I love this series. Even it plays on the stereotype that police love donuts. But it actually adds to the story. and of course the cat deputy donuts is so adorable.

Book 8 in the series, and as usual you do not have had to read the previous books to drop in (pun intended) to see what is going on at the best donut shop in Fallingbrook. Emily's parents are staying with her in town for the festival, as her mother has helped to organize it and to help with wedding planning. Everything seems to be going great until a bagpiper with an obvious chip on his shoulder keep taking away the star moments from other performers. When he ends up dead, there is no shortage of suspects. But why kill him? With as many suspects as clues, it will take a full team effort to solve this one! A fun quick ready, fans of the series will delight in the extra turns in this one, and new fans with love the series- just be warned, don't read on an empty stomach!

DOUBLE GRUDGE DONUTS is the eighth book in the Deputy Donut Mysteries by Ginger Bolton. With a fun week of events planned for the Fallingbrook Arts Festival, a mere two weeks before her wedding, Emily Westhill has her hands full baking up donuts at Deputy Donut. What she didn’t need was a disruptive bagpiper stirring up trouble with participants and keeping townsfolk awake at all hours of the night playing the pipes. Ms. Bolton sets the stage for a riveting murder mystery and delectable donuts with vivid descriptions and wonderful characters. I’ve enjoyed watching Emily progress over the course of the series (and while this can be read as a standalone, if you love character development, then start with the first book) and I was so excited to finally “see” her walk down the aisle. I also liked how her former in-laws and her parents were prevalent throughout the story and, of course, her feline, Deputy Donut, steals each scene she inhabits. In fact, Dep helps discover the victim and points to a vital clue!

Upon the discovery of the pesky bagpiper’s body, Emily gets pulled into the investigation. With her fiancé, Brett, being one of the detectives investigating the crime, Emily knows to be careful and to turn over any uncovered clue to law enforcement. I enjoy how Brett relies and trusts the information Emily finds and how he’s happy for her to call for backup anytime she feels the need. With suspects galore, there’s many people to question, and Emily is just the gal to do it with donuts in hand. People have a way of opening up to her that they wouldn’t with the police. The pacing was good, interspersed with running the donut shop and enjoying the cute festivities, especially the skits put on by the kids in town. As the suspects dwindle and clues point to a specific person, Emily tries to play it safe, but in the end takes some risks alongside her employee. The surprising twist at the reveal provided a heart stopping moment, and I couldn’t turn pages fast enough. When all was said and done though, the pieces fell into place and my questions were answered… just in time for Emily and Brett’s wedding!

First a thank you to #NetGalley and #Kensingtonbooks for an opportunity to read this book. This is a series I usually enjoy and with Emily and Brett's wedding in two weeks we can anticipate some joy! Emily's folks are staying with her as they are judging some of the musicals acts as part of an Arts Festival taking place in town. While the acts do some roaming and preforming on outside patios like the one at Deputy Donut, during the day, there is also a judged event every evening at the town gazebo. When a bagpiper starts showing up everywhere and interrupts many of the acts, he really annoys a lot of people. When he shows up dead the suspect list is long. Can Emily help point the police in the right direction so that the wedding can move forward without an interruption? I enjoyed this mystery but will admit to being annoyed that the normally well grounded Emily did some risky things, especially before her wedding. I think readers of this series will be happy with how it all turns out.

I enjoyed this book. I like the characters and settings I feel bad for the performers that were affected by the bagpipes. . I love the rooftop part of the book. #DoubleGudgeDonuts #NetGalley

The Fallingbrook Arts Festival ends on a Scottish note when a bagpiper takes first place in the first night’s competition. But events quickly become complicated when Emily and her feline tabby, Dep, find the bagpiper murdered.

In addition to dealing with a murder, Emily and Brent are counting the days until their upcoming wedding. Between trying to solve the mystery with too many suspects, Emily discovers an essential clue on Deputy Donut’s rooftop that helps direct her investigation.

Ginger Bolton executes her complex plot with well-developed characters, especially the antics of Dep, the feline sleuthing partner, and the deft combination of mystery clues with wedding prep activities. Double Grudge Donuts is an excellent addition to the Deputy Donut Mystery series.

This is the 8th book in the charming Deputy Donut series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. I have enjoyed each book in the series . Emily and her smart cat Dep are a good detective pairing and I enjoy her adventures in solving crimes. This was a fun addition to the series with a mysterious bagpiper disrupting the town, a murder, a fun festival and Emily's upcoming wedding. The sleuth kept me guessing in this fun read to conclusion. A perfect exciting addtion to this fun cozy series. This is a cozy series I highly recommend.

I've jumped around a bit in the series and missed a few, but I do enjoy the donut shop these and the small town setting. Well written with a mystery that keeps you guessing.

This a fun cozy mystery series. I love that they have a cat mascot for the diner. It can be a standalone, but recommend reading the whole series so you can get to know the characters.

The Fallingbrook Arts Festival sounds like a delightful event. The categories vary, with an emphasis on performance, but competitors travel from business to business initially to showcase their act before the actual competition. The children's mime of Cinderella was my favorite, must admit. One problem this year, however. There's this seriously obnoxious bagpiper interrupting other acts. It isn't that he isn't talented. He's quite good. In fact, he wins his performance category after unnerving another favorite. Then, to make matters worse, he disrupts the entire town and people's sleep going about in the night playing at odd hours. Why is he so persistently obnoxious? If we knew, we'd probably know why poor Emily finds his body the next day. Well, actually it's her cat Dep who leads her to the body but since Dep can't give a statement, it's all on Emily's shoulders. Good thing her boyfriend and about-to-be-husband is in the detective in charge. But, oops, there's that out-of-town investigator sent to assist.

As I read and back stories were revealed, I realized I've obviously read bit of this series. I was glad to tune back in before Emily and Brent's upcoming wedding as I recalled their long friendship and his partnership with her late husband. But, well, murder has a way of throwing a few snags into plans. Given the general obnoxiousness of the victim, suspects aren't scarce and there are lots of twists and turns and red herrings that take us....nowhere? Well, somewhere. We're just not quite sure where the true clues are leading us. Heck, we don't even know why the man was killed. Is being obnoxious really enough of a reason to kill someone? And, whoa, what about the very visible clues found at the scene? They point in several different directions so, of course, Brent and Vic, the out-of-town investigator, have to follow them all to the end. It doesn't leave much time for wedding planning although, quite frankly, Emily is right in there asking her own questions and sharing what she finds out with Brent. Nice to see the amateur sleuth's romantic partner being supportive, not always telling them to stay out of the investigation, tempting as it surely is when you love someone and don't want to see them in danger.

That said, while I enjoyed the book, I didn't quite love it although the big reveal and final scene made it close. Some of the clues shared, for instance, seemed just a bit forced/awkward. Maybe because they came too fast and seemingly out of the blue. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the book and it definitely kept me guessing although it's all tied together neatly at the end with an amazing scene that leaves Emily still a bit bewildered on who actually did it until she has a chance to talk through the events with others. Emily is also reminded that she's been told and retold to call Brent/police when she senses something is happening because they're rather waste some time than bag another body. Will she ever learn that lesson?

Bottom line, a fun read that will keep you guessing. You'll surely like the characters and probably wish you could stop off at Emily's Deputy Donut Cafe to satisfy the sweet tooth craving reading will create with all the talk of donuts. Never fear, though, as recipes are included at the end. Ever had a Lemon Curd Long John? You can via that recipe and there are more. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me over for the wedding. I loved getting a sneak peek at that scene and how Emily made it her own.

Emily Westhill is getting married in fourteen days, not that anyone's counting! Before that there's a business to run, final arrangements to sort and the week-long Fallingbrook Arts Festival to attend. With her parents judging some of the competitions and staying with her, life is getting busy and that's before she and her cat, Dep, find a dead body!

Deputy Donuts is one of the stops on each day's mobile talent show and business is brisk but Emily has other things to concentrate on, especially as her beloved café has an undeniable link to the killing! Emily's fiance, Detective Brent Fyne is on the case alongside a DCI agent she isn’t familiar with and to add to the stress he considers anyone linked to her or her business as a suspect! As the days fly past and the wedding gets ever closer can Emily discover who is responsible before she loses the chance to walk down the aisle?

This is another great instalment of Ginger Bolton's Deputy Donuts Café Mystery Series and I whizzed through it. I wasn't even close to working out whodunnit and the big reveal was both original and tension filled. I also enjoyed the scenes set at the Arts Festival which added a different aspect to life in Fallingbrook. I'm also a big fan of anything wedding related in cosy crime storylines so this ticked all my boxes!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. I loved this but recommend reading the previous books first.

Book 8 of the Deputy Donut Mystery Series, Double Grudge Donuts was a great cozy read.

In this installment, they're in the middle of Fallingbrook Arts Festival when Emily and her tabby cat find a dead body. The local detectives don't trust Emily, the suspects are lining up, and worse - whomever did this is plotting on turning a wedding into a funeral.

A MUST read!

I have really been enjoying this small town cozy mystery series and it also makes me hungry each time I read the next book in the series.

BLURB:"" When the Fallingbrook Arts Festival rolls into town weeks before she’s set to tie the knot, Emily expects talent and friendly competition at the week-long summer series to go together like coffee and double fudge. But the fun crumbles fast after a lively bagpiper takes first place on day one and turns heads for the wrong reasons—all before Emily and her tabby cat find him dead in a clear case of murder. Along with a distinctive weapon at the crime scene, several strategically placed items leave disturbing clues about the killer’s identity, including a broken piece of a Deputy Donut mug . . .:""

Can this really be book #8 ? This well-written cozy mystery series is one of my favorites! I know I will be entertained and intrigued with each mystery, while the romantic interest provides a "feel-good" vibe. Emily and Brent are so ready to cement their relationship. The characters are now friends that I look forward to catching up with. The donut shop theme is such fun, and I can hardly wait to try the Lemon-curd Long Johns and the baked double fudge donuts. I am looking forward to book #9.
Recommended to those who enjoy mystery with a dash of romance and recipes.
#DoubleGrudgeDonuts #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #KensingtonCozies
I was so excited to be approved for an EARC to read and review at my request. I do adore this series and always review books that I enjoy for friends and followers. All opinions are my own. #GingerBolton

With a big festival in town and her and Emily’s wedding quickly approaching, no one was planning a funeral. But life had different plans for one of the festival participants who is found dead in behind the shops near Deputy Donuts. There’s no lack of suspects given how annoying the man was everyone who came across this path. Can Emily help the police solve this one before her wedding day approaches, or want to make it down the aisle?

I enjoy this serious and I love Dep! And who doesn’t love donuts? You’ll find each mystery, chock-full of red herrings and suspects, just like the donut cases are filled with a variety of donuts each and every day. Each of these books reads fine as a standalone, so don’t let this being the latest in the series stop you from reading it.

Well written cozy
Ms. Bolton pens a cozy set in a small town focusing on an area filled with eateries. The small town has a festival that features showcasing talent, people performing outside the restaurants to win an award.
An abrasive man is murdered and the owner of the donut shop finds the body and snoops to solve with the aid of her detective boyfriend. I enjoyed this read.
I requested and received a NetGalley arc to peruse gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

Wisconsin, amateur-sleuth, series, suspense, secrets, lies, recipes, murder-investigation, local-law-enforcement, state-detectives, widow, family-business, family, relatives, relationships, friendship, pet-cat, Northwoods, small-business, small-town*****

Emily is a widow of a LEO who runs the donut shop with her father-in-law (a retired LEO) and is engaged to another local law enforcement officer. This book can easily stand alone.
It wasn't difficult to vote for "most likely to be murdered", but solving the whodunit was another matter entirely and very well done with some very sneaky red herrings and surprising twists.
Not exactly an unbiased review because I'm from Wisconsin and the setting is a tourist town in Wisconsin near Duluth. Besides that, I Back the Badge.
I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!

The 8th Deputy Donuts series set in Wisconsin thrills the reader as much as the first. Emily Westhill, the co-owner of the Deputy Donut Cafe is preparing for her wedding in less than two weeks. At the first Arts Festival her parents are judges while Summer's friend Quentin is performing. His performance is interrupted by Kirk who the next day is found dead by Emily in a lot close to the cafe. The reader will be guessing who done it but will be thrown off by excellent red herrings along the way. A delightful read and wonderful addition to the series. Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

This is a new author and series for me. Such a well written story that had me guessing who the murderer was. I will definitely look for the rest of the book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

This 8th installment in the Deputy Donuts cozy series, set in northern Wisconsin, is another outstanding mystery.

Emily Westhill, the co-owner of the Deputy Donut Cafe, is getting ready for her wedding which is less than two weeks away and is spending a lot of time attending events at the local arts festival. Her parents are visiting and all seems well.

Of course, then there's a murder (Emily finds the body) and, of course, she gets involved in trying to solve it.

This series has clever plots, including this one, and a terrific cast of characters.

Love it and highly recommend it to cozy mystery fans.