EVIL ECLAIRS is the fourth installment in Jessica Beck's Donut Shop Mystery series. Everything is going well for donut shop owner Suzanne Hart until the local radio DJ Lester Moorefield trashes her livelihood on the air, claiming that donuts are unhealthy evil treats and asking the town's citizens to boycott the store. Suzanne confronts him, but he refused to retract his statement. Things go from bad to worse when Lester turns up dead with one of her pastries shoved down his throat. Who would want to kill Lester and frame Suzanne for the murder? With the help of her protective mother, a former cop, her detective boyfriend, and her best friend, Suzanne sets out to discover just that. Can she do it before her business takes a hit or she ends up in jail?

This culinary cozy is an easy, fun read with a plot that is neither predictable nor convoluted. As with other cozy mysteries it is engaging and provides entertainment without the use of sex, profanity, or graphic violence. Suzanne is the typical unassuming amateur sleuth with a cast of quirky secondary characters. However, at times she comes off a little brash and seems to have trouble getting the community members to talk freely. This varies from the more common spunky but very like able heroine of most cozies. And although the story seems to follow the cozy mystery formula exactly, it lacks depth. That's not to say it isn't enjoyable, but it's a light read without too many plot twists. It definitely has its merits though, including a solid writing style and a sense of realism. I also really enjoyed the small-town feeling and the donut recipes that are included throughout the book. Overall I found EASY ECLAIRS an easy, pleasant read that will be enjoyed by fans of the sub-genre.

Book Summary

Donut Shop owner Suzanne Hart admits her sweet treats don't exactly qualify as health food. But does she really deserve to be labeled a "killer" by local radio jockey Lester Moorefield? The annoying host is urging citizens to boycott Suzanne's "deadly dough" factory - until he's found dead himself, stuffed with one of Suzanne's eclairs.

Everyone in April Springs knows about the feud between Lester and Suzanne, which makes her the number-one suspect. She tries to use the donut defense - don't don't kill people, people kill people - but the cream-filled eclair at the scene of the crime has the whole town filled with suspicion. If Suzanne can't figure out who killed the radio star, she'll soon be filling a prison cell instead of a pastry.