Deck the Donuts by Ginger Bolton is another cozy mystery that is in a series. What I loved about this story was of course the Christmas theme, who doesn't love Christmas. Only Emily Westhill and her fellow residents of Fallingbrook Wisconsin hadn't put murder on their list as they are preparing for Santa and the annual Ice and Lights Festival. Emily and her ex in laws own Deputy Donut and had a wonderful holey snowman, Frosty the Donut all ready for the light show. Until Emily found Frosty knocked over and a body under it. The body belonged to the bus driver who had an unfortunate accident while driving his tour bus full of tourists. No one seems to care that Travis is dead, many felt he deserved what he got. Why would someone want to kill this poor man. Who could it be. One thing that i enjoyed about this book was that Ms. Bolton gave us numerous suspects. All cleverly placed to keep the reader wondering who could have done it. She wrote in detail how these characters intertwined with each other, How the bus driver had ties to Fallingbrook and why did many keep secrets hidden that could have solved the case much faster.

Emily is a caring, loving person who would help everyone around her. Since she lost her husband a few years back Emily was hoping to spend some holiday time with Alec's former partner Brent, but things were getting complicated for Emily. Her loyalty to Alec's parents whom she owns the donut shop with makes her wonder will she ever be able to move on? Well this murder keeps her close to Brent, because he looks to her for help.

I loved the description of the town itself. Everyone pulling together to get int the holiday spirit. The decorations, singing shopping and of course a tree lighting all while a murder must be solved. This is number six in the series. I wish I was able to read one to five so I knew the characters and their backgrounds. Since I love holiday stories I was able to piece together who was who and really was able to glide through this book.
It was a quick read and kept my interest to the bitter end. Thank you Ginger Bolton for an enjoyable read and Net Galley for the ARC. Hope to read more in this series.,

Am I the only person who hates it when people spell doughnut donut? It was a hot, very rainy month here in the desert, so naturally I wanted to read a book that takes place at Christmas in a small and very snowy Wisconsin town. This is another new series to me, the Deputy Donut series. Deputy Donuts is a doughnut shop in Fallingbrook, WI, owned by a retired police chief and his widowed daughter-in-law, Emily, our amateur detective. Fallingbrook is quite the idyllic town, where everyone is good friends who care for and watch out for each other. And it's even more Hallmarkian at Christmas, with every shop and home decorated, nearly the entire town participating in caroling and the ice festival, and it's all almost too much so for this reader to happily suspend her disbelief. But I decided not to resist the saccharine and just enjoy a small town that I'd like to live in with people I wouldn't mind being friends with. Emily and Brent, her late husband's partner, are the first to respond to a bus accident during a raging blizzard in which the driver is severely injured. Townspeople immediately open their homes to house the tourists from the bus, and they all pitch in to provide activities to amuse the unhappy stranded families, led by Emily and her team. They make doughnuts to bring to the people, they throw a doughnut-decorating party, they make doughnuts and cookies for the fire department's Christmas party--they eat a lot of doughnuts in this town. A lot. And apparently all are handmade as the book mentions them cutting the doughnuts by hand. Frankly, boutique designer doughnuts or not, I'd want an industrial doughnut machine. Fallingbrook must be largely inhabited by retired police and firefighters, as they own the doughnut shop, the cleaning service, and seem to be everywhere. I get it; if you work in that field, you know a lot of people in that field, but they all work and hang out and marry each other--it's quite incestuous. The story is okay, although not very clever, and the hamhanded attempts to make some people mysterious and possible murderers is clumsy. Therefore, the final reveal of the murderer was a bit of a surprise as they flew under the radar of this reader. Enough of a surprise that I will overlook the unsuccessful and blatant shoving of certain characters into our fictional faces as red herrings and look for the other titles in the series. Fallingbrook may be too good to be true, even for fiction, but it's perfect for a Hallmark movie, which may be the author's ultimate goal.

This has quickly grown to be a favorite series of mine. Emily is all decked out and ready for Christmas. A tour bus goes off the road during a huge snowstorm, and Emily and her friends do what they can to help the passengers. The community offers up their homes to passengers until the storm passes. When the driver of the tour bus winds up dead underneath Emily's ice sculpture in the town square, the police need to find out who would have wanted him dead. I loved the setting. I love cozies that are set around Christmastime and this book really gave me small town Christmas vibes. The characters are wonderful and I loved the mystery. There were enough twists thrown in that I couldn't figure out the killer until right at the end. I can't wait to read more. I received this book from netgalley and Kensington publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Is it too early to read a Christmas book? I think not. This is the 6th book in the series but can easily be read as a stand alone, however reading the whole series will really make you feel a connection to the characters.

The small town setting, the donut shop and such memorable characters are the heart of this book. I love seeing them grow and develop with each book and I feel like they’re family by now. And let’s not forget Emily’s cat Deputy Donut.

The mystery was was good with this one. It kept me guessing and on my toes the whole time.

This was a great cozy to get you in the holiday mood. I loved the combination of holiday festivities, catching up with loveable characters and sleuthing alongside Emily.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Although it felt a little strange to read a Christmas themed cozy mystery in August, I absolutely loved this new entry in the Deputy Donut series. My appreciation grows with each new book, and it has become a favorite. The quality of the writing is great and there is always more to the story than meets the eye at first. In Deck the Donuts, the murder victim appears to have left bitter memories to quite a number of people in Fallingbrook. Emily Westhill (unofficially) investigates to understand exactly why someone thought it would be a good idea to commit murder. While a character I liked is now gone, a pleasant new addition is made in Deck the Donuts. Tom and Cindy, Emily's in-laws, are forunately present, as they are vital to the series, in my humble opinion. While I was reading, quite a number of the potential suspects were nice characters, and it was difficult to really find out who the culprit was. The conclusion is satisfactory, yet sad, a reflection of reality. In all, an excellent cozy mystery.

Christmas is coming in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin as is the snow! A major storm is about to deposit a huge amount of the white stuff which will have very little chance of disappearing before more arrives. Out skiing with friend, Brent, Emily is extremely concerned to hear a tour bus has crashed just outside of town cutting short their day out.

Brent is a first responder and, wanting to help, Emily rushes with him to the scene before opening her home to one of the travellers left stranded by the crash and the weather. The following morning Emily is dismayed to find her donut shop's ice statue vandalised and shocked when Brent tells her they have found one of the hospitalised victims dead under the ice.

The sixth book in the Deputy Donuts Mystery Series is a very enjoyable return visit to Fallingbrook for the festive period. The bus crash paves the way for the town to show itself at its best, the main protagonists working for the emergency services and at Deputy Donuts, and Emily trying very hard not to appear to be investigating when told not to. The storyline was entertaining, the culprit a surprise, and everything came together very successfully to provide a brilliant Christmas read with hints of some of the excitement to come in future books.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I really enjoyed this book with its positive message and festive themes.

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was a little slow in the middle but otherwise the pacing is good. I like the characters. #DeckTheDonuts #NetGalley

Ginger Bolton's Deck the Donuts is the 5th in her Deputy Donut series and is one of the best in the series. Holiday themed books are so warm and cozy--no matter in which season they are read. Deputy Donut books can be standalones, though reading in order will have you invested in the characters and their small town lives. The interactions of the characters are what one would expect from their own friends.
Emily and Brent find themselves at the scene of a bus accident just before an impending snowstorm, Offering refuge to the driver and his girlfriend embroils Emily in a murder investigation. A good chase follows the clues, and misdirection's, to a satisfying conclusion with holiday fun in the process.
Ms. Bolton provides growth and development in her characters that maintains the illusion of real life people. Her stories draw you in and give a delightful break from reality. I can hardly wait for the next book!

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for giving me the Advanced Review Copy to read in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I review books that I enjoy for my friends and followers.

#DeckTheDonuts #NetGalley #KensingtonPublishing

A delicious cozy mystery to get you into the spirit of Christmas. This is such a great series with fun characters. Keep them coming!

This is the first book I have read in this series and it was a very enjoyable read. I was able to understand the history of a lot of the characters without too much back story. The adventure to discover whodunit was fun with a bunch of twists and turns. I really liked the main character and Dep is adorable! I am looking forward to another installment.

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advanced read.

Made me hungry for donuts and longing for a White Christmas, so all in all perfect book. Good mystery with enjoyable characters make this cozy an easy recommendation.

A wonderfully done cozy mystery. I loved Ginger Bolton's writing style and her characters, the cover art of this book and the settings within it.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the sixth book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Another yummy entry in the Deputy Donut mystery series, set in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Emily’s donut shop is decorated and ready for the Christmas holidays, including a special outside carved donut snowman, as part of the city’s Ice and Lights Festival. She’s also hoping to spend more personal time with her dear friend, Brent. Brent is Emily’s deceased husband’s former police partner and as Emily has moved past the grief at her husband’s death, she’s come to appreciate how important Brent has become in her life. But things don’t go to plan when a tour bus crashes outside of town and a snowstorm makes things difficult for both rescue and housing of the passengers. As with other townsfolks, Emily hosts a someone in her home. The following morning, Emily is horrified to find that her new snow sculpture has been deliberately knocked over and, much worse, the bus driver’s body is underneath it! It turns out that the driver knew people in town, leading to questions about who had the most motives to kill him and why. Emily, Brent and Emily’s cat, Deputy Donut ‘Dep’, realize that they need to get to work to bring a happy Christmas to all those under suspicion.

Deck the Donuts by Ginger Bolton is an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Emily and Trent are outside cross country skiing. Trent was Emily's husband's partner when he was a cop. Trent gets a call, a tour bus has gone off the road. It is snowing heavily and visibility is low.
This was an entertaining story. I can't wait to read the next one!

Ginger did not disappoint in this sixth book. It's Christmas time in the small town of Fallingbrook. The way she describes the snow storms it makes you feel like you re there. The whole book takes twist and turns and makes you think you have some idea of who did it. But you are completely wrong. Then out of left field you find out who the killer is and why. I love the characters in these books they are so real and down home makes you want to go for coffee an doughnuts and visit them. In the end the book takes a turn that I have been hoping for and can not wait to see how it moves forward in her next few books in this series.

One of my favorite cozy mystery series. I love the characters and feel that they have some depth to them. I usually don't know for sure who did it and enjoy guessing the whole book. I loved that this was set during Christmas for a change of scene.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley
#netgalley
The only downside of this book was making me hungry LOL. Great book for a round Christmas time but really it helped me cool down this summer.
🍩❄️🍩❄️🍩❄️🍩❄️🍩❄️🍩❄️

I love the Deputy Donut series. Emily and her cat Deb make me smile through the entire book. The book takes place near Christmas. Once again another murder needs to be solved. This ia a great cozy novel.

Deck the Donuts by Ginger Bolton is the sixth installment in the Deputy Donut series. Deck the Donuts takes place during the winter. When a tour bus overturns and the tour guide is framed for the murder of the driver, it is up to Emily, along with Brent (a detective and Emily’s romantic interest), to solve the case. I really like Emily. While she searches for clues, she does hand over any information to the police. Her former father-in-law (she’s widowed) was the previous town’s chief of police and her romantic interest is a detective. I love Dep, Emily’s adorable cat. Dep’s antics are mentioned here and there, but they don’t take over the story. The author is excellent at throwing out enough red herrings to confuse the reader. I did not guess the murderer. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ginger Bolton has done it again! The plot was riveting and held my attention all through the twists and turns. I actually had no clue who did it until the reveal. The characters are all lovely and setting the story at Christmas time made it even greater.

A definite any time of the year read.