It’s been a long time coming but Emily Westhill is getting remarried! The loss of her beloved late husband Alec served to bond her with his parents, Tom and Cindy, so much so that she and Tom opened up a donut shop together to help manage their grief. The older Westhills feel like a bonus set of parents for her as she gets ready to marry Fallingbrook Police Detective Brent Fyne, with the ceremony taking place in a matter of mere weeks!

But first Emily is looking forward to her Wisconsin town’s very first Arts Festival. Each day has a different theme, with performers doing the rounds of local businesses before getting together to compete at the end of the day. Bagpiper Kirk McLean makes a big splash on opening day, winning the very first competition for instrumental music and making several enemies in the process of his obnoxious journey to victory. He makes even fewer friends over the next several days, as his bagpipe playing rings out all over town, at inconsiderate times and venues, including outside of Emily’s store, Deputy Donut.

Even so, Emily is shocked while walking to work one morning to find Kirk slain right outside his van in her parking lot. She immediately calls the police, but not before noticing that a fragment of one of her shop’s bespoke mugs is lying next to him. The local police know she had nothing to do with his death, but the new DCI agent called in to assist with investigating the homicide has no such biases. Emily soon finds herself the uncomfortable subject of police scrutiny, even as she’s trying to plan a wedding and run a business. She doesn’t really mean to involve herself with solving the murder mystery but when she finds herself trapped with a potential killer, she’ll have to do everything in her power to make it out alive. She has, after all, a wedding to be in!

This eighth installment of the Deputy Donut mystery series is a must-read for series fans, as it contains the satisfying next step in Emily and Brent’s slow burn romance. It’s always nice, too, to see how supportive he is of her, a belief that’s usually well warranted. I did think it was a little out of character for her to make some of the choices she did towards the end of this novel, though. Emily isn’t ordinarily paranoid or careless, so it was a little weird to see our usually level-headed heroine be both in quick succession. The mystery itself was well written, however. I only guessed whodunnit quite close to the final reveal itself.

There were four recipes included here, mostly of donuts or related delicacies. Much as I love a good donut, I’ve found that my at-home attempts at making them have almost always made me sad. So I decided to try out this recipe from the book, for a versatile donut accompaniment, and use it in a yummy alternate dessert instead:

QUOTE
Lemon Curd

½ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons, depending on size and juiciness)
3 teaspoons fine lemon zest

Zest and then juice lemons. Extra zest can be frozen for later.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, preferably enameled to prevent the lemon from reacting with metal, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together until well blended.

Whisk in the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Heat the mixture on medium heat, whisking briskly and constantly until the sauce thickens. Don't stop whisking while the mixture is being heated.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the curd into a heatproof bowl.

Cover the bowl tightly chill.
END QUOTE

I definitely had a span of time there where I was wondering how long I needed to stir this concoction before it would actually thicken! The answer is about ten minutes, at which point the curd comes together quite nicely. I couldn’t find a jam jar to store it in once it was ready to come out of the saucepan, but the jar I did use was quite handy, if rather large. I’d definitely recommend it over your standard bowl though.

Whenever I think of lemon curd, I think of English scones, so decided to serve these with an American twist. To that end, I baked up some Southern-style biscuits, split them in half and spread the cooled lemon curd on each. I then topped one half with a fanciful swirl of whipped cream, dolloped a little more lemon curd on top, and voila, a States-side twist on a high tea favorite. These lemon shortcakes were delicious, and I only wish I’d reserved some of the zest to sprinkle on top for a pretty visual effect.

Next week, we head out to the west coast to bake up some versatile cookies while investigating the suspicious death of a pro athlete. Do join me!

The characters in this novel are very engaging, even the quirky townsfolk. It was an enjoyable cozy mystery with a culinary twist, and the descriptions of the donuts had me salivating.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Double Grudge Donuts by Ginger Bolton is the eighth book in the cozy Deputy Donut Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book of this series can be enjoyed as a standalone or in any order with the mystery being completely solved within each book. Of course there is some character building that carries over from book to book for those that follow the series from the beginning.

In the first book of this series we met Emily Westhill who co-owns the Deputy Donut donut shop named after her tabby cat in small-town Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Emily used to work as a 911 dispatcher until the day her husband who was a police officer was killed so now she and her retired police chief father-in-law sell donuts at their shop instead. Although Emily thought opening a donut shop would be safe she keeps finding herself mixed up in solving murders.

This time around it’s almost time for Emily to walk down the aisle but just weeks before the big day is the Fallingbrook Arts Festival. Every day new talent will be performing all around the small town and Emily hopes to enjoy it all while working at her donut shop, that is until a rude bagpiper interrupts other performers. As annoying as the interruptions could be they certainly didn’t call for murder so when the bagpiper if found Emily vows to catch another murderer.

The Deputy Donut Mystery series is another cozy series that I have followed from the beginning and always enjoy returning back to with each new book. I love that law enforcement is so prevalent in the stories and not made out to be bungling idiots like some cozies tend to do. Emily is surrounded by police and has more knowledge of investigations so it’s fun to return to her sleuthing and there’s always a nice mystery to follow along with all the fun laughs I also enjoy in this genre.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the eighth book the Deputy Donut series. The book starts with Fallingbrook's Art Festival going on. Emily's parents are in town to judge part of the competition. And for Emily's wedding that is taking place the week after the festival. The day after the festival starts, Emily finds the bagpiper,who won the contest the night before, dead. Even with her wedding a week away, Emily still decides to investigate.
I absolutely love this series. Emily and her friends are rhe absolutely best. I love that her Samantha and Misty are so close. And I love weddings in cozies. They are always so fun. This was a great read and I can't wait to read more.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Fallingbrook, Wisconsin is hosting an Arts Festival. It is a week-long talent competition for all ages with different events each day. The contestants perform each day in front of the downtown businesses as a preview leading up to their performances for competition each evening. That has brought in a lot more business for the Deputy Donut Café keeping Emily, Tom, and their assistants busy. The other businesses are enjoying the extra foot traffic as well.

Then after an entertaining evening, the next day Emily and her tabby cat, Dep find one of the contestants, a bagpiper who had won 1st place, dead on their way to work. The man was murdered not far from her café with a piece of a Deputy Donut mug nearby.

It is also just 14 days until Emily and Brent's wedding. Most of the details have been taken but the last thing they needed was another murder investigation leading up to their big day. Brent is going to miss much of the festival but he has called in for help from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation. The agent that comes is not the one Emily was hoping for but the point is to solve the case as fast as possible so they can get to their nuptials. Feeling like someone is watching every step she takes, she knows she has to be careful not to become the killer's next victim.

_____

Ms. Bolton has created a marvelous group of core characters for this series. Emily Westhill is an astute amateur sleuth. She gets people to open up to her easily, especially when she comes bearing donuts. She ruminates on the clues until something makes them all into place. She and Brent have such a strong relationship built on trust and love. He knows she has great instincts and she knows to report back to him about everything she learns and theories she has. She also knows to call him when her sleuthing may be dangerous. Emily has a wonderful relationship with her former in-laws. She and Tom work together happily every day and Cindy is around a lot. Emily's parents are in town too and are judges for the arts festival. She also has a great group of friends that always have her back. The character that always steals the scene though is Dep, Emily's tabby cat and mascot of the cafe complete with places for her to play and lounge and a window to watch all the people coming in for donuts and coffee.

The mystery started out with several suspects but as Emily worked through the clues the number of suspects decreased. She couldn't make all the clues fall into place though.  I will admit I tossed a big clue to the side and forgot about it and Emily did too. She really did her best to be safe at all times by trying not to go anywhere alone and going to public places with a lot of people. But when the final clue started to fall into place she may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I definitely wasn't on board with the decision she made just a short time later but let me tell you what followed had me holding my breath and then the author threw in a jaw-dropping twist that greatly sped up my heart rate. It was an impressive showdown!

Thank you, Ms. Bolton, for allowing readers to attend Emily and Brent's wedding ceremony virtually. Your descriptions were perfect.

This series is so good. I have enjoyed every book and Double Grudge Donuts is a terrific continuation. I was entertained by marvelous characters and an excellent mystery, all set in my home state. Ms. Bolton creates a great balance of mystery, humor, and romance.

I am very excited to read the next book in the series, Blame the Beignets, set to be released on November 26, 2024, as Brent and Emily begin their married life together and to see what kind of mayhem they get mixed up in next.

Pro:
* Dep
* Delicious sounding donuts & coffee give me serious cravings.
* The town festival premise
Con:
* Begins too quickly with too many new characters and rushes around a bit chaotically
* Belabored trail of suspects and following of the clues, then the final three chapters are a blur
* I just kept waiting for it to settle in and flow together and it never did.

Thank you to Ginger Bolton, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wedding planning & donut making, are the main things in Emily's life. Until a bagpiper is murdered and the police find a Deputy Donut mug at the scene of the crime. Emily has to take on the case if she wants to get married as planned & hope she can catch a murderer before she's a victim or in jail!

The Deputy Donut mysteries are so much fun! I have enjoyed seeing Emily's life change in so many good ways. The characters are well-written and relatable. And, who could turn down a delicious donut!

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

Emily Westhill is the owner of Deputy Donuts Cafe’ and the Fallingbrook Arts festival is coming to town just weeks before Emily is getting married. But the fun crumbles fast when a bagpiper is found dead in a clear case of murder. Emily launches an investigation to save her herself they find a weapon at the scene leaving disturbing clues about the killer’s identity. The search not only brings too many suspects but also leads to a strange discovery on Deputy Donut’s rooftop. Someone is watching Emily’s every move so she needs to solve the crime before her wedding turns into a funeral.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie

I found this to be a thoroughly delightful cozy mystery! This visit to Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, is my favorite so far for many reasons. An easy one is – double fudge donuts! For those who love to bake, the recipe is included. There is a sweet serving of humor, with one scene in particular that was laugh-out-loud funny!

I enjoy the regular characters as they are like old friends. Emily and her late husband’s father, Tom, own Deputy Donut Café, the most popular place in town for donuts and other pastries, special coffee blends, and spending time with friends. The café is named after the cat that Emily and her late husband adopted, so named because of Alec’s law enforcement career and the interesting markings on her side.

The patio at Deputy Donut provided a front-row seat for afternoon visits from contestants of the Fallingbrook Arts Festival. Each evening, there would be themed competitions such as Wee Wonders Wednesday and Troubadour Tuesday. Every afternoon, the acts went to scheduled shops to give a preview of their act. This was the first year of the festival, and Emily’s parents, both avid supporters, hope it becomes an annual event. They would be judging some evenings, so they stayed at Emily’s rather than return to their RV park late at night.

The very best part of this novel is the wedding Emily and her fiancé, Brent, have been planning. They were counting the days to the big event. Brent is a detective with the local police department, and when a new, major crime occurs, he hoped to have it solved before the big day.

Kirk, a bagpiper who took first place in the Musical Monday event, was a thorn in everyone’s side that evening and the following day. He interrupted people when performing, including Quentin, a friend of Summer, one of Emily’s friends. He distracted Quentin so much that he couldn’t finish his coronet selection and took second place. On Tuesday, he interrupted and even followed some of the vocalists who were performing at several shops around town. He raised a stir in the pub, Fireplug, setting off Ed, one of the waitstaff. Early the next morning, Emily found Kirk dead in the alley that led to Deputy Donut. Near his body was a piece of ceramic broken from a Deputy Donut mug. A couple days later, the rest of the mug was found in Emily’s driveway.

The case is a challenge for Brent, as his department had called for a detective from the state Division of Criminal Investigation to assist. Vic was snarky, especially to Emily, and was visibly suspicious of her and several other people. Emily had helped solve several murders over the years. When she was asked to help a café owner, she didn’t want to get involved with the wedding so close, but she began to follow up on some people she considered possible suspects.

The characters are defined well, and it has been wonderful to see them grow through events of their lives. Emily and Brent perhaps had the most changes and challenges, since Emily’s husband had been Brent’s detective partner and best friend. Whether introduced in this mystery or a long-term character, each is demonstrated through realistic conversations and actions. It’s hard to choose just one favorite; I would have to say Emily, and include Dep. She is a loving little cat with a big, realistic cat-sonality. She loves being at the donut shop, people watching through the window between the office and dining area, and racing through the overhead runs and tunnels Tom built in the office to keep her entertained.

This mystery was plotted and executed well. The characters invited me in from the beginning and kept my attention throughout. I had a few suspects, but the bad guy was someone I hadn’t even considered! I didn’t want the novel to end, even though I did want to see who the killer was. I was very satisfied with this cozy mystery and highly recommend it and the series!

Double Grudge Donuts is the newest in Ginger Bolton's Deputy Donut series. I have heard so many things about this series that I decided to jump right in with this latest book without reading the prior books. The author did a great job of gradually introducing the main characters so that those new to the series like me wouldn't be overwhelmed trying to catch up.

The events of this book take place during a weeklong arts festival in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin and that makes a fun backdrop for the story. I like that instead of just telling readers this event was occurring, details about the various acts were given so you really felt like a part of it. I enjoyed getting to know Emily, the co-owner of the Deputy Donut Cafe, (named after her cat), and her fiancé Brent Fyne, who is a police officer. Sometimes Emily takes some unnecessary risks in investigating the murder of one of the arts festival participants who had several enemies. However, I liked that she regularly reported her findings and theories to Brent.

One thing I missed out on by starting at the end of the series is Emily mentions a couple of times that her best friends are Samantha and Misty, but she doesn't spend a lot of time with them in this book. Since I really enjoyed this book, I plan to go back and catch up on some of the prior books when I can, so I hope to see more of their friendship. I liked the end of the book so much, so I know those who have been following the series regularly will love it! The book also includes some donut recipes that sound delicious, but too hard to make for my limited cooking skills.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advance copy. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

The Fallingbrook Arts Festival is upon them and Emily looks forward to all the different acts that have been set up. When an unruly Bagpiper wins the first nights competition not everyone is happy about it. It doesn't help that the man makes himself known by playing his bagpipes throughout the early morning hours. He also takes it upon himself to interrupt other acts during their time to shine. When Emily finds the man dead on her way to work one morning she is shocked. She knows he had many enemies so finding his killer won't be easy. Emily wants to find the miller quick because her wedding is coming up soon and she doesn't want anything to take away from that. Will she find the killer before her big day or is a funeral in her future?

Thanks to NetGalley for a ARC of this book. I love this series and this book was is a great addition to it. It is finally the wedding of Emily and her cop boyfriend. This story takes place during an Arts Festival and a bagpipe players mysteriously dies. I love the characters in the novel, especially Emily as she works to solve the mystery and make donuts. The mystery was fun, with plenty of red herrings, it was hard to figure out who had done it. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you will enjoy this one.

The Fallingbrook Arts Festival takes place with each day featuring a different type of performer.
Emily's parents are here in town to judge some events & for the upcoming wedding of Emily with her police detective fiance Brent Fine. A bagpiper not only takes first place but continues to play over other performers & in the middle of the night. So many people wanted to silence his bagpipes for good. The obnoxious player's body is found outside his van with a broken piece of a Deputy Donut mug & a distinctive handkerchief near the victim.

Emily has a few suspects but a specific word leads her to make a strange discovery on Deputy Donut’s rooftop which the killer is determined to hide at all costs. The daily festival events did not work for me and I found the killer's motivations weak. The wedding seemed rushed at the end of the story.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Double Grudge Donuts is the eighth book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series. I absolutely enjoyed this new installment, it was an excellent cozy mystery, as the previous books in the series. It was fun to return to Fallingbrook, this time with an arts festival and Emily and Brent's wedding soon taking place. The mystery around the bagpiper's death was well built and solid. There are so many great characters that contribute to the charm of this book and the series! If you are not yet familiar with this series, please start reading it, you won't be disappointed!

I was so glad to get back to Emily's world with Dep the cat, her employees at Deputy Donut, her friends and family and of course lots of donut mentions! The victim is basically ambushing musical performers with bagpipes so no one is sad to see him go but it makes for a fun read to figure out just who was pushed over the edge. Other than the rogue bagpipe player most of the people who make up Emily's world are nice and people I would actually want to spend time with.

I also like that Emily has common sense. She's strongly connected with the police and communicates theories and listens to cautions. It's refreshing after reading a number of mysteries with To Stupid To Live characters. She also doesn't jump to conclusions like its her job which is another refreshing trait.

The mystery itself is well done with an unlikable victim and a surplus of suspects. I enjoyed the journey and this is a series I'm really looking forward to going back and reading from the beginning. If you like a foodie cozies with a likable cast of characters this series is a must try - though you will want donuts before you're more than 20 pages in!

Double Grudge Donuts is book #8 in the Deputy Donut Mystery series by Ginger Bolton.

Can the murderer be found before Emily and Brent’s wedding? The characters are wonderful and I love how Emily is close to her in-laws even though her husband passed away. The week of talent shows, especially the children, was cute. There were so many people that disliked the victim that it was hard to rule people out. I had goosebumps at the very end of the book. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Double Grudge Donuts by Ginger Bolton takes place in a donut shop, Deputy Donut Cafe, in northern Wisconsin. Emily Westhill owns the cafe with her former father-in-law, Tom. It is the Fall Arts Fest and what an amusing format it takes as the contestant for each day, each contest, stroll around town and stop and perform in front of local businesses. They then present an entire program that evening, with judges and prizes. That is reason enough to read this book. Emily’s parents are staying with her since they are judges for most of the evenings’ events. Also because her wedding to police detective Brent, her late husband’s partner is just around the corner. It was an event to look forward to for most of the town. Then, the winner of one of the events, a bagpiper, ends up dead in a parking lot and Emily discovers the body, AND part of a broken Deputy Donut mug along with the body. Then the rest of the mug is found in her yard. It is a mess.

Despite multiple warnings from multiple people, Emily finds herself confronting the killer, but it is not who she had thought it was and she was thoroughly confused. It had been a trying week and there were so many possible suspects. The town was full of people with interesting quirks, not that that would make them murderers, but it did make it confusing. It was a good plot, with some out-of-the-box sleuthing, for sure. Emily is a good character, well-written and empathetic. She surrounds herself with willing and able assistants and family. It is a delightful series and this is a good book. Full of twists and turns and personalities and entertainment. Thanks Ginger Bolton!

I was invited to read Double Grudge Donuts by Kensington Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonBooks #GingerBolton #DoubleGrudgeDonuts

Double Grudge Donuts opens 14 days before Emily Westhill and Brent are set to marry. Emily’s parents are in town for the wedding and Fallingbrook’s Art Festival. I was excited to see more of Emily’s parents because in the first books in the series they are off traveling in their trailer.
The Art Festival is fun because each day has a theme and there are many fun musical and theatrical experiences. A bagpiper by the name of Kirk plays on Monday and then during the night at 3 am and then disrupts the performances of others in the pop up’s around town. He is found dead the next morning.
There are plenty of details to this mystery that are fun to follow through the pages of the story. The murderer is well hidden.
Emily and Brent’s wedding is lovely with all their friends to help celebrate. I enjoy this series because of the cast of characters that are living and growing in Fallingbrook.
The donuts sound so good and they have an important place in the story. Watch out for recipes at the end.
I highly recommend Double Grudge Donuts.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this book.

I’m not gonna lie. I waited eight books for the last few moments in this book and I couldn’t’ve imagined it any better! Meanwhile the mystery itself was awesome and had a really exciting confrontation with a killer. I wasn’t even sure whodunit during the showdown until a certain clue came out. Jocelyn really got her moment to shine in the showdown and I’m sure Emily couldn’t be prouder of her well now that she’s safe and everything!

Little Dep was just as adorable as ever and living up to her mystery sniffing reputation. I’m sure she’s gonna be thrilled that the current second favorite person in her life would be joining her and Emily in their home soon. Can’t wait for the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book and my opinions are my own.

Double Grudge Donuts by Ginger Bolton is just days away from Emily and Brent getting married.

Can Emily and Brent solve the bagpiper's mysterious death?

Emily Westhill
Emily Westhill is over the moon about getting married to Brent in a few days. She loves having her parents in her home, her job, Dep - the cat, and, of course, her soon-to-be husband. The Fallingbrook Arts Festival is in full swing before Emily's wedding, and all the acts are great. Emily gets unwittingly involved in solving the mystery since she wants to help the police, and it doesn't help that people always talk to her. I love Emily as a character, and I'm glad she is getting a happy ending again.

The Mystery
Emily Westhill was walking to work with Deputy Donut, Dep, the cat, and that is when they found the dead body of the bagpiper. Let's say that there are a lot of clues and connecting puzzle pieces that had my head spinning. I got who did it but then wrote them off until I put them back on the suspect list, just as Emily did again. This time, Ms. Bolton got me.

Five Stars
I am giving five stars to Double Grudge Donuts by Ginger Bolton, and I'm also recommending this series. Ms. Bolton does an incredible job of writing this whole series. When you read this series, I suggest you have a donut or two so you won't be craving them.

Ms. Bolton has put recipes in the back of the book. The recipes are Double Fudge Donuts, Fudge Frosting, Lemon-Curd Long Johns, and Lemon Curd.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Double Grudge Donuts by Ginger Bolton.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

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