Chocolate a la Murder: A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery

by Kirsten Weiss

As the proprietor of San Benedetto’s Paranormal Museum, Maddie Kosloski is always in need of ways to generate extra income so she can move out of her aunt’s garage apartment.  The cities current Wine and Chocolate Days event is pulling in the customers and the addition of the haunted Mexican whisk called a molinillo, used to create a special chocolate drink that rattles when someone tells a lie, is a hit. However, the late delivery of purchased chocolate from the exclusive Reign chocolate shop leads Maddie to the discovery of one of the partner’s body, covered in chocolate.  Her best friend’s wedding stress adding to Maddie’s woes along with her former beau, Mason popping in and out of the museum and acting suspicious. I mean, seriously?  How ‘normal’ can things be when you run a paranormal museum? 

In this fourth installment of this series, Weiss packs in a detailed filled mystery.  She’s not heavy handed with the details of how the murder takes place but gives us just enough detail that you really need to pay attention as you read.  The series is filled with realistic characters and fun items that make you wish you had a paranormal museum in your town.  I often wonder how she discovers the items Maddie adds to her museum collection and Herb, her supplier, is a laugh out loud character.  Weiss’s series is sprinkled with situations that lighten up the darker moments and Maddie’s curiosity and conscience often lead her to trouble.  This is a great addition to this mystery series and I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Maddie gets into next time.

#ChocolatealaMurder   #PerfectlyParanormalMuseumMystery  #NetGalley      

I wish to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader’s Copy for my honest review and no monetary compensation was provided for my review.

PUB:  Midnight Ink

PUB DATE:  March 8, 2019

ISBN:  9780798757131

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

While You Sleep

by Stephanie Merritt

Discouraged by the direction her life and her marriage has taken her, Zoe Adams decides to take control and rents a house on an isolated Scottish island to rejuvenate her desire to paint.  Too late, she discovers the house is filled with a history that the local residents are trying to keep secret but could have dangerous repercussions to Zoe and those who choose to befriend her.

The current trend in unreliable narrators is fully realized in Merritt’s current novel.    To add fuel to the fire, she incorporates the gothic ghost story.  From the first chapter you get the unwelcome antagonistic feel of the locals and it sets the dark mood of the story. This is a creepy and highly addictive read. The narrative is filled with stormy dark scenes that suddenly erupt in misleading sunshine only to drop you into the dark again. She has an excellent grasp on ways to describe her characters that keep you cringing and screaming in your head, “don’t let him in!” or “don’t talk to her!”  You want to stop reading but you are unable to because you must continue to make sure everything is going to turn out okay.  The novel has several erotic scenes so I would be sure to only offer it to older, mature teens.

I wish to thank the publisher for providing an Advanced Readers Copy for my honest review.

PUB:  Pegasus Books/W.W. Norton & Co.

PUB DATE:  March 5, 2019

ISBN:  9781643130057

Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Gothic

The Stranger Diaries

by Elly Griffiths

From the very first pages of this novel, I was seeing a little-known British horror movie in my head.  The more I read, the more it bothered me that I couldn’t remember the name of the movie.  It didn’t have any big-name actors that most Americans would recognize.  After a day’s search, I finally remembered an actor and found the movie.  The atmosphere of this book was the same as this movie.  Our main character in this book is an English teacher who wishes to write a biography of Gothic writer R. M. Holland whose only novel, The Stranger, deals with death.  A murder.  As it happens, the home of the famed writer has been converted into a school.  Our English teacher works at this school.  She is stalled on her writing, so her teaching helps with the bills and provides a school for her teenage daughter.  Her good friend is found murdered, a line on a note from The Stranger left beside her body.  From this point on the safety bar locks in place and you are on a steady moving ride that will take you on so many twists and turns you made need a dose of Dramamine.  When you arrive at the end, you will be gobsmacked and the safety bar will unlock.  This is a stand alone novel by Griffiths and any fan of her Ruth Galloway or Stephens and Mephisto series will be pleased with this offering.  Hopefully, those unfamiliar with Griffiths will pick this up and discover a real gem. 

The movie?  It is called Dark of Night.  The actor I remembered is Sir Michael Redgrave.  It’s a highly atmospheric film about a man who shows up at a country house and realizes it’s a house from a recurring dream that is a portend of his impending doom.  #TheStrangerDiary  #NetGalley

I wish to thank the publisher and NetGalley for generously allowing access to the Advanced Readers Copy.

PUB: HoughtonMifflinHarcourt

PUB DATE:  March 5, 2019
ISBN:  9781328577856

GENRE:  Mystery