Le Donut diabolique: un huis clos frissonnant dans un manoir (Les enquêtes de Julie)

Julie Cavallo Investigates #7

by Ana T. Drew

Amateur sleuth Julie and her sister Flo are guests at a gala thrown by a wine lovers’ club.
Held at a Neo-Gothic mountaintop hotel, the event has attracted the crème de la crème of Provence's elite.
It doesn’t matter that a storm is raging outside.
At the opulent Villa Grare, evening gowns shimmer and wine flows freely!

When a rockfall cuts the hotel off from the world, Julie has a bad feeling.
The spotty cell reception doesn’t help. What does is the meal created by the hotel’s celebrity chef. It’s to die for!
Literally.

The feast comes to a screeching halt after the hotel owner is found dead in his suite.
As bodies pile up, Julie has precious little time to sniff out the killer.

Will she catch him or will he get to her first?

“The Deadly Donut” is an atmospheric whodunit that can be read as a standalone. It will regale you with the suspense of a locked-room mystery, the intrigue of haunted house stories, and the charm of humorous culinary cozies!

Genres: Mystery

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2023

About the author

Chanticleer Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards First Place winner, Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind the recent series of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc.

When she is not writing cozy mysteries or doing mom-and-wife things, she can be found watching “The Rookie” to help her get over “Castle”. She lives in Paris but her heart is in Provence.

>>> Sign up for her monthly newsletter to be notified when her next mystery comes out and get a free novella and a cookbook!

Reviews

[Lya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some sentences are very strangely set up. Not that I am an expert as a non-native speaker.
Also, some sentences were excessive and overexplanatory. In one chapter, Julie overhears something. Following that chapter, she declares to the reader that she had recently heard it, but the person who tells her doesn't know that. This is quite obvious and could've, in my humble opinion, been phrased better and not so on the nose.

Also, who did the research on this book?
'... this case has more holes in it than a slice of Gruyère.'
It's Emmentaler (Emmental cheese) that has holes. Not Gruyère.
Though, the joke might just be lost on me...

Fun fact: the way Julies 'visions' are described, reminds me of Auras from epilepsy.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie and her sister Flo are guests at a gala thrown by a wine lovers’ club.

A storm is raging outside and they are cut off by a rockfall.

Everyone is dressed in their finest partying like there is no tomorrow or at least no storm raging outside. Everyone is having the time of their life.

Well, maybe not everyone as the owner is later found dead in his room after his workout.

Bodies are piling up but so are the suspects. The evidence is pointing toward the kitchen staff. Who would want the owner of the hotel dead? Why did they want him dead? Did he do something to him or her? Or was he just a very rude man?

From what I gathered he was not a nice person. One minute he was biting everyone’s head off the next they were the best thing ever.

I sorely love reading the Julie Cavallo Investigates mysteries. Everyone gets better and better. The Deadly Donut may just be the best one yet. I enjoy all the characters, especially Julie. I love the interaction between Julie and Flo.

I would love to see The Deadly Donut made into a TV show. It reminded me of that old TV show Murder, She Wrote and that new movie Death on the Nile.

The mystery and suspense kept me hanging on as I raced to the end not able to turn the pages fast enough as I just had to know whodunit. I can’t wait to read more in the Julie Cavallo Investigates mysteries.

I highly recommend The Deadly Donut to anyone who likes to read cozy mysteries. Grab a copy of The Deadly Donut today!

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all of this author's books that I have read and this was no exception. Julia and her sister wrange an invite to a swanky hotel which turns into a terrific locked room type of mystery when there is a murder and then a storm and rock falls ensure that everyone is trapped in the hotel until things improve. Further murders ensue and it was riveting watching how Julie uses her gift plus her usual nous to try to narrow down the list of suspects.

I was totally clueless all the way through as there's a few red herrings here, and the reveal at the end was a complete surprise and was a total wow moment. This is such a gripping story and I eagerly await the next in the series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jenny Sligh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amateur sleuth and patisserie chef, Julie Cavallo, has been swept away by her ambitious art gallery working sister to an exCLUsive wine event at a mysterious gothic revival mansion/hotel in Roca de Vents, Provence. Everything is wine, ball gowns, and gourmet donuts until the hotel owner drops dead! Was it a heart attack or was it MURDER!

Seriously folks, if you aren’t cozy mystery-ing what are you even doing. This book had it all, except for the gore, or violence, or sexism. And yet, it was a page turner, a fun mystery to unravel with thoughtful twists, and super fun characters. Cozy murders are NOT an oh shit kinda of thriller with deeply disturbed individuals destroying the lives of others. Rather, The Deadly Donut is a wonderful who do it, good luck figuring it out!

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Deadly Donut is book 7 in the Julie Cavallo Investigates by Ana T Drew. When Julie, Flo and Gabriel go to a wine gala, little did they know that 3 deaths awaited them. I believe that this series has excellent characters that I enjoy reading about. The death was clever, a donut plus a rock slide leaves everyone trapped. I found excitement and I liked that the author took her time dropping clues about the murders. I hope that Ana T Drew us planning more books in this series because I am not ready to say good bye to Julie and friends! I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping thriller of a mystery!

The Deadly Donut is set in modern times at a swanky hotel that would be a lovely place to stay were it not for the murders! The plot has just the right amount of clues scattered throughout. Yet, due to the ambiguous natures of many of the characters, the motives for the murders are quite obscure. There were two short disturbing passages and one rather chilling one but they're quickly dispatched. Overall this was an excellently written mystery and you should take the challenge of 'can I guess who the murderer is?' It's a tough one to solve which will delight any mystery lover!

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable cozy mystery with Julie and Flo locked in a grand hotel with a killer on the loose. The twists and turns were wild. This was a page turner for me and I read it in an evening because I couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to more adventures with the sleuthing Julie, Gabriel and the gang.

I also should note that although this book is in a series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

[Mickey Kay Troxell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a chapter or two to weave into this one, but once I did, it was fantastic. I really enjoy this writer and each story in series! The characters are wonderful, and the story line gets better with every book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Deborah Ortega · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a exciting book it was very fun, Julie and her sister are invited to go to a private party at a Hotel. The food is delicious and lots of wine is served when the owner is murdered. Then his wife, a guest and an artist die. The hotel is isolated there is a storm, power is slight and a rock slide blocks anyone from leaving. So much fun I recommend it.

[Lucy Ballesteros · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s was a good read! It took me a while because I don’t have time to read but I was actually hooked towards the end. The beginning was a bit slow for me, but I still enjoyed it. I love how Julie didn’t give up and kept questioning the murders. This is my first book by Ana T. Drew but I will be reading the whole series now.

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, it has an entertaining storyline with action and intrigue. I can't wait to read more from this author. I received this book as a Free ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Julie and her sister and so much fun to follow. I was hooked from the first sentence. Loved the description of the smells and of the scenery. I can't wait to read more books about Julie. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nicoletriana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for a cozy mystery, which I guess this technically is. But I found the main characters inner monologue to be very annoying. There was also an excessive use of exclamation points. I also didn’t find the ending plausible reasons for murder.

[Teri Ruscak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ana T. Drew

The Deadly Donut: a page-turning Provence murder mystery (Julie Cavallo Investigates)

Julie

I love how Julie and sister Flo solve this murder mystery! A great read.

I received an advance review copy from Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ginny Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book lots of action kept me guessing who was the killer.

[Gillian Griffis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing mystery

Complex, mystery plot with lots of twists and turns and all takes place in a 24 hour window. Great creativity.

[୨୧ Chanel ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm becoming a big fan of what I call the scooby doo mystery genre lol. super cozy, easy to read and just an overall fun time.

[rebecca O. webber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book kept showing up on Kindle so I gave it a try. I felt it read like a YA book. Perhaps a little more sophisticated than Nancy Drew.

[Bene.M.Lire · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est un réel plaisir de retrouver la plume d'Ana T DREW, dans ce nouvel opus des aventures de Julie.
Avec sa soeur Flo, elles sont conviées à participer à un gala huppé, dans un prestigieux mais reculé manoir, et elles comptent bien profiter de cet événement pour nouer des contacts qui pourraient booster leurs vies professionnelles.
Alors qu'une terrible tempête coupe le manoir du reste du monde, un corps est retrouvé sans vie. Il n'en faut pas plus pour titiller Julie et Flo, qui se lancent immédiatement dans la recherche d'indices. D'autant plus que le temps presse, puisqu'un autre corps est découvert.
C'est donc dans un huis clos digne d'Agatha Christie, qu'on est embarqué. L'enquête est menée tambour battant devant l'urgence de neutraliser le coupable. Car ce dernier est parmi eux et continue ces méfaits. Les rebondissements s'enchaînent, certains points sombres élucidés et certaines motivations révélées.
On est littéralement happé par l'intrigue, qui connaît peu de temps mort. On sent aussi une certaine tension monter, du fait de cet isolement forcé et de la quasi incapacité de communiquer avec l'extérieur. Julie va devoir vite faire les bonnes déductions et faire équipe avec les bonnes personnes pour élucider cette enquête.
C'est addictif, bien écrit, le suspens bien présent, tout pour passer un super moment de lecture. À dévorer avec un délicieux donut 🍩 !

[Les chroniques de Causette · Rating 4 out of 5]

La série des enquêtes de Julie Cavallo, c'est comme le sucre : tout doux et plutôt addictif !
J'ai savouré ce tome 8 avec délice, encore une série qui se bonifie de tome en tome !
L'autrice nous livre ici un huis-clos dans un hôtel de luxe ! Ce n'est pour une fois pas Julie qui pâtisse, mais le chef de l'hôtel, et ses donuts sont à tomber... littéralement !
J'ai aimé l'intrigue : les suspects sont nombreux et l'enquête assez complexe pour garder le lecteur en haleine ! Le rythme est assez soutenu, on ne s'ennuie pas une seconde ! Les événements s'enchaînent de façon crédible et logique.
L'humour est peu présent, mais l'atmosphère du cosy est bien rendue. L'écriture est toujours aussi agréable.
Pour moi c'est une réussite totale ! 👍 J'ai lu pas mal de huis-clos récemment, c'est à la mode je pense, et suite à quelques déception je m'en lassais un peu, mais celui-ci m'a redonné le sourire !
Si vous ne connaissez pas cette série, hâtez-vous de la découvrir ! A déguster avec un café (n'abusez pas de la caféine!) et un donut au chocolat !