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(Spirited Encounters Book 2)
By Penny Hampson
From the very first pages, A Plethora of Phantoms feels less like a straightforward ghost story and more like stepping into a house where something has been waiting far longer than anyone realises. Lanyon Park is not simply a setting — it feels settled, layered, and quietly resistant to being fully understood.
What makes the opening chapters so effective is how firmly they are rooted in Freddie himself. He isn’t introduced as someone particularly decisive or in control, but as someone returning to a life that already carries expectation and weight. There’s a sense that he is returning to something that never really paused in his absence, rather than beginning anything new, and that feeling shapes everything that follows.
His early experiences are not dramatic in any obvious way. Instead, they are marked by small disruptions — objects moved, spaces that feel subtly altered, moments that don’t quite align with how things should be. None of it is immediately overwhelming, which makes it easier to question, to dismiss, or to explain away. It’s only as those moments begin to repeat and overlap that the unease becomes harder to ignore. The story relies on that accumulation rather than sudden shock, and it gives the atmosphere time to settle in properly.
Marcus enters the narrative within this uncertain space, and his presence shifts the tone almost immediately. Where Freddie hesitates, Marcus engages, bringing a different kind of energy into the story. He feels more willing to confront what is happening, even when it doesn’t make sense, and that contrast between them creates a dynamic that feels both balanced and quietly tense.
What develops between them is not isolated from the rest of the narrative. Their connection grows within the same atmosphere of uncertainty, shaped by the same questions and pressures. It doesn’t feel separate from the haunting, but intertwined with it, as though both are unfolding alongside each other rather than in parallel.
As the story progresses, the sense of scale begins to change. What initially feels contained within the house gradually expands outward, drawing attention to objects, histories, and connections that reach beyond a single place. The dressing case becomes particularly significant in this respect, acting as a point of focus that leads the narrative into something broader and more complex than it first appears.
Importantly, this expansion does not simplify the story. Instead, it adds layers to it. Each new piece of information deepens the mystery rather than resolving it immediately, shifting the focus from what is happening to why it has remained unresolved. The past does not feel distant or settled — it continues to shape the present through what has been left incomplete.
Running alongside this is a strong sense of place. Lanyon Park is not just a backdrop, but an active presence within the story, shaping the way events unfold and how the characters respond to them. Even as the narrative moves beyond it, the house remains central, as though everything continues to return to it in some way.
The emotional core of the story sits in its relationships. Not just between Freddie and Marcus, but within the family, and in the way the past continues to affect the present. These connections are rarely straightforward, often shaped by hesitation, misunderstanding, or things left unsaid. That gives the story a quiet emotional weight that sits alongside the supernatural elements.
By the final chapters, the story has shifted once again. What began as something contained and uncertain moves towards a clearer sense of understanding. The truth behind the haunting is uncovered, and with it comes a sense of release that feels both earned and necessary. It isn’t dramatic or overstated, but there is a quiet completeness to it — the sense that what has been left unresolved has finally been acknowledged, allowing the past to settle and the present to move forward with a little more clarity.
It’s this combination — of atmosphere, character, and gradual expansion — that gives A Plethora of Phantoms its strength. It trusts its pacing, allows its mystery to unfold naturally, and never rushes towards easy answers.
Penny Hampson
Penny Hampson writes mysteries, and because she has a passion for history, you’ll find her stories also reflect that. A Gentleman’s Promise, a traditional Regency romance, was Penny’s debut novel and the first of her Gentlemen Series. There are now four novels in the series, with the latest, An Adventurer’s Contract, released in November 2024. Penny also enjoys writing contemporary mysteries with a hint of the paranormal, because where do ghosts come from but the past? The Unquiet Spirit, a spooky mystery/romance set in Cornwall, is the first in the Spirited Encounters Series. Look out for A Plethora of Phantoms coming soon.
Penny lives with her family in Oxfordshire, and when she is not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming, and the odd gin and tonic (not all at the same time).
If you’ve enjoyed any of Penny’s books please leave a review on Amazon, Bookbub, or Goodreads, and let other readers know!
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