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    Pressed to Death
    Pressed to Death
    Pressed to Death
    Audiobook9 hours

    Pressed to Death

    Written by Kirsten Weiss

    Narrated by Emily Durante

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Paranormal museum owner Maddie Kosloski has the perfect exhibit for the harvest festival-a haunted grape press. But when she's accused of stealing the press, and her accuser is murdered, all eyes turn to Maddie. Knowing the perils of amateur sleuthing as she does, Maddie is reluctant to get involved . . . until her mother insists she investigate.

    Does her mom have a secret agenda? Or is she somehow connected to the murder? Facing down danger and her own overactive imagination, Maddie must unearth the killer before she becomes the next ghost to haunt her museum.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJul 31, 2018
    ISBN9781977388100
    Pressed to Death

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    Reviews for Pressed to Death

    4/5

    24 ratings4 reviews

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    • 4/5
      2nd in a series. Madd had come into possession of a "haunted" grape press which figures prominently in her display at the annual grape festival of her local town. But the discovery of a dead body at the grape stomp soon puts the limelight someplace else. Fun read and am enjoying the series thus far.
    • 4/5
      Maddie Kosloski is the owner of the Paranormal Museum in San Benedetto, California. In this story, an antique grape press that was once used in the wine making business and is rumoured to be haunted, is the newest acquisition of the museum. When Maddie moves it to the Harvest Fair site advertising her museum, her nemesis, Detective Lauren Hammer, comes to tell her that the true owner of the press is claiming that is it stolen and she will have to confiscate it. Even when Maddie produces a receipt signed by Romeo Paganini's wife, the detective goes to the fairgrounds to remove the press. Before she is able to take it, Maddie, helping her mother set up the "Grape Stomp Booth" comes across a dead body buried under the grapes. When it is identified as the vintner accusing her of theft, Maddie becomes a suspect. Everyone, including her mother, wants Maddie to investigate the crime--except the police. One of the things I like about this series is that the police do not co-operate with the amateur sleuth. Maddie does not get any information from them, she is on her own if she wants to solve this crime and take suspicion off herself and her employee, the vintner's estranged son.

      There is a lot going on in this story besides just the murder mystery. Maddie is having problems with her boyfriend Seth, the Ladies' Aid Society has a huge rift that has put her mother in the middle and Adele is trying to get her tea shop business off the ground. As in the first book, Maddie is also working on getting more information surrounding the murder/suicide story that is attached to the Grape Press. There is fun when setting up the Haunted House, having a Death Cafe and running the museum in general. I really like the character of Deiter, handyman extraordinaire as well as bookie for all local strange things to bet on. All this adds to the story, even though some reviewers wish there had been more emphasis on the mystery. I liked how this developed the main characters more and we get to know them better in this book. The one character that I still do not like is the terrifically annoying Detective Laurel Hammer whose purpose seems only to annoy Maddie and her friends as well as carrying a grudge from highschool days when she was a bit of a bullly. She is definitely a negative stereotype that make police look bad. I am hoping that she will lighten up in future books.

      This is a well written cozy mystery with a great California setting and quirky characters. The idea of the Paranormal Museum is a unique twist to the series. Even though Maddie is not a true believer in the paranormal, she realistically accepts that there are phenomena that cannot be explained. Three is a lot of information about making wine blended into the story and of course drinking wine happens at many occasions. This was a fun, easy read that I recommend to cozy mystery fans, especially those who like wine or the paranormal. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Pressed to Death by Kristin WeissBook #2: A Perfectly Paranormal Museum SeriesSource: NetgalleyMy Rating: 4/5 starsMy Review: Maddie Kosloski has only recently solved a murder mystery, has only recently acquired a lovely and very handsome boyfriend, and her paranormal museum is doing quite well thanks to some remodeling and new exhibits. One would think, given the decidedly good track her life is on, Maddie Kosloski would stay out of trouble. Unfortunately, trouble seems to find Maddie. In an effort to further promote her paranormal museum, Maddie has agreed to participate in the local harvest festival, one of the city’s biggest events of the year. With the new acquisition of a haunted grape press, Maddie’s exhibit will fit right in among all the vineyard exhibits. However, before the festival even opens, Maddie finds a dead body and is roped into solving yet another mystery. Though Maddie had absolutely no intention of becoming involved in yet another mystery, her mother insists she investigate, but won’t elaborate as to why. As if the universe is on her mother’s side, Maddie quickly becomes invested in the solving of the murder when it comes to light she was accused of stealing the haunted grape press from the recently deceased man. Good thing she has a process for solving mysteries now In the coming days, Maddie’s only recently good, calm, and happy life gets turned upside down. Her nemesis on the police force won’t let Maddie go as a suspect, to Maddie’s horror, she finds a second body, her boyfriend is acting both secretive and weird, there is apparently a betting pool on Maddie’s solving or not solving the case, and the Ladies Aid society, who has a vested interest in the solving of the crimes has gone completely off the rails. Oh, and there’s the issue of the lemon bars . . . .The Bottom Line: I’m a bit confused by the overall rating for this book on Goodreads. Some the issues I had with the first book in this series have been ironed out in the read, the characters are just as quirky and fun, and the plot is just perfectly cozy. I think I like this series so much because it is, predominately about a group of really weird people who all live in a perfectly weird little town. Things that would seem totally off the wall in most towns and cities are downright normal in Maddie’s world and that makes this read all the more appealing. This is an easy read chock full of characters who are interesting and varied, a plot that is more developed than in the first book, and an ending that is both surprising and satisfying. In all, I am pleased with the improved quality of this read over the first book and am looking forward to more adventures with Maddie Kosloski!