This is the third book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series and I continue to enjoy the wonderful writing and well-plotted mystery. It is the Fourth of July and Fallingbrook, Wisconsin is in the middle of their celebrations. When the "Queen of the Fourth" is killed by a homemade firework hidden inside Emily's donuts, she fires up her investigating skills to find out who killed someone using her jelly donuts.

Emily still insists that she and Brad, her deceased husband's partner, are just friends, but her friends see that there is more to it than that. Brad is investigating the murder and although he knows Emily would never kill anyone, there is evidence leading straight to her. While trying to deal with the investigation, meeting up with her friends, and training a new employee, she is also dealing with a sleazy photographer that seems to be hanging around the donut shop. I had some suspicions about the killer, but kept changing my mind. As the story wraps up, the storylines come together in a satisfactory ending. I love the well developed characters, the dialogue, the writing and the mystery in this book and will definitely be watching for the next one in this series.

This is the 3rd installment in the Deputy Donut mystery series. Emily and her Father-in-Law Tom are getting ready for the Independence Day parade and argue about who gets to ride the Deputy Donut vehicle in the parade. A customer comes in and begins taking pictures and abruptly leaves. He continues to show up around town all day and seems to be taking pictures of Emily and her new assistant Jocelyn. At the fireworks that evening the Independence Day Queen is killed by a firecracker in a pack of donuts and soon Emily comes under suspicion and photos of her from that day keep appearing in the paper. This is a good solid mystery with a great cast of supporting characters. I love the relationship of Emily with her 2 best friends Samantha and Misty and her matchmaker efforts. She still struggles with guilt over the death of her husband as does his partner detective Brent. This series keeps getting better. Looking forward to the next installment

I discovered the first two books in this series at the end of last year and was excited to read this newest installment. While I didn’t love it quite as much as the first two, this story was still very well crafted. I loved the premise of it set around the 4th of July and the murder weapon was definitely one of the most unusual I have come across! The mystery kept me guessing and I enjoyed the conclusion and the killer’s unmasking-talk about an exciting scene! This DEFINITELY a series I will happily continue. Hope to see lots more Deputy Donut stories!

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

“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!

Jealousy Filled Donuts is the third book in the "Deputy Donuts" series.
I have read the previous book in series and always enjoy returning to this series. Each book is entertaining and a fun sleuth. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity. My opinion is my own.

Emily is our intrepid likable protagonist and part owner of the a successful donut shop that serves the local police. She has great relationships and I enjoy the warm friendships portrayed in this series. She is well liked by her town people and respected.. She has proven to be a adept investigator in helping to solve past murders.

In this next in series Emily has been chosen to ride a float in the 4th of July parade. The town is abuzz with preparations and Emily is proud to have been chosen. During the 4th of July fireworks that night someone sets off a bomb and killed one person while another was injured. Emily knows that she must investigate because the police are convinced she may be involved as her donuts were used in the bomb that came from her shop. . Soon she is finding multiple suspects and clues that she must narrow down to find the right suspect.

The mystery kept me turning pages to conclusion. i did not figure out who the suspect was. I love the way that Emily investigates and the support she has from her community. This is a enjoyable series that I always enjoy returning to. I look forward to the next in series

Jealousy Filled Donuts
(Deputy Donut Mystery #3)
by Ginger Bolton

Paperback, 288 pages
Expected publication: August 27th 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation



Goodreads synopsis:
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 ...


***

4.5 Stars

This is the third book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series by Ginger Bolton.

This is my first perusal into the Deputy Donut universe and I have to say that I really liked it!

We sort of had a dual storyline going on in this one. One plot was the entire mystery behind who killed the Queen of the fourth of July festivities by putting a dangerous firecracker in a 6-stack of Deputy Donuts. The other was the will they/won’t they between Emily Westhill and her late husband’s partner, Brent Fyne.

Emily used to be a 911 operator but after the death of her husband and her perceived part in it, she gave up that career and opened Deputy Donuts with her father-in-law Tom who had previously been the Fallingbrook chief of police, now retired. Because of her perceived part in her husband’s death, she fears moving forward, especially with anyone in the police department. She hasn’t even been able to visit her husband’s old office or drive on the road where the accident occurred. This gives the mystery a complex and fearful aspect. It is the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop. This angst was pulled out longer than I thought necessary but sometimes I want conflict resolved early and that inner need doesn’t always jive with a plot like this.

The community in this book was great. I like getting to see and know people you most likely will see in other books. Another blogger I follow, Dru’s Book Musings, sent out an email featuring this book and a Day in Life of Misty Ossler who is one of Emily’s good friends and a cop on the police force. Misty wasn’t featured a ton in this book and I applaud when a blogger can pull so much detail about a character and write it up on the page.

Reading this book and reveling in the complete ending of the two dual storylines gave me a happy feeling in my heart and made me want to delve into the previous two books in this series. I need a two book marathon and I need it right now!

Definitely check this book out if you love a great cozy mystery. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

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 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.

Emily is involved in the Fourth of July events in Fallingbrook. There is a photographer following her around taking pictures. That night at the fireworks the queen of the festivities is killed. The photographer makes it look like Emily is the perpetrator.
Deputy Donut has a new employee, Jocelyn. Jocelyn is a gymnast and preparing for college. She avoids the photographer whenever she can.
Who killed the queen, Taylor? What does the photographer have to do with it?
This third Deputy Donut mystery is pretty twisty. Dep, the cat, is cute as ever. Personal relationships are developing, and we meet Emily’s parents...eventually.
Emily is a good amateur sleuth and the story is fun to read.

I loved visiting Fallingbrook, Wisconsin again in 'Jealousy Filled Donuts'. The latest addition to Ginger Bolton's A Deputy Donut Mystery series had an intriguing and sometimes dark storyline which was balanced by the delightful characters. I especially appreciated Emily's growth as a young widow. With many suspects I was completely surprised by the ending as I had chosen incorrectly. The final scene of the book gives me hope, and will stay with me. I look forward to more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

An entertaining and engrossing cozy mystery.
It was great to meet again the cast of characters and the lovely setting, all are well written.
The mystery is good, full of twists and turns, and it kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I continue to enjoy this series. I love the donut shop setting, and I think Emily's friendships and relationships continue to be given plenty of room to stand out (instead of a revolving door of quirky characters like many cozies rely on, Emily has a core group of friends that I feel readers are actually getting to know). I will say that I have the same critique here that I often do with this genre- the descriptions of Emily's outfits often make her sound like the dowdiest 30 year old on record, and the dialogue can be stilted and age-inappropriate at times (again, aging the characters quite a bit). However, I enjoy this series enough that I'm willing to overlook these minor flaws and will definitely keep reading.

Jealousy Filled Donuts by Ginger Bolton is the 3rd book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series, and another great book. Emily Westhill, a widow, and her retied chief of police father- in- law run a donut shop, Deputy Donut, in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. In this exciting adventure, Deputy Donut shop is busy making donuts for the town's 4th of July picnic. When someone uses a stack of jelly donuts to hide a deadly firecracker in, and one girl dies, Emily starts to investigate. I really liked this book, and can't wait to read the next one in the series. I enjoyed the characters, which are well written. If you love cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book/series.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

This series is getting better and better! I just couldn't resist finishing the ARC a week early. I fell in love with these characters in the first book and have been waiting a little impatiently for this book to come out. My own copy will come on release day--the cover is so awesome that I just had to order the paperback of it. I could tell right away that Emily and Brent's friendship was growing, because I didn't notice one of my favorite lines that he always kinda mumbled, "Mmph", when he was deep in thought or didn't want to talk about a case. He was definitely more willing to share with her and accept her help on this case. It was a crazy and fun one too with a side mystery that involved a stalker of Emily and Tom's new employee, Jocelyn. I hope we see more of Jocelyn, and that she stays working at Deputy Donut. She was the perfect addition to give Tom and Emily a much-needed break during the week.

I didn't guess the killer, but I knew who I didn't want it to be. I loved how the book ended with a complete explanation of everything that had been going on, then Emily's parents who liked to RV around the country, returned home for a marshmallow roast at their home campground. It's fun to wind a mystery down with some normal downtime for the characters, and this ending was just right!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Who would use donuts filled with firecrackers to kill anyone- much less Taylor, a beauty queen (and not nice person) at the Fourth of July celebration? And they were Emily's donuts! Emily and her father in law Tom own a donut shop (along with Emily's cat Dep) and they just can't seem to stay out of trouble. However, they are also ace investigators- he was chief of Police and she was a 911 dispatcher and the widow of a law enforcement officer. Also, she's got a nice relationship with Brent, a detective and her husband's best friend, so it's not a surprise that they won't take a suggestion that Emily was responsible sitting down. Taylor was a lot of things but she wasn't an angel. This has some nice twists and the characters are delightful. I'm a fan of this series but I'm sure you can read this latest as a standalone and be happy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Can't wait for the next one!

The Fallingbrook Fabulous Fourth Festivities have a rocky start when the queen for the royal court in the parade doesn’t make a timely appearance, and once she arrives immediately berates and belittles others. Taylor Wishbard may be crowned a queen but her behavior towards others is rude… but is that enough to kill her? Someone apparently thinks so as they use donuts from the Depute Donut Café to set off a firecracker explosion that kills Taylor later that evening. Emily Westhill, one of the owners of the donut shop, finds herself smack in the midst of another murder investigation, particularly when a sketchy acting photographer posts photos in the local newspaper implying that Emily is the killer. Who hated Taylor enough to commit murder?

JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS is a fun and enjoyable tale, set in a fictional town that I would love to visit! The various shops and activities sound delightful, and I love the idea of a Knitpicker group meeting regularly. However, it is the characters who truly make this story come alive. Emily is a phenomenal main character! She’s inquisitive and caring, but she doesn’t rush headlong into danger without thinking things through. It probably helps that she is a former 911 operator as I appreciate that she doesn’t blunder wildly into solving the mystery. I’m curious as to where the potential budding relationship will go, particularly since Emily is still involved with her in-laws through the Deputy Donut Café.

A donut shop owned by a retired police chief and the widow of a detective? Who can resist such a premise! Ginger Bolton takes a cliché about cops and donuts and turns it into one heck of a good story in JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS. I’m new to the <i>Deputy Donut Mystery</i> series, but Ginger Bolton does a great job at ensuring new readers can jump right in and appreciate both the characters and their relationships in this third installment of the series. However, I suspect readers will want to read more of the <i>Deputy Donut Mystery</i> series after getting a taste of JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS!

*in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

The third book in the Deputy Donuts series find. Emily Westhill and friends celebrating the 4th of July. Emily will drive Deputy Donuts' car the parade.She drives to the starting point to pick of the Royal couple. The Queen is late and refuses to ride in the DD car she must be seen in her car. That evening Emily sees someone places a bag of donuts in the back of a chair the queen is sitting. There is a loud explosion and the confusion is sorted the QUeen is dead. What and who killed the Queen? Emily needs to find before she joins the Queen in death. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.
Donut Recipes are included.

Disclosure: Thanks to Kensington Books for a copy through NetGalley.The opinions expressed are my own.

It is a truth universally acknowledged--cops and donuts go together. Exhibit A: Deputy Donut Caf�, 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...

This was a quick and intriguing cozy mystery. I enjoyed the plot line and, although I haven't read the rest of the series, I was able to follow along quite well.