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It’s Nearly Time…

August 14th, 2020
Penny Hampson

I’m getting very excited about the release of my latest book.

That’s right, The Unquiet Spirit will be available on Amazon on Friday 21st August – although you can pre-order it now. A creepy mystery, aiming to send shivers down your spine, I hope you enjoy it because I certainly enjoyed writing it,

Unlike my previous books, this story is set in the present day – pre-Covid though, because how could I guess two years ago when I started writing Kate’s story that there would be a killer virus on the loose?

Set in beautiful Cornwall, The Unquiet Spirit tells the story of what happens to Kate Wilson when she moves to Falmouth after unexpectedly inheriting her godmother’s house. She’s recovering from a toxic relationship and is looking forward to a new start, but things don’t go exactly to plan.

Here’s a small extract to whet your apetite:

Kate arched her back and rolled her shoulders. She was exhausted. Muscles ached in places she didn’t know she had muscles, and a persistent pain hovered over her eyes. She’d started in the kitchen, throwing away out-of-date items from the cupboards and cleaning the musty fridge. Then she’d tackled the bathrooms, the main one upstairs, the smaller ensuite one to the bedroom she intended as hers, and the ground floor cloakroom. Finally, she’d dusted and hoovered all the ground floor rooms.


She put the vacuum cleaner away and decided a coffee was in order. Five minutes later, Kate slumped into a chair at the kitchen table to wait for the kettle to boil. She must have nodded off, because the next thing she was aware of were the clouds of steam and water running down the windows. Blast! She leapt up and got to the kettle just in time. The last thing she needed was a hunt round Falmouth for a new one. She slugged back two paracetamol with her coffee – her head was banging now – and considered what else needed doing. Tomorrow, she’d bring a scarf for her hair and possibly a mask. She’d been sneezing all day. Who knew dusting would be so…dusty? And she’d get food. No point in making herself ill. She looked out the window to the darkening sky. It was getting late. Just one final check round before leaving for the night.


The stairs creaked as she went up to what had been Win’s bedroom, part of a large eighteenth century addition to the eastern front of the house. Both its windows overlooked the main drive, and a swift glance told her that they were secured. The bathroom windows, which were at the back, were also locked. Now for the first of the two small bedrooms at the centre front of the house. The door handle wouldn’t budge, even though she’d already been in the room. She grimaced as she struggled, mentally adding a can of WD40 to her shopping list. The handle suddenly gave way and she almost tumbled into the room.
Her eyes widened at the sight of the sash window. It was open at the bottom, and the curtains were flapping about in the breeze. Kate was pretty sure it had been closed earlier. She went over and pushed down hard, but it wouldn’t budge. Scratching her head, wondering what to do, she jumped when the sash moved on its own, slamming shut with a crash.
“What the…?”

Behind her, the door closed with a loud click. She spun round.

“Bloody hell!”

Frowning, and trying to keep her rising panic under control, she stalked over to the door.
Again, the handle wouldn’t budge. A spike of fear went down her spine. Her stomach churned. Stay calm. Deep breaths. Goosebumps rose on her bare arms. She shivered.
The temperature had dropped several degrees, in fact, it now felt positively Arctic. She sniffed. Was that rosemary she could smell? Imagination, she told herself. She gave the handle another try. It turned easily.
I’m going round the bend, she scolded herself… She shouldn’t have taken those tablets on an empty stomach. Still shaking, she took the stairs two at a time, grabbed her bag, and headed for the car.

Is Kate’s new home haunted? Well you’ll have to wait until 21st August to find out! To pre-order your copy of The Unquiet Spirit click here

2 Responses

  1. 14th August 2020

    Already on order. I’m looking forward to reading 📖

    • PennyH
      14th August 2020

      Fantastic, Paula! I hope you enjoy it.