Empaths and Paws

Spirits of Tempest #1

by Penny Brooke

The seaside community of Tempest welcomes back one of its daughters as Fiona leaves city stress behind and moves into Mortimer House—the family Victorian she inherited.

A sensitive, Fiona loves animals and soon finds herself adopted by a rambunctious mini schnauzer, Lizzie Borden, and an adorable kitten, Henrietta. Together with some old friends, Fiona converts the aged mansion into a boarding house, but not all the guests who come to stay are alive.

How does a dead body find its way into a bedroom wall? And will Fiona find her Aunt Mable’s missing ferret, Sherlock Holmes? It’s only one read away.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Paranormal, Amazon, Cozy

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2020

About the author

Penny Brooke has been reading mysteries for as long as she can remember. When not penning her own stories, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, crocheting, and cozying up with her pups and a good novel.

Reviews

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cozy was fun plus had a good Mystery! The pets added humor and cuteness! I’m looking forward to reading the next story.

[Celia Buell (semi hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a strange book.

To call this a typical cozy mystery would be far from the truth. While it has all the elements - a character tiring of the big city and moving back to a tiny hometown, a boarding house or BnB, a childhood best friend, a law enforcement love interest, and a lot of pets - it's very hard to define what the mystery actually was. There isn't an indication of anything wrong until more than halfway through the book, and even then the characters play it off as if it's less of a problem than it is. The mystery itself if not exactly downplayed, but it's difficult at first to understand what it is the characters are attempting to figure out.

Then there's the deal with every major character losing their home and moving into the boarding house as extra help. Like okay, one or two I get, but how does it even play into the plot that every single character ends up there?

In terms of the writing, I felt there was altogether too much tell, not show involved. There is too much description of places and people to get a real feel for the setting. The writing of the characters is slightly better, and on some level I am interested to know what happens to them, but definitely not enough to purchase the next book.

Overall this was dry and confusing, and I wouldn't really recommend it to cozy mystery fans.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good! It had just what I've come to love in a cozy: a great small town and best friend, a nice guy for the mc to return home to, awesome town characters who became friends, fun pets and even some humor. I was laughing so hard at one scene involving Fiona's dog Lizzie Borden and a coffin. That's all I'll say, because I don't want to spoil any of it! There wasn't a murder, but that didn't even matter, because I was too caught up in whodunit with what was found in Fiona's renovated boarding house. The perp was definitely a surprise to me. I'm anxious to read the next book!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read!

An easy flowing and entertaining cozy story. I would actually give this three and a half stars if I could!

[Villy · Rating 1 out of 5]

How can someone make a living as a successful investigative reporter if she's that out of touch with reality?? Good grief, the sheer amount of times she wants/wishes/hopes people to not do their job because she might have to close down the inn is ridiculous. Sure, why wouldn't the sheriff investigate the dead body just because her guests will find out it exists? Bullying her contractor into working for free because she'll kick him out if he doesn't is also OK in her book too.

Please, just stop!

Stupidly written character aside, the book has a problem with pacing. I'm all for skipping unnecessary mundane stuff but whoever thought it'd be a good idea to bring in Edward Scissorhand as an editor?

Donna moans how long it will take for the wiring to be fixed and she has to find a place to stay and a job at the top of a page and by the time the page has been written and it's time to flip it (on a Kindle app on a phone, that's barely 4 paragraphs mind you), it's all been fixed and she's quitting her new job. A page starts with her bitching and moaning about having no guests and how will she make a living. Not two sentences later, she's fully booked and so busy she hires her bestie on the spot to manage the inn (I will ignore that having a lot guests *now* doesn't mean she'll have a lot of guests next week and she might need no manager for the inn. This is fiction after all).
I'm in the middle of the book and I truly don't know how long it's been since the book started. A day? A week? A month? The author simply doesn't tell you.

Edited to add after finishing the book:

Oh crap, it gets worse.

You have a tunnel leading to the sea created for smuggling, you know it's being used currently. Do you A-close it the hell down or B-keep it open because it's original to the house and gives it character? Is it even a spoiler that the brain dead protagonist wants to go with option B?

In the beginning the book, Ben tells her outright he has a key to the house because Aunt Mabel hired him all the time to fix things. In the final few pages Donna feels smart for having deduced his having a key... I may have finished the book in one sitting (Covid19, I blame you. I would have trashed this crap in an instant had it not been the only unread thing in my library thanks to you) but I somehow doubt the author or the editor wouldn't keep notes of the "ohmigod I'm so clever" clues in a book that's only 100 pages long.


Side Note: If things kept breaking down despite him constantly fixing them, isn't that a good sign he's bad at his job? Just wondering...

I'm sorry Mrs Brooke but until your main character has a dose of reality and realizes that no, the universe does not in fact revolve around her and your editor gets fired, I will not be back to read the rest of your books. A pretty good idea simply isn't enough with a final product this bad.

[Connie J Wilson]

Fiona, Lizzie Borden, Sherlock Holmes, Etta

What a breath of ghost and mummy air!
Lovely story with a hint of empaths, romance, respect, friendship and lovely baked goods.
Fiona has so many wonderful traits. This is a delightful missive with no improper language and porn chapters.

I'm on to the next read in this storyline.
Thank you Penny Brooke for such a delightful tale with a touch of piracy... and Ben!!

**Kids, you know how we all know that one person that is surrounded by family, a family of friends and some lost souls...
My Dad and Momma raised me and my brothers like that.
Penny Brooke, I suspect you know about always having room for one more, adding extra place settings to the dinner table.
Momma would quietly send me to the basement to bring up several quarts of green beans or corn. Then to the freezer to pull out some frozen peaches.
We would bake a huge pan of biscuits and make a double batch of gravy.
There were so many friends that were our chosen family. No on ever left Momma's table hungry. The homemade peach cobbler was done perfectly for dessert.
Not long ago I watched Mom grab her fave blue mixing bowl and toss in the ingredients for a blackberry cobbler...no measuring. And she'd picked the blackberries that morning from her vines! *Momma has slowed down, she's 86 yrs.
Thanks Penny for giving us Fiona who is of that generation!!

[Kay Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can Fiona Parkins Cope With Everything?

Fiona Parkins is an investigative reporter who has decided to quit and move back to her home town after inheriting her Aunt Mable’s house. You know, the old, crumbling, Mortimer House. Fiona has a bit of savings, planning to use the money to fix up the old house and live there. Have you heard the old saying, “The best-laid plans of mice and men?” The old house needs more work than she knew, and soon she was making new plans to expand her vision and find a way to make some more money. Then she finds out she has also inherited Lizzie Borden, a Miniature Schnauzer which leads to…well, let’s leave the menagerie out for now. Everything is going well until the unexpected corpse shows up. You’ll have to read the story to find out what happens from there.

I enjoyed this little story with its fun twists and turns and just enough real mystery to keep me wondering where it would end. Penny Brooke, a first-time author, has put together a well-written story with just a continuity error or two you have to overlook. If you want to relax for a few hours and lose yourself in a mystery house, this book is a good choice.

[Denise Zendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona gives up life as a big city crime reporter to take over operation of Mortimer House, the possibly haunted family Victorian she inherited after the death of her auntie. She thinks it will be less stressful than her big city life – so what if some of the “guests” are life deficient? Her ability to communicate with animals and the dearly departed will serve her well in this business. The house comes with a rambunctious mini schnauzer, Lizzie Borden, an adorable kitten, Henrietta, and a ferret, Sherlock Holmes. Fiona keeps finding dead bodies in her walls and since she’s at least a Person of Interest, not to mention saving her investment, Fiona uses all her skills to find out whodunnit.

This was a fun, fast-paced, light read. Is the plot pat? Kind of, but the characters are well-drawn and likeable, the story held my interest, and I enjoyed how everything was tied up at the end. There’s a nice hint of romance with the local sheriff to round out the story. I usually read stories of a darker nature, but this one was light, refreshing, and soothing. I liked it enough that I bought book no. 2in the series and read it right away. I will read more in this series.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luckily Fiona found a handyman who was willing to stay in the old house while he fixed things--actually he moved in. The old house needed lots and lots of repairs before it could be turned into a boarding house again. Luckily she loved animals since she found herself with a mini dog and a kitten. Her Aunt's ferret was missing---and you won't believe where he was hiding with his stash of stolen goods!

Then when tearing down one of the walls a coffin with a dead body was found. That was taken care of--and boarders started to come to stay for a vacation. Another body----but how did it get there and who was putting them there? You will have to read this cozy mystery to find out how and who was doing it..

[Heather W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Empaths and Paws is the first book in the "A Spirits of Tempest Cozy Mystery" series and is a great start to this series.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more books in the series. The characters, living and dead, are interesting and the inclusion of the animals is fun and really adds to the story. The story is well written and is a delightful way to spend an afternoon.

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

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so well written and the characters are hilarious especially the four legged ones. Fiona moves back home after her aunt Mabel does and she fixes up the house and opens it as a bed and breakfast and then a tearoom and finally an antiques store which almost gets shutdown because of the bodies who keep showing up in a closet. Who is doing it and why it's up to Fiona to find out so her businesses don't get shut down and the person who is responsible you never see it till the very end.

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

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1st in a new cozy mystery series to me, but I have read Seabreeze Bookshop Cozy Mystery series by the same author and I enjoyed that.

Fiona has moved back to Tempest after inheriting her Great Aunts house and she decides to renovate it into a Bed and Breakfast, however when the first guests arrive and strange things begin to happen, she wonders if it's the right thing to have done!

It's a good book and I enjoyed it, I've downloaded the next book to read already.

The books will be best read in order of publication to preserve continuity of the characters and series

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fiona inherits her Aunt's old house, Mortimer House, and decides to quit her job and move to Mortimer House while trying to open it as a boarding house. There's quite a bit of work to be done, but she makes a deal with the local handyman who needs a place to stay, and they get it going. The first week with guests, though, two mummies show up in one of the guest room's closets, so she calls in her old boss, Fred, to help her and her old boyfriend who happens to be the sheriff solve the mystery.
Lots going on, but it's #1 in the series, so there's a lot to establish charaacter-development-wise.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a house that was supposed the be filled with ghosts - they didn’t have any major part of the plot. Just a few random lines in the story. The mystery was minimal and didn’t really come into the story until about 80% into the book. The characters were also random and somehow all these people end up living at the border house… How big is this place? Also, the MC was a writer/reporter who ends up running a boarding house, but also works briefly at a bakery, wants to open an antique store and eventually write books. So many unnecessary details and a few characters in the mix as well.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half is awkward

Fiona feels stuck in her job. Then her great aunt died, leaving her a big Victorian. Fiona decides to move, create a bed and breakfast, open a tearoom and add an antique store. The first half is setting up 3000 businesses. Doesn't feel like we have time passage. Suddenly, look! The renovations for the bed and breakfast are complete. We don't see or hear about much of it. When we finally get to the mystery, it's not bad. Just took so long to get there.

[Penny Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona inherits her Aunt Mabel's house after her death. Deciding to return home and quit her job as a reporter, she runs into a dead body creating a mystery for her to solve. This is a great start to a new series. I enjoyed the book and would read more.

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

[Elizabeth Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, refreshing and couldn’t put it down!

I’d recommend this book for any age group that likes a simple, compelling read. The story was unique, so different from anything I’ve read in a while and I was pulled from one page to the next. An old house, a new start, ancient mummies and fresh baked goodies. Totally enjoyed the tale from start to finish.

[Page · Rating 1 out of 5]

The lack of pacing was such that I have no idea how many days or weeks or months this book covered. In the opening pages I honestly thought it was set in the 1940s. Then cell phones were mentioned. This is the first time in my reading history where I've owned the second book and have no intention of reading it.

[Natelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The storyline and characters pulled me in and kept me reading to the end. Unfortunately, the story didn’t flow smoothly. The narrator leaped around in time and didn’t give the reader a chance to get involved in solving the mystery. Then she raced to the conclusion with a character who didn’t witness most of the action of magically appearing mummies.

[LAURA A. FITZGERALD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel, its cast of characters and drama although I kept wondering about the animals' involvement in the activity. I'd like to see more of them in the next novel which I tried to get into the culmination in my Kindle, honest! I would like to find out whether I can latch on to the second novel in the series!

[Val Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mummies and Magick? An interesting story concept for the first story in this series.The setting is perfect for a mystery series, I am interested to see how the series will progress.

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

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! It just felt so fun. I really loved how everyone just ended up at the house even though at first everyone was so scared it was haunted. Lol! It sounds like a B & B I would really enjoy visiting.

[Urszula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable mystery book. Good reality and background. Well developed characters and interesting relationships among them. Plus crime solving. All together enjoyable and relaxing read.

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

[Karel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very quick, fun, easy read! The series follows an empath and her precarious life after she moves back into her hometown. She has inherited an old mansion from her Great-Aunt Mabel and Zdecides to open it as a boarding home. This expands into an English Tearoom and an antique shop. Meanwhile, on the first opening night, a mummy is discovered in a coffin in a hidden cupboard. Things move on from there to the "unexpected" conclusion! Read May 5, 2020!

[JANE VAN HORN · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book by Penny Brooke. I was looking for a new author & series to read and came upon Penny Brooke and decided to give her a try. I have to say that I loved this book and can't wait to continue the series.

[Debi Emerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly good book, but not much development of the mystery. The solution comes pretty much out of the blue, with no prior hints that it was coming. I did like the characters & felt they were developed nicely.

[Anne Turnley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mummies?!

Fiona inherits the old family home and returns to her hometown toe see what can be done with it. Luckily she has a little money because it needs a new roof and all new wiring. She opens as a boarding house and gets mostly tourists for two week stays.

[SANDYE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique cozy mystery

First in the series. Well written. Great character development. A great story with twists you don't expect, unexpected developments indirectly related to the mystery. Just a wonderful cozy mystery. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Rachelle Steward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Total delight to read

Fabulous characters and a fresh new mystery. It even has a ferret! This is a feel good cozy that is intelligently written and so very satisfying to read. I hope there are many more books in this series!

[Brenda Bristow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love mysteries

This was a very exciting and edge of your chair mystery. I certainly my had no idea about the ending.
I was on the wrong track up to the very end! I love when I am so wrong about who done it.