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The Cassie Black Trilogy #1
The Undead Mr. Tenpenny
Work at a funeral home can be mundane. Until you accidentally start bringing the dead back to life.
"...a clever, hilarious romp through a new magical universe" --Sarah Angleton, author of Gentleman of Misfortune
Cassie Black works at a funeral home. She's used to all manner of dead bodies. What she's not used to is them waking up. Which they seem to be doing on a disturbingly regular basis lately.
Just when Cassie believes she has the problem under control, the recently-deceased Busby Tenpenny insists he's been murdered and claims Cassie might be responsible thanks to a wicked brand of magic she's been exposed to. The only way for Cassie to get her life back to normal is to tame her magic and uncover Mr. Tenpenny's true killer.
Simple right? Of course not. Because while Cassie works on getting her newly-acquired magic sorted, she's blowing up kitchens, angering an entire magical community, and discovering her past is more closely tied to Busby Tenpenny than she could have ever imagined.
If you like contemporary fantasy with snarky humor, unforgettable characters, and paranormal mystery such as Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series, you'll find it hard to pry yourself away from this first book of the Cassie Black Trilogy.
Selected as one of Apple's Most Anticipated Books of 2021
Winner of the Novel Excerpt Prize from the League of American PEN Women
Finalist in the Yeah You Write! Novel Contest
The Cassie Black Trilogy is a fish-out-of-water tale that takes you from the streets of Portland to the Tower of London. It's got magic and mystery, pastries and zombies, sentient gnomes and an evil wizard...because there's always an evil wizard, isn't there?
Note: While this book delivers plenty of wry giggles and a few hexes, it's fairly clean with only an itty-bitty bit of light cursing, one fight scene, and no hanky panky or sexual situations.
"...a clever, hilarious romp through a new magical universe" --Sarah Angleton, author of Gentleman of Misfortune
Cassie Black works at a funeral home. She's used to all manner of dead bodies. What she's not used to is them waking up. Which they seem to be doing on a disturbingly regular basis lately.
Just when Cassie believes she has the problem under control, the recently-deceased Busby Tenpenny insists he's been murdered and claims Cassie might be responsible thanks to a wicked brand of magic she's been exposed to. The only way for Cassie to get her life back to normal is to tame her magic and uncover Mr. Tenpenny's true killer.
Simple right? Of course not. Because while Cassie works on getting her newly-acquired magic sorted, she's blowing up kitchens, angering an entire magical community, and discovering her past is more closely tied to Busby Tenpenny than she could have ever imagined.
If you like contemporary fantasy with snarky humor, unforgettable characters, and paranormal mystery such as Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series, you'll find it hard to pry yourself away from this first book of the Cassie Black Trilogy.
Selected as one of Apple's Most Anticipated Books of 2021
Winner of the Novel Excerpt Prize from the League of American PEN Women
Finalist in the Yeah You Write! Novel Contest
The Cassie Black Trilogy is a fish-out-of-water tale that takes you from the streets of Portland to the Tower of London. It's got magic and mystery, pastries and zombies, sentient gnomes and an evil wizard...because there's always an evil wizard, isn't there?
Note: While this book delivers plenty of wry giggles and a few hexes, it's fairly clean with only an itty-bitty bit of light cursing, one fight scene, and no hanky panky or sexual situations.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 2021
302 people are currently reading
832 people want to read
About the author
Tammie Painter
54 books126 followersTHE RAMBLING BIO AND OFFER OF FREE STUFF
Many moons ago I was a scientist in a neuroscience lab where I got to play with brains and illegal drugs. Now, I take wickedly strong tea and turn it into comic fantasy whodunits full of mythical misfits and magical mishaps that I hope give you a giggle.
My tales run the gamut from the ever-expanding Cassie Black Trilogy with its wryly humorous paranormal mysteries to the comical fantasy whodunits in The Circus of Unusual Creatures , and from light-hearted novellas celebrating my love of books to short fiction in which I really flex my myth-loving and humor-craving muscles!
When I’m not creating worlds or killing off characters, I can be found gardening, planning my next travel adventure, concocting some sort of mess in the kitchen, or working as an unpaid servant to three cats and a guinea pig.
Want to learn more and get free stuff? Then be sure to pop by TammiePainter.com to see everything I'm up to and to grab your free copy of "Mrs. Morris Meets Death," a humorous tale of mortality, time management, cruise ships, and romance novels.
THE QUICK AS YOU CAN STORY BEHIND MY BOOKS...
My fascination for myths, history, and how they interweave inspired my two historical fantasy series, The Osteria Chronicles and my second series, Domna (you can grab your free series starters for those HERE and HERE).
But all those ancient myths and angst-ridden heroes got a bit too serious for someone with a strange sense of humor and odd way of looking at the world.
So, while sitting at my grandmother’s funeral, my brain came up with an idea for a contemporary fantasy trilogy that’s filled with magic, mystery, snarky humor, and the dead who just won’t stay dead. That idea turned into The Cassie Black Trilogy, which has turned into a fan favorite.
Then, because writer brains are weird, a simple elephant story I had in mind somehow morphed into a "hilarious" cozy fantasy series featuring a detecting dragon. So, if you like comic fantasy whodunits that mix in laughs with murderous mayhem, mythical beasts, and a staggering variety of omelets, you’ll want to check out my Circus of Unusual Creatures mysteries!
IF ALL THAT WASN"T ENOUGH, YOU CAN...
* Sign up for my monthly newsletter to get free stuff, exclusive bargains, and insights into my writing world,
* Head over to my Payhip Bookstore to shop directly through me and truly support an indie author.
* Browse this BookFunnel page to check out all my currently available books.
* Follow me on Bookbub to see my top book recommendations and get notified about most of my new releases.
Many moons ago I was a scientist in a neuroscience lab where I got to play with brains and illegal drugs. Now, I take wickedly strong tea and turn it into comic fantasy whodunits full of mythical misfits and magical mishaps that I hope give you a giggle.
My tales run the gamut from the ever-expanding Cassie Black Trilogy with its wryly humorous paranormal mysteries to the comical fantasy whodunits in The Circus of Unusual Creatures , and from light-hearted novellas celebrating my love of books to short fiction in which I really flex my myth-loving and humor-craving muscles!
When I’m not creating worlds or killing off characters, I can be found gardening, planning my next travel adventure, concocting some sort of mess in the kitchen, or working as an unpaid servant to three cats and a guinea pig.
Want to learn more and get free stuff? Then be sure to pop by TammiePainter.com to see everything I'm up to and to grab your free copy of "Mrs. Morris Meets Death," a humorous tale of mortality, time management, cruise ships, and romance novels.
THE QUICK AS YOU CAN STORY BEHIND MY BOOKS...
My fascination for myths, history, and how they interweave inspired my two historical fantasy series, The Osteria Chronicles and my second series, Domna (you can grab your free series starters for those HERE and HERE).
But all those ancient myths and angst-ridden heroes got a bit too serious for someone with a strange sense of humor and odd way of looking at the world.
So, while sitting at my grandmother’s funeral, my brain came up with an idea for a contemporary fantasy trilogy that’s filled with magic, mystery, snarky humor, and the dead who just won’t stay dead. That idea turned into The Cassie Black Trilogy, which has turned into a fan favorite.
Then, because writer brains are weird, a simple elephant story I had in mind somehow morphed into a "hilarious" cozy fantasy series featuring a detecting dragon. So, if you like comic fantasy whodunits that mix in laughs with murderous mayhem, mythical beasts, and a staggering variety of omelets, you’ll want to check out my Circus of Unusual Creatures mysteries!
IF ALL THAT WASN"T ENOUGH, YOU CAN...
* Sign up for my monthly newsletter to get free stuff, exclusive bargains, and insights into my writing world,
* Head over to my Payhip Bookstore to shop directly through me and truly support an indie author.
* Browse this BookFunnel page to check out all my currently available books.
* Follow me on Bookbub to see my top book recommendations and get notified about most of my new releases.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
November 7, 2021
First, let me say I am disappointed.
Um, not about the book. That's very funny.
Who doesn't like a story about a funeral home worker who starts waking up the dead, ends up entering a Harry Potter Daigon Alley world – opposed to an evil wizard who's trying to regain his powers?
One of the key characters in this book doesn't like the HP comparison. But who cares what dead people think? Until they wake up, anyway.
So why am I disappointed?
The main character in this novel builds up her magical strength by eating sweet things, such as cake and donuts.
How come, then, I'm not oozing with magic?
I even went to Sucher Torte's birthplace, Vienna, and ate countless servings of it. But did I get any magic? No. All I got was the desire to buy myself a bigger belt.
Same with donuts. Nothing. Zilch. I am the least magic fat person I know.
There is only one thing for it. I might have to bury myself in Book 2 of this series, and forget my woes for a while.
Um, not about the book. That's very funny.
Who doesn't like a story about a funeral home worker who starts waking up the dead, ends up entering a Harry Potter Daigon Alley world – opposed to an evil wizard who's trying to regain his powers?
One of the key characters in this book doesn't like the HP comparison. But who cares what dead people think? Until they wake up, anyway.
So why am I disappointed?
The main character in this novel builds up her magical strength by eating sweet things, such as cake and donuts.
How come, then, I'm not oozing with magic?
I even went to Sucher Torte's birthplace, Vienna, and ate countless servings of it. But did I get any magic? No. All I got was the desire to buy myself a bigger belt.
Same with donuts. Nothing. Zilch. I am the least magic fat person I know.
There is only one thing for it. I might have to bury myself in Book 2 of this series, and forget my woes for a while.
July 24, 2025
This book has so much going for it. Unfortunately, in the end, the pros are overshadowed by the cons.
First off, this book needs some content warnings: animal cruelty and death (both remembered and on page), transphobia, and ugly-shaming. Do not read this book if you are LGBTQIA+.
Cassie lives a quiet, unassuming life. She loves her job as a mortician's assistant and she loves to read. But then one day, the dead start coming back to life. As she tries to figure out how to deal with the undead, she learns of a whole other world alongside our world.
On to the good things about the book… I don't want to sell the author short; she writes a compelling story. Her style of writing is outstanding. I was sucked right into Cassie Black's world and I couldn't stop turning the pages. The author engaged my interest and kept me hooked.
Additionally, the book was well edited and structurally sound.
In the end, though, I cannot recommend this book.
As I went through it, several little niggling issues that set my hackles up. At the time, I ascribed them to a well-meaning author who just hadn't thought through how she might be giving offence.
1. A character being physically unattractive as code for not a good person. This trope is damaging and hurtful – but it is common. I think sometimes authors just don't think through how they can come off to a reader.
2. There are numerous uncritical references to Harry Potter. Now, the casual observer may not be aware of JK Rowling's agenda against trans people, so I didn't ascribe any malice to this.
3. Animal sp0iler in the comments.
They're little things – not enough to make me question my decision to keep reading. And, as I mentioned, I was hooked.
But then I got the end. And oh. Oh. (Deep sigh). The Rowling references weren't an innocent mistake. Sp0ilers in the comments.
Instead of reading this book and supporting the perpetuation of trans-coded villains, read this article instead: https://www.vox.com/culture/21449215/...
First off, this book needs some content warnings: animal cruelty and death (both remembered and on page), transphobia, and ugly-shaming. Do not read this book if you are LGBTQIA+.
Cassie lives a quiet, unassuming life. She loves her job as a mortician's assistant and she loves to read. But then one day, the dead start coming back to life. As she tries to figure out how to deal with the undead, she learns of a whole other world alongside our world.
On to the good things about the book… I don't want to sell the author short; she writes a compelling story. Her style of writing is outstanding. I was sucked right into Cassie Black's world and I couldn't stop turning the pages. The author engaged my interest and kept me hooked.
Additionally, the book was well edited and structurally sound.
In the end, though, I cannot recommend this book.
As I went through it, several little niggling issues that set my hackles up. At the time, I ascribed them to a well-meaning author who just hadn't thought through how she might be giving offence.
1. A character being physically unattractive as code for not a good person. This trope is damaging and hurtful – but it is common. I think sometimes authors just don't think through how they can come off to a reader.
2. There are numerous uncritical references to Harry Potter. Now, the casual observer may not be aware of JK Rowling's agenda against trans people, so I didn't ascribe any malice to this.
3. Animal sp0iler in the comments.
They're little things – not enough to make me question my decision to keep reading. And, as I mentioned, I was hooked.
But then I got the end. And oh. Oh. (Deep sigh). The Rowling references weren't an innocent mistake. Sp0ilers in the comments.
Instead of reading this book and supporting the perpetuation of trans-coded villains, read this article instead: https://www.vox.com/culture/21449215/...
May 31, 2021
I mean, it's fine though much less entertaining than you'd think. But the second time the author wrote dismissively about people trying to make a living is where I had to bail. DNF at 15%. Sex work is work. You can say you won't do it without being dismissive of the profession as a whole. Being poor isn't a choice. Etc. A dollar was too much to pay for this.
October 19, 2021
A fun, entertaining read - with magic powered by cake, which is just a complete win. Cassie is an interesting and engaging character, and the whole premise of unexpectedly awakening mortuary patients plunges the reader straight into a delightful new world of magic portals in cupboards and parallel towns and (less delightfully) a whole lot of sorcerous subterfuge. I did find Cassie's stubbornness frustrating in places, but as her backstory unravels it becomes clear where it comes from, and it's very much in character. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
October 11, 2022
I’m sure some readers found this witty and humorous. Unfortunately I am not one of those readers. The humor is not existent. The wit is forced. The only good thing is that I downloaded it as a sample.
March 30, 2025
I was excited to read this and then Cassie… she’s just unlikeable, rude, irritable, annoying, zero impulse control, and so much more. So much of the bad things that happened could have been avoided if only she LISTENED! Yes she’s traumatized from her childhood, but she’s also an adult! Ughh
January 31, 2023
To be honest, while well written I can't stand the characters in this book. Though I tried I could not like the main character, she was so sure she was right about everything and didn't listen to any of her teachers. The characters from the community where negligent with the main characters introduction to the community, no really telling her anything, including her own parents name and leaving her to stumble through every interaction with them.
February 4, 2021
Original Review at Jaunts & Haunts
4.5/5
I gave this book four and a half stars!
Cassie's life is anything but normal. She works at a funeral home prepping bodies for presentation for their loved ones. But when the dead start to rise under her watch, Cassie has to scramble to help them find peace before anyone finds out. That is, until she meets Mr. Tenpenny and her life is turned upside down. As Cassie helps the man find peace, she unwittingly embarks on a quest that sheds light on her mysterious past and reveals a world she never knew existed.
Man oh man, did I love this book!
I'm a huge fan of Tammie Painter, so I've come to expect a lot out of her, and this did not disappoint!
I think the biggest pro of this book is the characters. Cassie Black is an unique, introverted individual. She lives a simple and primarily solitary existence until things really hit the fan when the dead rise under her care. After that, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about her life. I really liked the witty, snarky thoughts she had, and being inside her head was very agreeable to me. Her dilemma was understandable and made it easy to root for her from the sidelines.
Favorite characters of mine were the adorable kitty Pablo, Mr. Tenpenny of course, and Alastair (I loved that his shoes and socks never matched, so quirky!).
I feel that each character had a unique viewpoint to what was happening around Cassie, and their personalities really shone through.
The plot was great, and got even better as things progressed. I really liked the shorter stories in the beginning that led to the main plot, and MagicLand (as Cassie calls it) blew me away. I loved the system that Painter developed to make this place work, and every minute in that place kept me on the edge of my seat. Can I live there please? No seriously, someone from there adopt me!
If I had to pick at anything, I'd say from time to time Cassie's thought process could get a bit long-winded for my taste, but it wasn't a constant issue. I also thought Cassie tended to jump the gun on some assumptions without proper evidence, but I think she's kind of learned her lesson through the events of this book to be more careful.
This is the first of three quirky, magical adventures in Cassie's complicated life, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Definitely give this book a shot!
4.5/5
I gave this book four and a half stars!
Cassie's life is anything but normal. She works at a funeral home prepping bodies for presentation for their loved ones. But when the dead start to rise under her watch, Cassie has to scramble to help them find peace before anyone finds out. That is, until she meets Mr. Tenpenny and her life is turned upside down. As Cassie helps the man find peace, she unwittingly embarks on a quest that sheds light on her mysterious past and reveals a world she never knew existed.
Man oh man, did I love this book!
I'm a huge fan of Tammie Painter, so I've come to expect a lot out of her, and this did not disappoint!
I think the biggest pro of this book is the characters. Cassie Black is an unique, introverted individual. She lives a simple and primarily solitary existence until things really hit the fan when the dead rise under her care. After that, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about her life. I really liked the witty, snarky thoughts she had, and being inside her head was very agreeable to me. Her dilemma was understandable and made it easy to root for her from the sidelines.
Favorite characters of mine were the adorable kitty Pablo, Mr. Tenpenny of course, and Alastair (I loved that his shoes and socks never matched, so quirky!).
I feel that each character had a unique viewpoint to what was happening around Cassie, and their personalities really shone through.
The plot was great, and got even better as things progressed. I really liked the shorter stories in the beginning that led to the main plot, and MagicLand (as Cassie calls it) blew me away. I loved the system that Painter developed to make this place work, and every minute in that place kept me on the edge of my seat. Can I live there please? No seriously, someone from there adopt me!
If I had to pick at anything, I'd say from time to time Cassie's thought process could get a bit long-winded for my taste, but it wasn't a constant issue. I also thought Cassie tended to jump the gun on some assumptions without proper evidence, but I think she's kind of learned her lesson through the events of this book to be more careful.
This is the first of three quirky, magical adventures in Cassie's complicated life, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Definitely give this book a shot!
January 27, 2021
In "The Undead Mr. Tenpenny," after mortuary cosmetologist Cassie Black unintentionally brings a corpse back to life, she discovers there's far more to her life than she could have ever imagined. Now, blessed (cursed?) with magical powers, she must learn how to navigate a whole new world, one with charms, and portals, and wicked doers. It's a bit "Pushing Daisies" meets Hogwarts, which makes the novel a fun and entertaining read. Great wit too. And if it ever makes it to the screen, my vote's for MacKenzie Davis as Cassie!
January 18, 2021
This book begins with a clever hook: the protagonist, Cassie Black, is shocked when the corpses at the funeral home where she works start coming back to life. She quickly learns the reason for this sudden re-animation is that they have "unfinished business." At first, she's able to help put them to rest, but when the eponymous Mr. Tenpenny returns to life, putting him at peace proves to be a daunting task that sucks Cassie into a whole parallel world of magic and mystery.
It's the classic setup of a seemingly ordinary person who finds themselves in another society where they take on immense importance. It's Joseph Campbell's Hero's Quest, through and through, but Cassie narrates her adventures with a smart-aleck, macabre sense of humor. The book is suffused with dark humor and witty dialogue, of the sort that Painter excels at.
This is book one in a series, and it ends on a cliffhanger. So, there are a lot of threads that remain to be tied up in future volumes. It's a fun read for anyone who enjoys fast-paced, somewhat snarky, somewhat twisted, fantasy adventures.
[This review is based on an ARC.]
It's the classic setup of a seemingly ordinary person who finds themselves in another society where they take on immense importance. It's Joseph Campbell's Hero's Quest, through and through, but Cassie narrates her adventures with a smart-aleck, macabre sense of humor. The book is suffused with dark humor and witty dialogue, of the sort that Painter excels at.
This is book one in a series, and it ends on a cliffhanger. So, there are a lot of threads that remain to be tied up in future volumes. It's a fun read for anyone who enjoys fast-paced, somewhat snarky, somewhat twisted, fantasy adventures.
[This review is based on an ARC.]
June 12, 2022
3.5 stars
I like this genre of urban fantasy, so I am giving it 3.5 stars, and I will read the next book. My biggest complaint is probably the main character. Her naivety and personality lead her to make nonsensical mistakes, which is always frustrating as a reader. The plot is also rather reminiscent of others in it's genre. But there was lots to be interested in, and I hope the next book continues to grow the characters and the magical world the author has created.
I like this genre of urban fantasy, so I am giving it 3.5 stars, and I will read the next book. My biggest complaint is probably the main character. Her naivety and personality lead her to make nonsensical mistakes, which is always frustrating as a reader. The plot is also rather reminiscent of others in it's genre. But there was lots to be interested in, and I hope the next book continues to grow the characters and the magical world the author has created.
October 18, 2022
the story was too similar to Harry Potter - the protagonist was an orphan abused in the foster system (Dursley’s) who discovered she had previously unknown magical abilities. Was taken to a magical community for training (Hogwarts), had a mentor (Dumbledore), etc . I was disapponted at the lack of originality. Won’t bother with the sequels - which deal with her chasing the evil wizard who killed her parents.
March 13, 2025
We meet Cassie Black at a funeral home where she works. She loves her job and is used to dead bodies, but recently things have gone wonky. She fears she might be unknowingly waking the dead and they are making demands before they climb back up on the mortuary table. The first couple of times, she solves their problem quickly. Send a note to a loved one, drop something off. That is until Busby Tenpenny. Mr Tenpenny believes he was murdered and thinks Cassie did it with her magic. But Cassie doesn't have magic, or does she?
The tale that unfolds pulled me in and Cassie is introduced to the magical world and sets out to solve Mr. Tenpenny's murder. She'll have to act fast, because someone is asking about the body. I liked Cassie and Mr. Tenpenny. Cassie's landlord is a little scary. Mr. Tenpenny introduces her first to his son, and then the magical world, where she takes a crash course on magic. Humor, suspense, friendships, connection and more await you in this well-paced, addictive tale.
Samantha Desz narrates and I've enjoyed other audios voiced by her. She does well with both male and female characters, giving each their own unique voice. I thought the audio enhanced my overall enjoyment of this first in the trilogy and look forward to listening to the next one! This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
The tale that unfolds pulled me in and Cassie is introduced to the magical world and sets out to solve Mr. Tenpenny's murder. She'll have to act fast, because someone is asking about the body. I liked Cassie and Mr. Tenpenny. Cassie's landlord is a little scary. Mr. Tenpenny introduces her first to his son, and then the magical world, where she takes a crash course on magic. Humor, suspense, friendships, connection and more await you in this well-paced, addictive tale.
Samantha Desz narrates and I've enjoyed other audios voiced by her. She does well with both male and female characters, giving each their own unique voice. I thought the audio enhanced my overall enjoyment of this first in the trilogy and look forward to listening to the next one! This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
June 15, 2021
I don’t like books (or TV/movies) about magic or magick or spells or potions, witches, wizards or any of that hocus-pocus supernatural jazz (with very few exceptions). HARRY POTTER? Fine if you’re a pre-teen girl. LORD OF THE RINGS? Yawn. ODD THOMAS? No thanks, I wasted enough of my life being disappointed by “Lost.” For that reason I was hesitant to read Tammie Painter’s THE UNDEAD MR. TENPENNY.
Ms. Painter is a fine writer who creates engaging characters you feel like you know and can relate to, but I didn’t know what she’d do with a magic-themed novel. I always try to be honest, if subjective, in my book reviews and I did not want to leave a middling or negative review if it turned out like I feared.
So what’s the verdict? Let’s just say as soon as I finished TENPENNY, I immediately bought the other two books in the series. (Note: I bought them from Ms. Painter’s Payhip site. I believe the author gets a bigger cut of the purchase price this way, plus I’m unhappy with Amazon’s recent decisions to start acting as a book and film censor/banner.)
Bottom line is this is a completely enjoyable book written for adults. I had a lot of fun reading it and had to force myself not to finish it in one sitting. I can’t wait to start the second and third books in the series.
Ms. Painter is a fine writer who creates engaging characters you feel like you know and can relate to, but I didn’t know what she’d do with a magic-themed novel. I always try to be honest, if subjective, in my book reviews and I did not want to leave a middling or negative review if it turned out like I feared.
So what’s the verdict? Let’s just say as soon as I finished TENPENNY, I immediately bought the other two books in the series. (Note: I bought them from Ms. Painter’s Payhip site. I believe the author gets a bigger cut of the purchase price this way, plus I’m unhappy with Amazon’s recent decisions to start acting as a book and film censor/banner.)
Bottom line is this is a completely enjoyable book written for adults. I had a lot of fun reading it and had to force myself not to finish it in one sitting. I can’t wait to start the second and third books in the series.
Read
August 23, 2022I'm not sure I'm going to finish. The main character, the narrator, is annoying. I don't have to be told on every single page that she is an unsociable introvert. The first ten or twenty times she mentions it were sufficient and I don't need to be told anymore. Also, she's involved in a difficult situation but pays no attention to the obvious key factors that need to be addressed to solve the problem. And worse, she fails to mention the key factor (which only she knows about) to the people most at risk. So I, the reader, keep thinking, "Shut up about your shyness and tell Mr. Tenpenny about the guy who is probably the murderer."
TO me, a plot is not suspenseful if the suspense comes from the main character being an idiot.
But, once I finish, if I finish, my opinion might improve.
Nope. I didn't finish. I plowed through a few more pages of the narrator whining about her insecurity issues while complaining that another character isn't dead and totally failing to mention the significant clue she had about who murdered him--and gave up.
TO me, a plot is not suspenseful if the suspense comes from the main character being an idiot.
But, once I finish, if I finish, my opinion might improve.
Nope. I didn't finish. I plowed through a few more pages of the narrator whining about her insecurity issues while complaining that another character isn't dead and totally failing to mention the significant clue she had about who murdered him--and gave up.
January 27, 2021
Imagine if instead of a lovable, wide-eyed, eleven-year-old boy, Harry Potter was a socially awkward, beer-guzzling woman in her late twenties who worked as a make-up artist for the dead and occasionally, accidentally brought them back to life. I don’t think I could have imagined it either, but I’m glad Ms. Painter did. The Undead Mr. Tenpenny is a clever, hilarious romp through a new magical universe that can be accessed through the closet of a hole-in-the-wall apartment in Portland, Oregon. Such a fun read. Can’t wait for the next in the series!
December 13, 2022
An interesting premise about talking to the recently dead, but it felt unfinished and rough and not as charming as it thought it was.
November 28, 2025
This author came recommended to me by my favorite humorous-mystery-fantasy writer (it's a thing. Trust me), Kim M. Watt. I think I bought the book on sale (Kindle) and it took me a while to get to it.
Well, I loved it. It's a little crazy, mixes up magic with the modern world, lots of humor, there's a running mystery and a found family trope wrapping everything in a big cozy hug. This is the first one in a series of five books and I already have the second lined up.
Cassie, the main character, works at a funeral home as an illegal make-up artist (just read it and you'll understand). Her life is pretty miserable and unexciting until the day the dead body in the morgue gets up in the middle of a make-up session and walks away... Cassie's life will never be the same.
For the romance lovers like me, there's a tiny hint of romance (hopefully developing in later books) with a lot of question marks keeping the two apart. I loved her developing relationship with people she had never met and whom she thought she would hate and see her grow from an almost self-loathing state of mind to one of much more confidence and hope.
Highly recommend it (and while you're on it sign-up to the author's funny newsletter).
Well, I loved it. It's a little crazy, mixes up magic with the modern world, lots of humor, there's a running mystery and a found family trope wrapping everything in a big cozy hug. This is the first one in a series of five books and I already have the second lined up.
Cassie, the main character, works at a funeral home as an illegal make-up artist (just read it and you'll understand). Her life is pretty miserable and unexciting until the day the dead body in the morgue gets up in the middle of a make-up session and walks away... Cassie's life will never be the same.
For the romance lovers like me, there's a tiny hint of romance (hopefully developing in later books) with a lot of question marks keeping the two apart. I loved her developing relationship with people she had never met and whom she thought she would hate and see her grow from an almost self-loathing state of mind to one of much more confidence and hope.
Highly recommend it (and while you're on it sign-up to the author's funny newsletter).
June 19, 2024
Fun and Quirky Magical Romp
Tammie Painter brings a new twist on the world of Magic, complete with secret communities, schools and talents.
Especially fun if you are a fan of the Harry Potter series!
Easy, fast read with characters and plot lines (and locations) galore!
Read it! A+ Bravo!
Tammie Painter brings a new twist on the world of Magic, complete with secret communities, schools and talents.
Especially fun if you are a fan of the Harry Potter series!
Easy, fast read with characters and plot lines (and locations) galore!
Read it! A+ Bravo!
Read
January 30, 202545% in to this book and it is still being too coy for my liking. The author's references to Harry Potter are unfortunate, because it kept reminding me how that book got going quickly instead of subjecting me to dancing around the plot for ever.
April 6, 2025
I loved the idea of this book, so was like let’s give it a go. Really enjoyed the book and the characters. Not so much the landlord but the Magics I love them all. Poor Mr Woods think the Magics have been near him.
July 23, 2025
This book was so much fun! Cassie has issues but she also has a great sense of humor. Great narration on audio.
July 25, 2025
Lots of fun! I sure wish eating sweets, like donuts, would bring out some magic in me. I could really use it. 😂😉
Read
June 5, 2021What a fun book! Nice and easy read with fun characters. Loved it!
April 14, 2023
It's not often that Amazon email recommendations are successful for me, but I loved this. Humorous, snarky, magical. It was just what I needed right now.
May 24, 2021
really funny, good characters. loved this world.
May 6, 2021
More 4.5 stars, but I happily give 5, since this is a delightful new author for me.
The story follows Cassie Black, whos work in a funeral home is complicated by some of her clients return to live. Follow up with an adult-Harry-Potteresk plot involving a magic community and an evil wizard out to rule them all.
While the general plot idea "has been done" (and that well be before Harry Potter), the more than saving grace of the book is the tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic POV of Cassie. Who completely recognizes that her antisocial attitude is neither the norm, nor appreciated by everybody, but takes a "well, that's who I am" attitude toward it. Ms Painter manages to draw a very lovable portrait of a difficult-to-love character. This is not a psychology textbook, nor does it try to be one, but the replacement of "plucky heroine" with "plucky heroine, but don't give me hugs" gives a welcome fresh taste to the story.
While Cassie's view often seems a bit to self-absorbed and short-sighted, it is always refreshingly honest, including about herself and her motives.
I appreciated the absence of info-dumps and that Ms Painter did not feel it necessary to explain every tiny detail, to fill every hole and to tie every string in the story. At the end of the book, we learned a lot about Cassie and her magical world, but there remain quite a number of holes and unexplained things... just as in real life. The ending is satisfying. It is clearly meant to be followed up with a another book (Dude, it says "Cassie Black trilogy - Book one" on the cover), but there are no cliffhangers and the ending happily provides closure until I can pick up the second book. Which I will.
The story follows Cassie Black, whos work in a funeral home is complicated by some of her clients return to live. Follow up with an adult-Harry-Potteresk plot involving a magic community and an evil wizard out to rule them all.
While the general plot idea "has been done" (and that well be before Harry Potter), the more than saving grace of the book is the tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic POV of Cassie. Who completely recognizes that her antisocial attitude is neither the norm, nor appreciated by everybody, but takes a "well, that's who I am" attitude toward it. Ms Painter manages to draw a very lovable portrait of a difficult-to-love character. This is not a psychology textbook, nor does it try to be one, but the replacement of "plucky heroine" with "plucky heroine, but don't give me hugs" gives a welcome fresh taste to the story.
While Cassie's view often seems a bit to self-absorbed and short-sighted, it is always refreshingly honest, including about herself and her motives.
I appreciated the absence of info-dumps and that Ms Painter did not feel it necessary to explain every tiny detail, to fill every hole and to tie every string in the story. At the end of the book, we learned a lot about Cassie and her magical world, but there remain quite a number of holes and unexplained things... just as in real life. The ending is satisfying. It is clearly meant to be followed up with a another book (Dude, it says "Cassie Black trilogy - Book one" on the cover), but there are no cliffhangers and the ending happily provides closure until I can pick up the second book. Which I will.
May 5, 2021
Rounding up because I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this. I can be a total snob about turning my nose up at self published stuff because there’s so much 💩out there and I only have so many free hours to read. I like an editor between me and the slush pile. I do so love being wrong when it nets me a good read!
The main character is of course special and powerful but surprisingly for a fantasy character would really just like to get rid of her sudden power and have her almost stable life back. Given the character’s history her moments of being a jerk are forgivable as she’s had a lot of trauma especially as she starts to soften up a bit and tries to work better with others. The sense of humor in the writing is quite enjoyable and the story moves right along.
I am absolutely reading the rest of the series.
The main character is of course special and powerful but surprisingly for a fantasy character would really just like to get rid of her sudden power and have her almost stable life back. Given the character’s history her moments of being a jerk are forgivable as she’s had a lot of trauma especially as she starts to soften up a bit and tries to work better with others. The sense of humor in the writing is quite enjoyable and the story moves right along.
I am absolutely reading the rest of the series.
May 3, 2024
Nope! Not how that works.
What in the name of abandonment issues is this???
So the dead come back to life and the main character somehow is mentally ill enough to blame herself for it somehow, which weird, but maybe she just has really low self esteem..?
But there is not way in hell a business owner is gonna be all like, I’m gonna totally blame my employee for the weird once (twice) in a life time thing and the task them to fix it and fire them if they don’t. What???
Let’s just argue for a sec, that’s it her fault? How exactly would he know that? That makes so sense! And usually I can overlook plot holes but no one would behave like that or just hand the ‘make the dead stop walking and also don’t sue me for creating an unsafe work environment by making you figure out why the freaking dead keep working up! Nope!
Like what? How is he gonna replace her? What would that ad even look like?? Also even if he does replace her, would you really be ok with leaving dead people alone with someone who willing took a job knowing they could walk up?? That person is either gonna be a ghost hunter or a pervert, both of which are likely gonna be filing whatever they doing down there with the animated dead, before you know it, your business is internet famous and all the alphabet agencies are either calling you or fining you.
Look, I get this is a set up to move the story forward but it’s a bad one that is devoid of logic to the point that I stopped reading and wrote this rant.
What in the name of abandonment issues is this???
So the dead come back to life and the main character somehow is mentally ill enough to blame herself for it somehow, which weird, but maybe she just has really low self esteem..?
But there is not way in hell a business owner is gonna be all like, I’m gonna totally blame my employee for the weird once (twice) in a life time thing and the task them to fix it and fire them if they don’t. What???
Let’s just argue for a sec, that’s it her fault? How exactly would he know that? That makes so sense! And usually I can overlook plot holes but no one would behave like that or just hand the ‘make the dead stop walking and also don’t sue me for creating an unsafe work environment by making you figure out why the freaking dead keep working up! Nope!
Like what? How is he gonna replace her? What would that ad even look like?? Also even if he does replace her, would you really be ok with leaving dead people alone with someone who willing took a job knowing they could walk up?? That person is either gonna be a ghost hunter or a pervert, both of which are likely gonna be filing whatever they doing down there with the animated dead, before you know it, your business is internet famous and all the alphabet agencies are either calling you or fining you.
Look, I get this is a set up to move the story forward but it’s a bad one that is devoid of logic to the point that I stopped reading and wrote this rant.
April 7, 2021
3.5 stars, rounded up (because a) book nerd solidarity, b) it's an Indie Read/clearly a labour of love, and c) who wants to be the first person to give a book less than 4 stars, right!?)
Anyways, this was a fun and entertaining read, all told.
Whilst there are obvious comparisons to be made with the Harry Potter books, I also got more than a few iZombie/Dead Like Me vibes from The Undead Mr. Tenpenny too, and I quite enjoyed seeing the book's magical realism play out from Cassie's "Ugh, enough with this crap* already..." point of view.
With plenty of laughs, a decent cast of characters, and about eleventy-billion nerd in-jokes, this was well worth the 89 English Pennies I paid for it; and I'll happily pick up the other books in the Trilogy sooner rather than later.
*Weirdly, my one real complaint is that Cassie doesn't really swear that much. It honestly felt like she should be dropping f-bombs like they were going out of fashion, and the fact that she didn't kinda felt... off. Maybe I just spent my 20s with the wrong type of people, but if any of them had been in Cassie's shoes, I guarantee there'd be enough expletives flying around to make even Quentin Tarantino think we'd prob'ly crossed the line.
Anyways, this was a fun and entertaining read, all told.
Whilst there are obvious comparisons to be made with the Harry Potter books, I also got more than a few iZombie/Dead Like Me vibes from The Undead Mr. Tenpenny too, and I quite enjoyed seeing the book's magical realism play out from Cassie's "Ugh, enough with this crap* already..." point of view.
With plenty of laughs, a decent cast of characters, and about eleventy-billion nerd in-jokes, this was well worth the 89 English Pennies I paid for it; and I'll happily pick up the other books in the Trilogy sooner rather than later.
*Weirdly, my one real complaint is that Cassie doesn't really swear that much. It honestly felt like she should be dropping f-bombs like they were going out of fashion, and the fact that she didn't kinda felt... off. Maybe I just spent my 20s with the wrong type of people, but if any of them had been in Cassie's shoes, I guarantee there'd be enough expletives flying around to make even Quentin Tarantino think we'd prob'ly crossed the line.
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