Halloween in the small town of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, is the perfect season for Deputy Donut owner Emily Westhill to unmask a killer. October 31 is just around the corner and Emily Westhill’s Boston cream donuts, carved with a scream, have made an indelible impression on local eccentric Rich Royalson. So much so that he’s ordered three dozen, with no screaming faces and twice the fudge … screaming faces and twice the fudge frosting, for his seventieth birthday—a special event in more ways than one. It’s to be held on fog-shrouded Lake Fleekom where, twenty years ago, his wife mysteriously drowned.
But the next day, when Emily arrives with her Boston cream donuts, she stumbles upon Rich’s corpse. The poor guy wanted a unique birthday bash—just not one to the side of his skull. With a guest list of possible perpetrators left at the scene, Emily soon discovers that the Royalson closet is rattling with skeletons. As the fog thickens, motives mount, and the tricks outnumber the treats, Emily fears that Rich may not be the last one in Fallingbrook to go out screaming.
Praise for Jealousy Filled Donuts
“Charming . . . Yummy donut recipes round out a whodunit (or is it a whodonut?) sure to please cozy fans.”
—Publishers Weekly
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Halloween, donuts, and murder, oh my!
Autumn in Wisconsin is beautiful with the leaves changing colors but the temps can range from the 80’s down to the 40’s. No matter the weather it is always a good time for donuts. Rich Royalson from Boston especially likes Emily’s Boston Cream donuts but without the Halloween Scream carving. He was so taken with them he ordered three dozen with some minor adjustments for his 70th birthday party. A party on the lake where his wife drowned 20 years ago.
Emily loads up the donuts in the Deputy Donuts Cafe delivery car, an old police car with a donut on the roof, and heads to the Royalson lake house. Instead of finding a man excited about his birthday, she finds the man dead. She doesn’t know much about the man but she has helped solve a few murders . . . but this one could be her last.
I have enjoyed this series from the start. Emily is such a strong protagonist. After tragically losing her police officer husband in the line of duty she opened the cafe with her father-in-law. She has great instincts and a stubborn streak the comes in handy as she delves into another murder mystery. It helps that she has close ties to the local police department and is surrounded by terrific friends and family. She also has Dep, her cat and the cafe mascot. Ms. Bolton has created endearing and engaging characters. Their relationships make sense including Emily taking her time with her love life.
The mystery has plenty of suspects but I was focused on one early. It was fun to tag along with Emily as she followed clue after clue. I appreciated the way she shared everything with the fine Detective Brent Fyne. I was also pleased to see my thinking was on the right track but I was a little off on a couple of things.
By the way, I have a few favorite donuts. Boston Creme Filled are near the top of the list. Without a Deputy Donuts nearby I had my daughter make a quick trip to Dunkin’ Donuts to pick up a few to soothe all the cravings the book caused.
Boston Scream Murder is a delightful and delectable cozy mystery with charming characters. The author does an excellent job of giving new readers enough background so you can read this book on its own but I recommend reading the series from the start if you can. Oh, and stock up on donuts too!
Boston Scream Murder is the fourth book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series by Ginger Bolton. Emily Westhill is catering coffee and donuts to a seventy year olds Halloween birthday. Only one problem, she discovers the birthday boy’s body when she delivers the donuts. There are a number of suspects and Emily works through a series of clues. Another wonderfully delightful tale and then of course there are the donut recipes at the end…
Ginger Bolton’s Boston Scream Murder is the 4th in her Deputy Donut series. I love Emily and this highly entertaining cozy mystery series! The setting is my favorite season–Autumn and it is Halloween. The characters are now friends that I am invested in. Dep the cat is just adorable. I can’t wait for more in this wonderful series.
This is the 4th book in the Deputy Donut Mysteries and the series just continues to keep me engaged and entertained. This one is set around Halloween, so Emily, Tom, and the rest of the staff at Deputy Donut are busy cooking up plenty of Halloween inspired donuts. Emily is the kind of cozy mystery protagonist I think most reader enjoy. She is smart, kind, has a warm heart, and has a stubborn streak. The cast of secondary characters is solid. The relationship with her former father in law and mother in law is heart-warming. Her friends are starting to pair up in relationships and we see this progress in this book. The jury is still out as whether Em’s relationship with Brent will progress beyond friendship, but I think the author has written this storyline true to a young widow.
Emily is an accidental sleuth who has a good relationship with the police (considering her deceased husband was a cop as is his best friend). She is not a reckless sleuth with something to prove, but has good insight and tries to work with the police. Once again, she is in the wrong place at the wrong time and discovers the dead body of a client who hired her to provide donuts for his birthday party. We didn’t get to know a whole lot about the victim except for his love of Boston and that he cheated on his wife. However, the author does a good job of weaving the clues throughout the story, dropping bread crumbs for the reader to follow. Emily has a few viable suspects and her theories on motive are realistic. I was surprised by the identity of the killer and did not even consider this person a suspect.
I always finish one of these books feeling entertained and having taken a fun adventure with Emily. I will be back for more books.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
This one is the best yet. I loved the Halloween theme throughout and the murder/mystery was entertaining and engaging. I also loved the kayaking and the associated descriptions. Emily and Brent ended it quite nicely.
5/5 stars
It was too simple. It followed one person and all she did all through the book.
Fun read!
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 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!
I will admit when I first started this series, I was on the fence if I would like it. I am happy to admit I love this series. Each book amazes me more than the previous one. Boston Scream Murder is my favorite yet. I finished it in one day I was so enthralled by it. You have donuts, murder, a smidge of romance, and kids at Halloween. What more could you ask for?
Be prepared while reading that you will constantly be craving donuts and chocolate bars. It is not fair to set a donut book at Halloween. I am not a fan of Boston Cream but I was craving one mightily.
There would be no issues reading this series out of order if you chose to do so.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Love this series!! Halloween and donuts make a great combination! Emily is catering donuts for a wealthy man’s 70th birthday party. When she arrives she finds him dead. Of course, Emily feels she has to investigate and find the killer. I loved all the fun donuts that were created for Halloween in this book. I wanted to eat them all! Emily and her friends as well as Dep, the cat, are delightful. I look forward to seeing what’s next for the gang and hope to finally see Emily and Brent in a romantic relationship! Highly recommend reading this series!!
This is a delightful cozy mystery. I have not read earlier books in the Deputy Donut series but Ill be adding them to my TBR list. I’m from Wisconsin so I love the fact that this takes place somewhere in my home state.
The author has created unique characters in an environment that clicks. I like their chemistry together. The Halloween theme was fun and added to the overall coziness and sense of community.
The mystery was well written and I was kept guessing through the introduction of various potential murderers as well as the townspeople we met at the beginning.
This is just the book to get you in the mood for Fall and Halloween.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and Kensington books. The opinions expressed are my own.
Boston Scream Murder is a cozy mystery set in a northern Wisconsin donut shop during Halloween. The characters are engaging with intriguing relationships. There’s also the charming Dep (Deputy Cat), who plays a rather large role. The donut shop setting is fun and left me craving all the amazing Halloween-themed desserts described (check out the cover picture for some of the decorated donuts)! This is a great mystery recommended for fans of cozy mysteries.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #cozymystery #culinarycozy #BostonScreamMurder
Boston Scream Murder by Ginger Bolton is the fourth in the A Deputy Donut Mystery Book. It can be read as a stand alone as Bolton does terrific in getting you current and not left in the dark.
Halloween is coming and Fallowbrook is getting in the spirit for trick or treating. Emily’s donut shop has started featuring Boston cream donuts, Halloween style. When a Bostonian arrives in town, he has somewhat of an attitude, not enough to cause his murder or was it. Emily is hired to provided the donuts for his blow out brunch bash, but finds him bashed instead. Thus throwing her into the investigation along with her trusty side kick cat, Dep.
Bolton give you enough suspects that has you guessing until the end, great characters, both regulars and new, hints of romance, and a setting perfect for fall, think foggy lakes and colorful leaves.
I loved this easy to read Cozy! There are recipes included.
I was given an ARC by Kensington Publishers and NetGalley for an honest opinion.
Hand me a Boston Cream donut, ooey-gooey decadence as it oozes down my chin – ah, pure bliss. When it’s the theme of the latest mystery to involve Emily Westhill and a virtual visit to the town of Fallowbrook, Wisconsin, well wild horses won’t hold me back.
Emily and her father-in-law, Tom, co-owners of Deputy Donut Shop are getting ready for Halloween and are cooking up a batch of themed donuts. When a wealthy local, Rich Royalson, tastes the yummy creation, he decides they will be perfect for his upcoming 70th birthday celebration. Too bad he isn’t alive to enjoy it and poor Emily is the one to find his lifeless body.And so begins another investigation for Emily to unravel. With the help of her in-laws and her deceased husbands best friend and former police partner, Brent, Emily follows the clues in a very natural fashion. She’s levelheaded, cautious (sometimes) and really has a knack for unmasking killers. With a list of suspects who would love to get their hands on his estate – like his new widow? Well, I enjoyed every single page, something I can honestly say about each of the four books in this series. My favorite parts of each mystery would be their cat, a sweet calico named Deputy aka Dep and the oh, so cool, donut delivery vehicle, a classic old ambulance with a donut on the roof. Now if Emily and Brent would get a move on with their relationship…..
This is a series that always leaves me satisfied – a complex puzzle to unravel, great characters I like to spend my reading time with and enough twists and turns to keep me guessing wrong to the very end. And no calories unless I give in and make a trip to my nearby donut shop to get a very good Boston cream donut though probably not as top notch as Emily and Tom create.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Book four in this great cozy series. I love the characters and antics of this town makes for some fun reading. Emily is a baker that is delivering a special order to Rich Royalson for his special Halloween 70th birthday party when she finds him dead. The race is on to solve the murder with plenty of twists and suspects. Pleasant book to pass the time with. Look forward to more from this author.
amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, Wisconsin, small-business, small-town, friendship, cozy-mystery
Wisconsin seems to be featured in cozies much more often lately (I live there)! This one cleverly combines donuts, law enforcement, a cop’s widow with a love of kayaking, a small town, and a creepy, self absorbed retired banker with a taste for a much younger women. The plot and storyline are well done and the imagery of the touristy rural are great as are the engaging characters. Of course there are twists and several red herrings enough to make this a good read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!