Is there anything that says cozy mystery any more than a donut shop? Ginger Bolton launches the Deputy Donut mystery series with Survival of the Fritters.

It’s been three years since Emily Westhill’s police detective husband, Alec, was shot and killed in the line of duty. She left her job as a 911 operator, and she and her father-in-law, Tom, the former police chief, opened a donut shop named after her cat, Deputy Donut. She may have left, but the police show up to support the shop, everyone except her husband’s former partner, Brent.

When Alec died, he and Brent were still working on Matthias Treetor’s two-year-old murder case. It’s Tom who notices that Matthias’ mother, Georgia, is missing from the Knitpickers, a group of knitters who meet at the donut shop. Emily and the group of women end up at Georgia’s house, where they find the woman’s body. Why did someone kill both Treetors? And, why did someone attack Emily’s new neighbor, Lois, a long-time friend of the dead woman?

Emily’s mistakes at the crime scene and her new neighbor draw her into the case. Lois, and others, are willing to tell Emily secrets that they wouldn’t reveal to the police. But, Emily does try to keep Brent in the loop. It’s her own lifelong knowledge of the residents of Fallingbrook, though, that puts her in danger when she catches the killer’s attention.

Survival of the Fritters was a little slow-paced as it develops the backstory of the characters. Although Emily is a sympathetic character, there’s little character development of her friends. Perhaps there will be more development in future books in the series. However, Deputy Donut, the cat, is charming. Fans of Diesel in Miranda James’ Cat in the Stacks mysteries may want to check out Deputy Donut.

Ginger Bolton’s website is www.gingerbolton.com

Survival of the Fritters by Ginger Bolton. Kensington Books, 2018. ISBN 9781496711878 (paperback), 256p.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a copy to review for a journal.