by: Kirsten Weiss
Series: A Perfect Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Publisher: Misterio Press
A killer stalks her sister.
A mysterious painting holds the key.
Can Maddie unravel the mystery before Melanie meets a deadly fate?
When Maddie and Herb attend a curation class at the upscale Domus Vinea museum, the mood turns darker than a gothic portrait after Maddie’s opera-singing sister, Melanie, discovers the museum director’s body. Now, with a cunning killer targeting Melanie next, Maddie must act fast.
Racing against time, Maddie and friends investigate a gallery of suspects, including a dashing vintner with a haunted painting that may hide a deadly secret. If Maddie can’t crack the case, and fast, her sister’s life could end in one fatal stroke.
A Deathly Display, the latest in the Paranormal Museum series, blends quirky sleuthing, small-town chills, and paranormal thrills with a dash of humor. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries!
Grab A Deathly Display and start reading this hilarious whodunit!
For readers who crave a cozy mystery about a woman finding belonging through small-town wine-country sleuthing and the gentle absurdity of everyday hauntings. Perfect if you like breezy pacing, light supernatural quirks, and warm humor over gritty tension—think vintage charm, quirky neighbors, and just-enough chills to keep pages turning without losing sleep. Book 11 in the series.
Meet GD Cat: The Star of the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Cozy Mystery Series
If you've dipped into my Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum cozy mystery series, you know there's one character who steals scenes without even trying: GD Cat. Short for "Ghost Detecting," GD is the resident black cat of the San Benedetto Paranormal Museum, and he's become a fan favorite for good reason. In a genre full of talking felines, shape-shifting sidekicks, and spell-casting pets, GD stands out by being... well, just a cat. A judgmental, enigmatic, wall-staring cat who might—or might not—be tuned into something beyond the veil.
When Maddie Kosloski took over the museum (along with its collection of cursed artifacts and questionable exhibits), GD came with the deal. No dramatic backstory, no magical origin story—he was just there, lounging on the ticket counter like he owned the place (which, let's be honest, he probably does). Maddie feeds him, dusts around him, and occasionally tries to shoo him off exhibits he decides to nap on. In return, GD tolerates her, judges her life choices, and spends an inordinate amount of time staring fixedly at blank spots on the walls.
That's the thing about GD—he's famous for those stares. Visitors notice immediately. They'll wander through the dim hallways lined with haunted wedding dresses and creepy Ouija boards, then stop dead when they spot him perched on a shelf, ears pricked, gaze locked on empty air. Phones come out. Photos get snapped. "Look, he's seeing a ghost!" someone whispers. "Or maybe just a fly." Maddie usually shrugs it off with a laugh, but deep down? She's not always sure.
And that's what makes GD such a perfect fit for this cozy mystery series. The Paranormal Museum books play with ambiguity—the paranormal is light, subtle, never in-your-face. No talking animals dispensing clues, no overt magic solving crimes. Instead, there's this quiet "what if?" hanging in the air. GD's wall-staring feeds right into that. Is he really detecting spirits? Or is he just a cat being a cat, fixated on a dust mote or a shadow? Readers get to decide. Some insist he's the museum's true guardian, sensing restless energies tied to the cursed objects. Others see him as comic relief—a furry skeptic who reminds us not everything needs an explanation.
In the stories, GD doesn't "help" Maddie solve murders in the classic cozy mystery way. He doesn't knock over evidence or lead her to hidden clues (though he has been known to knock things over just for fun). But his presence adds layers. When Maddie feels a chill in the fortune-telling room or hears a whisper where no one's standing, GD's often right there, staring. It amps up the atmosphere without tipping into full horror—perfect for cozy mystery readers who want a shiver with their comfort read. Visitors love him for it. The museum's gift shop even sells "GD Cat Was Here" mugs and t-shirts featuring his silhouette against a ghostly backdrop. Social media posts from fans show up with captions like "Caught GD staring at nothing again—ghost or just cat logic?" It's become a running gag that ties the real world to the fictional one. (And yes, there's an X feed and website where "GD" occasionally "posts" cryptic comments—because why not lean into the fun?)
What I love most about writing GD is how he mirrors real cats. Anyone who's lived with one knows that intense stare—it's unnerving and hilarious at once. In a cozy mystery, where the stakes are low but the tension is delicious, GD provides that perfect balance: a touch of the eerie without overwhelming the charm. He's Maddie's silent partner, her reminder that some mysteries (paranormal or otherwise) don't need solving—they just need observing.
Readers tell me GD is one of the reasons they keep coming back to the series. In a world of overly helpful animal sidekicks, his aloof mystery feels refreshing. He's not there to save the day; he's there to remind everyone that cats have their own agendas, and sometimes those agendas involve staring at walls like they hold the secrets of the universe.
If you're new to the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum cozy mysteries, start with book one, The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum. And if you’re a fan, check out my newest entry, A Deathly Display. You'll meet Maddie, her quirky friends, the cursed exhibits... and GD, staring judgmentally. Trust me—he'll grow on you. Or at least stare at you until you think he has.
What's your take on GD? Ghost detector extraordinaire, or just a cat with an attitude? Drop a comment below—I read every one, and GD approves (probably). If you've got a cat who stares at nothing, share a photo or story. Who knows? It might inspire the next exhibit.
Happy reading—and keep an eye on those blank walls,
Kirsten Weiss
There are a few things in life you can be sure of. Death. Taxes. And divas being divas.
“Why?” Melanie sobbed. “Why is this happening to meeeee?”
I jogged to the fallen man and knelt beside him in the courtyard. Pressing a finger to his neck, I tried to find a pulse.
“Another body,” my sister hiccupped. “Why here?”
I sat back on my heel. The dead man faced the pristine marble fountain. And he was definitely dead. Though his skin was still warm, his eyes stared, as blank as the nearby statue of Hermes.
Yanking my phone from the rear pocket of my khakis, I called 9-1-1. The scent of orange blossoms billowed in the warm night air, but now the odor seemed sickening.
My mother appeared at my side. “Oh, my God. That’s—” She gripped my shoulder, her nails digging in. Just as suddenly, she released me and edged the toe of her low camel-colored shoes away from the pooling blood.
“I just f-found him there.” Melanie pointed.
“And it’s a terrible shock,” my mother said in a low voice. “Now, we need to pull ourselves together.” She looped one arm around Melanie’s hourglass waist.
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?”
“Murder, I think,” I said. “My sister found a dead man. His head is—” I swallowed and looked away. “There’s a lot of blood. We’re at the Domus Vinea Museum, in the smaller courtyard.”
“Are you in danger?” the operator asked.
“No. There’s a reception going on here. There are lots of people...” I glanced toward the opening to the courtyard. Guests had begun to gather, staring, in its arched entrance.
“Why does this always happen?” Melanie wailed. “First Sicily and now this. Am I cursed?”
“No, no,” my mother murmured, touching the squash blossom necklace beneath the collar of her denim shirt. “It’s just bad luck.”
“Help is on the way,” the dispatcher said. “Is the man you found breathing?”
“No. He’s dead.” I knew dead, and I knew what came after for the people left behind.
“Why?” Melanie sobbed. “Why is this happening to meeeee?”
I jogged to the fallen man and knelt beside him in the courtyard. Pressing a finger to his neck, I tried to find a pulse.
“Another body,” my sister hiccupped. “Why here?”
I sat back on my heel. The dead man faced the pristine marble fountain. And he was definitely dead. Though his skin was still warm, his eyes stared, as blank as the nearby statue of Hermes.
Yanking my phone from the rear pocket of my khakis, I called 9-1-1. The scent of orange blossoms billowed in the warm night air, but now the odor seemed sickening.
My mother appeared at my side. “Oh, my God. That’s—” She gripped my shoulder, her nails digging in. Just as suddenly, she released me and edged the toe of her low camel-colored shoes away from the pooling blood.
“I just f-found him there.” Melanie pointed.
“And it’s a terrible shock,” my mother said in a low voice. “Now, we need to pull ourselves together.” She looped one arm around Melanie’s hourglass waist.
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?”
“Murder, I think,” I said. “My sister found a dead man. His head is—” I swallowed and looked away. “There’s a lot of blood. We’re at the Domus Vinea Museum, in the smaller courtyard.”
“Are you in danger?” the operator asked.
“No. There’s a reception going on here. There are lots of people...” I glanced toward the opening to the courtyard. Guests had begun to gather, staring, in its arched entrance.
“Why does this always happen?” Melanie wailed. “First Sicily and now this. Am I cursed?”
“No, no,” my mother murmured, touching the squash blossom necklace beneath the collar of her denim shirt. “It’s just bad luck.”
“Help is on the way,” the dispatcher said. “Is the man you found breathing?”
“No. He’s dead.” I knew dead, and I knew what came after for the people left behind.
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Kirsten is best known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea & Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…
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