Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Loved this visit to Deputy Donuts and Emily and Brett. The wedding is two weeks away, but the latest murder may delay the nuptials. With plenty of suspects and Emily asking questions, the list gets shorter, until a different person shows their true colors. Emily and Jocelyn end up with the killer and must care for each other to get out of the mess. This was a fun book and ends with a HEA for our favorite donut maker. The surprise killer added to the twists in the story. Well written and plotted. It was difficult to put this one down.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Another delicious installment of the Deputy Donut mysteries!! In this book, Emily and Brent are finally getting married! Fallingbrook is having it's first arts festival with traveling performers visiting local businesses during the week. The fun is interrupted when an obnoxious bagpiper decides to disrupt other's performances and eventually winds up dead.

While I enjoyed the book, I didn't have much sympathy for the murder victim. However, the whodunit was a good twist that I never saw coming. My one disappointment with the book was that I felt Emily and Brent's wedding was a bit of an afterthought. I mention this because her BFFs, Misty and Samantha, have gotten married in prior books and I felt their weddings got more fanfare. Just my personal opinion,

My thanks to Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for this ARC. I do hope the series will continue!

I love this series so much and really enjoyed this one! The best cat sidekick Dep plus Emily and all her friends make this town feel super cozy and like a wonderful place to live where everyone seems connected and comfortable. I can see myself sitting in Deputy Donuts on the patio and enjoying the arts festival. The mystery was enjoyable to follow and I love how Emily does not fall for red herrings easily and is cautious around anyone she suspects. I also love how everyone (including her hunky police fiancé Brett) encourages her, but also do their best to keep her from being alone and try to keep her safe. I was shocked by the ending (love that) and the final scenes have such a flare of drama that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. And a wedding! I am a SUCKER for a cozy wedding and this one had my heart eyes and I am already missing these characters.

Double Grudge Donuts was such a great book. It was great to see Emily and Brent finally get married. I can't wait to see how they adapt to married life in future books. The murder mystery was very intriguing and different. It kept me guessing until the very end. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

This is the eighth book in the Deputy Donut Mysteries by Ginger Bolton. Emily Westhill and Brent Fyne are planning their wedding at Brent’s home to occur after the Fallingbrook Arts Festival. Unfortunately, an obnoxious bagpipe player, Kirk, keeps interrupting day and evening performances.

Emily and Dep come across Kirk’s body in a parking lot on the way to work. There are plenty of suspects, twists and turns, and surprises. I loved the clues that led to the reveal. The rooftop scene was nerve racking.

The book is well-written and plotted, has strong central characters, and moments of tenderness. I enjoy this series. The book may be read as a standalone.

Netgalley gave me an advanced readers copy. I am not required to leave a positive review.

While I don't have the same appreciation for bagpipe music or Taps as some of the characters in this book, I enjoyed this story as much as the rest of the books in this series. It's been a lot of fun to watch life changing for Emily and her friends, and as the story approaches her wedding it's really nice. Lots of great descriptions of donuts, as usual, and a solid mystery with interesting characters.

The newest Deputy Donut mystery finds Emily investigating the murder of a bagpiper in the weeks leading up to her wedding to Brent.

Another good mystery in this series, although not my favorite. *SPOILER AHEAD* I think part of it was the murder weapon of a coffee mug felt so unrealistic. Like it would almost be accidentally (where the motive was clearly premeditated)? Also especially since the mug was only slightly cracked. I also wish we had gotten a little more preview of what Emily and Brent's wedding had looked like! Despite that, still a fun read.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Westhill is busy not only planning her upcoming wedding but working at Deputy Donuts which is busy thanks to a week-long Arts Festival in town. The last thing she needs is for one of the participants at the festival to be murdered and someone leaving clues that point to her donut shop. Her fiancé is investigating the crime but Emily can’t help doing some investigating herself but will her questions put her in real danger?

“Double Grudge Donuts” is the nicely done eighth book in Ginger Bolton’s A Deputy Donut cozy mystery series. I love everything about this series starting with Emily who rebuilt her life after her husband’s death including owning a donut shop with her father-in-law and falling in love with his partner. I also love her parents, in-laws, friends, and co-workers – and I can’t forget her cat who helps reveal an important clue in this book. I also loved the descriptions of various events of the Arts Festival – they were not only fun to read about but provided a murder victim and plenty of suspects. The mystery was well done and well plotted with more than a few twists thrown in along the way. There are some suspenseful moments towards the end of the book – I thought for sure Emily was going to do something incredibly stupid that would make me roll my eyes but Bolton had a trick or two (or three) up her sleeves. I will say that Emily was the calmest bride I have ever read about – no worries about flowers, her dress, caterers, the weather, if Brent would solve the case in time – if only planning for real life weddings went as smoothly as hers did!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.