When a firecracker becomes a murder weapon, Emily Westhill pursues a killer with a short fuse … 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 …
Praise for Goodbye Cruller World
“Food scenes tantalize with description of single-origin coffee as well as classic and trendy donuts—solid recipes included.”
—Publishers Weekly
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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.
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 Café 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.
I really like this series. Emily and Brent are great characters and I am enjoying getting to know their friends and the town inhabitants. I am now going to start on book four.
During a 4th of July celebration, someone sets up a rogue firework that kills the queen of the parade. When it turns out that the firework was set up in donuts from Deputy Donut, Emily is determined to find out what happened so that her shop doesn’t take any blame!
This series is so much fun. I’m loving getting to know all of the characters and the town. Emily is such a great character! I was so surprised by the ending! I’m loving the development in all of the characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
Jealousy Filled Donuts” is the third instalment in the “Deputy Donut mystery” series by Ginger Bolton. This was the first book I had read in the series and could easily follow along. I must admit I did have trouble getting into the story, I found myself starting and stopping often. This could just of been me this past month and nothing to do with the story itself.
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 Café, 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 …
The protagonist Emily is a retired 911 operator, who was recently widowed and makes for a strong, intelligent sleuth who doesn’t jump into things willy nilly. I liked the small town setting of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, and I loved the characters which are well developed. I also loved the inclusion of the cat, Deputy Donut (named after its donut like markings) into the story.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and there are plenty of twists and turns in this story.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Independence Day means, parades, carnivals, fireworks, and food! In Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, the food means donuts from the Deputy Donut Café owned by Emily Westhill and her father-in-law and retired police chief Tom. Emily also drove the Deputy Donut Café’s delivery vehicle, a vintage police car with a donut on top in the parade carrying part of the day’s Royal Court.
After they close the café for the day Emily bakes up a batch of donuts to share with her friends while they watch the fireworks. Her friends are on duty as EMTs, firefighters, or police, but they throw out a blanket by their vehicles to relax and enjoy the show.
Then Emily notices a flame by a nearby couple, she rushes forward but it too late. The flame was on a fuse of a firecracker hidden inside of tower of Deputy Donut donuts. The firecracker goes off and was aimed right at the queen of the festivities and she is killed.
Chaos breaks out but Emily’s friends are immediately on the scene. Things get sticky when a photographer tells Emily he has pictures of her lighting the fuse. She knows that is impossible but knows she needs to be proactive and solve the crime to clear her name. Fireworks are really going to fly when she catches that killer!
I devoured this book! Seriously it is impossible to have too many donuts and with these fabulous characters and excellent mystery, I just couldn’t get enough.
Former 911 dispatcher Emily lost her police officer husband when he was killed while out on a call. She had to quit her job and opening Deputy Donut Café was just what she needed. Her father-in-law is a perfect business partner and best of all her cat Dep can go to work with her every day because the shop office is a place set up just for him. Dep is a special cat and he has completely stolen my heart.
Emily is surrounded by a great group of friends and loyal customers. Emily has hired a new employee and Jocelyn has fitted right in. All the characters are engaging and have a purpose. They also continue to evolve nicely as the series continues. Emily’s family added a few pins and needles throughout the story too.
A death that takes place with a park full of people is a tough solve. Seriously there could be hundreds of suspects. Someone with a score to settle with the victim or someone who just wanted to cause trouble. Thankfully, it was soon clear the queen was targeted by someone she knew which brought the suspects down to a reasonable number. The author has filled this story with some great twists and turns and Brent was open to Emily’s help. I was happy to follow their lead.
The ending of this story was so exciting and fantastically written. Ms. Bolton’s words takes readers right there, on the scene, like a fly on Emily’s shoulder. Living in Wisconsin I knew immediately the kind of place the series of events was playing out. It was totally realistic and riveting to read. Like in Goodbye Cruller World, I was on the edge of my seat as the drama played out.
This was an excellent story! A marvelous addition to this series! So much so it will have a place on my Best Reads of 2019. I am craving the next book in this series already!
In this next book of the series Emily is excited about being a part of the town’s 4th of July parade. She will be driving the shops 1950’s police cruiser that sports a donut on top as well as carting around a couple of Fallingbrook Highs elected court. During the evening’s fireworks display someone uses one of Emily’s donut towers in a very unlikely manner. They turned it into a bomb and injured one person and killed another. The young woman that was killed had several enemies but also had people who praised the hard worker she was. Emily knows that she must investigate because the police are looking at her as being the culprit, especially since all the evidence seems to point her way. She decides to start with who bought the donuts that were used and work her way back from there. Follow along as she works her way through a mine field of clues and suspects in an attempt to clear her name. This was an exciting read filled with wonderful characters and intriguing whodunit, I can’t wait to see where the author takes series to next!
Jealousy Filled Donuts by Ginger Bolton is the third book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series. In addition, it is the second book that I have read by this author.
As with the second book in the series, Goodbye Cruller World, I found the story easy to read as well as follow, though I must admit that it took me a good long while to figure out whodunit. Which in all honesty, is just the way I like my cozy mysteries.
Ms. Bolton’s writing made this reader want to continue reading on and on until I had consumed the entire book, regardless of time or the need for sleep. So…to describe why this happened I must indicate that I enjoyed getting to know the characters more, especially Emily, the owner of Deputy Donuts (along with her father in law Tom). As well – the story was well told and flowed easily.
I found the events leading up to the actual murder quite funny. I say this because we have a parade and the queen of the parade is throwing a hissy fit of sorts and it just had me chuckling. Thought what does one expect from high school kids?
Of note, the advancement of the relationship (of sorts) between Emily and Brett was noticeable. Brett was a bit more accepting of Emily and the help she provided on the case. And possibly is she melting a bit as well? I know it is difficult with Emily being a widow of a police officer, but she must move on and if she fancies another policeman, so be it. Time will tell!
The addition to the staff at Deputy Donuts of Jocelyn was good, after all, Emily and Tom need a reprieve from the donut shop once in awhile – don’t they. I do hope Jocelyn remains in the picture for a few more books to come.
Needless to say, I definitely enjoyed the cover art. Though I am a sucker for a cute kitty. So hopefully the wait for the next installment of the Deputy Donut Mystery series is not too far off in the future as I have come to enjoy this series.
Book 3 of the Deputy Donut series features a strong, steady, and original plot. At the Fabulous Fourth Festivities, fireworks start exploding and someone’s life flatlines. Co-owner of the delicious donut shop, Emily Westhill, witnesses the horrific crime scene and vows to help Detective Brent Fyne catch the culprit. The author deftly scatters crumbs around to throw readers off in guessing whodunnit! A great addition to an already excellent cozy mystery series!
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington. Thank you.
Terrific book!!! This was my favorite yet in the series. It’s the 4th of July and a young woman who was the queen of the parade is killed by a firecracker put in a stack of doughnuts. Many suspects abound, including the remaining three members of the royal court and a shady photographer that seems to be stalking Emily’s young employee, Jocelyn, and is editing pictures for the newspaper making it appear as if Emily is the killer. Emily gets caught up in investigating while also trying to be a matchmaker for her friends, Misty and Scott. I really enjoyed the intrigue of this book, Deputy Donut the cat, and the changing of Emily and Brent’s relationship. I really hope to see more of these great books and see a relationship finally develop between Emily and Brent. I also love the amazing sounding doughnuts in each book!!!
I truly enjoyed Deputy Donut – kitty, cafe, and proprietors! Deputy Donut is the cat belonging to Emily, one of the partners, and her late husband, a detective killed in the line of duty. Emily is a charming, hard-working young widow who opened Deputy Donut – the cafe – with her father-in-law, Tom, a retired police chief. It is very popular in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, and they are active in the town social events.
Take today, for example, the 4th of July. A king, queen, duke, and duchess are elected for the parade, usually young adults in their early 20’s. King Ian and Queen Taylor had dated for several years, only recently having broken up. She is now dating Duke Nicholas, and the duchess is her best friend Gabrielle. Taylor is a very outspoken young woman, and doesn’t care who hears what she has to say. Most folks put up with her personality, but not everyone. It has already been a crazy day. Some strange guy with a big camera was taking pictures of her and Jocelyn at cafe, and kept popping up as they lined up for the parade, and now as they share donuts with townspeople at the festival.
Later that evening, Emily is at the fireworks show at the fairgrounds. Midway through, she went to her car for her sweater. After she returned, she saw a “cake” made out of a stack of donuts, like one they made for a boy earlier that day. It didn’t have a birthday candle, though; it had a lit fuse!
One of the “royals” was killed, as it seemed to be set up to aim at her. It had a homemade firework inside the donut stack. That, and some interesting photos presented by the guy with the big camera, and his claim that he saw Emily light the firework, put her on the suspect list of the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation.
I like Emily and her friends, and am looking forward to visiting them again! It is especially refreshing to read about a place cool enough to require a sweater on a July evening when temperatures top 110 where I live. The mystery is plotted and executed well! Try as I did, I couldn’t figure out whodunit, and my “possible suspects” just didn’t seem to fit. I was quite surprised in more than one way at the end! I highly recommend this to those who love well-written cozy mysteries, mouth-watering donuts, police, fire department, and EMT first responders, and cats with personality plus!
From a thankful heart: I received an early copy of this novel and this is my honest review.
What a twisted, action packed, funny read. I have always enjoyed these books but this one was different from the others. The romances that has been brewing finally come to a climax for better or worse and I can’t wait to see how they are going in the next book. The only thing that bothers me about this book is my craving for DOUGHNUTS !!!!!!
Jealousy Filled Donuts is the third book in the Deputy Donut mystery series. This was the first one I have read, but I was able to get caught up quickly.
It’s the 4th of July and Fallingbrook, Wisconsin is celebrating with a festival and fireworks display. The protagonist, Emily even has donuts designed and decorated in the red, white, and blue theme.
Everyone is enjoying the fireworks when a rogue firework encased in a stack of donuts erupts in the crowd killing the queen and injuring her escort.
Is Emily being framed, who is the photographer that keeps taking shots of and at her, and Queen, Taylor, wasn’t the most likeable girl in town.
Emily uncovers plenty of suspects that will have you guessing until the end. I love the setting, after all, a donut shop with a cat, count me in, and throw in a donut car! The characters are likeable and there is romance and humor, everything a great cozy needs. This is an easy to read cozy. Warning, you may want to have a donut or two available.
I was given an ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books for an honest review.
I love this series and, while I wanted to read it the moment it landed in my hands, I waited until I could settle down with no distractions to enjoy every word. Ah, bliss. While this is the third and works fine read as a stand alone, treat yourself. Line up all three and binge read them. Knowing how Emily has grown since the death of her policeman husband gives this entry in the series more impact. Her relationships are solid and a bit of romance has arrived. But so has another murder and as it was in the previous books, donuts steal the show. How many ways can they be used as a murder weapon? Well…..this time they explode and Emily better start asking a lot of questions or she will be prime suspect number one. What could possibly be the motive for Emily or anybody else for that matter, to kill the beauty queen during the 4th of July festivities? And another question enters the picture – who is the unwelcome photographer? What is his agenda?
Emily isn’t one to dive into snooping with an attitude of “I know better than the cops”. Her father-in-law is her partner in the donut shop, Deputy Donut Cafe and he was chief of police. He deceased husband was a cop and most of her friends are in some way connected with the police department and the fire department. She may snoop but she always shares. I really like that about her. She is very down to earth, real. It’s nice to see that she is letting herself connect with her husband’s best friend, Brent. He’s a keeper.
No review would be complete without a mention of one of the greatest cats to ever grace the pages of a cozy mystery. The Deputy Donut Cafe is named after Emily’s cat, Deputy Donut aka Dep. Add donuts and a cast of wonderful characters and this series pleases me no end. I’m ready for book #4.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Jealousy Filled Donuts is the third book in what I find to be a fun-filled series. I always finish one of these books feeling entertained and this addition to the series continues that feeling for me. Emily is a very sympathetic and likable protagonist. She has a terrific personality and her character is very engaging. She is surrounded by a very likable secondary cast of characters whose friendship is one of the things I really enjoy in these stories. I don’t often say this (because I am one of those people who have to read a series in order), but I feel like the books in this series could be read out of order (at least to this point) without the reading feeling lost or like they missed something.
The mystery kept me engaged trying to figure out who was behind the murder. The author had several viable suspects with motives that could have led them to commit murder. The reveal was not a surprise in terms of the killer’s identity but did have drama and danger.
I find this to be a well-written series, with likable characters and good solid mysteries. I will definitely be continuing with this series. I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
Emily Westhill is co-owner of Deputy Donut Cafe with her father-in-law. Their donuts are popular with everyone which is why she is supplying them for the 4th of July picnic. Who knew they would turn into a murder weapon? Emily is being accused of murder by a creepy photographer. Why is he doing that? The guy was scary. He put me on edge. Emily is a strong woman. She’s rebounded from the death of her husband. I admired her for her tenacity. Plus I loved her cute tabby. Dep has a strong personality. When Emily starts investigating, she finds that Queen Taylor could be disagreeable. With the number of suspects growing, Emily is worried. She wants answers. I liked how everyone works together. The touch of romance added sweetness to this cozy mystery. I like the writing of Ginger Bolton. Her characters are lively and good hearted. It’s easy to care for them. I couldn’t put this book down. The action was nonstop. I liked visiting Fallingbrook and Deputy Donut Cafe. I would love a ride in the Donut Car. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
The ending is so romantic and swoon-worthy for a cozy mystery. I LOVE the fact that there is not a romantic triangle for Emily. I am already jonesing for the next book in the series!
I admit the first book in the series was not a home run for me but the second was good and this one is REALLY good. How can you not like a cozy mystery set in a donut shop with the most adorable cat ever written? I am not a big donut eater but this series is making me rethink that. I am ready to try the maple cheddar donut with some bacon.
Emily is the friend we all wish we had and were to others. Sincere, caring and joyful to be around. I like the addition of Jocelyn and hope to see more of her.
I suggest reading the series in order just so you get the full effect of the ending of this book. This series is clean in the romance department and language. Murder, of course, occurs but I wouldn’t say it is gory. A good series to start reading cozy mysteries if you haven’t read them before.
I received a complimentary copy from the author. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.