The Fright in the Family Room

Soul Seeker Cozy Mystery #7

by Courtney McFarlin

When Zane's new client reports strange things happening in his new house, at first they thought it was the product of paranoia. Now, the gang isn't so sure. Join Brynn and Bernie as they get ready to tackle their strangest case yet!

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Fiction

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 8, 2022

About the author

Courtney McFarlin currently lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her fiance and their two cats.

Reviews

[Lady Galaxy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book paralleled part of my family history. One of the ghosts this time around was a child who died of a rattlesnake bite. My dad was born in 1909 on a homestead in South Dakota not far from the general area where this series is set. When he was 5 years old, he and his 4 year old sister were playing in an old wooden wagon when his sister was bitten by a rattlesnake. It was 10 miles by horseback to get the doctor. By the time the doctor arrived, Dad's sister had died. The doctor told them that even if he'd been there when it happened there was nothing he could do to save her.

There was so much I liked about this one, but I'm not happy that it didn't tell the whole story. I have to read the next book to find out about the ghoul! It's so frustrating when authors of series only finish half of the story and leave the rest hanging until the next book! Why not just write a longer book and tell the whole story? Fortunately, I'm late starting the series, so I won't have to wait for the next book to be published, but if this keeps up, eventually I will catch up and have to wait. At my age, it's hard to hold onto details so by the time the next book comes out, I'll need to refresh my memory. Being left hanging is a cheap trick to get folks to buy or borrow the next book. Ms. McFarlin doesn't need to leave me hanging. I would have read the next book anyway. Instead, I'm now reluctant to carry on with the series because I don't like being kept hangin! At my age, I may be a ghost before the next book is published. Yeah, I know I'm not the target audience, but I love this series anyway! Since I only got half of the story, I'm tempted to give it half of the rating! I would have given it 5 stars. Instead of being that petty, I'm lowering it to 4 stars as a way of protesting the lack of a conclusion to the story.

[Brenda Yost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need better editing

The book follows suit with the rest of the series,. Brynn is making new friends, which is nice. Zane is receiving more recognition and Logan has a steady GF now, making him not as God’s gift to women! But one thing I did notice is there is a lot of typos and nonsensical sentences. Not sure who is doing the editing, but they are asleep on the job. Because of this I give the book 4*’s

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brynn can see and talk to ghosts. Sometimes this gets a bit scary but her cat Bernie helps. This story was puzzling as the clues did not come together easily. Brynn and her boyfriend, along with Bernie, were able to sort it out. Looking forward to reading the next one.

Amazon synopsis:
When Zane's new client reports strange things happening in his new house, at first they thought it was the product of paranoia. Now, the gang isn't so sure. Join Brynn and Bernie as they get ready to tackle their strangest case yet!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun series. This one doesn't fully wrap up in this book. The next book should contain the 2nd part for resolution. Brynn and Zane continue to work together on a new project that contains more than just a ghost or two. There also is the reminder that all things spooky don't have to be paranormal.

[Becky Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed the entire series and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys relaxing with a well written, fun read. The characters are great and the plots keep you intrigued. I will hate for the series to end. I’m totally addicted.

[Linnette Parris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Series

I am totally enamored with this series! So interesting and exciting. Such good plots and amazing characters. I very much recommend this series!

[LE Eastman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bernie the cat is the best. These mysteries have interesting Paranormal twists.

[Debbi S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

Oh my, another story that just brought tears to my eyes. It's so well written that I could just feel the pain and sorrow. Well done!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a poignant story of mysterious goings on. A whole family is dead because of mysterious circumstances.

[Jackie Welcel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Zane has a client that also hires Brynn to restage the old house and her cousin Logan to do the necessary repairs. There definitely is more going on though, more ghosts to try to help, more mysteries to figure out and what is the dark evil that appears? Brynn and Bernie to the rescue again but it everything resolved? Maybe not. A fun, spooky, quick read.