When Heather Shepherd is hired to help Hillside P.D. solve the mystery of a murdered ballet dancer, she’s nervous.
Those nerves intensify when realizes that the potential suspects are many, and the evidence is few. Throw in a few skeptical police officers, and the cream is about ready to boil over. Equipped with her desire to make things right, her bestie’s supportive jibes and the inside information from her husband, Ryan, Heather determines to solve the case. She's got to balance her grand opening – Donut Delights is packed with the good townsfolk of Hillside and her newest creation, Banana Coconut Donuts – the case and the impending house inspection in preparation for the newest, potential family member.
Heather must figure it out before the killer gets away, or she’ll risk losing the respect of the officers on the case and her consulting gig with the Police Department.
Ballerinas....the epitome of female grace and beauty. But Isabella Hunt isn't graceful anymore. She's dead. Struck on the head and pushed down a flight of stairs, the ballerina will no longer be the lead dancer in the current production planned by the Hillside ballet school. Heather Shepherd is once again on the case, assisting her husband, Ryan, a detective with the local police department. Who offed the prima ballerina?
Banana Coconut Murder is the 21st novella length story in the Donut Hole cozy mystery series. The books have a doughnut shop theme, with each cover featuring a new doughnut offered in Heather's shop, Donut Delights. These books are quick, simple stories...and definitely cozy. No cussing, no graphic violence, sex or gore. Perfect for reading on vacation, while waiting for appointments or whenever an entertaining but short book is needed. I like the characters and the doughnut shop background theme.
Banana Coconut Murder is an enjoyable read. The mystery proceeds at a good pace, the plot is interesting and the ending made sense. I pretty much had the ending figured out, but the Why behind it was a surprise. There are some nice developments for Heather and Ryan in this book. Made me smile! :)
There are 60 books in the Donut Hole mystery series. But don't freak out -- the books are short, fast reads. A cozy lover could work their way through the entire series with ease. There is also a spin-off series, The Oceanside series, that has almost 30 books. Susan Gillard churns these books out fast. Someday I will catch up with her! :)
Banana Coconut Murder is the 21st installment in Susan Gillard’s Donut Hole Cozy Mystery Book series. It’s a fun, quick, and easy read with no gratuitous sex, violence, or foul language. The books in this series have good mysteries and express friendship and compassion, but could use better editing and proofing. This book provides an interesting mystery and has a great ending.
In the midst of Donut Delights’ re-opening, Heather receives another new assignment from the Hillside PD. This case involves the murder of a young ballerina, Isabella Hunt. Isabella suffered a blunt force trauma to the back of her head and was pushed or fell down the stairs at Shawn Masterson’s Hillside Ballet Academy. Isabella and her twin sister, Sophia, who also attends the school, didn’t get along with the other ballerinas. The donut ship is thriving and Heather starts interviewing potential new employees. Heather and Ryan are also preparing their home for their interview to become Lilly’s foster parents.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Isabelle Hunt who is a twin and young ballerina is found murdered with limited clues. Heather Shepherd, certified private investigator and owner of Donut Delights is called upon to help solve the case. The featured donut in this series is the new Banana Coconut donut. The Shepherd’s are undergoing evaluation in becoming foster parents to Lilly. As always, Dave, Heathers dog make his appearance throughout the story. This is book # 21 in A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone.
Susan Gillard never fails to delight with her mouth watering Donut Hole Mystery series!!! I have come to love the Donut Delights crew and look forward to each new instalment, as I follow their intriguing adventures. Grab a sweet treat, put your feet up and enjoy a wild ride as Heather, Ryan, and Amy chase down a wily murderer.
This is an interesting book. Though it seems that there are a lot of suspects but if you think about it for a second the murder is clear. It was well plotted and the pace was nice. Sometimes, I feel like the coincidences are a little exaggerated in the books but it's sort of par for the course.
Hannah is flourishing into a good investigator, however, I feel like it would be nice to have her in the shop a bit more. I really wanted this series to turn into something similar to the Hannah Swensen seires, but it is fun in its own rights.
This story reads well and kept the suspense going. However, it is getting old that lilly keeps saying "Au-Heather" she is a 12 year old girl and she should remember that she is not her aunt. This habit should have been broken several books ago! It is a huge turn off for her to miss pronounce her name every time.
I enjoy these cozy mysteries. The characters are good and the story reads quickly with short chapters. As always, looking forward the the next book in the series.
Another visit to Hillside finds husband and wife crime fighters Ryan and Heather Shepard Investigating another suspicious death. This time police detective Ryan and PI consultant Heather are working to solve the murder of a ballerina who was pushed down a flight of stairs at a dance studio.
This 21st book in the Donut Hole series is the best yet. Granted, the underlying premise is basically unchanged, but the characters have grown with each book. The author has continued to develop these characters so that the reader continues to want to invest time to know them even better. The touching ending of this book makes readers feel their time was well spent and opens the door for more to come.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Donut Delights is once again open and business is better than ever. Not only are customers flocking to the new store but online and special orders have Heather looking to hire additional employees. In the midst of another busy day, Ryan calls her to the scene of another murder in Hillside. While she loves her work, she is stumped when there are few clues to go on and she's worried about getting approval for Lilly to move in with them. As usual, Amy rides shotgun during suspect interviews and stakeouts. The donut Heather created for the grand opening had me drooling!! Susan Gillard has done it again with another great whodunit.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It doesn't get any better than this. This is one of the best series I have read. Heather, her sidekick Amy, and her husband Ryan are hot on the case. Twins and a vindictive boyfriend are at each other's throats. When the situation gets worse someone ends up dead. As always heather is right there with the answers. Each book is better than the last, didn't think that was possible but there it is. The is a series to love, grab a donut and get reading.
I thought this was a very good book, however there were a lot of Errors grammatically. I thought the mystery did keep you going till the very end even though there weren't enough suspects. What I've noticed though once again is that Geoff Lawless keeps interfering in the cases and it also seems to that the police are basically not doing anything but securing the scene and letting Heather solve these cases and Consulting. That's unrealistic and the police don't really use consultants for every single case but it seems this time they are.
Ryan and Heather have another murder to solve. This case is turning up very few clues making it difficult to solve. Donut Delights has reopened and business is booming in the store and with on line orders. Heather and Ryan's family is about to expand, giving Lilly a new home. This series is so much fun to read and I am looking forward to the next book. Grab a donut and a drink and have a seat and enjoy the ride.
Detective Ryan Sheppard and his wife PI Heather Sheppard hAve another murder to solve. Unfortunately there are limited clues, until they get some help from an unlikely source. On top of all this Heather and Ryan are dealing with some changes in their family situation and Heather has to deal with the changes at Donuts Delight!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It is finally Grand Opening Day for Heather's Donut Delights shop and she and her crew are super excited and busier than ever. It is also the day Heather is called in to help her police detective husband on another case. And if that isn't enough to keep Heather busy, she can always worry more about the impending house inspection for the young girl she and her husband hope to foster. This is an exciting book with plenty of things going on to keep your attention.
In the story, Heather is helping her husband Ryan and the police figure out who killed a ballerina and why. This is all happening at the same time as her Grand Re-opening of her Donut Shoppe and they are also hoping that Lilly will be able to stay with them as their foster child. Heather has a lot going on but in the end she figures it all out and they learn Lilly can stay with them. They are all so happy about that.
I enjoy Heather and Ryan's cases so much. I love Amy and all her snarky comments that usually cause Heather to get annoyed. I live the way the story is heading with the family growing. So ready for the next book in the series.
This book is a quick read with an obvious end, however, it's a delight to read. The book does have seventh typos, so don't be picky or upset by the lack of review the book wait given.