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Deputy Donut Mystery #4
Boston Scream Murder
Halloween in the small town of Fallowbrook, Wisconsin, is the perfect season for Deputy Donut Café owner Emily Westhill to unmask a killer.
October 31st is just around the corner and Emily Westhill's Boston cream donuts, carved with a scream, have made an indelible impression on local eccentric Rich Royalson. So much so that he's ordered three dozen, with twice the fudge icing, for his 70th birthday--a special event in more ways than one. It's to be held on fog-shrouded Lake Fleekom where, twenty years ago, his wife mysteriously drowned.
But the next day, when Emily arrives with her scrumptious screamers, she stumbles upon Rich's corpse. The poor guy wanted a unique birthday bash--just not one to the side of his skull. With a guest list of possible perpetrators, and his last will and testament suspiciously left at the scene, Emily soon discovers that the Royalson closet is rattling with skeletons. As the fog thickens, motives mount, and the tricks outnumber the treats, Emily fears that Rich may not be the last one in Fallowbrook to go out screaming.
October 31st is just around the corner and Emily Westhill's Boston cream donuts, carved with a scream, have made an indelible impression on local eccentric Rich Royalson. So much so that he's ordered three dozen, with twice the fudge icing, for his 70th birthday--a special event in more ways than one. It's to be held on fog-shrouded Lake Fleekom where, twenty years ago, his wife mysteriously drowned.
But the next day, when Emily arrives with her scrumptious screamers, she stumbles upon Rich's corpse. The poor guy wanted a unique birthday bash--just not one to the side of his skull. With a guest list of possible perpetrators, and his last will and testament suspiciously left at the scene, Emily soon discovers that the Royalson closet is rattling with skeletons. As the fog thickens, motives mount, and the tricks outnumber the treats, Emily fears that Rich may not be the last one in Fallowbrook to go out screaming.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2020
96 people are currently reading
732 people want to read
About the author
Ginger Bolton
14 books522 followersGinger Bolton writes the Deputy Donut mystery series--cops, crime, coffee, donuts and one curious cat. When Ginger isn't writing or reading, she's crocheting, knitting, walking her two rescue dogs and generally causing trouble.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
August 5, 2021
Boston Scream Murder by Ginger Bolton is the fourth installment of the cozy Deputy Donut Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book of this series can be enjoyed as a standalone 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 Halloween in Fallingbrook and Emily is serving up her scariest treats in the donut shop. A local, Rich Royalson, has ordered up some of Emily’s Boston Scream donuts for his birthday celebration but as Emily brings the donuts she stumbles across Rich’s body and Emily can’t help but jump in and try to find the murderer yet again.
I have been following the Deputy Donut mystery series from the beginning and quite like the characters and mysteries in each installment. I love the fact that the main character has such a deep connection to law enforcement herself even if she isn’t a police officer. This one isn’t quite as quirky and humorous as some that I follow but it has won me over anyway and I will continue to follow along as long as the series keeps continuing.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
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 Halloween in Fallingbrook and Emily is serving up her scariest treats in the donut shop. A local, Rich Royalson, has ordered up some of Emily’s Boston Scream donuts for his birthday celebration but as Emily brings the donuts she stumbles across Rich’s body and Emily can’t help but jump in and try to find the murderer yet again.
I have been following the Deputy Donut mystery series from the beginning and quite like the characters and mysteries in each installment. I love the fact that the main character has such a deep connection to law enforcement herself even if she isn’t a police officer. This one isn’t quite as quirky and humorous as some that I follow but it has won me over anyway and I will continue to follow along as long as the series keeps continuing.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 15, 2020
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.
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.
June 22, 2020
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!
For more book fun subscribe to my blog @: http://beachbumbookworm.com/
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.
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!
For more book fun subscribe to my blog @: http://beachbumbookworm.com/
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.
August 26, 2020
I do so love holiday themed cozy mysteries, and this one fits the bill perfectly. Suitably festive. A well-written mystery that kept me guessing until the end. A likable group of characters, and it held up well as a standalone. Throw in some yummy recipes and what more can you ask for? 👍👍
November 21, 2020
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Halloween, donuts, and murder, oh my!
Autumn in Wisconsin is beautiful with the leaves changing colors but the temps can range from the 80’s down to the 40’s. No matter the weather it is always a good time for donuts. Rich Royalson from Boston especially likes Emily’s Boston Cream donuts but without the Halloween Scream carving. He was so taken with them he ordered three dozen with some minor adjustments for his 70th birthday party. A party on the lake where his wife drowned 20 years ago.
Emily loads up the donuts in the Deputy Donuts Cafe delivery car, an old police car with a donut on the roof, and heads to the Royalson lake house. Instead of finding a man excited about his birthday, she finds the man dead. She doesn’t know much about the man but she has helped solve a few murders . . . but this one could be her last.
I have enjoyed this series from the start. Emily is such a strong protagonist. After tragically losing her police officer husband in the line of duty she opened the cafe with her father-in-law. She has great instincts and a stubborn streak the comes in handy as she delves into another murder mystery. It helps that she has close ties to the local police department and is surrounded by terrific friends and family. She also has Dep, her cat and the cafe mascot. Ms. Bolton has created endearing and engaging characters. Their relationships make sense including Emily taking her time with her love life.
The mystery has plenty of suspects but I was focused on one early. It was fun to tag along with Emily as she followed clue after clue. I appreciated the way she shared everything with the fine Detective Brent Fyne. I was also pleased to see my thinking was on the right track but I was a little off on a couple of things.
By the way, I have a few favorite donuts. Boston Creme Filled are near the top of the list. Without a Deputy Donuts nearby I had my daughter make a quick trip to Dunkin’ Donuts to pick up a few to soothe all the cravings the book caused. 🙂
Boston Scream Murder is a delightful and delectable cozy mystery with charming characters. The author does an excellent job of giving new readers enough background so you can read this book on its own but I recommend reading the series from the start if you can. Oh, and stock up on donuts too!
Halloween, donuts, and murder, oh my!
Autumn in Wisconsin is beautiful with the leaves changing colors but the temps can range from the 80’s down to the 40’s. No matter the weather it is always a good time for donuts. Rich Royalson from Boston especially likes Emily’s Boston Cream donuts but without the Halloween Scream carving. He was so taken with them he ordered three dozen with some minor adjustments for his 70th birthday party. A party on the lake where his wife drowned 20 years ago.
Emily loads up the donuts in the Deputy Donuts Cafe delivery car, an old police car with a donut on the roof, and heads to the Royalson lake house. Instead of finding a man excited about his birthday, she finds the man dead. She doesn’t know much about the man but she has helped solve a few murders . . . but this one could be her last.
I have enjoyed this series from the start. Emily is such a strong protagonist. After tragically losing her police officer husband in the line of duty she opened the cafe with her father-in-law. She has great instincts and a stubborn streak the comes in handy as she delves into another murder mystery. It helps that she has close ties to the local police department and is surrounded by terrific friends and family. She also has Dep, her cat and the cafe mascot. Ms. Bolton has created endearing and engaging characters. Their relationships make sense including Emily taking her time with her love life.
The mystery has plenty of suspects but I was focused on one early. It was fun to tag along with Emily as she followed clue after clue. I appreciated the way she shared everything with the fine Detective Brent Fyne. I was also pleased to see my thinking was on the right track but I was a little off on a couple of things.
By the way, I have a few favorite donuts. Boston Creme Filled are near the top of the list. Without a Deputy Donuts nearby I had my daughter make a quick trip to Dunkin’ Donuts to pick up a few to soothe all the cravings the book caused. 🙂
Boston Scream Murder is a delightful and delectable cozy mystery with charming characters. The author does an excellent job of giving new readers enough background so you can read this book on its own but I recommend reading the series from the start if you can. Oh, and stock up on donuts too!
August 24, 2021
Book 4 Halloween 🎃 was 5 days away. Tom and Emily and Nina had different donuts for Halloween Boston Scream Donuts Fudge frosting with frightened eyes on the fudge frosting, isolated donut interrogation donut with orange frosting and candy corn eyes. A man Rich came in the Donut shop Deputy Donut that Tom and Emily ( daughter in law to Tom late son Alec) were owners asked about all the artwork and such that was there. Emily said that Nina ( a employee was the artist. So he asked for her to give this man a call. Come to find out that Cheryl one of the Knitpickers ( a knitting group were always at Deputy Donuts) was getting Rich there. He was annoying to Cheryl so she had another date Steve. And so did Rich her name was Terry. Rich said it was the love of his life and he felt bad so he did not cancel his and Cheryl date. Rich asked Emily and Nina to redesign his home and Emily to cater for his 70 th birthday 🎂party. Well he died and right when birthday party was to begin. Rich wife drowned 20 years ago too.. The best part about this book 4 is that it was Halloween and they had a Halloween party and the trick a treaters were described. And For the cute kitty was a hero. I really did not like storyline though
June 8, 2020
This is the 4th book in the Deputy Donut Mysteries and the series just continues to keep me engaged and entertained. This one is set around Halloween, so Emily, Tom, and the rest of the staff at Deputy Donut are busy cooking up plenty of Halloween inspired donuts. Emily is the kind of cozy mystery protagonist I think most reader enjoy. She is smart, kind, has a warm heart, and has a stubborn streak. The cast of secondary characters is solid. The relationship with her former father in law and mother in law is heart-warming. Her friends are starting to pair up in relationships and we see this progress in this book. The jury is still out as whether Em's relationship with Brent will progress beyond friendship, but I think the author has written this storyline true to a young widow.
Emily is an accidental sleuth who has a good relationship with the police (considering her deceased husband was a cop as is his best friend). She is not a reckless sleuth with something to prove, but has good insight and tries to work with the police. Once again, she is in the wrong place at the wrong time and discovers the dead body of a client who hired her to provide donuts for his birthday party. We didn't get to know a whole lot about the victim except for his love of Boston and that he cheated on his wife. However, the author does a good job of weaving the clues throughout the story, dropping bread crumbs for the reader to follow. Emily has a few viable suspects and her theories on motive are realistic. I was surprised by the identity of the killer and did not even consider this person a suspect.
I always finish one of these books feeling entertained and having taken a fun adventure with Emily. I will be back for more books.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
Emily is an accidental sleuth who has a good relationship with the police (considering her deceased husband was a cop as is his best friend). She is not a reckless sleuth with something to prove, but has good insight and tries to work with the police. Once again, she is in the wrong place at the wrong time and discovers the dead body of a client who hired her to provide donuts for his birthday party. We didn't get to know a whole lot about the victim except for his love of Boston and that he cheated on his wife. However, the author does a good job of weaving the clues throughout the story, dropping bread crumbs for the reader to follow. Emily has a few viable suspects and her theories on motive are realistic. I was surprised by the identity of the killer and did not even consider this person a suspect.
I always finish one of these books feeling entertained and having taken a fun adventure with Emily. I will be back for more books.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
May 6, 2021
Compared to the first three books, this one was just okay. The story line felt forced and really didn't make any sense until the end.
August 31, 2020
It had been about a year since I went book tripping to Fallingbrook, Wisconsin during their July Fourth celebration. I loved how the town did up Halloween. It was the perfect Halloween cozy from the decorations and kids' Halloween parade to the murder case itself set on an eerie-at-night lake.
There was a decent amount of suspects in this case, but I got a weird feeling about someone kind of early although going down all the red herring paths is always fun. My gut feeling came true but the reason was something I couldn't have known. I always have loved it when Emily's best friends all got together, and since she's been hanging out with Brent in a non-dating sort of way, there were three happy couples (when Brent wasn't working a murder, that is), one of which was super happy due to an announcement.
I think Tom will always be my favorite character. He's kind of the patriarch figure but only offers his expert protection as an ex-police chief when he feels it's absolutely necessary. I really liked Nina a lot--she fit right in with the Deputy Donut family which still did have Jocelyn, but she was mainly off at college. She did get a small but important role in the book. We got to see a little more of Cindy, Tom's wife and who knew, she's a cat whisperer as well as a talented pottery artist. I'm hoping the next book might be a Christmas themed one, and as always, I can't wait for it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
There was a decent amount of suspects in this case, but I got a weird feeling about someone kind of early although going down all the red herring paths is always fun. My gut feeling came true but the reason was something I couldn't have known. I always have loved it when Emily's best friends all got together, and since she's been hanging out with Brent in a non-dating sort of way, there were three happy couples (when Brent wasn't working a murder, that is), one of which was super happy due to an announcement.
I think Tom will always be my favorite character. He's kind of the patriarch figure but only offers his expert protection as an ex-police chief when he feels it's absolutely necessary. I really liked Nina a lot--she fit right in with the Deputy Donut family which still did have Jocelyn, but she was mainly off at college. She did get a small but important role in the book. We got to see a little more of Cindy, Tom's wife and who knew, she's a cat whisperer as well as a talented pottery artist. I'm hoping the next book might be a Christmas themed one, and as always, I can't wait for it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
April 7, 2025
Deputy Donut has a new Creative Director and just in time for Halloween. Nina, an artist, creates fun new doughnut creations for Halloween, such as Boston Scream Pie! A customer, who loudly proclaims is love for Boston, offers his suggestions for a better doughnut: more fudge frosting, no scream face. If the shop can do that, he wants to order three dozen doughnuts for his birthday party tomorrow! He is also impressed with the shop's decor and wants Emily and Nina to check out his cabin at Lake Fleekom and come up with redecorating ideas to appeal to renters. The "Boston Screamer" as Emily dubs Richard P. Royalson the third, also wants to be Nina's art patron and recommend her to a local gallery. He's also at Deputy Donut waiting for Cheryl, his blind date from a dating sight. It's clear Cheryl isn't all that interested in Richard, especially when they both immediately have other dates! Richard claims he's now with the love of his life but didn't want to disappoint Cheryl by breaking the date. She prefers her new date, Steve Quail, but isn't looking for anything serious but Richard's new love, Terri, has an angry ex-boyfriend who comes to the shop to threaten the new couple. While Emily and Nina are checking out the cabin, they're nearly brained to death by a long-handled cast iron skillet that was improperly stored. The next day Emily comes across the skillet again, this time near the dead body of Richard Royalson the third! Cheryl fears she'll be a suspect but Emily is certain the grandmotherly lady didn't do it. Still, Emily feels compelled to search for clues. Can she figure it out before anyone else gets killed?
I like the doughnut shop setting and the plot kept me guessing the whole time. I never guessed who the murderer was or why. The only inkling I had was process of elimination. The romance is taking WAY too long. By now Emily and Brent should realize their feelings for one another. I think he does but she doesn't quite feel up to reciprocating even though it sure seems like she has feelings for him too. Nina sees it and teases Emily about it and I think the new DCI sees it too and is jealous. By the end of this book, Emily and Brent should be getting together and it's unclear, leaving me to want to read the next one now. I don't like cliffhangers.
Emily is a likable enough character. She's not TSTL and always calls her detective when she uncovers a clue but she does do some dumb stuff sometimes FIRST. When she gets into trouble, it's through no fault of her own. I like her relationship with her friends and how comfortable they all are around each other. The first responders can spring into action at the drop of a hat to rescue anyone but often it is Emily. I appreciate Emily's loyalty but it's time to move on from Alec and maybe make some new friends who didn't know Alec and can help her move on. I love Samantha and Hooligans' sense of humor and how their friends tease but understand each other well. That relationship seems a little rushed and underdeveloped. Emily is creative but seems to undervalue her own worth.
Nina, the new shop assistant, is a real visual artist. She is very creative and talented. I love her Halloween doughnut creations and while I love fudge frosting, the scream faces are so cute. I bet they're a big hit with the kids. Nina is fun and brings a youthful energy to the shop. She can't be that much younger than Emily but seems like she is. She enjoys teasing and can handle herself with Emily and Tom. She's comfortable enough with Emily to tease Emily about her love life. Jocelyn returns for the Halloween weekend. She, too, is creative but she's also stingy! As an athlete, she is adverse to too much sugar. Girl, it's Halloween. The kids will be hyper anyway so why not give them a regular doughnut? Now cost would be more of an issue for me and time. I can't believe Emily just went along with it. Jocelyn has a big role in the story late in the plot and it's rather unrealistic and ridiculous. Dep is such a diva! She's so funny wanting attention all the time, especially from her favorite detective. She gets her moment to shine in this story too.
Richard Royalson the third was larger than life. He apparently worked in Boston one summer more than 40 years ago and it made an indelible impression on him. At first I heard him speaking in a Boston accent in my head but it doesn't seem like he's a native of Boston but maybe he loves the city so much, he's adopted the accent. Do they have Dunkin' in Wisconsin? I would except him to own several franchises given his love of Boston and the Boston Cream Pie doughnut. I don't undastahnd the ahbeshsion wit Bahstin. It's weird and his cottage is overly fanatical. There are other sports teams in Boston without red, white and blue. How about some gold and black accents for the Bruins and green and white for the Celtics? I've never seen ANYONE decorate their whole house in Patriots colors! I expected this guy to start yelling "Let's go Pats! GO TOMMY!" and "Yankees SUCK!" and "I root for two teams... the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees." Given how long ago he was in Boston, I'd guess he would go around shouting "Reverse the Curse!" in addition to "Yankees suck!" Maybe in private? He was so larger than life, over-the-top unbelievable.
Clearly a financial wizard or maybe more of a shark who took advantage of opportunities, he's wealthy and generous with his money AND his opinions. I would have hesitated to do business with him because he seems like the type of mansplainer who would say he wanted to be your patron but actually wanted to be your boss and tell you how to do your job. He seems like he was a micromanager. I'm not sure I buy this new romance with Terri. She sounds like a gold digger for sure. His wife died years ago, drowned in the lake. Did Richard kill her? He claims he had lost Terri before and now he found her again 20 years later. That makes me suspicious. I don't see why anyone would put up with this guy unless they were in it for the money. Terri's boyfriend, Derek, is a hot head and a thuggish type who accuses her of being a gold digger. He claims she orchestrated a situation that made him and his buddies look bad and owe a lot of money. His buddies drink too much and have anger management issues. Derek seems cut from the same cloth. I think he COULD have killed Richard but didn't because he's the top suspect and obviously it's a novel where the top suspect is never the killer. Richard and Terri changed their wills at the last minute leaving everything to each other. He had a mansion and great wealth, including art that was made by Emily's mother-in-law, Cindy, a talented potter. Did Terri kill him to get her hands on his money? She SEEMS distraught over his death and when she disappears, she's either hiding from the killer or the law. I don't trust her.
What about Cat the caterer? I like her. She seems nice so I hope she's not the killer. Killing Richard isn't going to get her money back or do anything to help her catering business. It will only hurt her in the long run. Plus why now and why so long after Christmas? That doesn't make sense. Hank, Richard's neighbor, seems suspicious to me. He seems a little too close to Terri to be innocent. I think Terri the gold digger killed Richard to get his money and hook up with Hank. He's a pianist. I don't think he has much money but his house by the lake could be valuable. Maybe Terri loves Hank anyway? He's friendly enough until Emily starts questioning him about Richard's late wife... Hmm? Who is the mysterious man in the suit who stops by Deputy Donut and then leaves without eating anything? He seems suspicious to me. Is he really an art dealer? Did she really come to look at Nina's paintings? Was the murder all over a piece of artwork?
I don't think Cheryl would kill someone over a bad date. She was mature enough to tell Emily she couldn't deal with his mansplaining and she even had another date lined up just in case. Cheryl is an older woman and she knows what she doesn't want and I think she's innocent. I'm disappointed the Knitpickers aren't part of the mystery solving. They just come to knit, eat and banter with the retired men. Cheryl's second date, Steve, seems nicer than Rich. He doesn't mansplain but he doesn't like candy corn. He also teases Cheryl about being a middle child- a peacemaker. That's not middle child! Middle children are all about ME ME ME! They don't get enough attention. They seem to have a good rapport and she's honest with herself that he's leaving soon and this probably isn't a lasting relationship but a friendship is fine in the moment. DCI Gartborg may be a great detective but she's not very likable. She's not nice to Emily at all and I suspect, and Nina does too, she wants to get her hooks into Brent and sees Emily as a threat. Nina thinks Gartborg is catty and I get that impression in one scene but not every scene. Emily feels a little jealous but not enough to let go of the past and make a move forward with Brent!
I have the next book on hold and I'll probably keep reading but I hope Emily and Brent get together soon. They belong together and I'm certain Alec would approve. Tom and Cindy would understand be happy too. I think they'd understand, or Cindy would, if Emily moved on with someone else. Tom would grudgingly come around because Emily is like a daughter to him and he would want her to be happy.
I like the doughnut shop setting and the plot kept me guessing the whole time. I never guessed who the murderer was or why. The only inkling I had was process of elimination. The romance is taking WAY too long. By now Emily and Brent should realize their feelings for one another. I think he does but she doesn't quite feel up to reciprocating even though it sure seems like she has feelings for him too. Nina sees it and teases Emily about it and I think the new DCI sees it too and is jealous. By the end of this book, Emily and Brent should be getting together and it's unclear, leaving me to want to read the next one now. I don't like cliffhangers.
Emily is a likable enough character. She's not TSTL and always calls her detective when she uncovers a clue but she does do some dumb stuff sometimes FIRST. When she gets into trouble, it's through no fault of her own. I like her relationship with her friends and how comfortable they all are around each other. The first responders can spring into action at the drop of a hat to rescue anyone but often it is Emily. I appreciate Emily's loyalty but it's time to move on from Alec and maybe make some new friends who didn't know Alec and can help her move on. I love Samantha and Hooligans' sense of humor and how their friends tease but understand each other well. That relationship seems a little rushed and underdeveloped. Emily is creative but seems to undervalue her own worth.
Nina, the new shop assistant, is a real visual artist. She is very creative and talented. I love her Halloween doughnut creations and while I love fudge frosting, the scream faces are so cute. I bet they're a big hit with the kids. Nina is fun and brings a youthful energy to the shop. She can't be that much younger than Emily but seems like she is. She enjoys teasing and can handle herself with Emily and Tom. She's comfortable enough with Emily to tease Emily about her love life. Jocelyn returns for the Halloween weekend. She, too, is creative but she's also stingy! As an athlete, she is adverse to too much sugar. Girl, it's Halloween. The kids will be hyper anyway so why not give them a regular doughnut? Now cost would be more of an issue for me and time. I can't believe Emily just went along with it. Jocelyn has a big role in the story late in the plot and it's rather unrealistic and ridiculous. Dep is such a diva! She's so funny wanting attention all the time, especially from her favorite detective. She gets her moment to shine in this story too.
Richard Royalson the third was larger than life. He apparently worked in Boston one summer more than 40 years ago and it made an indelible impression on him. At first I heard him speaking in a Boston accent in my head but it doesn't seem like he's a native of Boston but maybe he loves the city so much, he's adopted the accent. Do they have Dunkin' in Wisconsin? I would except him to own several franchises given his love of Boston and the Boston Cream Pie doughnut. I don't undastahnd the ahbeshsion wit Bahstin. It's weird and his cottage is overly fanatical. There are other sports teams in Boston without red, white and blue. How about some gold and black accents for the Bruins and green and white for the Celtics? I've never seen ANYONE decorate their whole house in Patriots colors! I expected this guy to start yelling "Let's go Pats! GO TOMMY!" and "Yankees SUCK!" and "I root for two teams... the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees." Given how long ago he was in Boston, I'd guess he would go around shouting "Reverse the Curse!" in addition to "Yankees suck!" Maybe in private? He was so larger than life, over-the-top unbelievable.
Clearly a financial wizard or maybe more of a shark who took advantage of opportunities, he's wealthy and generous with his money AND his opinions. I would have hesitated to do business with him because he seems like the type of mansplainer who would say he wanted to be your patron but actually wanted to be your boss and tell you how to do your job. He seems like he was a micromanager. I'm not sure I buy this new romance with Terri. She sounds like a gold digger for sure. His wife died years ago, drowned in the lake. Did Richard kill her? He claims he had lost Terri before and now he found her again 20 years later. That makes me suspicious. I don't see why anyone would put up with this guy unless they were in it for the money. Terri's boyfriend, Derek, is a hot head and a thuggish type who accuses her of being a gold digger. He claims she orchestrated a situation that made him and his buddies look bad and owe a lot of money. His buddies drink too much and have anger management issues. Derek seems cut from the same cloth. I think he COULD have killed Richard but didn't because he's the top suspect and obviously it's a novel where the top suspect is never the killer. Richard and Terri changed their wills at the last minute leaving everything to each other. He had a mansion and great wealth, including art that was made by Emily's mother-in-law, Cindy, a talented potter. Did Terri kill him to get her hands on his money? She SEEMS distraught over his death and when she disappears, she's either hiding from the killer or the law. I don't trust her.
What about Cat the caterer? I like her. She seems nice so I hope she's not the killer. Killing Richard isn't going to get her money back or do anything to help her catering business. It will only hurt her in the long run. Plus why now and why so long after Christmas? That doesn't make sense. Hank, Richard's neighbor, seems suspicious to me. He seems a little too close to Terri to be innocent. I think Terri the gold digger killed Richard to get his money and hook up with Hank. He's a pianist. I don't think he has much money but his house by the lake could be valuable. Maybe Terri loves Hank anyway? He's friendly enough until Emily starts questioning him about Richard's late wife... Hmm? Who is the mysterious man in the suit who stops by Deputy Donut and then leaves without eating anything? He seems suspicious to me. Is he really an art dealer? Did she really come to look at Nina's paintings? Was the murder all over a piece of artwork?
I don't think Cheryl would kill someone over a bad date. She was mature enough to tell Emily she couldn't deal with his mansplaining and she even had another date lined up just in case. Cheryl is an older woman and she knows what she doesn't want and I think she's innocent. I'm disappointed the Knitpickers aren't part of the mystery solving. They just come to knit, eat and banter with the retired men. Cheryl's second date, Steve, seems nicer than Rich. He doesn't mansplain but he doesn't like candy corn. He also teases Cheryl about being a middle child- a peacemaker. That's not middle child! Middle children are all about ME ME ME! They don't get enough attention. They seem to have a good rapport and she's honest with herself that he's leaving soon and this probably isn't a lasting relationship but a friendship is fine in the moment. DCI Gartborg may be a great detective but she's not very likable. She's not nice to Emily at all and I suspect, and Nina does too, she wants to get her hooks into Brent and sees Emily as a threat. Nina thinks Gartborg is catty and I get that impression in one scene but not every scene. Emily feels a little jealous but not enough to let go of the past and make a move forward with Brent!
I have the next book on hold and I'll probably keep reading but I hope Emily and Brent get together soon. They belong together and I'm certain Alec would approve. Tom and Cindy would understand be happy too. I think they'd understand, or Cindy would, if Emily moved on with someone else. Tom would grudgingly come around because Emily is like a daughter to him and he would want her to be happy.
September 26, 2025
3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
First, the book cover was beautifully designed.
This was a cute book, a cozy murder mystery, heavy on Halloween atmosphere throughout. Rich Royalson has asked for Boston Cream Donuts to be delivered for his seventieth birthday party. When donuts are delivered he is found dead! He has been attacked!
This was a charming read for the fall season. The actual murder mystery itself didn’t grab me, but still a Ghoulish, fun read to get you in the mood for Halloween.
First, the book cover was beautifully designed.
This was a cute book, a cozy murder mystery, heavy on Halloween atmosphere throughout. Rich Royalson has asked for Boston Cream Donuts to be delivered for his seventieth birthday party. When donuts are delivered he is found dead! He has been attacked!
This was a charming read for the fall season. The actual murder mystery itself didn’t grab me, but still a Ghoulish, fun read to get you in the mood for Halloween.
October 23, 2020
This book, the fourth in the series, was my introduction to the Deputy Donut Mystery Series. I am now in love with this series! I need to read all of them. No, I did not have any trouble with keeping up with the storylines that were possibly started in previous books. The mystery in this was complete start to finish. If you enjoy Halloween, as I do, there is absolutely enough Halloween to satisfy you.
In this book Emily, the main character, is catering donuts and coffee to a gentleman’s 70th birthday. As his birthday falls on Halloween he prefers not to have a Halloween theme. I really enjoyed that part of the story as I have always wondered how I would truly enjoy having a holiday birthday. Back to the story, when Emily goes to drop off the donuts she discovers a body! With no shortage of suspects we are off on a delicious, (there is plenty of donut talk to satisfy, too), hunt for a killer.
The book is a fast paced, page turner. There are laughs, chills, (not just from the weather), and plenty of clues strewn about. I like that Emily has a good friend who may possibly turn into a love interest. She is a widow who still has close ties to her husband’s family. That is refreshing and realistic for me. I love how her friendships are deep and even her employees at the shop feel like family. In this book, Jocelyn, a former employee, is home from school and returns to a temporary job just as a family member might do. It says a lot about the character and also sets the tone for town. One of the characters I adored, and took great delight in their relationship with Emily, was Dep, her cat. I love animals and feel they can add so much to the story. Dep certainly did! Emily is a strong character who does do some questionable things. I was surprised to see the way the author handled that. I loved it! I would like to say a bit more about that but I try hard to not do spoilers.
There are delicious donut recipes. I know they are delicious because we made some donuts tonight. My guy and I are sometimes night owls. It’s a perk on being older. If you are a deep fry person, make the donuts! My house smells as awesome as they tasted! If you like to bake your donuts, the author includes those instructions. We plan to bake the Scare-It Cake Donuts this weekend. I am already drooling!
I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a good Halloween cozy, you definitely want to pick this book. I’m off to see about the rest of the series, (and eat another crazily messy but tasty Boston Scream Donut). Happy reading to you!
In this book Emily, the main character, is catering donuts and coffee to a gentleman’s 70th birthday. As his birthday falls on Halloween he prefers not to have a Halloween theme. I really enjoyed that part of the story as I have always wondered how I would truly enjoy having a holiday birthday. Back to the story, when Emily goes to drop off the donuts she discovers a body! With no shortage of suspects we are off on a delicious, (there is plenty of donut talk to satisfy, too), hunt for a killer.
The book is a fast paced, page turner. There are laughs, chills, (not just from the weather), and plenty of clues strewn about. I like that Emily has a good friend who may possibly turn into a love interest. She is a widow who still has close ties to her husband’s family. That is refreshing and realistic for me. I love how her friendships are deep and even her employees at the shop feel like family. In this book, Jocelyn, a former employee, is home from school and returns to a temporary job just as a family member might do. It says a lot about the character and also sets the tone for town. One of the characters I adored, and took great delight in their relationship with Emily, was Dep, her cat. I love animals and feel they can add so much to the story. Dep certainly did! Emily is a strong character who does do some questionable things. I was surprised to see the way the author handled that. I loved it! I would like to say a bit more about that but I try hard to not do spoilers.
There are delicious donut recipes. I know they are delicious because we made some donuts tonight. My guy and I are sometimes night owls. It’s a perk on being older. If you are a deep fry person, make the donuts! My house smells as awesome as they tasted! If you like to bake your donuts, the author includes those instructions. We plan to bake the Scare-It Cake Donuts this weekend. I am already drooling!
I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a good Halloween cozy, you definitely want to pick this book. I’m off to see about the rest of the series, (and eat another crazily messy but tasty Boston Scream Donut). Happy reading to you!
September 13, 2020
Emily Westhill runs the best doughnut shop in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, alongside her retired police chief father-in-law and her tortoiseshell tabby cat, Deputy Donut. with Halloween looming, Emily has already made a good impression on local eccentric Rich Royalson, with her speciality cream doughnuts. Royalson has planned his 70th birthday and although the catering is already sorted, he has requested an urn of coffee and a batch of the doughnuts with double thickness chocolate frosted icing to be supplied by the Deputy Donut Cafe. The celebration is being held on fog-shrouded Lake Fleekom where, twenty years ago, Royalson's wife mysteriously drowned, but when Emily arrives with her scrummy Boston scream doughnuts, she happens across Royalson's corpse...
Boston Scream Murder is my first read in this remarkable series. Although it is book four, I had no difficulties keeping up with characters and events, but I would have preferred to have started from the first novel for continuity reasons. Protagonist Emily, a former 911 operator and widow of a police officer, brought her sparkling personality to the proceedings and I also enjoyed the contributions from Brent (Emily's husband's partner). Events moved along at a comfortable pace and the mystery itself was fantastic. There were plenty of suspects to choose from, to satisfy my armchair detective propensities and the denouement was a surprise to me. I had a ball reading this highly amusing and entertaining cozy mystery and I'm already looking forwarding to catching up with Emily in book #5, Beyond a Reasonable Donut, as well as grabbing copies of the first three books.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Boston Scream Murder is my first read in this remarkable series. Although it is book four, I had no difficulties keeping up with characters and events, but I would have preferred to have started from the first novel for continuity reasons. Protagonist Emily, a former 911 operator and widow of a police officer, brought her sparkling personality to the proceedings and I also enjoyed the contributions from Brent (Emily's husband's partner). Events moved along at a comfortable pace and the mystery itself was fantastic. There were plenty of suspects to choose from, to satisfy my armchair detective propensities and the denouement was a surprise to me. I had a ball reading this highly amusing and entertaining cozy mystery and I'm already looking forwarding to catching up with Emily in book #5, Beyond a Reasonable Donut, as well as grabbing copies of the first three books.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
June 15, 2020
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!
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!
August 24, 2020
Boston Scream Murder by Ginger Bolton is the 4th 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 scary donuts for Halloween. I love reading cozy mystery's about Halloween, always so much fun. When Emily makes a delivery for a party, she finds the client's dead body. 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. I am rooting for Emily and Brent to get together, 6 years is long enough to morn. If you love cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book/series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 25, 2020
Emily is gearing up for Halloween with a variety of Spooky donuts to sell to their costumers. She soon meets Rich Royalson, he comes into her donut shop to meet up with one of her regulars for a date. Rich fell in love with her Boston Cream Donuts and asks her to provide three dozen for his upcoming 70th birthday party. Emily is happy to make them and when she goes to deliver them the next day is truly surprised to find Rich dead, murdered right before his party. Emily soon learns that there is much to learn about Rich, the man has quite a few skeletons hiding in his closet. Now all she has to do is figure out if one of those skeletons is the killer or could it be someone unknown. Follow along as Emily does her own investigation will she figure out who the killer is before she ends up as the next victim?
September 16, 2021
October
I don't like the romance part of this series. I would prefer to not have it exist. The mystery was interesting. It involves a cabin, a cast iron skillet, a birthday tea, and a canoe. I didn't expect the killer to be who it was. I wasn't even sure of the why.
I don't like the romance part of this series. I would prefer to not have it exist. The mystery was interesting. It involves a cabin, a cast iron skillet, a birthday tea, and a canoe. I didn't expect the killer to be who it was. I wasn't even sure of the why.
October 29, 2022
Loved how perfect this book was! It had donuts, Halloween, and a cozy mystery! I couldn’t believe the ending, I didn’t see it coming. I really enjoy this series and can’t wait to read the next one.
October 22, 2021
I love this series and this was a great way to celebrate Halloween with some seriously cool looking donuts. I like Emily and her friends and it's always a good time with them. The mystery was enjoyable and I caught on just as Emily was. Can't wait for my next trip to Fallingbrook.
October 4, 2020
It's almost Halloween and the donut shop is ready. An eccentric man Rich orders donuts for a party at his house with a strict timeline and rule on when to deliver it and what to make. When Emily arrives to deliver them, she finds his body. She has to figure out who did it and why. Was Rich responsible for his first wife's death, was it his girlfriend or the neighbor who watches him.
September 19, 2022
Super good and perfect for Halloween!
Brent and Emily are getting closer and I can't wait to see what happens with their relationship.
Brent and Emily are getting closer and I can't wait to see what happens with their relationship.
June 6, 2020
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.
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.
December 18, 2020
Emily Westhill, a young police detective's widow, owns and runs Deputy Donuts (named after her beloved cat), along with her father-in-law Tom. When a man shows up and starts raving to other men about how great Boston is, it seems that's all he wants to talk about. But Emily discovers that he's there for a date with her friend Cheryl, who is one of the single women in the Knitpickers, a group of older women who come in daily to knit, eat, and chat.
Before Cheryl shows up, the man identifies himself as Rich Royalson, and asks Emily if she'd cater donuts for his seventieth birthday party in a few days, and tells her where she should bring them -- out to nearby Lake Fleekdom where he has a home. But when Emily arrives, she finds everything set up for a party, including food from a local caterer...and the body of Rich. Now, with her friend Cheryl involved, an old girlfriend of Rich's, even neighbors who might have a grudge against the man, she needs to find out who killed him and what would drive someone to do so.
Standing in her way is the fact that she's planning a Halloween costume party at her home, friends trying to push her toward her late husband's partner, Brent, and she has a business to run. It doesn't leave a lot of time for her to think about killers, but Emily wants to know the truth, even if it's closer than she might ever imagine...
This is the fourth book in the series and I absolutely loved the third, so couldn't wait to get to this one. But there was something that bothered me, so I guess I'd better get it out there right away: (and I've hidden it in a spoiler, even though it really isn't one at all but some people are sensitive to anything that even hints of one):
So there, I've made my point. As to the rest of the book, the mystery was excellent, as always. I enjoy the characters the book is peopled with, and I enjoyed the fact that it took place at Halloween, so we got to see what everyone's costumes were (which always give an idea of someone's personality). Emily's friends are always there for her, and they make the book more enticing to read.
Finding the killer gave us plenty of suspects, and even though I pretty much knew who it was from the moment that person stepped onto the page (I read a lot of mysteries), it was still fun watching Emily figure it out; and even more fun watching her get out of a sticky situation with the killer. In the end, everything came together nicely, and, I am hoping, leading us toward another chapter in her life. Recommended.
Before Cheryl shows up, the man identifies himself as Rich Royalson, and asks Emily if she'd cater donuts for his seventieth birthday party in a few days, and tells her where she should bring them -- out to nearby Lake Fleekdom where he has a home. But when Emily arrives, she finds everything set up for a party, including food from a local caterer...and the body of Rich. Now, with her friend Cheryl involved, an old girlfriend of Rich's, even neighbors who might have a grudge against the man, she needs to find out who killed him and what would drive someone to do so.
Standing in her way is the fact that she's planning a Halloween costume party at her home, friends trying to push her toward her late husband's partner, Brent, and she has a business to run. It doesn't leave a lot of time for her to think about killers, but Emily wants to know the truth, even if it's closer than she might ever imagine...
This is the fourth book in the series and I absolutely loved the third, so couldn't wait to get to this one. But there was something that bothered me, so I guess I'd better get it out there right away: (and I've hidden it in a spoiler, even though it really isn't one at all but some people are sensitive to anything that even hints of one):
So there, I've made my point. As to the rest of the book, the mystery was excellent, as always. I enjoy the characters the book is peopled with, and I enjoyed the fact that it took place at Halloween, so we got to see what everyone's costumes were (which always give an idea of someone's personality). Emily's friends are always there for her, and they make the book more enticing to read.
Finding the killer gave us plenty of suspects, and even though I pretty much knew who it was from the moment that person stepped onto the page (I read a lot of mysteries), it was still fun watching Emily figure it out; and even more fun watching her get out of a sticky situation with the killer. In the end, everything came together nicely, and, I am hoping, leading us toward another chapter in her life. Recommended.
May 18, 2020
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.
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.
May 31, 2020
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.
_
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.
_
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!
_
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).
_
Thank you to the publishers for a netgalley copy; all my opinions are my own.
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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.
_
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!
_
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).
_
Thank you to the publishers for a netgalley copy; all my opinions are my own.
May 2, 2020
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.
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.
June 12, 2022
A cute cat... check! a feisty heroine... check! a murder... che ...... wait? WHAT!!
Halloween and the Deputy Donut team are gearing up making "scary" donuts, Fritter Critters, Long John Zombies and of course Boston Screams! The latter is picked by a local retired Bank Manager (Rich Royalson) to help celebrate his 70th birthday (although he wats standard Boston Creams, thank you very much) as he loves (and pontificates .... a lot!) Boston. Rich also would like help redecorating a cottage on his land and feels Emily and Nina can help. So far, so good ... Nina and Em check out the cottage and get a few ideas together and plan to run them by Rich in the next day or so, post the party, speaking of which, when Em turns up with the donuts and coffee she is surprised not to find Rich waiting, although she discovers why a few minutes later when she stumbles over his very dead body!
Now if her friends in the local police force are going to make her Halloween bash, Em first needs to discover who bashed Rich!
Halloween and the Deputy Donut team are gearing up making "scary" donuts, Fritter Critters, Long John Zombies and of course Boston Screams! The latter is picked by a local retired Bank Manager (Rich Royalson) to help celebrate his 70th birthday (although he wats standard Boston Creams, thank you very much) as he loves (and pontificates .... a lot!) Boston. Rich also would like help redecorating a cottage on his land and feels Emily and Nina can help. So far, so good ... Nina and Em check out the cottage and get a few ideas together and plan to run them by Rich in the next day or so, post the party, speaking of which, when Em turns up with the donuts and coffee she is surprised not to find Rich waiting, although she discovers why a few minutes later when she stumbles over his very dead body!
Now if her friends in the local police force are going to make her Halloween bash, Em first needs to discover who bashed Rich!
September 8, 2020
I like these mysteries a lot but this one felt like it lagged a little. However, I am undeterred in my enjoyment of the stories. Except they make me want delicious donuts like the ones in the books!
I guess I did not care for this one because one - I am not a kayaker or a canoer so I didn't really get into that part of the story. I thought the back and forth with the murder suspects in this one dragged out a little too long. I also feel this attraction-tension between Em and Brent is getting a little old. I appreciate she wants to honor her late husband and his memory but six years is a long time.
The best part of this book is Dep, short for Deputy Donut, Emily's cat. I want a snuggly purring kitty like that.
I guess I did not care for this one because one - I am not a kayaker or a canoer so I didn't really get into that part of the story. I thought the back and forth with the murder suspects in this one dragged out a little too long. I also feel this attraction-tension between Em and Brent is getting a little old. I appreciate she wants to honor her late husband and his memory but six years is a long time.
The best part of this book is Dep, short for Deputy Donut, Emily's cat. I want a snuggly purring kitty like that.
August 8, 2020
Boston Scream Murder is a cozy mystery set in a northern Wisconsin donut shop during Halloween. The characters are engaging with intriguing relationships. There's also the charming Dep (Deputy Cat), who plays a rather large role. The donut shop setting is fun and left me craving all the amazing Halloween-themed desserts described (check out the cover picture for some of the decorated donuts)! This is a great mystery recommended for fans of cozy mysteries.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #cozymystery #culinarycozy #BostonScreamMurder
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #cozymystery #culinarycozy #BostonScreamMurder
September 28, 2020
Love this series!! Halloween and donuts make a great combination! Emily is catering donuts for a wealthy man's 70th birthday party. When she arrives she finds him dead. Of course, Emily feels she has to investigate and find the killer. I loved all the fun donuts that were created for Halloween in this book. I wanted to eat them all! Emily and her friends as well as Dep, the cat, are delightful. I look forward to seeing what's next for the gang and hope to finally see Emily and Brent in a romantic relationship! Highly recommend reading this series!!
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