The third book in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery series by Kirsten Weiss is Deja Moo. Maddie runs a paranormal museum in the town of San Benedetto, California. It is the holiday season which means the town breaks out the Christmas cow, a giant cow fashioned out of straw. The second holiday tradition is that the cow is almost always burnt each year. Unfortunately the cow burning this year comes with murder when one of the cow guards is shot with an arrow. Maddie helps her mom investigate the murder while dealing with panic over her holiday museum exhibit, haunted cow bells. I enjoyed the writing style and the characters. It was nice to have a heroine who has some common sense.

This book was a real page turner! I got absorbed into the mystery so fast that I could barely put this down. I finished it by reading straight through since just after lunch. Even though this is the third book in the series, it could be a stand alone if anyone isn't familiar with the series. I hadn't read any of the previous books but I quickly got acquainted with the characters and knew what was going on since not too much backstory was really needed.

It's almost Christmas in San Benedetto, CA which means the annual burning of the straw cow, a tradition started by ancestors in Sweden. Maddie Koslosky, Paranormal Museum owner, now has some cow bells that are supposedly cursed and with the murder of one of the people guarding the cow, some are beginning to think the curse has returned. Maddie doesn't believe in curses but she likes the publicity the stories bring her museum. For the good of the community, she agrees to a de-cursing of the bells after another body is found murdered the same way as the first man. Can Maddie find the killer before the killer takes care of her and her mom once and for all? And can she do this without incurring the wrath of Detective Hammer, her high school nemesis...only one way to find out!

There were so many fun characters in this well-written book. I love that there's a trio of girlfriends, kind of like in the Nancy Drew stories. Maddie and her friends Adele and Harper have a weekly girls' night out to talk over their week or in this case, talk about the investigation she's not supposed to be holding.

I was glad to see Maddie got closure with her ex-boyfriend and was now able to possibly move forward with Jason Slate, handsome detective partner of Laurel Hammer. Maddie's mom Fran cracks me up. She's kind of that typical mom that means well but somehow gets into situations she shouldn't. It was pretty funny when she had some policemen guarding her house and she was so bored she baked and fed them cookies.

I was definitely not sure who the killer was since everyone that was a suspect did have a good reason. There were some great twists and turns along the way and I was surprised with whodunnit. I loved the take down and ending, exciting and just plain fun. I'd like to go back and read the first two books now and will definitely keep an eye out for the next book in this series.

I enjoy reading this cozy series, (Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, book 3). Maddie realizes the 30 foot Christmas Cow takes over the town's tourist business so she plans to do a little relaxing and helping her Mother "guard" the Christmas display. When the local president of the dairy association is killed during a raid to burn the cow, (I know, some strange tradition) the local police want to pin it on Maddie and her mom. This series incorporates just enough paranormal activity to think there may be magic and ghosts active around San Bennedetto. I like the characters and enjoy the small town grape vines.

Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss is the third book in the cozy 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 as she is about to join her mother guarding the thirty foot Christmas Cow that is on display every Christmas season. Unfortunately though as much as the cow being displayed is a San Benedetto tradition so is the yearly vandalism of setting the cow on fire.

On the way to meet with her mother though Maddie’s truck breaks down and as she is getting help on the side of the road she gets a frantic call from her mother that the cow is under attack. Arriving at the scene with her police officer friend in tow Maddie finds her mother very upset and the other man guarding with her shot with an arrow so Maddie again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation as rumors fly that the curse of the cowbells that Maddie had just purchased for the museum has returned to the town.

I have to say this installment of the series gave me quite the chuckle with it involving the Christmas Cow. Some old family friends of ours decorate for Christmas every year with including a cow in their yard so I couldn’t help but think of it with every mention, although it’s no where near as big. But that cute little tie in to something in I know of in real life gave me a smile for sure.

As for the rest of the book, I still absolutely love this cozy series with a paranormal touch. There’s quirky characters, a ghost detecting kitty and a lot of fun packed in each installment. The book also goes a bit further than a normal cozy with actual intense danger while investigating to keep one hooked into the story.

The one thing I’m not a big fan of is the relationship/s in the series. Maddie started out dating a neighbor but that fell apart and now she’s crushing on a cop giving the book a bit of a love triangle feel that needs sorted out. It’s such a small part of the story as it is that I’m not sure why the switch up and back and forth so hopefully it will be sorted in the series soon. Otherwise, this was a nice addition and I’ll look forward to the next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This series is completely bonkers in the best possible of ways. I mean for starters the setting is just amazing and I really enjoyed the running argument on whether or not the cow bells were actually cursed. I've heard a lot about the Christmas Cow and it's annual destruction in the previous two books so I was excited to see it front and center. And the destruction was definitely on the epic side with flaming arrows shot by lovable Christmas characters.

I really liked seeing more of Maddie's mother and their dynamic and I did like more of a focus on GD Cat. There was a lot going on with murder, cow destruction, misbehaving cats, cursed cow bells, and a bit of Maddie's personal life. It all wrapped up nicely and while there is a note of chaos it really worked with the bright bubbly slightly crazy style of the book itself.

This is a fun quirky mystery series that doesn't stray into slapstick as some quirky mysteries do. I like that Maddie is intelligent and self aware and I think that give the series a little bit of balance. And how can I not love a book with this title?

3.5 stars (release date March 8, 2018)

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was a fun, fluffy, quick cozy mystery read. This is the third book in the series. I haven't read the other books in the series, but there was enough backstory in the book so that I didn't feel too lost. Maddie Kosloski runs a paranormal museum in the small town of San Benedetto. Normally her museum is the number one tourist attraction in town. Every Christmas, however, the town puts up a 30 foot straw cow and puts in the in the town square - and every year someone sets it on fire.

One night Maddie's mother and Bill, the head of the Dairy Association, are tasked with guarding the cow. A group of people dressed up as gingerbread men attack the cow and set it on fire with flaming arrows. After they set the fire and run, it's discovered that Bill has been shot in the chest by an arrow and dies. As that mystery is investigated, Maddie's "haunted" cowbells display instigates panic that there is a curse in town. Not content to leave the murder investigation to the police, Maddie and her mother set out to debunk the cowbell curse and find out who killed Bill. As the women investigate the crime, someone tries to kill them.

I consider this a mystery-lite book. Nothing is too gory or scary. Storylines are quickly and easily resolved and the people are pretty standard, small-town characters. Overall, it was a fun read.

Deja Moo is the third book in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series, but the first I have read. While there are is some information that would have been helpful to know, you can read it as a standalone book. There are enough twists to keep the reader guessing and all the weirdness of it makes the read very enjoyable. Unfortunately, there are a few questions that were left unanswered after the killer was revealed and this may cause some readers to be disappointed.

Every year San Benedetto builds a Christmas cow out of straw and every year pranksters try to burn it down. It is such a rarity to have the cow still standing by Christmas, that this year's committee decided to have cameras with live feeds to computers as well as two guards round the clock. When Maddie Koslosk's mother is unlucky enough to be on duty the night the cow is under attack by flaming arrows, the cameras do little good because the pranksters are dressed as gingerbread men. There is also a person dressed as Santa on the scene and a guard who is killed by an arrow. Somehow the death is associated with a set of cursed cowbells Maddie has acquired and has on display at the Paranormal Museum. The cowbells were a gift from San Benedetto's sister city in Sweden the same year the town started their Christmas cow tradition. The first year the bells were here, every member of the original committee in charge of the cows and receiving the bells died after supposedly hearing bells. Of course, all but one was over 70 years old. The youngest man was accidentally electrocuted when his boom box fell into the bathtub.

Are the bells cursed? Is the Christmas cow connected to the bells? When the second committee member is murdered, public concern about the bells threatens to affect Maddie's museum. So she hires a specialist and has the curse bound to the bells so nothing further would happen. But things happen anyway, and if someone doesn't solve the murders soon, Maddie and her mom might be the next to die.

Maddie and mother begin questioning committee members around town in efforts to solve the cow mystery and the murders. When Detective Slade is put on the injured list from a hit and run intended for Maddie, they work together to solicit clues.

I like the idea of a Paranormal museum-it certainly would be a place I would choose to visit. The author makes it sound fascinating, as well as popular with the tourists. The recurring characters of her friend Harper, Adel, Dieter, Leo, and others make each book seem like a visit with friends. In this book it was nice to see Detective Slade in a little more personal role.

Things I found confusing-where does Maddie live that she is driving this distance that seems so great when she is going to the cow or work? Is there a tourist town seperate from the area everyone lives? I wish the author had explained that better.

I also felt that the author had Maddie and her mother visiting people repeatedly to figure out the murders. It would seem to me that some of the back and forth to question the same people over and over was padding the story as the questions and theories hadn't really changed.

In spite of my confusion and thoughts of padding the story, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next in the series. It is definitely a series I will reread and recommend to others.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy for my voluntary review.

San Benedetto, a small town near Sacramento in the wine country, erects a Christmas Cow every year. Protagonist Maddie Kosloski, owner of the Paranormal Museum, is not a fan--it draws crowds from her shop, so this year she has added historic Christmas bells to her holiday display. Her mother, who is on the Ladies Aid committee coordinating with the local Dairy Association is determined to help guard the 30' flammable cow through the season. Pranksters set the straw cow ablaze, but unfortunately, the other guard is hit by an arrow and killed.

Descriptions of the shop sound like it would be fun to visit and there is apparently a retail portion of the museum with a variety of fantasy and paranormal paraphernalia. Maddie has a college student, Leo, helping her with sales. The resident black cat was inherited with the space, which adjoins a tea shop through a secret revolving door.

Soon, another body is found. In the meantime, hysteria is breeding over the perceived curse attached to the cowbells, and while she is a skeptic, must work to dispel the ever-growing panic.

Most of the characters are well-developed and provide compelling interest throughout the mystery. Detective Hammer (Slate's partner) almost functions as an antagonist, but is included to provide tension (I guess). Maddie is forced to work with her mother, of course, as it's up to them to ferret out the real culprit. The well-plotted mystery unwinds carefully, throwing up twists and turns, and suspicion in several directions. Dialogue is realistic, ranging into slightly humorous at times.

My problem is with the location for this fictional wine country village, having come from that area. Descriptions didn't compute. And riding the motorcycle? Not around Christmas time even in the valley. Also, I felt a little let down by the climax, which left a few blanks in the explanation.

I was given this uncorrected proof ebook download by Midnight Ink and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. The idea of the paranormal shop totally had my imagination. While this might work as a stand-alone, it might be better to begin with the first in the series. I would recommend this to any who enjoy a cozy mystery, unique cozy venue, and quirky characters.

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.

This one was OK. The mystery aspect was well done and kept me guessing until the end. It had an excellent cast of likable secondary characters. Maddie continues to be a likable heroine. Again, as with the previous book, I thought the Mason and Belle stuff was rather pointless. And I am sorry, but I still think the dude is a major douche. He sure had ZERO issues dumping his girlfriend for some shady chick he knocked up years before. But this is a cozy mystery, not a romance. Last, I really wish this author would take Laurel's character down about ten notches. Her over the top attitude distracts from the story every time she is in a scene. So there was some good and some not so good. That said, I'll probably give the next book in the series a read.

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.

I loved this book. I've read the first 2 books in the series & it keeps getting better. It's well-paced & the characters are well-developed. I felt emotionally invested in them from the very first until the very end. I love how Maddie has taken charge of the quirky Paranormal Museum and everything about it. The best part is the researching into the history of the items in the museum & how to deal with them & how that links to the present day happenings.
I was given the opportunity to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley and the publisher.I loved this book. I've read the first 2 books in the series & it keeps getting better. It's well-paced & the characters are well-developed. I felt emotionally invested from the very first until the very end.

This is the third installment of the paranormal museum. Maddie Kosloski runs a paranormal museum and she dislikes the town tradition of having a Christmas cow in the square. Maddie dislikes this tradition as it takes away tourists as well as tradition calls for someone to burn the cow down. Therefore, there is a group of guards to protect the cow from this happening. Her Mother is one of the guards and while she is guarding the cow, not only is it burned down but also one of the other guards is killed. Given that, her Mother was there and a potential suspect Maddie is pulled into solving the murder. Throw is a set of haunted cowbells this is a real page-turner. This is quirky cozy but very enjoyable.

A great addition to the series! Every year the town puts up a "Christmas Cow" made of straw and every year without fail it gets destroyed. This year is different though, a local dairy farmer is hit and dies. Was it murder or just an accident? Maddie's mom was also guarding the cow and soon is in danger too. When the local legend of the cursed cowbells comes back to life Maddie has to put it to rest before it gets out of hand along with finding out who is the murderer before her or her mom is next.

This could have easily gone over the edge but Weiss wisely keeps it from being too twee and makes it fun AND funny. Maddie and her mother Fran are trying to determine who shot an arrow into rotten dairy farmer Bill in the midst of a holiday celebration involving large straw cows in the town of San Benedetto. Maddie has been concerned because this latest effort to bring tourists to town has garnered more attention than her paranormal museum, even though she's brought in haunted cow bells. As you can guess, there are lots of suspects and a detective (Jason Slade) who is, well.....AND a detective, Laurel Hammer, who thinks she's guilty of the crime. There are some twists but it's not particularly complicated. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good classic cozy.

Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss is the 3rd 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 quirky traditions and people. Every Christmas the town builds a 34 foot straw cow, and even though the cow is guarded, it gets burned down. This year it not only gets burned down, someone is killed. I really enjoy the uniqueness 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.

Maddie Kosloski is the owner of the paranormal museum in San Benedetto, California. As if having a paranormal museum isn’t qurirky enough, there’s always the annual straw Christmas cow tradition San Benedetto has as well. As much as the cow is an annual tradition, so, it seems, is setting the cow on fire…you can even place a bet on when the cow will go up in flames!

Every year the Ladies Aid and Dairy Association not only build the cow, but they pull duty trying to prevent the cow from being set on fire. When Maddie’s mother mother is on duty, four gingerbread men and Santa set the cow on fire with flaming arrows. But it’s not just the cow that’s down for the count, so is the head of the Dairy Association who had been partnered with Maddie’s mom to guard the cow.

When the town seems to blame the murder on the cursed Christmas cowbells that Maddie has on display in the museum, things really start to get out of hand. Trying to diffuse the tension in the community, Maddie arranges for the curse on the bells to be bound. It’s good publicity right?

Teaming up with her crush, detective Jason Slate, and her mother Maddie works to solve the murder. Was it an innocent prank gone wrong, or was it cold, premeditated murder? You’ll have to read the story to find out.

This is a fun story set in a quirky community. Grab a hot cup of tea, curl up with the book, and spend some time with Maddie and her friends in San Benedetto.

Deja Moo was the first book in Kristin Weiss' Perfectly Paranormal Museum series that I have read and am so glad to have been given an ARC of this book. The series takes place in a small town in the wine area of Northern California. Town tradition has the town erecting a giant cow made from hay right before Christmas. Maddie, the owner of the Paranormal Museum, receives a frantic call from her mother who was guarding the cow against pranksters. Maddie arrives on the scene to find the cow has gone up in flames and a town member dead with an arrow to the heart. It isn't long before it is apparent that Maddie and her mother may be targets of the killer as well. Maddie, along with help from her mother and various friends and members of the Ladies Aide conduct their own investigation to find the murderer. The town is obsessed with the legend of the cursed cowbells that are now on display in Maddie's museum and the possibility that the murder may be related to them. I enjoyed the dynamics of the small town, with everyone knowing everyone else's business. Maddie has a budding romance with Detective Slate that is also a nice addition to the storyline. This is a fast read with many suspects and twists and turns to keep the reader guessing! I will definitely be reading the other books in this series.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.