By Ginger Bolton
Deputy Donut Mystery #3
Kensington, 2019
Summary
When a firecracker becomes a murder weapon, Emily Westhill pursues a killer with a short fuse ...
It is a truth universally acknowledged--cops and donuts go together. Exhibit A: Deputy Donut Cafe, owned and operated by detective's widow Emily Westhill and her father-in-law, the retired police chief of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Named after Emily's adored and adorable tabby, the donut shop is a favorite among cops, firemen, and EMTs, as well as tourists and townspeople. So when Fallingbrook needs donuts for their Fourth of July picnic, Emily's shop gets deputized.
But a twisted killer has found another use for Emily's treats. At the picnic, a firecracker is hidden in a stack of raspberry-filled donuts and aimed at the unwitting queen of the festivities. When it explodes, she is killed. Having her jelly donuts involved puts Emily in a sticky situation, and when a shady shutterbug tries to frame her with incriminating photos, she finds herself in quite a jam. To preserve her freedom and her shop's reputation, Emily needs to solve this case--before the fuse-lighting felon goes off again ...
My thoughts
From the realistically accurate title to the creative use of donuts as a murder weapon, Jealousy Filled Donuts by Ginger Bolton thoroughly entertains. It’s well written and clean, with good characterization and a vivid sense of place. While this third book in the Deputy Donut series easily stands alone, there’s some interesting character development that makes the whole series compelling reading. I definitely recommend the previous two books, Survival of the Fritters #1 and Goodbye Cruller World #2 (please click on titles to see my reviews).
The Deputy Donut series started out very good and keeps getting better … Maybe because I’m enjoying the character development of both major and secondary characters, but the murder theme in this story resonated with me also. I loved returning to the quaint town of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, especially the Deputy Donut CafĂ© co-owned by Emily Westhill and her father-in-law. And how could I ever forget the “star” of this series, Emily’s tabby cat, Deputy Donut himself (aka Dep). Their connection is precious and believable. Emily talks to her cat, expressing her feelings; I talk to my cat. Enough said.
The murder mystery plot is well crafted and not easy to solve, at least for me. Emily, the donut shop, and her friends all played important parts in the story. Even their past experiences as teenagers exploring the hiking trails around the falls came into play. The Fourth of July theme was refreshing, making this a great summertime read, or for any time of the year. However, I doubt that I’ll ever look at patriotic celebrations and parades the same again. Just sayin’…
But my absolutely favorite part? The gradually building relationship between Emily and Detective Brent Fyne. This storyline tugs at the heartstrings, because Emily’s beloved husband and Brent’s partner was killed on the job a few years previously. Initially drawn together over their shared heartbreak, a subtle attraction has been steadily building while Emily is understandably hesitant about giving her heart to another police officer. But slow and steady wins the race, as the saying goes, and I hope that’s what happens here. And did I mention that Dep is crazy about Brent, and vice versa?! I’ll just say that the ending is very satisfying.
I thoroughly enjoyed Jealousy Filled Donuts and hope for many more stories in this series. Recommended to cozy mystery fans everywhere.
I received a copy of this book through the Review Crew. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
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Ginger Bolton writes the Deputy Donut mystery series –cops, crime, coffee, donuts and one curious cat.
When Ginger isn’t writing or reading, she’s crocheting, knitting, sewing, walking her two rescue dogs and generally causing trouble. She’s also fond of donuts, coffee, and cafes were folks gather to enjoy those tasty treats and one another’s company.
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