The Unquiet Spirit by Penny Hampson

Release: 21st August 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Crooked Cat/ Darkstroke
Source: Rachel’s Random Resources
Find it at: Amazon UK

A new beginning. A house with a past. A man with secrets.

It was a dream come true…that turned into a nightmare.

Kate Wilson thinks moving back to Cornwall might be the answer to her prayers. But it isn’t long before she begins to have doubts. Is the house she inherited from her godmother haunted? Or is she going out of her mind? With a stalker, threats, and attempted break-ins, Kate’s troubles multiply.

Then there’s her enigmatic neighbour, the brooding Tom Carbis; a man with secrets he doesn’t wish to share. Can she trust him when he says he wants to help?

In her quest to unravel the mysteries surrounding her, will Kate uncover more than she bargains for?

Set in beautiful Cornwall, The Unquiet Spirit is a gripping suspense with paranormal and romantic elements. Fans of Barbara Erskine will enjoy this tale.

About the Author:

Some time ago Penny Hampson decided to follow her passion for history by studying with the Open University. She graduated with honours and went on to complete a post-graduate degree.
Penny then landed her dream role, working in an environment where she was surrounded by rare books and historical manuscripts. After nineteen years, the opportunity came along to indulge her other main passion – writing. Penny joined the New Writers’ Scheme of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and three years later published her debut novel, A Gentleman’s Promise, a historical mystery/romance. Other books in the same genre soon followed.
Penny also writes contemporary suspense with paranormal and romantic elements. Her first book in this genre is The Unquiet Spirit, published by Darkstroke.
Penny lives with her family in Oxfordshire, and when she is not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming, and the odd gin and tonic

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The Unquiet Spirit Review:

I love ghost stories and haunted houses, and this book had all the right elements and was very entertaining!

I really liked Kate in the lead. It was fun to see her character progress with her love life and how she tries to solve the mystery of Win’s death and the haunting. Surprisingly, I also liked Tom as Kate’s love interest. It was nice to see the author step away from the archetype characters, and make Tom the vulnerable one in the relationship, and Kate the stronger character. On a side note, I also liked the backstory of Annabelle and John. All the supporting characters like Sue Ellen, Laura, Ruth and even the creepy Rupert add well to the plot.

Moreover, the author also did a very nice job with the mystery and suspense. I was curious as to why the portrait kept moving, or why Kate could smell Rosemary around the house. The author keeps you on your toes where you really don’t know if a real person is behind the haunting or if it is something supernatural.

Probably the only criticism I have is the pacing. The story starts and end really well with the mystery behind the haunting, and covers all the loose ends. However, it falters in between, especially with Tom and Kate’s romance. While I enjoyed their romance, I felt that it didn’t blend alongside the mystery. The story focused on either the mystery or the romance at one time, where I would have liked to see both progress simultaneously.

Apart from that, this was such a fun book! It is atmospheric, creepy, romantic and thoroughly enjoyable!