Oh, what fun it is to read this first book in Ginger Bolton’s Deputy Donut Series. The author has given her readers a good mystery and a sleuth (Emily) who is co-owner of a donut shop. Animal lovers will appreciate the added bonus of the role Emily’s cat plays in the story.

We get to know our major characters well and enough about any others to understand how they fit into the mystery. This is not a romance, but there is a hint that we may see some matchmaking efforts work out in future books. Although early clues suggest a couple of likely suspects who may have committed the murders, I admit to being surprised when I learned the identity of the real killer.

Those who like recipes included will be happy to know that there are a couple that make my mouth water just reading them.

Survival of the Fritters is a delightful beginning to this series and I plan to read more of Ms. Bolton’s books. ( )

As a cozy mystery i gues this one works. The mystery is not that puzzling and the romantic interest is not that strong. Perhaps the characters develop better with time but so far I am not terribly impressed.
library book read 1/24/2024 ( )

This cozy appealed on multiple levels before I even read the description. The title of the cozy sounded enticing and anyone that has ever lived with a feline can easily relate to viewing a little paw or two, a cute little nose, and those inquisitive eyes when he/she must stretch to peek over the edge of a table to get a closer view of that interesting whiff as it might just be something delicious to warrant a taste.

I was especially delighted to read in the "Acknowledgements" that the author specifically named and credited Kensington Publishing team members "Kris Noble for the cover design, and artist Mary Ann Lasher for the adorable cat and donut shop on the cover." It is this reader's wish that creative and talented individuals would receive credit for cover design and art work more often if at the very least on the copyright page of all books.

How could one not enjoy meeting the character of Tom Westhill, a retired police chief who has opened a donut shop not far from the police station so it is easy for officers to come in during their breaks? Deputy Donut is owned by Tom and his daughter-in-law Emily and all are supervised daily by Emily's cat. The donut shop was named after the cat so to avoid confusion the tabby's name was shortened to Dep.

Particularly as Tom was a detective in earlier years before becoming the chief it was wonderful that Tom didn't become the main sleuth of the series. Emily as sleuth with Tom focused on those donuts was perfect. That's not to say there's not a handsome detective on the scene that has a unique connection to Emily with more possibilities of a deeper connection in future books. I also loved the group of knitters that visit the donut shop during the week called the "Knitpickers." Add to the mix the girlfriends of Emily and it's a great group and reminds one of how special friends are of varied ages and at every age of our lives.

For those that love to bake there are several recipes at the back of the book.

As an introduction to a new series and to the writing of author Ginger Bolton I found this a charming addition to my list of cozy mystery series favorites! I'll definitely spend more time in the future with Emily, Tom, and Dep! I hope you will too! ( )

Emily Westhill owns a doughnut shop with her father-in-law, Jack in Fallingbrook, WI. They named the shop Deputy Donut. The shop's logo features a cute kitty cat wearing a policeman's hat. Jack used to be Fallingbrook Police Chief, but hung up his policeman's hat in favor of a fuzzy doughnut cap after his retirement. Many of the town's officers come into the shop for coffee and pastries. A local knitting group, the Knitpickers, are regulars as well. However, this time one of their most dependable members is missing. Georgia Treetor is a no-show. The group gets worried, so Emily accompanies the knitters to Georgia's house to check on her. Turns out Georgia isn't just late......she's dead. Murdered. Who would kill a friendly, little old lady who repairs dolls for a living? And is the crime related to the disappearance and killing of her son 5 years before?

I loved this book! What a cute start to a new cozy mystery series! The shop sounds like a a place I would love to have coffee -- bright colors, local artwork, tables made from clear coated slices of tree trunk. And all named after Emily's tortoiseshell kitty cat -- Deputy Donut or Dep for short. I would definitely stop for coffee if Deputy Donut were a real place! The mystery was more complex than I expected, and moved along at a nice pace. The characters are varied and well developed for a cozy.

The cover art is cute! And there are yummy recipes at the back of the book. :)

Great start to a new series! The second book in the Deputy Donut series, Goodbye Cruller World, will be out in August 2018. I will definitely keep reading this series! Well-written, great mystery and cute theme! ( )

Survival of the Fritters is the first book in the Deputy Donut Mystery Series. Emily is a widow whose police officer husband was killed on the job. She owns and operates a donut shop in Fallingbrook Wisconsin with her father-in-law, a retired police chief. The shop is named after her cat, Deputy Donut (Dep). Emily is a former 911 operator, who quit her job after her husband died. This small town has its own group of knitters, that meet up every weekday morning at the shop. When one of them fails to show up at Deputy Donuts one Monday, Emily and the members of the group become concerned. When they head over to her house and find her dead on the kitchen floor, Emily and her new neighbor, Lois, get involved in the case. As well, the woman's son was murdered 5 years earlier. Could their deaths be related?

I enjoyed the mystery and the small town atmosphere. I was a bit disappointed in the character development in the book. As this is the first in the series, I am hoping that the characters will become more developed and therefore, more relatable. Emily is a good protagonist. With her background as a 911 operator and the fact that she was married to a police detective, she has some good skills to investigate. We really did not get to know Tom, her father-in-law, at all. I hope we learn more about him and his relationship to Emily and his family. There are a lot of other characters that are interesting and as we get to know them, can make this small town come alive for the reader. There are some interesting recipes at the back of the book that look easy and rather delicious. The plot was interesting and at first thinking that these deaths could be related with five years between them seemed rather unbelievable, but the author did a great job pulling this off with an interesting twist. I did not figure out who the murderer was until just before the author revealed it, which always makes for a good ending. I recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers, especially those who enjoy culinary mysteries with recipes. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )