Unsettled Spirits: A Dreadful Penny Novella

by J. Matthew Saunders

It’s summertime in the South, but the temperature isn’t all that’s rising.Greenville, South Carolina, 1972Demons and ghosts are prowling the sultry days and nights, searching for unsuspecting souls to ensnare. When a strange accident puts an employee of the Brown Tractor & Farm Supply Co. in the hospital, Bertram Brown calls on the private detective services of Penelope Drake, who finds herself drawn into the Brown family’s intrigues once again.At her side as always are her friends Zed and Charles, but they each have their own monsters to slay, some figurative, others quite real.This time, though, Penelope is determined to find out who is targeting the Brown family, because the answer to that question could shed light on secrets her own father has kept from her. To uncover the truth, she’ll have to go up against not only sinister supernatural forces, but also overeager ghost hunters, a crusading preacher, and even her father’s ghost.

129 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 12, 2018

About the author

J. Matthew Saunders, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, is the author of numerous published fantasy and horror short stories. He received a B.A. in history from Vanderbilt University and a master's degree from the School of Journalism at the University of South Carolina. He received his law degree in California and practiced there as an attorney for several years.

He is an unapologetic European history geek, enjoys the Celtic fiddle, and makes a mean sundried tomato-basil pesto. He currently lives near Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and two children. To find out more, visit www.jmsaunders.com.

Reviews

[Karina Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story

I love this series but why is it so short. And what is everyone hiding? I can't wait for the next book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unusual death in a warehouse has the employer calling on the private detective Penelope Drake to solve the mysterious incident. Her father’s ghost is haunting her office who tries to interfere with her investigation. Will Penelope discover what happened at the warehouse? Why does her father try to stop her from going to the warehouse?

This is a second book of a serial. Even though I have not read the first one, I was immediately involved in the novella. It is a paranormal mystery that is written well. I just wish I had the next novella to read. I do know I am going to read the first one as I was not aware that it was the second one when I read it. It’s a good read.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Lora Milton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Workers at a tractor and farm supply company play a common prank on Bobby, a new guy, by having him go into the factory after hours on a ruse, but things go wrong. There is genuine gossip about the factory being haunted and when Bobby hears a child laughing just before the lights go out, he is terrified. A subsequent unfortunate accident brings the incident under investigation.

Zed & Penelope make such investigations their business and are called in. They also consult an associate, Charles, who is an adept magician. The company owner brings in a magician of his own, but won't say who.

The story is fairly short, yet has a lot of strands. I thought it had too much description of minor characters and sometimes seemed unclear what was going on.

Apart from the beginning, I can't say there were a lot of scares and the story falls more into a detective story than chilling Horror, until near the end. There is even some doubt cast on the legitimacy of the hauntings.

Some interesting supernatural shenanigans happen towards the end, but then the story just stops. No explanation, no resolution. Presumably it's a serial, but there is no warning in the description to say so. There were some interesting ideas involved and the writing was fairly good, but the plot didn't have me riveted enough to compel me to read another book to tie up all the loose ends left hanging.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The paranormal problem uncovered in the first novella in this series Dreadful Penny was not completely solved, but if you read the first book, you know that. Connected trouble has Penelope Drake again coming to the aid of the Brown family and delving into her own family history to find the roots of the problem. Is it a ghost? a demon? a disgruntled person playing pranks?

I very much enjoyed this second installment in the Dreadful Penny series, especially a subplot arising surrounding a ghost and Charles (the magic man on the team). The ending felt a little inconclusive--I'm not sure the immediate problem was resolved so much as just delayed--but it does make me want to get the third book right away.

I enjoyed getting to know Zed, but am still feeling like I don't know enough about the title character, Penny. Here's hoping we learn more about her in the next one!

[JJ Broenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting tale starting with a supernatural experience by a new employee at the tractor supply store. Penelope the detective is called in to investigate a mystery that turns into more. All along the way her deceased father a ghost that remains at her office is trying to assist in his own way although he cannot communicate directly with his living daughter. There may be more to her fathers story than Penelope knows; she will need to discover this for herself.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read, it kept me curious about what's happening and wanting to know more.

Beware, the story continues in the next book.