Survival of the Fritters by Ginger Bolton is the first book in the NEW “Deputy Donut” mystery series. Publisher: Kensington, coming January 30, 2018.

Emily Westhill runs the best donut shop in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, alongside her retired police chief father-in-law and her tabby Deputy Donut. But after murder claims a favorite customer, Emily can’t rely on a sidekick to solve the crime—or stay alive.

If Emily has learned anything from her past as a 911 operator, it’s to stay calm during stressful situations. But that’s a tall order when one of her regulars, Georgia Treetor, goes missing. Georgia never skips morning cappuccinos with her knitting circle. Her pals fear the worst—especially Lois, a close friend who recently moved to town. As evening creeps in, Emily and the ladies search for Georgia at home. And they find her—murdered among a scattering of stale donuts . . .

Disturbingly, Georgia’s demise coincides with the five-year anniversary of her son’s murder, a case Emily’s late detective husband failed to solve before his own sudden death. With Lois hiding secrets and an innocent man’s life at stake, Emily’s forced to revisit painful memories on her quest for answers. Though someone’s alibi is full of holes, only a sprinkling of clues have been left behind. And if Emily can’t trace them back to a killer in time, her donut shop will end up permanently closed for business . . .

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Emily gets involved in a murder mystery when her customer is found dead and her new neighbor is attacked. Are the two incidents related? Something is amiss and it’s up Emily to figure it all out.

This light drama was well written and I enjoyed the multi-plot scenario that had the right pitch in how this story was being told. The author did a good job in setting this mystery up with narrative that was visually descriptive, keeping me in tuned with all that was happening between what Emily discovered in her search for answers and the person trying to keep it hidden. It all came to fruition in the final moments between Emily and the killer that let me breathe again. A good start and the characters were developed nicely for a first book and I look forward to learning more about them in the next book in this tasty delight.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the author.