402064724.5 Stars:

Published March 8th 2019 by Midnight Ink

4.5 Stars: I really enjoy the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series. There is enough of a back story in each book that you can read them as standalone stories, but I don’t understand why anyone would not want to read the full series. The trio of Maddie, Adele and Harper are great friends who have reconnected and are there for each other. Maddie and Adele own businesses that are connected by a secret door and are often involved in mysteries together. Maddie’s is the paranormal museum, Adele owns a tea shop. San Benedetto is celebrating Chocolate and Wine days and Maddie prepares a Magic of Chocolate exhibit, to take part. When she heads to the local chocolate shop to pick up the chocolate she ordered, she gets more than she bargained for. One of the owners of the store is dead, covered in chocolate. That is not the only mystery in the book for Maddie to solve. Her latest acquisition, a haunted Mexican whisk called a molinillo, rattles if someone lies. Maddie wants to find out the history of this interesting piece.

I always enjoy the mysteries in these stories, the murder investigation, as well as the history of the various museum pieces. Maddie is a great MC and with the help of her boyfriend, Detective Jason and Slate and her ornery cat “GD”, a ghost detecting cat, she is able to solve both mysteries. I love the various characters in San Benedetto, many quirky, but all interesting. As Maddie searches for clues as to who would want to kill the chocolatier, the suspects keep adding up. I changed my mind many times regarding the killer with all the red herrings and twists. I like when I can’t figure out the killer until the reveal. There is just the right amount of personal storyline to make it interesting and get the reader invested in the characters. This is a series that I will continue to follow. If you enjoy a quirky cozy mystery with a touch of paranormal and great characters, then you will enjoy this one. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of the book upon my request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

About the Book: Maddie gets rattled by a candy-coated murder.

It’s Wine and Chocolate Days in San Benedetto, and paranormal museum owner Maddie Kosloski has sweet dreams about her new Magic of Chocolate exhibit. Her latest attraction is a haunted Mexican whisk called a molinillo that rattles if someone lies.

When Maddie visits the town’s new boutique chocolate shop, she finds one of the owners dead and covered in melted cocoa. Maddie’s determined to catch the killer, and she soon uncovers deadly dealings in the world of artisan chocolate. But the deception surrounding those dealings are enough to make the molinillo rattle all night. Will Maddie have to temper her passion for sleuthing before a killer makes her fate bittersweet?

Kirsten WeissAbout the Author: I’ve never met a dessert I didn’t like, and my guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives me heartburn, but I drink it anyway.

​Now based in San Mateo, CA, I write genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing my experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.

​If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out my Pie Town, Paranormal Museum and Wits’ End books. If you’re looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle, Riga Hayworth and Rocky Bridges books a try. And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey series might be for you.

​I send out original short stories of mystery and magic to my mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for my newsletter on the home page. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Bookbub, get in touch on Facebook, post a picture of one of my books to Instagram and tag me @kirstenweissauthor, or send me an email. I’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.