Donut Disturb is the latest book in the wonderful Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. This long-running cozy mystery series has been one of my favourites since its start and I’m always excited to get my hands on a new book.
Title: Donut Disturb
Author: Ellie Alexander
Series: Bakeshop Mysteries #15
First Published: June 28, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genres: Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher via Netgalley
*** Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
Love is in bloom in Ashland, Oregon. The Shakespearean hamlet is bursting with fresh spring energy. Fragrant lilacs and the sweet aroma of vanilla cake fill the air as everyone in town gathers at Lithia Park for the celebration of the year—Thomas and Kerry’s wedding.
It’s a picture perfect day. Guests gather on picnic blankets in front of the bandshell to watch Kerry walk down the aisle and wed Ashland’s favourite detective in training, Thomas. Jules and her team at Torte have been tasked with catering the outdoor reception and everything is going according to plan, until a wedding crasher shows up.
The uninvited guest isn’t just someone looking to score a free glass of champagne. It’s Kerry’s estranged father who is supposed to be behind bars. Kerry is distraught. Jules vows to do everything she can to make sure that there are no other surprises on her friend’s big day. But when the bassist for Heart Strings, the wedding band, is found stabbed with the blunt end of his instrument Jules’s promise takes on new meaning. Now she’ll have to slice through the five tiered cake and a bevy of potential suspects in order to track down a killer before they turn the knife on her.
Love (and murder) is in the air for the Torte family
I really enjoyed this latest book in the Bakeshop Mystery series. The murder mystery part was well done – there were several suspects and lots of clues and surprising revelations sprinkled throughout the story. The mystery was also well paced enough that things never dragged, but it never felt rushed either. There was many other things happening throughout the book as well, so it wasn’t just focused on the murder alone, but the other storylines didn’t detract from the fact that a murder had taken place.
The story also felt much more organic in the sense that Jules had a very valid reason for getting involved in solving the murder. I think her involvement in this particular case has a lot more meaning and changes the dynamics of some of the relationships that have been established in the previous books, especially the friendship and trust between Jules and Kerry, which I appreciated.
Lots of changes for our bakeshop team
One of my favourite things about a long-running cozy mystery series is being able to become familiar with the characters and the locations in the books -it can often feel like returning to catch up with old friends. It’s definitely a comfort read (if you ignore the murder, of course). But, the downside to long-running series is that it can become stale, or repetitive. This is definitely not the case with the Bakeshop Mystery series. I’ve been a fan since Book 1 and with Donut Disturb (Book 15 in the series), I’m still enjoying it as much as the first time I visited Ashland and the Torte team.
There are definitely lots of changes happening with the Torte family that Jules has built around her. Not just with her long-time friend Thomas getting married, but also with Jules’ own personal life, and in several of her close friends and family members. I think these changes were all welcome additions to the characters and have started moving them towards new directions. It feels realistic that not everyone will stay in the same place forever, but at the same time, I’m anxious about changes to the Torte team – it’s so hard to find the right balance in chemistry, even if it’s just fictional characters in a book. I’m optimistic though, and am looking forward to seeing what future books bring.
Quote from Donut Disturb
