Named after her beloved tabby, Deputy Donut, Emily Westhill’s donut shop in small-town Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, is doing so well, she’s expanding into catering weddings. But a killer is about to crash the reception . . . Normally, Emily’s eyes tend to glaze over when prospective brides go on about their wedding plans. But when the owner of the clothing shop, Dressed to Kill, asks Emily to … shop, Dressed to Kill, asks Emily to design a donut wall for her reception, she’s immediately sweet on the idea. With the help of her father-in-law and business partner—the former police chief of Fallingbrook—she hangs the treats from dowels on the wall so guests can help themselves.
But that night, when the groom ends up on the floor with signs of poisoning, Emily suspects someone has tampered with her treats. When the groom dies, there’s no way to sugarcoat it: she’s got a murder on her hands. Despite a list of suspects as long as the guest list, Emily vows to find out who created the killer confection to save her shop’s reputation and keep the bride out of handcuffs. She’ll have to move fast . . . before the poisoner takes a powder.
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Weddings and donuts, that is a new tradition I would love! Emily and her father-in-law, Tom, create a donut wall for the wedding of Jenn, the owner of Dressed to Kill. The bride’s favorite donuts on one side and the groom’s favorites on the other. It is a big hit with the guests and the groom makes a regular pig of himself eating one after another. That is until he ends up dead on the floor. Seems someone has added their own secret ingredient to some of the pastries. An item that was made to kill. Everyone at the reception becomes a suspect, especially the bride. Emily knows the connection to her confections is going to be bad for business. She knows Detective Passenmath would love to pin the crime on her and Tom. She has no choice but to try the puzzle out the killer herself.
Tom and Emily own Deputy Donut, named after Emily’s tabby cat. Tom is the former police chief of Fallingbrook. His son was on the force too and Emily is a former 911 operator. The shop has a police theme complete with an old squad car for deliveries. These characters stole my heart in Survival of the Fritters. The nice thing about Deputy Donut is that police and fire personnel hang out there. Some key suspects also stop in a time or two, in addition to all the regulars. It is a unique place because Deputy Donut, the cat, has his own lair to watch over all the all the happenings. I really enjoy how the author has set this up as we get to know the characters better at this special gathering place.
The mystery this time had so many suspects but I set my sights on someone very early in the story. Then I followed along with Emily and let me tell you the author built everything up to a very exciting ending. I was right about the who and most of the why, but boy I was on the edge of my seat at the climactic scene that brought everything together.
The story is set in my wonderful state of Wisconsin and the author described everything wonderfully. The closest thing to Deputy Donut that we have nearby now is Dunkin’ Donuts, but growing up we had a wonderful bakery that reminds me in many ways of Emily and Tom’s shop. Great donuts and a great gathering place to find out all the latest news about town. Crullers are some of my favorites as are powdered sugared (I may be looking at those a little closer now).
I can’t wait for my next visit!
Great fun. Light and funny with a touch of sadness in the protagonist’s backstory. Perfect cozy mystery
Emily is hired to make a donut wall for a friend’s wedding. When the groom is found dead by the donut wall and the bride is assumed to be to blame, Emily wants to help out. Emily is determined to find out what happened so that she can save her shop’s reputation.
I am really enjoying this series! I love the dynamics between Emily and all of her friends. Emily is such a fun character and I’m having such a good time getting to know her. I had suspicions about the killer from the beginning, but I still had a good time reading. I can’t wait to continue with this series!
In the second installment of the Deputy Donut Mystery, Emily Westhill and her father-in-law/business partner, Tom, are providing late night snacks for a wedding. Emily’s friend, Jenn is getting married and requests donuts. But when the groom ends up dead, it’s up to Emily to find out whodunit, no matter where the trail leads her.
The author had me at donut wall. The minute I read about a whole wall of sugary treats I wanted to be at that wedding, helping myself to the treats.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but I think I liked this one even more. There was a great cast of characters, and the author kept me engaged with a whole cast of suspects that kept me guessing. I really like Emily, too. She is a strong woman and she stands up for herself. And of course there is Deputy, the cat, adds to the story.
Goodbye Cruller World is a great addition to the Deputy Donut series. It has a great cast of characters, a wonderfully plotted mystery, and as I said, a Donut Wall. What more could you ask for?
I received an ARC of this book from the author.
In this second book of the series Emily is catering a wedding and doing a special donut wall for the bride and groom. With the help of her father-in-law they come up with a splendid wall for the wedding and Emily can’t wait to see what everyone thinks. When the groom ends up dead during the reception Emily is mortified to see that one of her donuts might have did him in. Seeing a suspicious bowl of powder by the wall she immediately thinks of poison and hopes that no one else got into the bowl. Not wanting people to think that her donuts are killers she jumps into investigation mode. When things start to come to light about the groom it looks like he has more enemies than friends, but who wanted him dead so badly? Emily knows that she must dig up the truth before the investigating officer pins the murder on her. Follow along as Emily makes the donuts, asks questions of potential suspects, and tries to keep herself out of trouble. Will she be able to solve the case? Emily is such a great character and I’m enjoying getting to know her along with the other players in each new book. I can’t wait to see what donuts she comes up with next and what mystery fall in her lap.
Goodbye Cruller World is the second book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series. Even though I did not like it quite as much as the first installment I enjoyed it is a very good cozy mystery. The biggest downfall in my opinion was that at times there was a lot of speculating going on without any investigating or actions to confirm those suspicions.
I very much like Emily and her police and emergency responder friends. It wasn’t far fetched that Emily got involved into the murder case.
At no time I suspected who really killed the victim and the showdown had me biting my nails. So much fun!
….oh and there are some recipes added at the end of donuts featured in the mystery.
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Kensington and the author provided me with an advance copy.
Synopsis:
Named after her beloved tabby, Deputy Donut, Emily Westhill’s donut shop in small-town Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, is doing so well, she’s expanding into catering weddings. But a killer is about to crash the reception . . .
Normally, Emily’s eyes tend to glaze over when prospective brides go on about their wedding plans. But when the owner of the clothing shop, Dressed to Kill, asks Emily to design a donut wall for her reception, she’s immediately sweet on the idea. With the help of her father-in-law and business partner–the former police chief of Fallingbrook–she hangs the treats from dowels on the wall so guests can help themselves.
But that night, when the groom ends up on the floor with signs of poisoning, Emily suspects someone has tampered with her treats. When the groom dies, there’s no way to sugarcoat it: she’s got a murder on her hands. Despite a list of suspects as long as the guest list, Emily vows to find out who created the killer confection to save her shop’s reputation and keep the bride out of handcuffs. She’ll have to move fast . . . before the poisoner takes a powder. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Emily is not afraid of hard work and she is happy to spend her days working to make her donut shop successful, So when she has the opportunity to create a donut wall for a wedding reception, she is happy to do it. Little does she know that her creation is going to be used for murder. She knows that she is going to have to get involved in another killer investigation and figure out who the culprit is. With the help of some friends, she does just that.
The mystery was well plotted and moved along at a nice pace. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. Throw in some red herrings and twists and turns and it is not very easily solved. The fact that Emily was considered a suspect seemed a little off to me, she did not know him at all. I guess the fact that the lead detective really dislikes Emily (I think she dislikes everyone) was the reason why she wanted to pin the murder on Emily.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Named after her beloved tabby, Deputy Donut, Emily Westhill’s donut shop in small-town Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, is doing so well, she’s expanding into catering weddings. But a killer is about to crash the reception . . .
Normally, Emily’s eyes tend to glaze over when prospective brides go on about their wedding plans. But when the owner of the clothing shop, Dressed to Kill, asks Emily to design a donut wall for her reception, she’s immediately sweet on the idea. With the help of her father-in-law and business partner—the former police chief of Fallingbrook—she hangs the treats from dowels on the wall so guests can help themselves.
But that night, when the groom ends up on the floor with signs of poisoning, Emily suspects someone has tampered with her treats. When the groom dies, there’s no way to sugarcoat it: she’s got a murder on her hands. Despite a list of suspects as long as the guest list, Emily vows to find out who created the killer confection to save her shop’s reputation and keep the bride out of handcuffs. She’ll have to move fast . . . before the poisoner takes a powder.
I love culinary cozies and this was no exception! The plot and characters were wonderfully developed. The plot took several twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I had a sneaking suspicion who the murderer was from the very beginning.
This one was just as good as the first one and I can’t wait for the next one. Wouldn’t you just love to have a donut wall?
Great book!! Donuts, cats, mystery! Emily Westhill’s donut shop, Deputy Donut, is providing a donut wall for the wedding reception of a local shop owner. When the groom suddenly dies after eating a poisoned donut, Emily and her father-in-law business partner become suspects along with the bride. Emily investigates of course. I absolutely love this series!! The characters and the cat, Deputy Donut, are a delight! I hope to see Misty and Scott, Samantha and Hooligan, and, of course, Emily and Brent all in relationships in the next book. Emily and Brent are perfect together! Can’t wait to read the next book in the series and hopefully more after that!
Goodbye Cruller World by Ginger Bolton is the second tale in A Deputy Donut Mystery series. Emily Westhill and Tom Westhill co-own Deputy Donut in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Their shop has been commissioned by Jenn Zeeland, who owns Dressed to Kill, to provide a late night snack for her wedding guests at her wedding reception. They have constructed a donut wall (with dowels to hold the donuts) and Tom’s wife, Cindy added some decorative touches. At Little Lake Lodge, Emily puts out the fresh donuts and they are an instant hit (who doesn’t love freshly made donuts). Emily is being twirled about the dance floor when the groom is discovered curled up on the carpet by the donut wall. Scott Ritsorf, the fire chief, attends to the victim while Emily notices a saucer with a strange white substance hidden under her hat. It appears that someone used Deputy Donut’s crullers to poison the groom. Unfortunately, the groom does not survive and the police chief calls in DCI to work the murder. When Detective Yvonne Passenmath is assigned the case, Emily knows she needs to track down the poisoner to save Deputy Donut’s reputation. When Detective Passenmath narrows her investigation to Jenn, Emily needs to work quickly before Jenn must trade her wedding dress for a prison jumpsuit.
Goodbye Cruller World can be read on its own. The author provides the necessary backstory on Emily and the secondary characters along with what occurred in Survival of the Fritters. I found the book to be easy to read and I liked the steady pace. However, we really do not need every activity described in detail (unlocking the shop doors, turning on the lights, making the coffee, wiping down the tables, etc.). The author needs to take the time to develop the characters in the series. They are not fleshed out and the secondary characters felt flat. I like Misty, Samantha, Scott, Brent, Tom and the others. I just wish we knew more about them. I could do with Emily spending less time trying to match up her various friends (as she avoids dating and the fact that two men would like to date her). Dep, the cat, is adorable and playful. I like that the author has Emily talk to Dep and he responds with his little “mmp” noise. I did not understand why other characters, like Brent, would answer with a “mmp” though. I would re-read the paragraph because I wondered if I had missed something (was it a person talking or the cat). The mystery could be solved before the bridegroom consumes his first cruller. The killer was as obvious as powdered sugar on a black shirt. Emily does ask questions, but she spends an inordinate amount of time speculating on the crime with Dep (I want more solid content). I like that Brent listens to Emily’s insights and the information that she digs up on the suspects. I intensely dislike Detective Yvonne Passenmath. She is another cliché nasty detective who focuses on finding evidence to convict innocent people instead of following the evidence to find the guilty party. I would like to know more about the town of Fallingbrook. We are given scant details on this little hamlet in Wisconsin. There are delectable donuts described in the story and recipes at the end of the book. Goodbye Cruller World is an easy breezy cozy mystery that will have you making a run to your local donut shop. I am giving Goodbye Cruller World 3 out of 5 stars.
As soon as I saw this on overdrive I “pounced” on it! Emily is catering doughnuts for a wedding reception when suddenly the groom collapses! Was he attacked? Was it something he ate? Why wasn’t the bride with the groom? Suspects galore come into the donut shop and Emily can’t stop herself from investigating. Join me again in Fallingbrook for another mystery and see if you can figure out who the murderer is before Emily does.
Emily is excited that her donut shop, Deputy Donut, has been hired to supply a donut wall at a fellow business owner’s wedding. The donuts are a big hit. The only problem is the groom who is being rude and obnoxious to everyone until he ends up collapsing by the donut wall with his pockets stuffed with crullers.
This story has likable characters with my favorite being Dep, the cat with an attitude. Also, the reader gets a lot of details to help you to envision the story although occasionally it is a bit much.
This is the second book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series but could easily be read as a stand alone. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
As the story begins, Emily and Tom, co-owners Of Deputy Donut Cafe, are preparing a donut wall for the wedding reception of the business owner next door, Jenn. After the “I Do’s”, Roger, the groom, stuffs himself with crullers and keels over dead. Tox reports point to poison. Tough and gruff outsider, Detective Passenmath, would enjoy pinning the murder on Emily and Tom and be done with it; however, they have friends with the local police department, and that’s not going to happen.
The story moves along at a steady clip with a great cast of characters. Plenty of suspects are provided for readers to sort out who had means, motive, and opportunity to snuff out the groom. This is a great cozy for an afternoon of reading. Delicious recipes follow the story.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.
Goodbye Cruller World by Ginger Bolton is the second book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series. A thoroughly enjoyable read with all the components of a good cozy mystery. I am happy to report that not until very close to the end did I figure out ‘whodunit’ – just the way I like it. There were enough red herrings and suspects to keep me guessing.
Now coming in to the series on book two, I had a bit of trepidation. Luckily, the author provided enough back story that I was easily able to proceed and not feel like I missed too much by not reading book one in the series. Having said that, now that I have completed book two – my interest is peaked sufficiently so that I want to go back and read book one!
I found the story telling engaging. The characters were well rounded and I will never turn down a good cruller recipe. The cover art was SO cute!
Given the cuteness of the cat – wondering why she did not play a more prominent role. Her role seemed simply to be a cat. Wonder if her role was more pronounced in book one? Though I did like Dep’s attitude at times
“Dep was a little indignant about being left during what she thought of as our dinner hour, but after a few minutes of cuddling in the wing chair, she hopped off my lap and asked to be let out into the backyard. She didn’t stay long.”
The main characters had some depth, which I would like to explore further. I enjoyed the friendship and comradery between Emily, Samantha and Misty. Additionally, I am interested in following some of the possible romantic pairings that have been developing throughout the story. So I shall be waiting for the next installment of the Deputy Donut Mystery series.
Goodbye Cruller World is such a fun book. I liked the idea of its main setting being Emily’s Deputy Donut Donut Shop — I mean, who doesn’t love donuts? Add to that, a wedding reception with a donut wall, a belligerent groom, a bride with second thoughts, and you have the perfect formula for a murder mystery.
I really enjoyed every part of this very readable and engaging book. Ginger Bolton did a wonderful job of creating the atmosphere of the whole donut enterprise, from the police hats with a stuffed donut logo to the shop’s delivery donut-themed police cruiser, with its multi-colored flashing lights. The characters are well written and interacted well with each other, and when combined, made a perfect investigating team for this complex mystery. Deputy Donut also has a namesake, Emily’s cat, nicknamed Dep, who is very cute and also a fixture in a special cat-friendly office in the donut shop.
This book is the second book in the series, but can easily stand alone, but I know that I am going to be reading the first book, Survival of the Fritters (aren’t the titles great?). I recommend this book without reservation as well, but you might want to have some donuts on hand because Goodbye Cruller World will make you hungry!
I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
I hadn’t read the first book in the series, but had no problem starting with book #2. Not many details about the first book were revealed, just a few quick words to reintroduce characters.
I’m only giving Cruller an OK rating because when I was done, I had no desire to seek the first book, nor yearn for book 3 to come ASAP. There’s nothing in the Deputy Donut world that really snagged my attention. The story was ok and the secondary characters very basic given their limited page space and development. I thought the killer was evident despite some red herrings.
If the next book had a really intriguing blurb, I’d consider giving it a go.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.