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!

Emily and Nina's Donut Shop is full with scary donuts tempting the Halloween crowd. Emily finds the victim and sets out to find the killer. Relatives can be deadly in this town... but Deputy Donut saves the day twice and the killer is caught. Loved this mystery and can't wait for the next.

Newest Adventure Details:

Where: Fallowbrook, Wisconsin

Who: Emily Westhill





I'm always up for a trip to the small town of Fallowbrook, Wisconsin to visit the Deputy donut shop, Emily, Tom, and the knitpickers. The fact that my visit was going to be during Halloween, and I would be able to sample the newest holiday special the Boston cream donut was just icing on the…..DONUT! When I arrived, there was an obnoxious man in the shop going on and on about Boston. Very loudly...I might add. Turns out he was there for a blind date with one of our very own knitpickers Cheryl. Once Cheryl arrived, he explained that the next day was his 70th birthday, and he wanted to serve the Boston cream cupcakes at his shindig. Emily agreed to deliver three dozen donuts and coffee to his party at his lake house. Bizarre...by the end of the day both Cheryl and Boston guy (Rich) were in the shop with other dates….wow these retired people here move fast! The next morning...we packed up the delivery car (this was what I was most excited about...riding in the deputy donut delivery car...that thing is amazing!!), and headed to Rich’s birthday party. He was VERY specific about the time for our drop off. Emily advised that some customers are just more particular….I get it... Emily the customer is always right. When we arrived...his home is beautiful by the way... we knocked on the door, but no one answered. We went around back because we knew he was having an outdoor party overlooking the lake. Again we were taken with beautiful scenery...lots of fog rolling off the lake….almost seemed magical. We heard a paddle hitting the side of a canoe, so we knew others were enjoying the misty enchanted morning. Continuing toward the tent we found tables...where cards labeled with lots of yummy seafood delights would go, and the body of the man who was celebrating his 70th birthday and who the party was for. Emily who is no stranger to police work...her father in law is a retired cop and her husband was a cop who was killed in the line of duty….decides it is up to us to find out what happened to Rich…





My Thoughts:

Another good solid addition to this series. This series has all the checks for a good cozy: great characters, great setting (love love love the delivery car...a 1950’s black and white ford sedan with a donut on top that has sprinkles that light up...and the donut shop is awesome too), and great community involvement. I really like Emily...she is down to earth, smart, and levelheaded. The mystery as always kept me guessing from start to finish. I do wish we would see Emily and Brent move into a romantic relationship.

I can’t wait for another to visit to Wisconsin (hopefully in the summer), but in the meantime I will be trying some of the delicious recipes included to tide me over!

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I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Netgalley, the author Ginger Bolton, and the publisher for this opportunity.

This is the 4th in the Deputy Donut Mysteries and it's Halloween time. My favorite time of year. So I couldn't wait to read this book.

It's Halloween time and the donut shop is trying out new recipes for the day. One is called Boston Sream and there is a customer in there waiting for a blind date who loves everything Boston. So he asks Emily if she would deliver donuts to his house the next day for his birthday party that he is throwing for himself. And the date he is meeting at her shop is none other than one of the knitters. Later that day he and the knitter come in with different dates and they laugh about it and he asks her and her date to his party the next day. The lady he is with was his long lost love from years ago renting his cabin with her boyfriend.

Emily goes to deliver the donuts but instead finds his dead body. She sees no one else around and quickly calls the police. Brent and crew show up to take care of things.

Emily starts her own sleuthing when one of her friends comes and talks to her. She finds that there could be many suspects in his death, his next door neighbor, his new love interest boyfriend. The new love interest herself who has disappeared. She goes through the cabin and the surrounding fields and finds some good clues she can give to Brent and the police.
She even goes on a midnight kayaking
trip in the lake by the deceased home and thinks she sees someone in the house.
Everyone is excited for Emily 's Halloween party she is hoping Brent will be able to come but there is still a killer on the loose. As she is finishing getting ready the doorbell rings and her friend from the shop shows up with an unexpected guest.

Can't wait to find out who it is? Read the book.

I was so surprised at the killer, I didn't even give this person a second thought.

I love this series and can't wait for the next book!

One of my favorite cozy destinations to visit is Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, home of the Deputy Donut Shop. Owners, Emily and Tom couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate mascot than ‘Dep’, Emily’s tortie Cat.

In book four, the author serves up some mighty tempting donut flavors for Halloween, plus a murder with a lengthy list of “could be” killers for cozy readers to nibble on their alibi’s. I really enjoyed the story with its cast of relatable characters and great plot! This reader would like to see Emily and Detective Brent Fyne move their relationship several steps forward as the chemistry is certainly there! The author provides some delicious sounding recipes for readers to try. I highly recommend this yummy series to Mystery fans!

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

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Seriously, this series is a winner. Deputy Donut and everything about the store and the cat stole my heart long ago, and make for the purrfect setting for mystery! Emily is an excellent sleuth, even if she makes some questionable decisions sometimes. She does put herself in danger more often than not, but it all works out in the end. I'm getting a little frustrated on the romance side; will they or won't they? I just wish a concrete decision would come out of it already, but there's always next book!

I really enjoyed this mystery, even though I had suspicions about different characters. I thought they wouldn't go for the obvious, and I was right. Sometimes a single line is a hint you can't ignore, and this was the case this time.

If you haven't read any of this series yet, I highly recommend it. A really great cozy!

Just when you think a series cannot be any better, the author lets you dip into a delectable treat of a mystery like this! Not only is the mystery well written and executed, but the characters are moving right along in their development and so are the relationships between them. The author makes everything so real and relatable. A perfect addition to a wonderful series.

Emily Westhill, owner of Deputy Donuts, finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when she delivers donuts to a wealthy man's birthday party and discovers he's been murdered. Now, she and the Deputy Donuts team have to find out why before Emily becomes the next victim.

Emily is a great cozy heroine - smart, kind, stubborn and doesn't let anyone tell her what to do. Sometimes it gets her into a jam but fortunately, she's been able to get out of those situations. This one is a bit trickier. There are so many possible suspects (I loved that!) and each one has a creditable motive. I also liked the slow pace of the Emily/Brent relationship.

A fun read that keeps me entertained! I'm curious to see what sleuthing Emily will get into next!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed are my own.

Okay this is my new favorite series and author. I had read the previous book and enjoyed it and I just read this one in ONE DAY. I could not put it down. Ginger Bolton not only has amazingly smooth writing that is both cozy, but also keeps you on your toes. But she's created the perfect cast of characters, lovely setting, and feelings of suspense that combine for an amazing cozy mystery.
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The entire time I read this book I was craving donuts so badly that I had to go out and get one (not nearly as good as the creations Emily and her crew would make). The descriptions of the Halloween themed treats was so well done that I could practically see and taste them. I love that Emily has Deputy Donuts, but also caters donuts and fancy coffee to events. Unfortunately for her, it seems to get her constantly stumbling onto murder scenes.
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I appreciated that in this mystery, it wasn't the despicable, much hated stranger that gets murdered. The victim is a slightly annoying, but affable guy and it makes you want Emily and the police to find his murderer even more. I was very surprised by the culprit and explanation and the ending was action packed! I also love that Emily is spurred on to investigate so that she gets to spend more time with "not her guy" Brent. I really appreciate that he wants her to be careful and not get involved, but also appreciates her input and doesn't treat her like a meddling know-nothing. I am so rooting for some romance!
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I also really love the characters in this series; not only are her friends EMTs, police, and fire fighters, but also an artist, a gymnastic and her in-laws (yay for representation of women getting along with their in-laws!!) I love that so many of them get interesting stories along with the main murder and Emily's personal life. I love Dep the cat and how smart and sassy he is (and how he's always involved somehow in major way).

Love this series. This is one of my favorite authors. Emily owns deputy donut with tom her father in law. When there is a murder. Emily sets out to investigate it. To hear more read the book.

This is such a fun series and it’s slowly moving to the top of my all time favorite cozy series! Why its so good of a read to me is the characters - Emily is great, so is Brent and all their friends and family make up a great group of characters. Although Dep, Emily’s cat Deputy Donut, might actually be the favorite! The whodunit part is good too, Ginger Bolton gives just enough clues to keep me guessing.

In this addition to the series, Emily meets Rich in her donut shop and when she brings donuts to his house the next day as requested, Rich is dead. This leads into an investigation into a previous murder as well. Ultimately, I think the Halloween setting worked well and I especially loved how Dep helped save the day towards the end!

The only downside to this was some of the Emily and Brent interaction. While I was reading this, their potential relationship seemed to go backwards a bit compared to the previous book.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes cozy mysteries, especially cat cozies.

Boston Scream Murder was such a fun and entertaining read. I loved the baking and kayaking-aspects of the book, in addition to several of the characters, Emily included. The plot and storyline was also well written and engaging.

Love the small town charm, and love the baking element of the novel. Love it! Would definitely recommend to the many customers that ask for mystery books.

This is a cute cozy series, and I enjoy Emily, the main character, very much.
This book takes place at Halloween, which is my favorite holiday, so I was really having fun reading Boston Scream Murder.
I’m always looking forward to reading more in this great series.

I love Halloween themed cozy mysteries. This one was super cute with a great mystery. Look forward to reading more.

Boston Scream Murder starts off with Emily meeting Rich, a retired banker who’s at the donut shop for a date with one of her regulars. Rich has a mad love for Boston and strong opinions about how everything should be done. He asks Emily to bring donuts and coffee to his 70th birthday party the next day at his house. But when she arrives, Rich is dead. His head has been bashed in with a skillet.

There are various suspects in his murder, and a question of any connection to his wife’s mysterious drowning in the lake years earlier. Brent has to call CID in to assist because of his friendship with Emily. In the meantime, everyone is preparing for Halloween, when Emily will host a party for her friends. Deputy Donut, her cat, isn’t impressed with scary decor or costumes. These moments balance out the murder investigation nicely.

What detracted from this was the continued will they/won’t they with Emily and Brent. It really seemed like she had made a decision at the end of the last book, and in this one she’s insisting they are still friends. Another woman may be interested in him and she says she doesn’t care and doesn’t do anything about it. I don’t know if this is lining up to set her up with someone else or what, but it’s frustratingly predictable to see this happen in a cozy, I swear there’s a requirement in publishing for this. Keep those love interests apart until they marry and fade into the background.

Ultimately, I continue to enjoy and recommend this series, as the mystery is an intriguing challenge to solve. Emily is an engaging heroine and assists Brent with the investigation but isn’t showing his work up. The supporting cast of characters are also fun to catch up with.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a new to me author. The setting in a donut shop was cute. I love that Dep had his own space. The shop was owned by Emily and the father of her late husband.
I got hungry while reading 😀 Rich, was quite the character.
Will look to see if this is a series.

I love culinary cozy mysteries and this one is one of the best I have read in a while. Set at Halloween time, it makes the mystery that more exciting. The twists and turns in the plot kept it interesting and a real page turner. The characters are well developed and like old friends. I had a suspect list that was long but I had my suspicions. With such a list, I was still surprised when the killer made themselves known. I can't wait for the next installment in the series.

This is the fourth installment in the donut mysteries. While I enjoyed it, it was not the strongest of the four. books. You don't have to start with the first book, you can still know who is who if you begin with this one. Emily sticks her nose into things when one of her customers ends up dead at a party where she was providing donuts. It is a good read that moves along well. I did feel that the resolution was a bit weak and reaching. I won't go into why as that would be spoilers.

I confess that I didn't know this that the 4th installment in a series when I requested this ARC from NetGalley. I'm happy to say that this book can be read and greatly enjoyed on its own.

Boston Scream Murder tells the not so sweet tale of a murder, a murderer and the woman trying to uncover the mystery surrounding them both while dealing with some sprinkles of romance and managing a donut shop with your ex father in law.

Emily drives directly in danger's direction and stands up for herself by not flaking in the face of injustice or assholes that think they can do a better job at her own job. While this is reckless of her, it sure makes up a great story to read because her many discoveries do help and even guide the investigation.

The only thing I disliked was how rushed the revelation was. It didn't come out of nowhere but I would have liked a couple of more clues just to have that option midway into the mystery. But the book did offer the mouthwatering recipes it mentioned many times right at the end so I may try to make my own Boston scream donuts soon.