Déjà Moo: A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery

Santa Claus and a gang of gingerbread men set fire to the San Benedetto, Calif., Christmas Cow in Weiss’s chuckle-worthy third Paranormal Museum mystery (after 2017’s Pressed to Death). And while the burning of the straw cow, a tradition started by Swedish immigrants a century ago, is also an annual event, shooting an arrow into the person guarding the cow—Bill Eldrich, the president of the Dairy Association—is not. When Maddie Kosloski, the proprietor of the town’s paranormal museum, and her mom, Fran Kosloski, discover Bill’s body on the town’s gazebo steps, they’re met with kindness by Det. Jason Slate and suspicious hostility by Det. Laurel Hammer. Why would anyone want to kill the guy who was just guarding the cow? And did the tolling of the haunted—some say cursed—cowbells in the museum foretell the murder? Maddie feels compelled to join in when her mom starts snooping, and soon they learn that there’s no shortage of possible suspects with a variety of motives. Lots of humor and a good whodunit help make this cozy a winner. A ghost-detecting cat adds to the fun. (Mar.)