Reviews

Donut Disturb by Ellie Alexander

irisheyes07's review

mysterious medium-paced

4.5

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review

3.0

We are returning to Ashland, Oregon for Thomas and Kerry’s wedding in Lithia Park. Torte is catering the food as well as providing the wedding cake, groom cake, and the donuts the couple requested. A few days before the wedding, a frantic Kerry requests Jules help. Her father has arrived in town. Kerry has worked hard to overcome her past and the last thing she wanted was for her jailbird father to appear. Jules hopes this will be the last surprise before the big day. The weather has cooperated for the wedding day. Jules goes to retrieve an extra table for the setup from the storage area in the park. Jules stumbles upon one of the band members stabbed with a piece of his bass. Unfortunately, Kerry’s father was the last person seen with the victim before his death. Kerry asks Jules to help with the case since she will not be in town. Kerry knows her father is capable of many things, but murder is not one of them. Jules soon learns that there are a number of potential suspects. Jules will need to work quickly if she is to solve the crime before Thomas and Kerry return from their honeymoon. Donut Disturb by Ellie Alexander is the 15th A Bakeshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. I found Donut Disturb to be easy to read. I like the author’s writing style. It is light and casual. Jules and Carlos have settled into their new home and are enjoying their time together. Both are busy but they make sure to make time for each other. I enjoyed learning more about Kerry. We finally learn about her background and why she is the way she is (totally makes sense now). There is plenty of baking and cooking. The food descriptions will have your mouth watering. Brett, a bass player with Heart Strings, ends up dead in a park storage area. Jules stumbles upon the scene. I found it odd the way Jules acted upon seeing the victim. This is not her first rodeo. By now, Jules should be used to seeing dead bodies (I do not expect her to be casual, but I did not expect her to act like this is the first time she has seen such a sight). I expected her to take note of the scene and any potential clues. I did not expect her to freeze up and go into shock. In fact, Jules seemed to freeze up frequently. Whenever she would end up alone with a suspect, she acted like they were going to attack her any second. Jules is a smart woman who has to think on her feet in the bakery. I expected her to be logical and no act like a scaredy cat. I could excuse it once, but it happened multiple times. There are several suspects in this whodunit along with a red herring or two. There are good clues to help readers solve the crime before the reveal. I enjoyed the lovely word depictions of Lithia Park. It is a lovely park, and I can see why the wedding took place in that location. Donut Disturb is an upbeat cozy mystery with an offender father, park nuptials, a stabbed bass player, the problematic Richard Lord, curious clues, delicious donuts, and a tricky takedown.

rebelbelle13's review

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

 This is not my first Alexander, but it is my first Bakeshop Mystery. I have heard a lot of good things about this cozy series, and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Despite the fact that this was book 15 in the series, I had no problem jumping right into the setting and learning the characters. Alexander does a fantastic job of looping in any new readers to the town of Ashland and its inhabitants without going overboard. I really enjoyed following Juliet as she made delectable dishes and interacted with her staff and neighbors. The wedding didn't play that large of a role, and as soon as it was over, the sleuthing began in earnest. The mystery itself was interesting with quite a few red herrings, but it wasn't difficult to determine who the murderer actually was. Juliet questioning everyone wasn't awkward since her step father is the chief of police, and she runs the biggest restaurant in town- not to mention she's already probably solved at least 14 other murders. The thing that did bug me was the saccharine sweetness of most everyone in Ashland, Oregon. I mean, it's nice to disappear into a world where everyone is your friend and looking out for you, but it rather breaks the boundaries of reality. There were also several nauseatingly typical stereotypes- Juliet's husband, the spanish romantic (I swear, he's Puss in Boots) and Lance, the eccentric gay drama director and designer (think Tim Gunn from Project Runway).
All in all, it was a pleasant read and enjoyable cozy experience, and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another in this series. 

shawn2024's review

5.0

Jules once again gets into her investigating but this time with the approval of Carrie especially since Carrie and Thomas will be on their honeymoon. I thought I had figured out the killer only for it to turn around and then in the end..... Nope that is all, no spoilers

smercado4586's review

inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

katiebop99's review

emotional mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It’s been a few months since my last adventure with Jules and the Torte gang, and I forgot how comforting and cozy these books are. While it’s always excited to unravel another muster, the reason I keep coming back is to be with my friends at Torte. I love how these characters develop and grow with each book, I would licherally jump in front of a bullet for any one of them. 

While not a literary masterpiece, the charm of these books have me hooked. 

selinayoung's review

3.0

Ok. These books are not that good but then I keep reading them (15 of them!). They are cozy, comfortable and I like the community characters. A fun wee reprieve.

drweezy's review

4.0

This is book 15 of the Bakeshop Mystery series and I am still all in on the story. I love how the characters are developing and that we get to know each person a little bit more with each book. Now, Jules needs to stop putting herself in these crazy positions to be murdered herself. You'd think she'd learn after 15 books, but I know that's part of the charm.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a

cbsundance's review

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

rebeccasreadingrambles's review

4.0

I am a sucker for a wedding and this one just sounded so delightful (okay minus the murder). Some shady and interesting characters and I had a lot of fun following Jules's investigations. I was able to guess the killer, BUT I was on edge seeing Jules at the end of this one - what a dramatic reveal! I also LOVED seeing more of Steph and learning more about her past; the series is back on it's stride and I love how each character gets an installment to shine.

Audiobook note: I think the narrator has gotten a smidge better than the previous book, at least some of the characters have flare and some personality. Carlos barely has any Spanish accent which I still find unacceptable. I have hope that it might improve and at least it did not detract from the story like the previous book.