Book Review: Foul Play In Franklin

Reviewed by Grace Okubo

A delightfully cozy paranormal mystery where inheritance, a meddling cat, and a restless ghost make small-town life anything but ordinary

Erin Bailey is the average girl-next-door who stumbles into almost every girl’s dream: inheriting a million-dollar fortune and a modern, fully furnished house—all for being kind to a stranger years ago.

Erin is sweet, trusting, and good-natured. She expects good things and probably thinks the bad stuff only happens to other people. This oblivious optimism makes her both endearing and sometimes inattentive to what is happening in Franklin, Tennessee.

The inheritance comes with more than just a cat named Weeds (who later insists on being called Peekaboo). Franklin may be a picture-perfect small town, but Erin quickly discovers cracks beneath the surface. The elegant next-door neighbor seems warm enough, but the townsfolk are giving off some strange vibes. And then there’s the cat: mischievous, devious, and far from ordinary. Peekaboo isn’t just comic relief; she pushes Erin (sometimes literally) into facing the truth. Erin’s benefactor, Alice Chapman, didn’t die by accident. She was murdered.

From there, the mystery blooms. Erin discovers Alice’s ghost is trapped in this world and cannot leave until her killer is found. Joined by her spunky best friend, Susie, the girls put on their Nancy Drew hats to investigate. They may not be professional detectives (they’d rather watch HGTV than true crime), but with a talking cat and a ghost urging them on, how could they ignore the challenge?

And then there’s Ryan Cahill, the handsome detective assigned to the case. Erin initially struggles with whether it’s “wrong” to be attracted to him, which makes their scenes funny, frustrating, and charming all at once.

The book shines in its whimsical portrayal of girls determined to have fun. It also vividly captures the quirks of its supporting cast—troubled souls, sweet elderly couples, carefree youngsters, and warm-hearted neighbors—painting a picture of a laid-back, picture-perfect small town. While the beginning leans more on telling than showing, it works here, giving the story the feel of a small-town tale shared over coffee.

Easy to read with charm, humor, a hint of romance, and a good paranormal mystery, what more could the cozy reader want? This is just what you hoped it would be. It’s a sweet anomaly of a murder mystery, showing how real evil can wear an ordinary face, stare blankly at you, and make you comfortable enough to overlook it.

Foul Play In Franklin would be an excellent choice for lovers of quirky mysteries with talking animals, ghosts who seek closure, and heroines who playfully skip into courageous action.

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