this series. It's scary, sweet, funny, back to scary.
Definite recommend.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only the Good Die Young by Chris Marie Green

This book starts out light and fluffy. I thought "young adult". But it morphed into a darker story about a ghost learning lessons of trust and betrayal along with solving a mystery. It's the first in a new series with a ghost solving murder mysteries while learning the new plane of existence as a ghost. She's forming relationships with the living and the dead. And your left with just a bit of unresolved "bad" floating out in world.
I was tentative about this book in the beginning. It had a lighthearted feel. But in continuing it became more satisfying with depth and a little scare. I will definitely look for the next in this series.

Jensen Murphy is a ghost recently brought out of a time loop of her own death. It's been 30 years since she died and now must learn this new world of cell phones, computers and how to be a ghost. Jensen is tasked with solving a murder other than her own and soon finds herself caught up in the mystery and needing resolution.

I received a copy of this book from the author.