An untimely accident leaves the passengers of a tour bus stranded and the driver injured. The townsfolk rise to the occasion and board the stranded passengers. But then, Emily, inspecting the ice sculptures in the town square, finds the bus driver’s body under an ice sculpture. How he managed to leave the hospital and end up under a huge ice snowman is a mystery. One of the townsfolk may be housing a killer, and it just might be Emily. There are many secrets, and some lies, that will have to be sorted out before the real killer is disclosed. This is a wonderful Christmas cozy, with just the right amount of mystery, suspense, and romance mixed together for an entertaining tale. This well written novel is peopled with likable characters, well, except perhaps, for the killer. ( )

When unexpected disaster strikes the picturesque town of Fallingsbrook, Wisconsin at Christmastime, it's up to Emily Westhill and her adorable cat Dep to solve the mystery and save the day. “Deck The Donuts” is the sixth book in the Deputy Donut Mystery Series by Ginger Bolton, and it does not disappoint.
After a tourist bus crashes during the Ice and Lights festival, Emily and the entire close-knit community of Fallingsbrook opens its doors to the stranded passengers, and it’s heartwarming to see how much they do to help out the families and tourists affected by the unfortunate accident.
When the bus driver responsible for the crash is found dead under Emily’s Frosty the donut sculpture, not only the passengers who seem to blame him for the accident, but also townspeople with surprising connections to him going back decades, will have opinions on his murder. This small town will be thrown into a mystery that will have readers seeing possible motives and murderers around every bend. And when Emily’s houseguest Paige becomes a suspect, it will be up to Emily to clear her name, and to find the real murderer before it’s too late. The author provides plenty of intrigue amid the twists and turns of the story, including several red herrings before the actual culprit is revealed.
Even though this was the first book I read of this series, the author still provided enough backstory and character development that I was able to really feel immersed in the world of Fallingsbrook. It was great to witness the characters grow and connect throughout the story, and I can’t wait to go back and read the other books of this series.

I received this ARC from the author through the Cozy Mystery Review Crew. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion. ( )

small-business, small-town, romance, law-enforcement, widow, Wisconsin, winter, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, false-information, family, family-dynamics, friendship, drunk-driving, murder, murder-investigation, bus-tour, pets****

It seems to start with that bus accident, but it gets way more convoluted. The suspects just keep getting added into the puzzle and it really takes some doing to try to sort it all out. Don't know which gets higher, the amount of lies or the amount of snow (blizzard) complicating everything. And then there's the burgeoning romance between the widow and her husband's former law enforcement partner. A good read!
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 a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

Emily Westhill, along with her late husband's father, owns and runs Deputy Donut, a donut shop that has become a meeting place for many of the town's locals. It's Christmastime, and she's expecting to spend time with her friends, and so has taken some time off to go cross-country skiing with her friend Brent, whom she'd like to move out of the friend zone. When a call comes in that there's been a bus accident not far away, both Brent and Emily go to see if they can be of help.

It's apparent that the passengers are shaken and some are hurt, and there are children on board. The tour bus was making a stop in Fallingbrook to see the local Ice and Lights Festival, and almost made it before the crash. But Emily learns that the driver is from a neighboring town, and that he's had problems before, and learns nothing good about him from others. When she discovers his body early the next morning, it leaves questions all around: could the killer have been one of the passengers? Or worse yet, one of the locals? With the tour guide who was also the victim's girlfriend, staying with Emily, she'll need to watch her back as well as those around her if she wants to discover the truth...

This is the sixth book in the series and I have read all of them. I must say that I think this is one of the best ones. I like the fact that this series progresses, it doesn't leave all the characters in stagnation mode, and things move forward just as they should. It makes each book a fun read, and interesting to boot.

When the victim is discovered to be of a less than stellar person, questions abound and no one seems to have a real answer as to what he was doing in the snow and who hated him enough to kill him. Not even his girlfriend seems to know the truth, thinking he was a wonderful person. But Emily is finding that not to be the case, and her probing -- unofficially -- into the murder gives her clues, which she shares with Brent.

I won't give any more about the book away, but I will say that all the regular characters are here, and all enjoying the holidays as best they can, with houseguests they didn't expect but still want them to have a good time while they're staying in Fallingbrook. When the killer is revealed it is a surprise, just as it should be, and it all comes together nicely in a wrapped package that leaves the ending more than satisfying and the reader wanting the next in the series to be written soon. There are also some yummy recipes in the back. Highly recommended. ( )