Cinnamon Twisted
An ordinary late-spring afternoon for Deputy Donut Cafe owner Emily Westhill becomes one that will remain baked into her memory. When a customer gives Emily’s cat, Dep, a toy donut, then flees with her cinnamon twists, dropping an earring in her panic, the day turns from average to “oh no!”. Concerned about the customer, Emily attempts to return the earring, only this time, the customer doesn’t have a pulse. Things get more complicated when an ambitious police detective finds the earring and an unsealed envelope addressed to Emily at the murder scene. The envelope contains a cryptic letter and a fading photograph of a woman standing in front of Emily’s house.
Why did the customer grab her cinnamon twists and flee Deputy Donut? With the detective eying Emily as a prime suspect, Emily is determined to find out. But once a donut-shaped murder weapon is discovered in her own backyard, Emily has no time to lose as she pulls apart the connection between the victim and the strange history of her property while stopping the real culprit from ensuring her fate is done and sugar-dusted.
The Details
Series: A Deputy Donut Mystery – Book #7
Author: Ginger Bolton
Genre/Category: Cozy: Amateur Sleuth/Culinary
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
ISBN: 149674019X
Page Count: 304
Rating: 
The Review
Cinnamon Twisted is the first book in the “Deputy Donut Mystery” series that I have read. I figured you couldn’t go wrong with donuts and murder. The murder of a customer who was fascinated by the shop’s namesake, Dep the cat, and a detective that is certain Emily is guilty of killing someone she didn’t even know; add in a background mystery about the main characters home, and you have everything you will need for several hours of enjoyment.
At first, I was a bit lost on the characters and the story. To be honest, I didn’t realize the shop was named after Dep, Emily’s cat, and I’m still not sure what the cinnamon twists had to do with anything. The characters were well-written, but I didn’t find many I could relate to, and I wasn’t overly fond of Emily. The police chief and the new detective on the case are a nightmare and untrustworthy. I was uncertain about Emily’s boyfriend, Brent; he didn’t play a big enough role for me to care. Emily’s neighbor Daniel was interesting, and I would have liked to learn more about him.
The mystery was okay; the suspects were far and few between, mainly Emily and then Daniel. At one point, I thought maybe the detective would accuse Dep of killing the woman with the cinnamon twists, but thankfully he didn’t go that far. The ending was good, the killer, once unmasked, was who I thought it was, but the unveiling made the book worth reading. I enjoyed the story overall, but it took a while for me to warm up to the characters. This I attribute to not having read the other books in the series. I highly suggest that new readers start at the beginning of this series to get a good idea of who all the characters are, a better run down on the town, and Emily’s shop, before reading this book.
The Author
Ginger Bolton is very fond of donuts, coffee, and coffee shops that encourage patrons to linger and chat. Ginger lives in a rural area dotted with cozy villages. When she isn’t reading, writing, or daydreaming while gazing out windows, she plays with sewing, knitting, embroidery, and generally wreaks havoc. Contact Ging via social media or on her website.
https://gingerbolton.com/
Other books that readers may enjoy with a culinary base include Six Sweets Under by Sarah Fox or Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by V.M. Burns.
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