Dying on Second

Marie Jenner Mystery #4

by E.C. Bell, Eileen Bell

Marie Jenner needs some sunshine.

Marie's past year has been tough. She lost her apartment, and her mother, and she's been beaten up more times than she cares to count. She decides--on the advice of her shrink--that exercise will help. So, she joins a softball team.

But there's a problem, of course. A dead girl is hanging around second base at Marie's first game, and she won't leave. She won't even tell Marie her name. So Marie decides to do a little sleuthing, and what she finds out puts her in more danger than she's ever been in her life.

It isn't just from the girl's killer--it's also from the dead girl's softball team. Twenty ghosts who all say they want to be left alone to play ball, and who will do anything to make sure it happens. And then, they start talking about revenge.

All Marie wants is fresh air and exercise. Is that too much to ask?

Genres: Mystery, Canada

307 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2017

About the author

E.C. Bell is the author of six novels in the paranormal Marie Jenner Mystery Series. She has also published short stories and anthologies, won a couple of Aurora Awards, a Bloody Words Light Mystery Award, and an Alberta Book Publishing Award for Speculative Novel.

When she's not writing, she’s scouting out new locations for her upcoming novels, or renovating her round house in Edmonton, where she lives with her husband and two rescue dogs.

You read that right. She lives in a round house.

Reviews

[Alejandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things are starting to look up for Marie. Her relationship with James is progressing, and she has joined a softball team to get some sunshine and exercise, and maybe even make some friends. [Note to self: I probably would have chosen biking rather than a competitive sport, but OK, she can choose whatever she wants.] Just like the previous books, it is structured with chapters alternating from the point of view of the ghost and Marie's, and the chapters just fly by - could not stop reading! I liked seeing Marie gaining confidence, while being allowed to freak out. I love all the character development she has received throughout the series. Oh, and James is awesome. I was suspicious of him in the first book, but he has won me over. He is almost as cool as my husband.

I was excited that a portion of the story was set in Calgary, but it was not really a Calgary I recognized.

The ending, oh dear.... Poor Marie. Grrrr. She has clear physical marks of having being attacked! Andy is a jerk, and the psychiatrist isn't helping either.
Oh, and James - if your girlfriend never wears any pink or owns vast amounts of pink objects, maybe that is not the best color choice for business cards?

[Ray Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that, when you finished, just said "Wow" and wanted to read it again? "Dying on Second" did that for me.

Let's get the negative out of the way first. The previous book, "Stalking the Dead" ended on a cliffhanger. Or so I thought. "Dying on Second" picks up eight months later. That's not to say nothing happened. A lot apparently has.

The main character spends a lot of time and energy dealing with what happened before, and my heart went out to her watching her struggle. This struggle is the focus of the book, and her interactions with the main ghost echoes the struggle, because the ghost is dealing with something similar.

There are a few surprises in Marie's dealing with ghosts, which I think will be a good thing once she accepts them (maybe in the next book?). And the book ends on what looks like another cliffhanger, and makes me wish I had a time machine so I could go forward and get the next installment.

Until then...this book isn't going on my bookshelves. It's going into my "to be read soon" stack where it belongs.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marie Jenner has joined a softball team. What with losing her apartment, her mother, and nearly her life, she and James agreed that she could use some assistance handling her nightmares and PTSD and Marie has started seeing a shrink. Dr. Parkerson advised that exercise, among other things, might help. Marie flat-out refuses medication, but exercise is an option. Hence the softball team. As it turns out Marie is pretty good. When she's not being distracted by a ghost, of course. How many ghosts could there be haunting a baseball diamond? Well there's a whole team. Undead softball is surprisingly popular. All these ghosts want to do is be left alone to run a few bases. They've got tournaments to win and don't want Marie exorcising them before the season is through. While Marie can't send ghosts on without their cooperation and permission, her protestations do not convince the ethereal team. They start plotting. Having a living sports team out to get you is bad enough. Imagine the havoc a full complement of ghosts could create. Especially when they start experimenting with their abilities. This book gets the usual warnings for violence, sexual assault, and drug use. It's even better than the last ones as Bell fleshes out her characters and their relationships more with each new mystery. I can't wait to read book #5.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marie Jenner has had a horrible year, she has lost both her apartment and her mother, and keeps getting kicked while she is down. On the recommendation of her shrink, she decides to join a softball team to get some exercise. There is one hitch, there is a dead girl hanging around second plate and won’t leave poor Marie alone. Marie decides to dig into the case, but run into a slight roadblock; the girl won’t tell Marie her name. That makes things tough! Marie does uncover some information but now finds herself once again in danger. Will she make it out with her life?

I really enjoyed this book more than the previous ones as the author has a better grasp on the main character and seems to bring her full circle with her past issues and her current skills as a “ghost whisperer”. While there are several books in the series, this can be read as a stand-alone, but I found it best to read the previous three.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ghosts are getting creepier as Marie keeps encountering them. Some are downright hostile and want to hurt her to keep her from returning to the ball field where she has joined a softball team.

Pretty good mystery and interesting to tag along as Marie discovers new ways to communicate and assist the ghosts. She really misses her mother and the advice she could have provided. I think she's even a little resentful that her mom hasn't attempted to contact her from the afterlife.

One unsolved mystery is where do the ghosts that only show up for a game go when not on the ball field. This phenomenon is never explored although for some reason Karen had not been able to leave the field since her death. Why are the other ghosts more ambulatory?

James is still on scene but his character doesn't develop much. He seems to have a puppy dog like devotion to Marie which, honestly, she doesn't deserve. She can be pretty unlikable in her dealings with him if he doesn't agree with her 100%.

This book has a cliff-hanger ending which will prompt you to pick up book five ASAP.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of those ones that just grabbed me from the beginning and I just breezed right through it because I had to know what happened! This is a Marie Jenner mystery, the first one I have read and after this one I am going to seek out more. Full of humor, crazy experiences and characters. Marie can see and speak with ghosts. She befriends one in particular, Karen, and eventually a whole slew (the whole team LOL). After going through some tramatic life events Marie is trying to pull herself together and help the deceased as well. She joins a softball team at her shrinks recommendation and the fun begins! Plan to keep this one around to read again because it was worth it. I won this book in a goodreads giveaway, thank you!

[Barbara Galler-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

E.C. Bell just keeps getting better and better. This book is fantastic! Just when I thought I knew how things were going to go, she throws another curve ball. Surprises galore. Ms. Bell really does know about softball and the pull it has on people--even dead ones. When the lights go off at Diamond #2, the real fun begins when the dead teams take to the field, with umpires. But only one of those ghosts can't leave the ball field, and Marie want to help that ghost "move on". But the ghost doesn't want to leave the team. Danger, excitement, and a long dead girl who won't tell her story makes life more than complicated for Marie and her boss James.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marie Jenner's world opens up in exciting ways, as her problems compound and she has to begin the process of reconciling all that's happened to her in the previous 3 books. The story moves along at a brisk pace and the multiple story threads come together for a very satisfying ending. As soon as I finished I had to start the next book. It's a testament to Bell's skill that my despite my general disinterest in baseball, I greatly enjoyed this book.

[Ellen Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this over a year ago, and I still remember it fondly. I jumped in to this series with this book, number four, without having read the previous books, and I had no problem understanding the context and what was going on.

I'm currently halfway through number five, and I intend on going back to read 1–3 as well, because they're just that good.

[Dorothy Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

After all she’s been through lately, Marie joins a softball team. However, a ghostly presence shows up and will not leave or tell her story. This means Marie will have a tough time on the field. Dying on Second is an exciting novel in the Marie Jenner Mystery Series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one day. Yay! We finally get a female ghost! I found the softball diamond setting unique and loved the new tidbits about how the ghost thing works. Marie is understandably frazzled this book and I felt for her. And the ending left me super-curious about the next book...

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The living and the dead are trying to deal with their issues in the book. The characters keep growing as this series continue. I loved that the story was based on Softball. From the ending the next book is going to very interesting.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and I believe that each book is getting better than the previous although all are awesome. Quick moving and very engaging, this book is difficult to put down.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Will Pinkston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty okay story but I quit reading after Karen’s recounting of how she was murdered was simply too graphic for my tastes. I’d like to know the conclusion, but not enough to keep reading after that.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katie's Book Report - Contains Spoilers - For my own failing memory...

Another solid installment in the Marie Jenner Mystery series. These books have been getting progressively better.

In this book we find Marie joining a softball team on recommendation of her therapist to get outside and get some exercise. It just so happens that the league softball fields already host two teams worth of ghosts that play after the league games. One ghost in particular, Karen, is bound to second base, and Marie embarks on an unlikely friendship with her, eventually working with James to uncover the reasons for her untimely demise 40 years ago.

One of my previous complaints was that Marie was a hot mess and not very nice to James for seemingly no reason. This is the first book where I felt like their relationship was a bit more "healthy" and "balanced." She finally treats him as an equal - both in terms of their friendship and their work - instead of just being, well, mean.  James could still use a bit more backbone, but at least their communication is more healthy instead of short and stilted. And, finally, on top of all these healthy developments, they are dating and James admits he loves her - gush!

There is also some great character development for Marie. She finally starts dealing with her past traumatic experiences with stalking, being kidnapped, and losing her mother, as well as the fact that not everyone is scared off by her abilities and in fact trust her to help them as a medium. She begins to realize that there is a world in which she can be open and trusting.

Another thing I enjoyed with this installment is additional time from the ghost's POV. There were some great plot elements that were driven by all the ghosts on the field, and I enjoyed that truly split perspective. The reader is much more "plugged in" to the ghost-protagonists struggle and, for the first time, the ghost does not move on at the end of the book, but is assertive and tells Marie she needs more time and wants to finish her softball season. This ending for the ghost was completely appropriate, and I'm glad Bell ended the book that way instead of forcing her to move on.

The book ends in quite the cliffhanger, with Marie being committed to a mental hospital, because of accusations from Karen's murderer and her therapist.  I will most definitely be continuing on in this series and cannot wait to find out what happens to Marie and how her and James will get her out of this predicament!