“Weiss’ many quirky ongoing characters add charm and humor.”–Kirkus Reviews “The third volume in this engaging series (following Pressed to Death) will appeal to fans of paranormal cozies by Sofie Kelly and Christy Fifield.”–Library Journal The holiday season turns udderly dangerous for Maddie and her paranormal museum. Maddie Kosloski is no fan of San Benedetto’s Christmas Cow, a thirty-foot … Christmas Cow, a thirty-foot straw bovine that graces the town square every December. For one thing, the cow displaces her paranormal museum as the number one tourist attraction. Plus, every year, despite around-the-clock surveillance, the cow goes up in flames.
But this year, there’s more than just a fire blazing in Maddie’s wine-country hometown. One of the Christmas Cow guards has been found with an arrow in his chest, and Maddie’s new haunted cowbell exhibit is fueling a panic. Are the spirits in her museum getting too hot to handle? If Maddie can’t stop the hysteria–and the murderous archer–her holiday plans might not be the only thing full of holes.
Praise for The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mysteries:
“Well-drawn characters and tantalizing wine talk help balance the quirky aspects of this paranormal mystery.”–Publishers Weekly
“A delightful new series.”–Library Journal (starred review)
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“Madelyn, this is your mother,” she said, terse. “Don’t come. I repeat, do not come.”
My scalp pricked. “What-?”
“The cow is under attack.”
“Attack?” My grip tighten on the phone. “What’s happening?” Slate straightened. “Maddie?”
“Oh my God. The gingerbread men!” she shrieked, and the phone disconnected.
I had a great laugh with that start to Deja Moo. It’s another delightful cozy mystery in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series.
In Deja Moo we get a few different mysteries; in the Christmas Cow that’s burned down, one of the guards is killed, their is the cowbells which are reported to be cursed, and someone is out to kill Maddie and her mother.
I’ve been having a charming time with this series. I really enjoy the small town portrayed. It’s quaint with a wonderful cast of characters. I also really like the small paranormal elements that we get with the museum. As for the story it flows nicely and the mysteries where well done that they kept me guessing until the end.
Maddie’s mom is a character. She is determined to find out who shot one of the guards at this year’s Christmas Cow and so that brings us to Maddie who finds herself in another investigation, even though she says her investigating days are over. I like Maddie. She has a knack for getting people too open up and share with her, which gains her information to work with in discover who’s the killer. I also love Maddie’s friends. They are a great cast of characters.
There are some interesting side stories that add depth and problems for Maddie. I also enjoyed how the haunted bells where weaved into the story.
The only thing I didn’t care for is the Mason and Belle stuff which I felt was rather pointless. If you’ve read the series in order then you know I wasn’t to happy with Mason in book 2 and was hoping that that relationship aspect was over with and we could move onto Detective Slate. I will say that I’m glad to see the Mason issue resolved by the end, but I could have done without it Deja Moo.
Though the Mason and Belle stuff got to me, it didn’t take away from the mysteries featured in Deja Moo. This was another engaging and splendid read for me. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Rated: 4 Stars
This was a fun read! I love the premise of this whole series. Maddie owns a museum dedicated to all things paranormal, but sometimes her displays, shall we say, haunt her life. I’m also enjoying the romantic subplot winding through the series. Who will Maddie end up with–her sexy neighbor or the handsome police detective?
The third in the series about Maddie Kosloski who runs a paranormal museum in her wine-country hometown. This one is set at Xmas with arson and murder mixed in. The books are a quick and fun read but not very memorable.
I love this series! This book is a win, win with for me. I really like all the characters not to mention the witty dialog. If you like cozie mysteries with a little paranormal on the side, you’ll love this series for sure. I’ve already purchased the first book in the series and this is the third installment I got some catching up to do for sure.
I would like to thank Midnight Ink and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this e-galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I’ve read and reviewed the first two books in the series and I give this one the same “really liked it” rating. The mystery is good, Maddie is a really proactive investigator. The author also gives us a lot of page time with Maddie at her job and it seems pretty realistic (versus some cozies where the person never seems to actually do their job or the set up is implausible).
In this outing, Maddie’s friends have a back seat and her mom decided she’s going to get actively involved. I liked the mom helping out and the believable way she does, even when prevented by the police presence in her life.
I am not fond of love triangles and both of Maddie’s love interests show up, one with a much more dominant presence. Despite my preference to just cut one out and “drop it” from reference, it makes sense that the ties can still be there between two potential love interests. I didn’t feel it was used to excess.
Looking forward to the next book. I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. 4.5/5 stars
A fun series with a great premise. When the Christmas Cow is burnt down and a local dairy farmer found dead, shot with an arrow, Maddie can’t help but investigate. Her mother was helping guard the cow that night and is a suspect, at least in one officers eyes. Maddie is also worried about some decorations that she has on display for the holidays. See Maddie has bought the haunted cowbells that were brought over from the towns sister town. Her exhibit has brought forth the story of when the bells first arrived and several people from a couple of committees died. Has the curse come back to seek revenge on more members of the town, Maddie doesn’t believe so she thinks curses aren’t real. She is determined to find out just what happened that fateful night and keep her mother safe in the process. Did the people who shot up the cow also kill the guard? Was the killer the lone person dressed as Santa Claus? Has the curse come back to take more lives? Dive in and find the answer to these questions and more. This was the first book I read of the series and I loved it, I’ll now be going back and reading the previous books and waiting for a next one to come out. The characters were great and easy to get to know, I had no trouble following along with the story and keeping up with what was happening. This was truly an amusing read.
This is the third book in this series, and I read the first one but not the second one. I missed it! However, I don’t really feel I’ve missed anything. I just loved this series. There’s only one tiny thing that I have to complain about, and that’s only that there really isn’t any paranormal elements in the books. They are hinted at, but they aren’t confirmed. Other than that, I found this book fun, the characters entertaining, and the plot not easy to figure out. In fact, I was kept guessing on who had done it until almost the very end. Maddie’s mother kept things so lively and interesting; I hope she joins Maddie for more in the future books. I also really liked the detective Jason as a love interest, but I really wish I had read the second book to find out more about what happened to Mason and Maddie as I liked that pairing. However, I really enjoyed this book and think others will, too. If you like cozy paranormal (ish) mysteries, you will love this one! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.
Maddie Kosloski is not a fan of San Benedetto’s Christmas Cow, the thirty-foot straw cow that sits in the town square every December. The cow displaces her paranormal museum as the number one tourist attraction, and she can’t afford to have fewer customers. Plus, every year, despite around-the-clock surveillance, the cow goes up in flames.
This year, there’s more than just a straw cow ablaze in Maddie’s hometown. One of the Christmas Cow guards has been found with an arrow in his chest, and Maddie’s new haunted cowbell exhibit is causing panic. Are the spirits in her museum getting too hot to handle? If Maddie can’t stop the hysteria, and the murderous archer, her holiday plans might not be the only thing full of holes.
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Series: A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery – Book 3
Author: Kirsten Weiss
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Paranormal
Publisher: Midnight Ink – Publishing Date March 8, 2018
Deja Moo is a fun and easy-to-read book filled with quirky humor and twists and turns that will make the reader happy. A straw Christmas Cow is original and an interesting take on the traditional straw man. Although this book has a holiday theme, it isn’t filled with the normal holiday detail.
Ms. Kosloski has developed characters that are long-lasting, relatable and likable, a combination that can be hard to achieve. This book is the third installment in the “A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery” series and is a fitting addition. Characters have evolved with well-rounded personalities and unmistakable oddities that readers will love. Returning characters such as Maddie’s mother and friends are an integral part of the plot, and Maddie couldn’t investigate without them.
Maddie may own a paranormal museum, but she doesn’t believe in the paranormal. At times she wants to shout it from the rooftops, but because it is her livelihood, she must suppress her disbelief and the urge to tell people the truth. It wouldn’t be good for business if her customers found out that the items on display at the museum aren’t really cursed. But when the cursed cow bells cause a panic and are blamed for possible deaths, she tries to convince the townspeople that the bells are not and have never been cursed. Unfortunately, no one believes her.
Overall, Deja Moo is a fast-paced, action-filled romp that readers will appreciate. It is funny at times, giving the characters a real-life impression with emotions the reader can experience. It is recommended to anyone who likes a quick read with memorable characters. Unfortunately, there are a few too many questions that were left unanswered after the killer was revealed and this may cause some readers to be disappointed.