About the Book

Author: Ann Simas
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Number of Pages: 336
Synopsis: Where there’s smoke...
Andi Comstock has grown used to smelling the smoke that pervades her office every time a cremation takes place in the mortuary next door. She even enjoys the moment or two when each soul stops to chat with her on the way to the Pearly Gates.
But one day, a Smokie utters a confession that leads her to believe he may be headed in the other direction. I did something bad, Andi, and I don’t know how to fix it.
Sometimes, it means murder...
Andi isn’t the type of person who can let a plea for help go unanswered. Her sleuthing cohort Father Riley sometimes compares her to St. Jeanne d’Arc, fighting battles on behalf of others.
Andi’s no saint, but neither is she a coward. When someone–dead or not–asks for help, she can’t just walk away. Not even if it means putting her own life on the line.
My Review
Andi Comstock's senses are always on alert when the Smokies pass through her office with goodbye messages on their way to the afterlife so, when Clem Naylor's spirit arrives with the message "I did something bad and I don't know how to fix it" Andi's senses spin into overdrive. Joining forces with Father Riley and her boyfriend, Detective Jack Harmon, Andi sets out to help Clem right his wrongs so he can pass peacefully through the Pearly Gates. Unfortunately, Andi soon discovers just how sinister and complicated Clem's plan is and she's afraid she won't be able to protect the lives of those involved. Can she stop the evil nightmare before it's too late?
I really enjoyed Penitence. The characters are well developed and appealing and the storyline is imaginative yet unfolds in such a way that it is easily believable and engrossing. I was hooked from the moment Andi smelled smoke.
I highly recommend picking up a copy.
About the Author

She has written three novels that were Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Finalists: Chloe’s Spirit, First Star, and Blessed Are the Eagles. Magic Moon Press publishes Ann’s books, all of which are available as ebooks exclusively at Amazon, where they are also enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited Lending Library. Paperbacks are available directly from the author’s website (free shipping within the U.S.) and from Amazon (free shipping there with Prime). They are also available in the Amazon CreateSpace Store.
Ann served on the Romance Writers of America Board of Directors for two years and co-founded the Heart of Oregon Chapter RWA, where she served as President, Conference Chair, and Public Relations Chair. She has edited eight professional-organization newsletters (receiving Best-of Awards for two of them) and written articles for numerous magazines and newspapers. She also was Publications Director at a nonprofit research institute at the University of Oregon.
An award-winning watercolorist and a budding photographer, Ann enjoys needlework and gardening in her spare time. She is her family’s “genealogist” and has been blessed with the opportunity to conduct first-hand research in Italy for both her writing and her family tree. The genealogy research from decade’s old documents in Italian, she says, has been a supreme but gratifying challenge.