Glazed Murder

by Jessica Beck

A Donut Shop Mystery

The first in a series, this novel certainly reads like an author’s first mystery. That is to say, it is not very good. Not very good at all.

As I read it, I kept thinking that the author had never before read an actual mystery. It was as though she read an essay about how to write a mystery and then proceeded to write her book. She covered the main elements:

• Dead body/mystery to be solved,
• Sleuth (Suzanne Hart),
• Setting (Donut shop in North Carolina), and
• Gimmick (Donut shop mystery complete with donut recipes).

The problem? Everything is just slapped together. Suzanne Hart is not an interesting or sympathetic character, and her sleuthing skills lack polish and subtlety. The setting (NC) isn’t well defined or unique, there’s nothing compelling about the murder/crime to be solved, and the gimmick is just plain silly. Why would you include donut recipes? Who makes their own donuts?

All in all, this is a most awkward attempt at mystery writing. I cannot imagine why anyone would publish this. The worst part? Even the donuts don’t sound appetizing.

1/18/11