Review (and a Giveaway!): The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss

When Maddie Kosloski’s career flatlines, she retreats to her wine-country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she’s certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But a new ghost may be on the loose. A fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present.

With her high school bully as one of the officers in charge, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she’s certain it won’t be.

Maddie grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home.

SERIES: A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery #1
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Midnight Ink
RELEASE DATE: March 8, 2016
PAGES: 288

This was another fun find in the cozy mystery genre! And since it’s the first in a new series, there is the promise of more fun on the way 🙂

While I normally avoid the paranormal genre, I do love a good ghost story. Emphasis on good. The story and the ghost. I’m not into evil or creepy paranormal beings, thank you. I very much enjoyed both the story and the ghost in The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum. It always helps when there is a compelling historic mystery surrounding the ghost, in addition to the present-day mystery plaguing our main characters. But not to worry – if you aren’t into ghosts at all, this book is definitely more cozy mystery than paranormal suspense.

Along with the mystery – full of suspects that kept me guessing (my prime one was killed off early on… so much for my amateur sleuthing abilities lol) – a very light hint of romance threads through the plot. And when I say “hint”, I do mean that. The hint solidifies into something more viable toward the end, but remains just out of reach & sets the stage nicely for further development potential in future books.

I’m not sure yet if there are one or two possible romantic interests for Maddie.  The clear frontrunner is hunky Mason. But there’s definitely some sort of electric connection between Maddie and Slate.  I just can’t tell if it’s romantic or something else.  Perhaps some paranormally-type connection yet to be revealed.

Bottom Line: The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum is unique, well-written, and fun! The quirky museum, the array of likable characters, a curiously intuitive cat, and a ghost who may have been wrongly accused – these elements all give a creative twist to the usual cozy mystery formula.  With enough romantic potential to satisfy people like me, it also is the perfect choice for people who prefer more mystery than kisses. If you liked the TV shows Ghost Whisperer or Ghost Hunters, you’ll enjoy Kirsten Weiss’ new series!

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Loved it!

About the Author:

Kirsten Weiss grew up in San Mateo, California. After getting her MBA, she joined the Peace Corps, starting an international career that took her around the fringes of the defunct USSR and into the Afghan war zone. Her experiences abroad not only gave her glimpses into the darker side of human nature, but also sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.

She writes paranormal mystery and suspense, blending her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of magic and mayhem.

Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking good wine.

Connect with Kirsten Weiss online:

website | Facebook | Twitter

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