Don't worry if you haven't read this series before or if you aren't a fan of the paranormal in your cozies- this one can easily be read as a standalone AND it never gets too woo-woo. Maddie, who owns the Museum, has a New Mexican chocolate whisk that's perfect for display during her town's Wine and Chocolate Days. Hah! There's a murder, of course, before the celebration gets started and of course Maddie (and her friends) must investigate because Maddie found the body. Her law enforcement officer Jason warns her to stay away from this but at least his partner Laurel (who really doesn't like her) doesn't want to arrest her this time out. There are some fun characters in the small town of San Benedetto (which really should rethink having festivals). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's nicely written and a fun read.

I am still enjoying this series, although I’m not going to be raving about all of the book as much as I did in my review of the first book in the series, The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum.

When looking over my reviews to see what I had written about the second and third book in the series, I saw that I had not done a reviews. There was a long bit of time I was burned out from writing reviews and running my website, and it must have been during the time I read those two books. I do remember enjoying Pressed to Death and Deja Moo though.

Pressed to Death had the great setting, taking place at a Harvest Festival with lots of wine, and Maddie and her mother worked together in solving the mystery. Which was a great way to get to know her mom more. I also remember there was a big reveal with her love interest, Mason.

Deja Moo was also a treat with the straw Christmas Cow and the antics surrounding it. Maddie’s relationship with, Mason, her shop neighbor was totally upended in book two, which left it open for new romance in Deja Moo.

Which leads us to the Chocolate a la Murder. I’m going to start with the great, and then go onto the not as great. The extra mystery that we get in each book, the one in regards to the current haunted object Maddie has in her store, was a great device for letting us know something was up with Mason. Whenever the molinillo (the haunted Mexican hot chocolate whisk) would rattle, it meant someone was lying. Mason kept stopping at her shop, and it seemed to rattle every time he started talking.

The descriptions of the museum are still wonderful. But all the weather seemed to involve fog. It’s strange to feel so ambivalent to fog, but after all her descriptions, which I felt never really lead to anything, that’s how I feel. Which is kind of sad, because we don’t get a lot of fog in Wisconsin, but when we do I always enjoyed it because I felt like I was entering a Stephen King novel.

There was more interaction with GD (Ghost Detecting) cat, although most of it involved GD biting her, or Maddie feeding him. I’m waiting for GD to help her solve one of the mysteries.

Now onto the not so great. And I feel really bad, because this series is my catnip, as explained in my review of the first one in the series.

I really didn’t feel like there was any character development, or if there was, it made the characters a bit annoying. In a previous book we found out Harper was a Strega (Italian Witch). So many things Weiss could be doing with that, but instead Harper has barely any action in the book, except to commiserate with Maddie in regards to how annoying Adele is being with her wedding planning. There is a bit at the end with Harper wanting to try a different path in her life, besides being a witch, that could be a great set up for future novels. So here’s hoping!

As mentioned Adele is just being annoying. But as I always say, if a writer has me super annoyed or hating a character, then they must be doing a really good job writing them. So that is great, I just don’t want it to continue.

And now for the love interest. I thought about how to write this for a half an hour. There is no love triangle, for which I am very happy. I’ve stopped reading great book series because the love triangle just kept going, leading nowhere. But going from a love, Mason, that Maddie was passionate about, to just a lukewarm character, Jason, that she seems to fight with constantly, is just not endearing Maddie or Jason to me. All I can say, is I trust Weiss knows what she is doing, and something great will come of this.

And as for Maddie’s horrible relationship with Det. Hammer, at this point, it’s just horrible. At first it added some much needed drama, now I just dread reading it. To make Det. Hammer a spiteful person who just seems out to get Maddie no matter what, without giving us a good backstory, just isn’t cutting it for me anymore.

Maddie Kosloski has acquired another haunted object for her Paranormal Museum, a molinillo (whisk) that rattles any time someone tells a lie. And it rattles a lot in this story - a lot of people in Maddie's life have stuff going on. Her ex, Mason, keeps trying to talk to her, her one best friend is deep into wedding planning and the other one seems to be hiding something.
And then there's the whole stumbling over another dead body thing. This time it's one of the new choclatiers in town. And it seems that the murderer believes Maddie might know who they are and they're after her next.
There was a LOT of telling Maddie not to investigate murders in this book. And people know now that she does it so the murderer was after her pretty fast. This makes it harder and harder to read the series because now she's just looking sort of... foolish for continuing to do things that put her in death's way.

Three stars
This book comes out March 8
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
Follows Deja Moo

Murder A La Chocolate is the first time I've started a book in the middle of the series. It surprised me that it was easy to follow. I did feel like I was missing some inside jokes. It was a great story. I love the characters and I'm looking forward to reading the beginning of the series and more books to come!

In this 4th novel in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery series, Maddie is working on her Magic of Chocolate exhibit, part of the town's Wine and Chocolate celebration. But when her chocolate delivery is late, she volunteers to go the the retail store, Reign, to pick up the items in person. She doesn't expect to find one of the owners dead in the kitchen. Once again, she finds herself conducting her own investigation, despite warnings from Detective Jason Slate...which is not helping their newfound romantic involvement. This is a fun series, with a touch of the paranormal, and interesting characters. Each story features an apparently haunted item on display in the museum, this time a molinillo, used for mixing Mexican hot chocolate, that rattles when a lie is told. Maddie has a great relationship with her gal friends, Adele and Harper, as well as a good one with her part-time worker, Leo. There are the usual quirky characters such as her collector, Herb, as well as the members of the Ladies Aid Society. And of course, there is her testy relationship with Detective Laurel Hammer, who apparently is still carrying a grudge from high school days. This story also featured a lot of fun facts about chocolate, and had some unique museum items, such as chocolate themed tarot cards, as well as a fortune teller who uses the dregs of hot chocolate as a substitute for reading tea leaves. I love this series, but I think this was the best so far. I can't wait for the next story. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book received through NetGalley, and all opinions are strictly my own.

Chocolate a la Murder by Kirsten Weiss is the 4th book in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum mystery series, and another delightful addition. Maddie Kosloski owns the Paranormal Museum in her home town of San Benedetto, CA and is use to her towns uncommon traditions and people. The theme for the town celebration is wine and chocolate days. Maddie recently purchased a haunted Mexican wisk called a molinillo, used to make Mexican hot chocolate. The molinillo is haunted because every time someone lies it rattles. When Maddie goes to the chocolate shop to get the chocolate that has not been delivered, she finds one of the owners dead, covered in chocolate. I really enjoy the quirkiness of this book/series, and it always makes me smile. If you like unique and fun cozy mysteries, I recommend this book and series. 

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A perfectly cozy mystery! The story was formulaic- an independent small businesswoman with a detective love interest, a small town, gal pals, an animal companion… But it’s a formula that works and it’s a format I love, especially on a rainy or snowy day, or if I want something lighthearted to read. I did figure out who was the murderer the moment they were introduced, but the author did a good job of laying red herrings.

It is Wine and Chocolate Days in San Benedetto and Maddie has set up a Magic of Chocolate exhibit in her paranormal museum. She plans to entice visitors with haunted chocolate implements, gourmet chocolate for sale, and fortunes read in hot chocolate. Maddie is especially excited that the chocolate she will be selling is local and artisinal.
Everything is ready to go except the bulk order of chocolate Maddie and her friend Adele went in on together has not been delivered. To save Adele some stress, Maddie offers to visit Reign to see where their order is.
Visiting Reign is where things take a turn for Maddie - she discovers the body of one of the owners. The pace and danger ratchet up until Maddie's survival is in question.
Chocolate a la Murder was a real page-turner! It is exactly what I look for in a cozy mystery: great characters, good pacing, and a mystery that keeps me guessing.

I enjoyed reading this fun cozy murder mystery set in San Benedetto, California. Maddie Kosloski is the protagonist and is the owner of the Paranormal Museum. She has some interesting items in her museum and there is kind of a side mystery about one of the items, a molinillo (a Mexican chocolate stirrer), that is haunted and rattles when someone lies. Maddie discovers a body at a local chocolate maker's shop and she pursues the investigation of the homicide like a bulldog to try to solve the case. Some quirky characters in this light read but nothing too deep. There's a fun cat named GD who likes to attack on the police officers.

Thanks to Kirsten Weiss and Midnight Ink through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a nice cozy but nothing groundbreaking. A good read for bad weather days.

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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

Chocolate a la Murder by Kirsten Weiss
Book #4: A Perfectly proper Paranormal Museum Mystery
Source: NetGalley and Midnight Ink
My Rating: 4½/5 stars

Dear Lord! One would think Maddie Kosloski lives in a sprawling urban center filled to the brim with mischief and mayhem rather than the sleepy little town of San Benedetto. The woman can’t even go to the chocolate shop without tripping over a dead body!

Much to the great displeasure of literally everyone in her life, Maddie has found yet another dead body and this time it is one of San Benedetto’s beloved chocolate makers. The death itself is bad enough, but it’s made even worse by the fact the town is knee-deep in one of its biggest annual events, Wine and Chocolate Days. Even Maddie’s paranormal museum has gotten in on the action with a Magic of Chocolate display featuring a haunted molinillo. Though she knows nothing about the murder and little more about the molinillo, Maddie intends to find out everything she can about both.

As Maddie begins poking around into the death of the chocolate maker, she finds misdeeds, irregularities, and lies that simply cannot be explained. While the chocolate is delicious, nothing about the chocolate maker and his business make sense. What’s more, with each new discovery, Maddie finds herself drawn deeper into a killer’s net. Not only is her museum threatened, but so is her relationship with her cop boyfriend, and her life. Maddie doesn’t want to stop digging, but she’s up to her neck in a mess and the killer is clearly willing to go to great lengths to protect his/her identity.

As if all this weren’t enough, Maddie also has her investigation into the history of the haunted molinillo, helping her bat-crap crazy friend Adele plan her ridiculous wedding, and her ex-boyfriend is stopping by the museum a lot and acting weird. Needless to say, all the drama has Maddie on edge which is causing a great deal of strain with all her relationships. If she can’t get to the bottom of all the messes and dilemmas, Maddie just lose everything.

The Bottom Line: With each installment of this series, I think “San Benedetto can’t get any weirder!” And yet, it does, and this is why I love this series so much. Maddie is undoubtedly the center of this wonderfully weird universe and hovering around her is a cast of characters equally weird and delightful. With each new book, all the core characters are showing growth while remaining true to their essence; this is one of the things I am most fond of in my books and it is a strong element in this series. Of particular note in this book is the ending which I enjoyed tremendously because when the big bad and the motive is revealed, I remember thinking to myself, “WOW! They even kill for weird reasons in this series. AWESOME!!” In all, the relationships are growing and expanding, the paranormal museum is picking up in terms of business, Maddie is getting far better at investigating, and the future of San Benedetto is poised for even more weirdness.

With many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maddie Kosloski and her ‘perfectly proper paranormal museum’ return in yet another cozy mystery; this time a local chocolatier is the victim and once again Maddie seeks to solve the murder. The setting is wine and chocolate days in San Benedetto, the charming though somewhat murderous town where Maddie lives.
As part of a display for wine and chocolate days, Maddie has acquired a new artifact; a haunted Mexican whisk called a molinillo that rattles if someone lies. When her expected delivery of chocolate doesn’t arrive Maddie goes to pick it up herself and discovers one of the chocolate shops owners... dead.
With a little help from her friends and GD the ‘Ghost Detecting’ cat, Maddie attempts to solve the mystery and survive once more.

I love this series, while it is more mystery story than paranormal story, the paranormal aspects add fun and quirky appeal to each book.

Maddie is back with her paranormal museum getting ready for the town's Wine and Chocolate Days. She has a brand new haunted Mexican chocolate whisk called a molinillo and if you tell a lie, it rattles! Along with her Magic of Chocolate exhibit and lot of chocolate from the new artisanal chocolate shop,she's hoping things go well.

With Adele all a twitter over wedding plans, Maddie gives her one less thing to worry about by picking up their joint chocolate order. She finds the shop empty and one of the owners dead,covered in chocolate!

While hunky boyfriend Jason is off this case Maddie will have to hope Laurel won't lock her up just for being on the scene! And of course she is going to do what she does best. Investigate. It's just a hobby. Until someone tries drowning her, and not in chocolate!

Everyone at the chocolate company was sketchy so there were plenty of people to be suspicious of but Maddie needs a motive to find the killer before more bodies are found. And by the way her molinillo is rattling lies are plentiful.

I love the characters in this series. They are fun and quirky and just very relatable! And this one was extra good because of the chocolate and the fact I learned what a molinillo was!

Smart, quirky, and just plain fun is what this series is!

Netgalley/March 8th 2019 by Midnight Ink

This is the first book in the series that I have read, but I did not find it difficult to get caught up with the characters or town. The author makes references to the events from previous books which was helpful - the references were general which was also good since I want to go back and read the previous books and I don't feel like they've been spoiled for me. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, especially the friendship between Maddie, Adele, and Harper. Adele's ability to continue to focus solely on the details of her wedding was kind of amusing with everything else going on, but she never comes across as selfish or self-absorbed. I also appreciated that Maddie and Jason talked about things rather then letting them fester - it's always refreshing to see adults acting like adults. In a lot of ways this book reminded me of the 'Murder She Bakes' mysteries, but it was in no way a rip off or poor copy. The characters and plot were 100% original, they just had the same feeling to them. So, if you like those books/movies you'll also enjoy this one.

The mystery was good and none of the characters were obvious choices for the murderer so I never got that feeling of "how can nobody see it's (enter character name here)?! Not sure the haunted molinillo added much to the story, but as far as a paranormal story it was kind of interesting. And I completely understood everyone's concern for Maddie as she was investigating on her own - perhaps she should start taking some self defense classes.

Chocolate a la Murder by Kirsten Weiss is the fourth book in the cozy A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery series. Each book in the series features a new murder case to be solved so they could be read as a standalone if one chooses although some character/setting building would be missing if not starting at the beginning.

In this installment of the series we pick back up with Maddie Kosloski who owns the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum in San Benedetto. The museum is a local town tourist attraction that exhibits artifacts that have a paranormal or haunted history attached to them. Maddie’s latest artifact is a haunted Mexican whisk called a molinillo that rattles if someone lies.

As Maddie jumps in and gets involved in Wine and Chocolate Days in San Benedetto she finds that she is missing the key chocolate to make her Magic of Chocolate exhibit a success. Maddie decides to just head over to the chocolate shop and pick up the delivery herself but when she walks into a quiet business only to discover the owner in the back covered in chocolate and an apparent murder victim so Maddie again finds herself hunting down a murderer in her small little town.

I have been following the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series since the beginning and really enjoy picking up each new installment. This would be one that definitely has that quirkiness to it that I enjoy and a great cast of character returning from book to book, along with GD the ghost detecting kitty cat. It’s not overly heavy on the paranormal but that little touch just gives it a bit of something extra fun. Already looking forward to the next visit with Maddie and friends.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I liked this addition to the series but not as well as the others. This one seemed a little drawn out further than needed and had many different paths that could've been taken to make the story a bit better in my opinion but weren't.

In this one Maddie displays a "haunted" molinillo that supposedly rattles when a lie is told. It is also Wine and Chocolate Days in the town. Things take a deadly turn when Maddie finds a dead body at the local chocolate shop. Of course she can't help but stick her nose in and ask a few questions which gets her in trouble and leads to more danger.

All in all it was a good addition to the series and is easy to put down and pick up without too much trouble. I was given a eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.

At first I was really liking this book. However, as the story continued I thought it was too drawn out. I had a hard time reading to the end. With that said, I liked the characters, the overall plot, and of course I like the cat and dog that was fed into the story.

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and leave my review voluntarily.

This is the fourth in the Perfectly Paranormal Museum Series. Maddie Kosloski has a chocolate exhibit in her museum which features a Mexican Molinillo which is whisk and it is haunted. When someone is lying the whisk rattles. When Maddie goes to the new chocolate shop in town she finds one of the co-owners dead and covered in chocolate. As much as her Mother and police boyfriend tell her to stop investigating she keeps getting drawn back in. Quirky town and concept with the paranormal elements. Solid mystery and characters.

I really enjoyed this one. There's lots of information and discussion about chocolate. The mystery is a bit predictable in spots but it's still a great story. #ChocolateALaMurder #NetGalley

Maddie owns a paranormal museum. She finds a local business owner murdered and despite resistance from her Mother and Policeman boyfriend she decides to investigate.

Its a quirky mystery, set in an interesting place with familiar characters.