Ginger Bolton

Emily Westhill, a young police detective's widow, owns and runs Deputy Donuts (named after her beloved cat), along with her father-in-law Tom. When a man shows up and starts raving to other men about how great Boston is, it seems that's all he wants to talk about. But Emily discovers that he's there for a date with her friend Cheryl, who is one of the single women in the Knitpickers, a group of older women who come in daily to knit, eat, and chat.

Before Cheryl shows up, the man identifies show more himself as Rich Royalson, and asks Emily if she'd cater donuts for his seventieth birthday party in a few days, and tells her where she should bring them -- out to nearby Lake Fleekdom where he has a home. But when Emily arrives, she finds everything set up for a party, including food from a local caterer...and the body of Rich. Now, with her friend Cheryl involved, an old girlfriend of Rich's, even neighbors who might have a grudge against the man, she needs to find out who killed him and what would drive someone to do so.

Standing in her way is the fact that she's planning a Halloween costume party at her home, friends trying to push her toward her late husband's partner, Brent, and she has a business to run. It doesn't leave a lot of time for her to think about killers, but Emily wants to know the truth, even if it's closer than she might ever imagine...

This is the fourth book in the series and I absolutely loved the third, so couldn't wait to get to this one. But there was something that bothered me, so I guess I'd better get it out there right away: Emily is insisting she's only friends with Brent, and she still loves her late husband. I get that. I really do. But her husband, Alec, has been gone for six years, and she was married to him for four. So he's been gone longer than they were wed, and even if that sounds cold, perhaps it's time she moved on with her life. She's only thirty-one years old, and she needs to think if Alec would want her to mourn him forever. Would he want her living alone? Having no one in her life? Or would he want her happy with someone new? After all, if you've happily loved once, it's easier to love again (at least I've always believed so).

Emily is still living in a relationship that's gone, and she's not willing to move into one with anyone else. I'd much rather read that she's starting to realize her life isn't over, and while Alec will always be a part of her, it would be more interesting to read about her if she were moving on. Right now she's stagnant in her life, even if she doesn't know it.

So there, I've made my point. As to the rest of the book, the mystery was excellent, as always. I enjoy the characters the book is peopled with, and I enjoyed the fact that it took place at Halloween, so we got to see what everyone's costumes were (which always give an idea of someone's personality). Emily's friends are always there for her, and they make the book more enticing to read.

Finding the killer gave us plenty of suspects, and even though I pretty much knew who it was from the moment that person stepped onto the page (I read a lot of mysteries), it was still fun watching Emily figure it out; and even more fun watching her get out of a sticky situation with the killer. In the end, everything came together nicely, and, I am hoping, leading us toward another chapter in her life. Recommended. show less

This book, the fourth in the series, was my introduction to the Deputy Donut Mystery Series. I am now in love with this series! I need to read all of them. No, I did not have any trouble with keeping up with the storylines that were possibly started in previous books. The mystery in this was complete start to finish. If you enjoy Halloween, as I do, there is absolutely enough Halloween to satisfy you.
In this book Emily, the main character, is catering donuts and coffee to a gentleman’s show more 70th birthday. As his birthday falls on Halloween he prefers not to have a Halloween theme. I really enjoyed that part of the story as I have always wondered how I would truly enjoy having a holiday birthday. Back to the story, when Emily goes to drop off the donuts she discovers a body! With no shortage of suspects we are off on a delicious, (there is plenty of donut talk to satisfy, too), hunt for a killer.
The book is a fast paced, page turner. There are laughs, chills, (not just from the weather), and plenty of clues strewn about. I like that Emily has a good friend who may possibly turn into a love interest. She is a widow who still has close ties to her husband’s family. That is refreshing and realistic for me. I love how her friendships are deep and even her employees at the shop feel like family. In this book, Jocelyn, a former employee, is home from school and returns to a temporary job just as a family member might do. It says a lot about the character and also sets the tone for town. One of the characters I adored, and took great delight in their relationship with Emily, was Dep, her cat. I love animals and feel they can add so much to the story. Dep certainly did! Emily is a strong character who does do some questionable things. I was surprised to see the way the author handled that. I loved it! I would like to say a bit more about that but I try hard to not do spoilers.
There are delicious donut recipes. I know they are delicious because we made some donuts tonight. My guy and I are sometimes night owls. It’s a perk on being older. If you are a deep fry person, make the donuts! My house smells as awesome as they tasted! If you like to bake your donuts, the author includes those instructions. We plan to bake the Scare-It Cake Donuts this weekend. I am already drooling!
I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a good Halloween cozy, you definitely want to pick this book. I’m off to see about the rest of the series, (and eat another crazily messy but tasty Boston Scream Donut). Happy reading to you! show less

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

I enjoy cozy mystery series like this one, where I can pickup the seventh book and immediately get pulled into the world. I didn’t feel lost at all as I came to know Emily in her small Wisconsin town where she runs a donut shop. After a suspiciously-acting customer loses an earring near the shop, Emily drops by her rental house to return it and finds the woman dead—and herself listed as suspect number one by the town’s new inept police chief. show more

The mystery moves along at a good pace, with many suspects in the mix, but a number of elements felt forced, especially at the climax. The guilty party was apparent a bit early on. Even so, I enjoyed the setting and characters, and I’d read more in this series. show less

It's nearing Halloween in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, and donut shop owner Emily Fyne and her friends Izzy and Monique are taking a tour of the Donut Trail, which stops at various shops in Wisconsin that sell donuts. Everything is going fine until they reach a certain point and an unfriendly woman starts remarking about people who bring their pets along. Monique, with her tiny dog, Gigi, and Emily, with her cat Dep, are trying the donuts and cider and since they are out side, no one else is show more complaining. But the woman mentions how she hates dogs (and cats) and won't let up.

Still, the three women aren't about to let her spoil their mood, and so they decide to go into the corn maze which is also on the property. But while they are trying to find their way out, a hand shoots through the corn and grabs Gigi. Suddenly, things go sideways as the women attempt to find the tiny creature and everyone is shouting her name -- even disruptive teenagers who think this is all a game.

Eventually, Gigi is found, and all is calm. For a while, at least. Until it's discovered that the woman is missing from her tour. And when her body is found in the maze the next day, with Gigi's hair ribbon in her pocket, they become suspects in the murder. Now Emily and her friends are trying to clear their names and find a killer. Because if they don't, one of them may be the next victim...

This is the eleventh book in the series, and I have enjoyed most of them. I will admit, in the beginning their was an 'evil nemesis' which I hate above all things, but since that problem has been removed, all the remaining books have been more than delightful.

I love Emily and her family and friends, each with their own backstory to tell, and new friends that they meet along the way. Her life with her detective husband Brent is good, Dep is spoiled (even more than my cats), but I enjoy reading about her as well. She owns Deputy Donuts along with her late husband's father Tom, and the business is thriving.

In this book, Emily once again is drawn into a murder as she tries to prove herself innocent. Although she's not really a serious suspect, one of her friends is, and she knows that she needs to help clear her name. To that end, the three women start listing their own suspects, and it builds quite a list. When they start to question people, they get the natural resistance, but someone is watching their every move and is planning their own.

When we get closer to the end of the book, everything becomes tense as Emily starts to figure out who the real killer is. So do her friends, and they try to capture that person without them knowing. But it's more dangerous than they think, and if help doesn't arrive soon, they may not escape...

I will not say any more as to not ruin the book for others, but this is one of the best in the series, and it was a delight to read. Ms. Bolton has a turn with words, and she does it well. Very well written and highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. show less