Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am happy to feature Sour Crime Donuts by Ginger Bolton today!
Sour Crime Donuts (A Deputy Donut Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
10th in Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Publisher : Kensington
Publication date : August 26, 2025
Print length : 305 pages
Paperback
ISBN-10 : 1496749634
ISBN-13 : 978-1496749635
Kindle
ISBN-13 : 978-1496749642
ASIN : B0DR9SQZYJ
With Emily Westhill’s popular Deputy Donut Café rolling out seasonal summer treats, everyone in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin wants a taste. But when a limited batch box turns up near a dead body, Emily and her curious tabby are pitted against the worst kind of customer—a cold-blooded murderer!
Emily feels like a protective big sister around bubbly twenty-something Izzy—a new regular whose enthusiasm for peaches and cream donuts is surpassed only by her dream to start her own business. As if blown in by an August breeze, Izzy pulls Emily into her plan to buy a property at the edge of town to grow and sell fresh produce. But she’s not the only fan of Deputy Donut’s peachy delights . . . or the only patron vying to own the lush parcel of land. And the competition is fiercer than the two women imagined . . .
Petty squabbles turn deadly when a developer with a mean streak is found murdered on the vacant stretch of land. Worse, Emily’s signature donuts are spotted nearby, leading to several potential suspects who could have left their sugar-frosted fingerprints all over the crime scene—including the mayor, a handsome out-of-towner, and even sweet-to-the-core Izzy. When her detective husband discovers poisonous ingredients in the discarded desserts, a shocked Emily must reveal holes in a collection of very fuzzy facts and nab the killer before someone else takes their last bite . . .
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Everything is peachy at Deputy Donut Café, and everyone is loving the new peaches-and-cream donuts Emily Westhill and her partner, Tom, are serving up. One of the happy customers is someone Emily met at camp when she was a little girl, and Emily was in her teens. Isabella now goes by Izzy, and she has big dreams. She intends to purchase land just outside town to erect greenhouses for year-round fruit and vegetable growing. The problem is, she is not the only one interested in that piece of land. A conservation group wants to save the trees and make it a park. A developer thinks it would be a great place for a resort.
Izzy couldn’t wait to show Emily, her kitty Dep, and two assistants the land she was working hard to ascertain. But they had company when they arrived. The developer and a “mystery man” were arguing about the property. Izzy inserted herself into the middle of the argument, but the ladies ended up leaving the men at it with plans to return another day.
The next day, Izzy calls Emily from the road beside her property and asks her to come. The developer’s vehicle is still parked on the road. When Emily arrives, they start to survey the land, and the first thing they find is a box with a Deputy Donut logo with two peaches-and-cream donuts inside. Then they see the developer’s dead body.
First to arrive on the scene is Emily’s new husband, Detective Brent Fyne. The found donuts could lead to a long list of possible suspects, including Izzy and Emily. The tests on the donuts reveal that they contain some extra additions to the recipe, poisonous ingredients! The Deputy Donut Café is shut down for a thorough search and is Izzy’s unique rental. Emily has to clear her name to protect her business.
Can Emily catch the killer before someone else gets permanently frosted? Or has Emily sold her last donut?
Ms. Bolton has created genuine core characters for this series, and I love them more with each new book. She handled and continues to handle the grief both Emily and Brent deal with after losing Emily’s husband and Brent’s best friend in a line-of-duty incident. Both felt so much guilt for not being able to save him, but they continued to lean on each other, and their relationship bloomed naturally. Now married, they are stronger than ever. Sad memories arise sometimes, but they push through. They have a great support system in Alec’s parents and many friends in the community of Fallingbrook.
The author has penned a complex mystery with many twists and turns, which are blended seamlessly with interesting subplots. I had a great time following everyone around as they all chased down suspects and clues. I appreciated that while Brent would like to handle the case himself, he knows his wife, and she knows to keep him informed if she can. Sometimes things spiral out of control, like the exciting and surprising takedown.
This series takes place in northern Wisconsin, and Ms. Bolton has captured the area and the friendly people in small Wisconsin towns so well. Of course, there are always some bad eggs, but the core characters are people I would meet over the backyard fence, at the grocery store, at the gas station, at the fire station, or at the local bakery. Let me tell you, if there were a Deputy Donut Café here in town, I would be in big trouble. I would probably be sitting with those knitters, eavesdropping on the men, and eating far too many donuts.
Sour Crime Donuts is a complicated mystery with strong characters, sprinkled with humor and romance that every cozy mystery fan will love. Each book in this series can be read on its own, but it is much better if they are read in order.
Hint: Buy or make some donuts before reading, the cravings will be real and will distract you until you eat at least one. The recipe for the Baked Peachy Sour Cream Donuts and Frosting is at the back of the book. Because they are baked, they should be pretty easy to make.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
Ginger Bolton writes the Deputy Donut mystery series—coffee, donuts, cops, danger, and one curious cat. JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS was chosen as the Woman’s World Best New Cozy Mystery of the week and was named one of Dollycas’s Best Reads of 2019. When Ginger isn’t writing or reading, she’s crocheting, knitting, sewing, or generally causing trouble. She’s also fond of donuts and coffee. As Janet Bolin, Ginger wrote the Threadville Mysteries—murder and mayhem in a village of crafty shops.
Author Links – Website – Facebook – BookBub – GoodReads –
Thanks to the publisher, I have 1 paperback copy of Sour Crime Donuts to give away!
The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US or Canadian mailing address.
Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.
Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Following My Facebook Fan Page.
Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads
for 3 Bonus Entries.
Follow Kensington Books on Threads for 2 Bonus Entries!
Follow Kensington Publishing on Facebook for 2 Bonus Entries!
Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries.
If you share the giveaway on Threads, Facebook, etc., you will receive 5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
The Contest Will End on September 24, 2025, at 11:59 PM CST
The Winner Will Be Chosen Using Random.org
The Winner will be notified by email and posted here in the sidebar.
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.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.
Discover more from Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book - Great Escapes Book Tours
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
You must be logged in to post a comment.