Deck the Donuts is the sixth installment in the Deputy Donut Mystery series set in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin and featuring donut shop co-owner, Emily Westhill and her furry feline, Deputy Donut. It's Christmastime and the townsfolk are preparing for the holidays with a highlight being the annual Ice and Lights Festival.

Emily along with her co-workers, have created an icy Frosty the Donut in the town square and she's looking forward to walking through the display to see all of the delightful creations. An afternoon of cross country skiing with police detective Brent is cut short with the report of a tour bus accident just outside of town. Emily accompanies Brent to the accident and discovers that thankfully only the driver, Travis Tarriston has been seriously injured. The town takes the passengers into their homes until another bus can come and Emily welcomes the driver's girlfriend Paige to stay with her.

That night during a raging snowstorm, Emily hears Paige slip out of the house and thinks the woman has gone to the hospital to see her boyfriend. On her way to the donut shop the next morning Emily discovers that someone has vandalized Frosty the Donut, completely knocking him down and there is a dead body lying under the ice blocks. Who killed the man? Was it Paige, one of the bus passengers or a member of the Fallingbrook community who had a past beef with him.

A delightful combination of holiday celebrations, the return and growth of series regulars, an adorable feline and tasty treats. A wonderful addition to the series that leaves you wanting more.

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Dollycas's Thoughts

We are back in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin just before Christmas and the town is all decked out in holiday finery including the annual Ice and Light Festival and festive donuts at Deputy Donut and an ice-carved holey Frosty the Donut/Snowman. The festival is always a highlight in the area and this year a tour group from Green Bay has included it as a stop on their itinerary.

Unfortunately, a blizzard moves in and the tour bus goes off the road and crashes. The driver is badly hurt and others have minor injuries, but all the passengers are shaken up and cold and in need of a place to stay. The wonderful people of Fallingbrook open their homes to take the passengers in.

The next morning on her way to work Emily noticed their Frosty the Donut has been toppled and was shocked to find the dead frozen body of the bus driver buried under it. She knew several of the passengers were angry about the crash and even thought the driver may have been intoxicated but was someone upset enough to kill him?

Emily knows the case must be solved before the tourists head for home so she vows to help Detective Brent Fyne solve the case. Her own houseguest, Paige, the tour guide may be able to provide a lot of answers unless she is the one that left the driver out to freeze.

Emily Westhill, her cat Deputy Donut, her father-in-law and business partner Tom, Detective Brent Fyne, and his dog Ivan along with all the welcoming residents of Fallingbrook shine within these pages. They opened their homes and businesses to help a group of people they had never met and included them in their holiday events. These characters are so genuine and have developed so well over the course of this series. I love that the author has let Emily take her time dealing with her husband's death and setting her own pace in changing her relationship with the good detective. It feels natural and makes all her relationships and interactions true to life.

The death of the bus driver shakes up the holidays and there turns out to be a surprising number of suspects. Fyne has his hands full but he really wants Emily to leave the case to him but six books in we know Emily just can't do that. She does have a way of getting people to open up and she has keen instincts. Instincts that sometimes put her and her friends in danger. Ms. Bolton has given her character so much depth and it is a real treat to follow along with her step by step as she puts clues together and still be totally surprised when that final clue falls into place. I was just that, totally surprised when all was revealed, and I enjoyed the exciting showdown so much.

The author's descriptive talents really take the reader right into each scene. I have endured winters in Wisconsin my entire life and she captures it perfectly. It was also very easy to envision the ice sculptures, all the happenings at Deputy Donut, the fire station, and Detective Fyne's new cabin. A lot of fun and all the drama was painted so clearly in my mind.

With fabulous characters and a fantastic mystery Deck the Donuts is my new favorite in this series. I am not sure how I missed it when it was released. The only good thing is that now I don't have to wait for the next book Cinnamon Twisted to be released. It is waiting impatiently on my Kindle.

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