Stopped at 50%

I picked this book up intrigued by a cozy mystery set in a haunted museum. I was expecting some ghosts or things that go bump, or something paranormal. Unfortunately, there was nothing paranormal. The mystery focused outside the museum and there wasn't anything ghostly. There was a cat in the museum, and I love cats. However, this cat was rather mean spirited. What was up with that? I also wanted a nice cozy, and I wasn't pleased with the lack of cozy. The story centered around a group of women, The Ladies Aid. These women were nasty and fighting amongst themselves. I didn't like all the drama, it felt unnecessary. I especially didn't like the way Maddie's mom was behaving, she was all caught up in the drama, hiding things from her daughter. Ugh.
There was a bit of romance, but then it looked like it was headed for derailment. Maddie had established a good relationship, and when her boyfriend tells her his ex is in town and wants to meet, she is fine with it as she trusts him. I stopped after the boyfriend starting acting weird.
Anyway, this book lacked cozy and no paranormal so I decided to part ways.

This may be the absolute best concept for a cozy mystery series! Maddie Kosloski owns a Paranormal Museum which is crammed full of haunted (maybe) and mysterious (definitely) items all which have their very own history and a mystery to solve. On top of that people have an unfortunate habit of dropping dead around her which leads to a very present day mystery to solve.

In this book the mysterious object is a cursed grape press and the former owner who is now claiming that Maddie stole the object happens to wind up dead. Everyone seems to have a different perspective on the murder victim which makes Maddie's job of unraveling who really did him in all the more difficult. I absolutely loved the mystery around the grape press. There's something so intriguing about solving an old cold case and that was probably my favorite part of the book.

I loved catching up with Maddie's friends, Harper and Adele, and really enjoyed Dieter's larger part as well as the addition of Leo, Maddie's new employee. The antics of the Ladies' Aid and the the rival group had me laughing. I've worked in enough volunteer organizations to know that while slightly exaggerated some of it wasn't that far outside reality.

The only thing that I didn't enjoy about this mystery was the detective and Maddie's nemesis, Laurel Hammer. I get that Laurel hates Maddie but her behavior drifted over to down right unprofessional and unethical. and there were a few things she did that I don't think were legal (especially taking "evidence" without a warrant). She had a larger part in the first part of the book but thankfully she faded more into the background for the majority. Maybe she can take a vacation in book #3?

Despite my one issue this is a really fun addition to a great cozy mystery series. I'm excited to see what trouble Maddie gets into next and what artifact in the museum gets investigated. Plus, what other mystery series has a rather surly ghost detecting (GD for short) cat? While reading the first book in the series isn't necessary I do think it would help the enjoyment of this book as it explains a lot about the museum and how Maddie got mixed up in it.

PRESSED TO DEATH by Kirsten Weiss
The Second Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery

After nearly being killed, Maddie Kosloski declares she will never get involved in another murder investigation. Yet when she finds the body of a local vineyard owner in a wine vat, everyone expects her to get involved, including her mother! Will Maddie be able to solve the murder while simultaneously helping with the town's annual haunted house and evading Detective Laurel Hammer's attempts to make her life as difficult as possible?

With a caustic, self-deprecating wit Maddie reflects on the strange things occurring in her life. From her mother kowtowing to the president of the Ladies Aid Society (which is showing serious similarities to the mafia), a surly cat, a disconnect from her boyfriend, and the ramifications of having a cursed grape press, Maddie attempts to make sense of it all with the help of her best friends. Ultimately PRESSED TO DEATH is a story about friendship, family, and sacrifice. Those three themes intertwine characters and their actions giving meaning and motive.

The second Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum presents more than one puzzling mystery. Kirsten Weiss combines a historical mystery with a current murder, adds concern to the romance, a hint of the paranormal, and plenty of charm to create an absorbing read. I really enjoyed this second entry to the series. The characters have grown, showing greater depth and complexity. In addition, the paranormal aspect to the series is more pronounced and given more serious consideration.I look forward to reading more about Maddie and her perfectly proper paranormal museum!

I enjoyed this fun, paranormal cozy mystery - I went back and purchased the other book in the series because I liked it so much and I will be keeping my eye out for other books by this author.

Pressed to Death by Kirsten Weiss is the second book A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery series. Maddie Kosloski owns the Paranormal Museum in San Benedetto, California. Maddie is getting ready to leave for the Harvest Fair, but Detective Laurel Hammer has delayed her. Detective Hammer is accusing Maddie of dealing in stolen property. Romeo Paganini is claiming the grape press that Maddie purchased from Herb Linden was stolen. Maddie has a copy of the signed receipt from Romeo’s wife, Jocelyn. It is only thanks to Frances Kosloski’s, Maddie’s mother, smooth talking, that they finally get to leave for the fair (I am sure that we will be seeing the good detective again soon). Maddie, with help from her mother, finishes setting up her table, and then they go to check the big vat for the wine stomping event. It is the biggest fundraiser for the Ladies Aid Society. They arrive to find the truck still in place, and the grapes were just dumped in the vat (they need to be spread out). Frances asks Maddie to jump in and spread out the grapes (and she does with her white tennis shoes still on). As Maddie uses the rake to spread out the grapes, she notices an arm sticking out. Upon closer inspection, she finds the body of Romeo Paganini. Detective Hammer immediately suspects Maddie of committing the crime. Frances wants Maddie to get involved in the investigation which shocks Maddie (especially after the last time). Maddie is not sure she wishes to be involved, but, after two close brushes with death, she has no choice. Maddie must work in her investigation in between working at the museum, setting up a haunted room for the Ladies Aid Haunted House event, and discovering the history behind the grape press. Maddie’s thoughts, however, are a little scattered. Her boyfriend, Mason Hjelm, is acting distant and unavailable. But when a second person is murdered, Maddie will need to focus on the task at hand.

Pressed to Death is easy to read and it does have a decent tempo (I was tired of using the word pace). I had trouble getting into the book in the beginning. Things do pick up in the second part of the story. I found the paranormal element to be nonexistent which was unfortunate (it is only hinted at subtlety). The addition of a mystic element would have greatly enhanced the story. I am giving Pressed to Death 3 out of 5 stars (it is okay). I thought the romance element to be overpowering and unappealing. There is quite a bit of activity going on in the story. I personally felt that there are too many elements. I am curious why authors feel the need to jam a book full of activity (it is happening in more and more cozy mysteries). The author made Detective Hammer out to be a nasty, vengeful harpy who is bent on destroying Maddie. It might have to do something with Maddie setting the good detective’s hair on fire (going from long hair to a pixie cut) in book one. The detective seizes so called “evidence” from Maddie without a warrant (very unrealistic). The cops also seem to be spinning their wheels regarding the case while Maddie put together the clues and solves it. The main mystery is uncomplicated and the culprit easily identified (I believe even a novice mystery reader will be able pinpoint the killer). The past mystery relating to the grape press was interesting, but there was little investigation into it. While I have not had the pleasure of reading The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, I understood what was going on in Pressed to Death. The author provided the necessary information on the town and main characters as well as what occurred in the first book in the series. I had been looking forward to reading this particular book, and I ended up being letdown.

This is another cozy series I've added to my favorites. It's original in that it's main character, Maddie, works in a paranormal museum. How she started there is explained in book one and I would recommend reading in order although it would read as a standalone. The museum adjoins one of her best friend, Adele's, tea shop in San Benedetto which is a lesser known area of wine country that is always trying to promote tourism. Maddie is promoting her museum at an upcoming Harvest Festival and a Haunted House. She's even acquired the perfect exhibit-- a haunted wine press. Perfect that is, until it's confiscated as possibly involved in a murder. As in the case of the first book, there is also an old murder mystery to solve this time involving the wine press.
Maddie's mother belongs to The Ladies Aid Society and is more involved with the mystery in this second book much to my delight. I really enjoyed her so much more this time.
The paranormal element is still relatively light but intriguing. (I'd be okay with a little more.)
I wonder if GD cat & Maddie will ever truly be friends? I do think the behavior of Laurel towards Maddie borderlines on police harassment though and wish she'd at least get called out on it. That's one of the few issues I have.
The mystery was thought out well and while I did suspect the killer, it wasn't until towards the end.
All in all, this was a very satisfying read and leaves me happily anticipating the next book in the series.

Disclosure:
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Pressed to Death, the second book in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series by Kirsten Weiss, is fun and slightly spooky. Museum owner Maddie Kosloski is stretched thin. The centerpiece of her harvest festival, a haunted wine press, has been reported stolen by its previous owner, even though Maddie has a signed receipt. The Ladies Aid Society has bullied her into setting up a room at the annual haunted house. Her mother wants her to investigate a murder. Maddie is clever and resourceful and a lot of fun to read about. I also enjoyed the way the book includes both a historic mystery (the deaths connected to the wine press) and the present day one.

Maddie’s back and this time she’s been accused of stealing a haunted grape press. As if that weren’t bad enough, the man who accused her of stealing the press is found dead, and Maddie is the prime suspect. Sure that officer Laurel Hammer has no interest in finding any other suspects, Maddie takes it upon herself to investigate.

Full of twists, entertaining characters, romance, and a bit of family drama, the second book in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series doesn’t disappoint.

This was my first book by this author. This was also my first time ever reading a paranormal cozy mystery. I normally tend to avoid the paranormal genre, but this book really sounded interesting and I'm glad I decided to give it a try. The paranormal museum was such a unique idea and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. The paranormal wasn't too overdone and fit just right in with the storyline. I also liked that you aren't really entirely certain if something paranormal is going on or not. That really adds to the mystery and intrigue of things. The pacing was a little slow at times but there are enough suspects and questions surrounding the murder to keep you intrigued as to how things are going to turn out. Maddie was an enjoyable main character and I also liked GD the cat. I really disliked the police detective Laurel though -- she was really mean. All in all, I enjoyed the story and will go back and read the first book in this series.

Maddie Kosloski is the owner of a paranormal museum. The town se lives in is having a Harvest Festival, The whole town turns out. There will be lots of booths and exhibits. the rules are they all have to have something to do with wine, since the town she lives in is known for its wine. Maddie buys a wine press to add to her exhibit. Before the festival gets started though she is accused or stealing the press. Then the accuser ends up murdered and Maddie is the top suspect since the wine press fiasco.

I have mixed feelings on this book. I chose it because I LOVE paranormal. A good Haunting is just up my alley. What I got was more a mystery with very little paranormal. So the book wasn't as good to me because of my expectations. It although was not a bad book. There were some parts where I had to call some people an idiot now and then. I would think if I was accused of stealing something I wouldn't be smart mouth to the police and then just take off with my mother, while be questioned, I would be trying prove my innocence. And then again if I was accused of murder I would be all over the place trying to prove it wasn't me. Stupid moves are a pet peeve of mine. I started to put the book down and call it done but decided to keep reading. The book does start out slow, then you have the crazy then the book does about half way through pick up and starts getting better. I do wish Mom wasn't so crazy, Maddie wasn't so lazy, the cop wasn't so hateble, and there had of been more paranormal happenings, etc. I think if the characters were a little more realistic this would of been a great book. The story line was a great idea though. I think if I had of liked the characters more this would of been a really good book.

3.5 stars

Pressed to Death takes us back to San Benedetto and Maddie and her paranormal museum. In this book, it seems everyone has a secret – an element which adds intrigue to the mystery and the overall mood. With so many secrets floating around, narrowing down a murderer proves more difficult than it first appears. The murder mystery is well-plotted and will keep you guessing, as well as looking over your shoulder for rogue Buicks and falling wine barrels.

The hint of romance from book one carries over into Pressed to Death, and I’m still not sure who I prefer for Maddie – Mason or Detective Slate. After the events in this book, I’m leaning toward Slate with whom Maddie has a definite attraction/connection, but Mason could easily redeem himself and then I’d be back to square one. I’m very curious as to how all of this will play out in the next book.

One of the things I really like about this series is the dual mysteries – one present day, one historical – to be solved. In this book, however, the historical mystery felt like more of an afterthought, the investigating tacked on nearly at the end and somewhat anticlimactic.

Bottom Line: While this is a well-written and nicely paced mystery, I didn’t care for it as much as I did the first book in this series. Some plot points and character decisions just didn’t make sense to me or felt weak in general. However, Maddie is a likable character and tagging along with her on her investigations is enjoyable. I am still eager for the next book – to see how events from Pressed to Death affect the rest of the series.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)

This is a light cozy that doesn't stretch the boundaries of the genre but does make for a relaxing entertaining read. The idea of a paranormal museum seemed very odd to me initially but it works here. Maddie is a classic protagonist but her supporting cast (I especially liked her interaction with Laurel) is good. I hadn't read the first book so thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I don't think that was an issue as the story was quite self contained. Try this one.

Pressed to Death is the second book in the A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery series and while I don't think it quite lived up to the first book, it was still fun and interesting to read, with a host of quirky characters, and some situations that I thought were rather funny and delightful. I did think the start of this book was somewhat slow, and even when the 'mystery' did occur, I found myself having difficulty getting invested into it. And once certain characters made an appearance, it was pretty easy to figure out who did what.

The paranormal museum scenes are always my favourite parts of the book, and this one was no different. I have a particular fondness for GD and wish he was more utilized in the scenes; I actually can't wait for the day when he pounces on Laurel and, sorry for the pun, a real cat fight ensues. It will be bliss!! I do think however, the really subtle hints of paranormal activity work very well for this series as the reader is left continuously guessing as to whether it is haunted or not, without the author giving away too much detail. And in this case, we have the addition of a supposedly haunted grape press which is scaring people and causing them to faint, setting Maddie up for some interesting research into its background and what actually happened. These scenes are definitely interesting and I enjoyed them quite a bit.

And while I did find the characters to be interesting and just as quirky, I thought the author didn't really spend any time developing them or making them even more interesting. Which meant the actual mystery also took a back seat to Maddie's day-to-day problems, something I wasn't overly happy over. Why can't a character just find someone and be happy and content? I was quite happy with Maddie's relationship as it was different than so many of the cozy mysteries, and Mason was so intriguing on his own, all dark and mysterious, but as Maddie's hand touched someone else's hand, zap went the electricity, so it wasn't too hard to figure out where that would be heading at some point, and this is why I'm disappointed, because it's the cliched relationship of so many other cozy mystery series. Does every heroine have to fall for a police officer? I thought the whole relationship issue was a bit much and it seemed totally out of character for Mason and for Maddie.

The mystery itself was actually okay, but I never felt like there was a big process to her investigations as she just talked to a couple of people, and some of them wouldn't even talk to her because of some silly bet half the town was involved in, and suddenly she knew who it was. I'm not really crazy about how the police are portrayed in this book though, as they are made to seem stupid and incompetent, especially Laurel, and some of the stuff she does is just downright silly.

Pressed to Death was, despite everything, a fun read, and I did enjoy it. There was a lot going on, and while that didn't bother me too much, it just felt like the author was coming up with ways to change ideas and concepts throughout the book, hoping the reader wouldn't notice the change in direction and the confusion, and that does make things frustrating as readers will only accept coincidences and put-offs for so long. I was definitely not a fan of Laurel and would happily see her gone in the next book, and I thought Maddie's mother's secretive behaviour was rather silly. I loved the cat and the other subtle paranormal aspects, so I wish the grape press had a more central role and that Maddie had done more of the research herself, and would love to see GD and other characters play more of a central role in the next book. And the Ouija boards, so cool, any of those for sale? And an interesting prospect for the next book?

Maddie Kosloski had taken over running the Paranormal Museum, a local town tourist attraction that exhibits artifacts that have a paranormal or haunted history attached to them. Maddie thinks her latest addition will be perfect to display in her booth at the upcoming harvest festival, a haunted grape press. Unfortunately the former owner is now claiming the press had been stolen.

However, the festival must go on even with her newest acquisition being questioned Maddie still tries to set up her booth. When her mother finds she needs help with some grapes stuck in a vat Maddie jumps right in to clear the mess only to find a dead body, and not any dead body…. the former owner of the very grape press in question. With Maddie likely to become a suspect her mother convinces her that she needs to start up her own investigation into the untimely death.

Pressed to Death is the second book in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series by Kirsten Wiess. While some details into Maddie’s life and her previous attempt at investigating a murder would be missed this second edition to the series does focus on a whole new case so it is possible to read without having read the first book. I would warn readers that while the setting does mention the paranormal the series is more cozy mystery set in a unique environment and doesn’t bring much paranormal happenings into it.

Having read the first book in this series I already knew that I enjoyed Maddie as a character and loved the unique setting of her museum involved. There’s also some quite quirky side characters involved in these books that make them a fun read. My one complaint really with this second installment was ignoring the previous relationship for much of the story before the reader gets any explanation to what had happened. Otherwise this is still a fun cozy mystery series that I’ve quite enjoyed so far.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

PRESSED TO DEATH by Kirsten Weiss is an enjoyable cosy mystery with lots of intriguing characters and mayhem mixed throughout. Maddie finds herself accused of handling stolen goods in her paranormal museum, but before she can sort this confusion out, her accuser is found murdered. Urged by her mother to investigate the crime, Maddie just wants to discover the killer, but with plenty of surprises along the way, this is easier said than done, With her museum in danger and her personal life in a mess, can Maddie figure it all out before it is too late?

PRESSED TO DEATH by Kirsten Weiss is the second book in this series, and while it was a little slow to start, the pace of the story did pick up later on. There are a lot of characters in this story which can be distracting at times, but overall I enjoyed this mystery.

This book follows Maddie Kosloski as she is working at the harvest festival she has found the perfect exhibit artifact a grape wine press unfortunately the owner's ex-husband is adament that the press is stolen and filed a report file. Before Maddie is able to get to the bottom of this stolen press Maddie finds Romeo dead in a wine stopping barrel. Who killed Romeo and why?

While all this is going Maddie's mother is acting very strange and Maddie can't figure out why. Add to this Maddie is involved in setting up a room at a halloween haunted house. She definitely has her hands full trying to peice together who would want to kill Romeo, could it have been his son Leo, who wasn't happy with his father? Or his ex-wife? There are no shortage of possibilities. It's up to Maddie to figure it out if her employee Leo is guilty or was it someone else?

I loved this book it brought so much with all various mysteries and reading Maddie get to the bottom them. Ms. Weiss pulls you in and has you so glued into the book you won't want to put it down. Definitely a great story with adventure and mystery! I think anyone who likes Victoria Laurie mysteries will enjoy this series as well such a fabulous book!

This series is a great combination of mystery and paranormal - the paranormal is very light as it is a paranormal museum and there is no telling if the items in the museum are actually haunted or not. Although the museum cat, GD, apparently can sense spirits.

The great thing about this series so far (as it is just the 2nd book) is that Maddie solves the crimes in the present and in the past. In both books there are unsolved crimes that are resolved as they seem to tie into main story line. This time it is a haunted wine press and Maddie purchases but the seller ends up dead after claiming it was stolen. Of course Maddie is a suspect and one of the police detectives, Laurel Hamilton, is definitely out to get Maddie. Laurel holds a grudge and does what she can to make Maddie's life miserable. I'm actually surprised that she gets away with what she does, but it is a small town and sometimes those small towns have a different outlook.

The mystery itself was well written as I didn't quite figure out who the killer was and the why was a surprise too. I do like that Maddie doesn't try and confront the killer herself and brings in the police to apprehend the perpetrator.

Maddie does have a love interest, Mason, but some things come up with him and a person from his past and a situation that he has to deal with. While we don't know what exactly the situation is until about 3/4 of the way through the book, I did figure out why this person was back in town. It does put a crimp in their relationship so we will have to see how it pans out in coming books.

Overall I enjoyed the book and can't wait for the next book to come out.

A charming read with a paranormal twist. I found myself to be delighted reading this book filled with mystery, murder and wine! It was fabulous!!

Pressed to Death: A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery
By Kirsten Weiss
Midnight Ink
March 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

A haunted grape press seemed like the ideal new display for a paranormal museum, but that was before it was reported stolen, the owner murdered, and the press hauled away as evidence. Maddie Kosloski had purchased the antique press for San Benedetto’s upcoming harvest fair, and she can’t explain why Romeo Paganini declared it as stolen after his wife sold it to a dealer. Detective Laurel Hammer, who has bullied and loathed Maddie since childhood (a recent incident involving hair and fire hasn’t helped matters), was eager to confiscate the press as evidence even before Romeo was found at the Harvest Festival buried in pile of grapes. Exhibiting an “Invisible Grape Press” now that Laurel has absconded with the actual press was a brilliant move, but it will take far more marketing ingenuity to keep Maddie and her friends out of Laurel’s grasp and off of the suspect list.

Maddie’s previous exploits in murder investigation have her leery of becoming involved in another, so she’s unable to understand why everyone seems to intent on her delving into this one. Maddie’s mother is the first to throw her under the bus by pressuring her to solve the crime for the Ladies Aid Society, which is apparently undergoing a power struggle between ruthless factions. As a result, Maddie finds herself having four days to plan not just an entirely new haunted house display, but solve a murder as well. Maddie’s two best friends, self-involved Adele Nakamoto and secret Strega/financial planner Harper Caldarelli, provide less investigative aid than they do emotional support when Maddie’s boyfriend Mason Hjelm goes MIA. The reappearance of his ex-girlfriend may have been the cause of his sudden absence from her life, but Maddie is in no great hurry to find an answer that could possibly break her heart. As a result, she is able to focus on the sabotage of Romeo’s winery, the mystery of the double-homicide haunting the antique grape press, and why delicious lemon bars seem to be such an important clue.

“Mad” Maddie Kosloski may have moved past her much detested nickname, but she still finds herself in the midst of a romp of mayhem and unavoidable chaos. Maddie proudly heralds the Paranormal Museum as San Benedetto’s second most important tourist attraction (after the annual torching of the Christmas Cow), and with her Ghost Detecting cat they create eccentric exhibits to lure in visitors. Maddie’s mother is a delight as she works behind the scenes to cement her place within competing women’s charity groups, and a certain amber-eyed detective may be assuming a greater role in Maddie’s life. This second in the series somehow surpasses the promise of its debut, delivering a completely unexpected conclusion topped off with a laugh-inducing twist.

I enjoyed this one. It was quirky and well-written. It had a nice pace to it. It was filled with twist and turns. It had a bunch of interesting side characters, and it kept me guessing right up until the end.

That said, what I could have done without was the romance aspect. One because romances rarely work for me in these type of books. They are always inevitably underdeveloped or treated as an afterthought. And that was the case here. Two, this romance was depressing and included one of the biggest cliches you'll find in romance books. I ended up thinking Mason was a douche and although I was glad Maddie ended things I finished this book feeling bummed out, and that took away from my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

Had the romance aspect been simpler without all the cliched drama or had it been left out altogether this book would have gotten a higher rating.