Blame the Beignets
Deputy Donut Mystery #9
By Ginger Bolton
ISBN 9781496749611
Author’s website: gingerbolton.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
As the weather cools down, business heats up at Deputy Donut Café for owner Emily Westhill. But is a stubborn tabby cat, a mysterious new employee, and a murder case with a baker’s dozen worth of suspects too much to manage? With mouthwatering treats selling fast in October, Emily is delighted to welcome her assistant’s younger sister, Hannah, to help at the donut shop while taking a semester off from college. But Hannah’s talent for dishing powdered pastries without dropping a crumb attracts some unusual customers, as two admirers with opposite personalities begin to show up during her shifts—much to her older sister’s disappointment . . . Real trouble comes afterhours in the dark forest surrounding Emily’s lakeside house. Emily follows a trail of her freshly-made beignets—just like those purchased by the two admirers—to a dead body. And while the victim may have burned a few bridges, there’s no way to sugarcoat the discovery of Hannah’s hairclip at the crime scene. Now, as suspicions fall on her own employee and unsavory rumors swirl around town, it will take far more than a sprinkle of good luck for Emily to learn the truth and expose a killer with a very deadly craving . . . (from Goodreads)
Review:
It was a delight to visit newlyweds Emily and Brent in the early autumn days of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin! They enjoy the blessing of two homes, the ones owned before their marriage. Emily’s is close to both of their workplaces. Emily is co-owner of Deputy Donut Café with her late husband’s father, and Brent is a police detective. Brent’s chalet is on a lake, a longer drive, but well-worth it during mild weather. The humor woven throughout and the heartwarming moments between Emily, Brent, Dep, and their loved ones are two of the elements that I enjoy most about the series, along with, of course, the challenging mysteries.
The characters are consistent with earlier novels while showing their growth through their life changes. Each is defined well, befitting their roles. It was fun to see Rex again, a detective for the state’s Division of Criminal Investigation and Summer, owner of the Craft Croft gift shop. They had hit it off when he was in town in the past to help with investigations, and this visit allows them time together.
Emily’s business partner at Deputy Donut is Tom, her late husband’s father and retired police chief. It is named after the adorable Deputy “Dep” Donut, Emily’s tortoiseshell cat with an unusual donut shaped marking. Cat lovers will be captivated by Dep’s cat-sonality and appreciate how the donut shop’s office is set up as her daytime playland.
One afternoon, there were unusual customers in the café. Nobody knew they would be entangled in a murder that occurred the next evening.
At one table, two men were arguing while the woman with them said little.
Two young men came in through the office instead of the main entry, with a tiny dog wearing what looked like a wedding dress. One of them let loose the pup and Dep into the dining area, then enjoyed the chaos. The other helped Emily separate the pets until a nearby shopkeeper came in to claim her pup. Hannah, one of the servers, knew the two young men and took a break to sit with them.
One man came in alone, wanting to sit near other customers. Forrest, an “investment expert”, was firmly turned away by Hannah and her friends when he tried to sell his expertise.
The woman and one of the men left the table where the two men were arguing. After the second man left, Forrest followed him with his sales pitch.
The next evening, one of the six was dead. The other five were possible suspects in the death.
Emily was at their chalet on the lake the next evening, waiting for Brent to come home. Emily heard a scream. It was from the direction of where Hannah and her friends had discussed hiking earlier that day, a steep, dangerous trail with a huge boulder that reminded Emily of the beignets the shop serves. Frightened for Hannah, Emily raced to the trailhead. From the top of the cliff, she saw what a shod foot and jean-clad ankle on a ledge far below, and called dispatch.
It was the body of one of the six who had been at Deputy Donut the prior day.
While awaiting first responders at the trailhead, Emily noted and later showed Brent some possible evidence in the parking area. Customers at Deputy Donut were curious, two bad business experiences with the murder victim, and all expected Emily to take an active part in the investigation as she did in earlier cases. Emily tried to stay out of the investigation, but didn’t think it would hurt if she asked a few questions.
Brent was not a fan of Emily’s involvement only because he didn’t want her hurt by bad guys. For the most part, Emily shares whatever she learns with him. Clues and the victim’s background pointed to several motivated, potential suspects, as the victim wasn’t very well-liked. Red herrings temporarily distracted me, as well as Emily’s sharing rides in her kayak with Dep. The killer took me by surprise! This mystery concluded with the satisfaction of the capture of the killer and the final outcome. I highly recommend this cozy mystery, and earlier mysteries in the series! I have happily followed this series and eagerly look forward to the next visit.
