Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am delighted to share my thoughts about Double Grudge Donuts by Ginger Bolton today!
Double Grudge Donuts (A Deputy Donut Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in the Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Publisher : Kensington Cozies (February 20, 2024)
Paperback : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496740211
ISBN-13 : 978-1496740212
Kindle ASIN : B0C6FW6BGY
The countdown is on as Deputy Donut Café owner Emily Westhill gets ready for married life. But before she takes the plunge, she’ll need to poke a hole in a deadly criminal’s plans . . .
When the Fallingbrook Arts Festival rolls into town weeks before she’s set to tie the knot, Emily expects talent and friendly competition at the week-long summer series to go together like coffee and double fudge. But the fun crumbles fast after a lively bagpiper takes first place on day one and turns heads for the wrong reasons—all before Emily and her tabby cat find him dead in a clear case of murder. Along with a distinctive weapon at the crime scene, several strategically placed items leave disturbing clues about the killer’s identity, including a broken piece of a Deputy Donut mug . . .
While detectives aren’t sure who silenced the bagpiper’s music, they don’t trust Emily or her family to tell the truth. With her nuptials and career on the line, Emily launches an unsettling investigation to save herself from trouble and bring a dangerous figure to justice. The search not only brings too many suspects into the picture but also leads to a strange discovery on Deputy Donut’s rooftop. A discovery that tells Emily she better get cooking, because someone may be watching her every move . . . and carefully plotting to turn a wedding into a funeral!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Fallingbrook, Wisconsin is hosting an Arts Festival. It is a week-long talent competition for all ages with different events each day. The contestants perform each day in front of the downtown businesses as a preview leading up to their performances for competition each evening. That has brought in a lot more business for the Deputy Donut Café keeping Emily, Tom, and their assistants busy. The other businesses are enjoying the extra foot traffic as well.
Then after an entertaining evening, the next day Emily and her tabby cat, Dep find one of the contestants, a bagpiper who had won 1st place, dead on their way to work. The man was murdered not far from her café with a piece of a Deputy Donut mug nearby.
It is also just 14 days until Emily and Brent’s wedding. Most of the details have been taken but the last thing they needed was another murder investigation leading up to their big day. Brent is going to miss much of the festival but he has called in for help from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation. The agent that comes is not the one Emily was hoping for but the point is to solve the case as fast as possible so they can get to their nuptials. Feeling like someone is watching every step she takes, she knows she has to be careful not to become the killer’s next victim.
Ms. Bolton has created a marvelous group of core characters for this series. Emily Westhill is an astute amateur sleuth. She gets people to open up to her easily, especially when she comes bearing donuts. She ruminates on the clues until something makes them all into place. She and Brent have such a strong relationship built on trust and love. He knows she has great instincts and she knows to report back to him about everything she learns and theories she has. She also knows to call him when her sleuthing may be dangerous. Emily has a wonderful relationship with her former in-laws. She and Tom work together happily every day and Cindy is around a lot. Emily’s parents are in town too and are judges for the arts festival. She also has a great group of friends that always have her back. The character that always steals the scene though is Dep, Emily’s tabby cat and mascot of the cafe complete with places for her to play and lounge and a window to watch all the people coming in for donuts and coffee.
The mystery started out with several suspects but as Emily worked through the clues the number of suspects decreased. She couldn’t make all the clues fall into place though. I will admit I tossed a big clue to the side and forgot about it and Emily did too. She really did her best to be safe at all times by trying not to go anywhere alone and going to public places with a lot of people. But when the final clue started to fall into place she may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I definitely wasn’t on board with the decision she made just a short time later but let me tell you what followed had me holding my breath and then the author threw in a jaw-dropping twist that greatly sped up my heart rate. It was an impressive showdown!
Thank you, Ms. Bolton, for allowing readers to attend Emily and Brent’s wedding ceremony virtually. Your descriptions were perfect.
This series is so good. I have enjoyed every book and Double Grudge Donuts is a terrific continuation. I was entertained by marvelous characters and an excellent mystery, all set in my home state. Ms. Bolton creates a great balance of mystery, humor, and romance.
I am very excited to read the next book in the series,
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
Ginger Bolton writes the Deputy Donut mystery series
Author Links – Website – Facebook – Twitter – BookBub – GoodReads –
Coming November 26, 2024
Written as Janet Bolin
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
