Unsettled Spirits

It’s summertime in the South, but the temperature isn’t all that’s rising.

Greenville, South Carolina, 1972

Demons 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.

J. Matthew Saunders, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, is the author of the Daughters of Shadow and Blood trilogy based on the Brides of Dracula as well as 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 sun-dried tomato-basil pesto. He currently lives near Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and two children. To find out more, visit www.jmsaunders.com.