Dead on Doughnuts: A Culinary Cozy Mystery (Coffee Shop Mysteries Book 1)
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Dead on Doughnuts
A Coffee Shop Cozy Mystery Series
Sarah Jane Weldon
Contents
Also by Sarah Jane Weldon:
Author’s Foreword
Introduction
Maps of Val D’Isera
Character List
I. Part One
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
II. Part Two
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
III. Part Three
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
IV. Part Four
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
V. Part Five
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
VI. Part Six
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
VII. Part Seven
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Glossary
Recipes
Mad About Cozy Mystery Books
VIII. Have you read…
Extra Shots
Cupcaked Crime
Down Stairs
Sailing West
All the Clues
The End
Also by Sarah Jane Weldon:
Cozy Mystery
DEAD ON DOUGHNUTS
EXTRA SHOTS
CUPCAKED CRIME
SAILING WEST
DOWN STAIRS
ALL THE CLUES
BAA’D TO DEATH
Bertram Bile
THE LAST WIZARD IN THE WORLD
THE DEADLY SHREW
THE HEXED CHILD
THE UPSIDE DOWN MAN
THE GHOSTLY SHIP
THE DEAD JESTER
THE RAVEN’S CURSE
THE TEWKSBURY MEAD COLLECTION (Books 1-8)
Romance
LAKE LOVE FOUND - Faraday Weldon
EL LAGO: UN ENCUENTRO DE AMO - Faraday Weldon
COCKTAILS IN CARRIACOU - Romantic Comedy
Adult Colouring Books
RYDAL WATER
RYDAL WATER 2019 DIARY
Audiobook versions narrated by Jamie L. Carter
For personally signed, print books, hardback books, first edition books and swag, join my mailing list: sarahweldon.co.uk
For more cozy mystery books themes, join my Facebook group: Cozy Mystery Book Explorer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1072107036292229/
Isla Britannica Books
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www.sarahweldon.co.uk
First published 2018
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Text copyright © Sarah Jane Weldon, 2018
Cover and illustrations © Sarah Jane Weldon, 2018
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination, and are not construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The moral right of the author has been asserted
Set in Baskerville
Printed in Great Britain and the United States of America by KDP and Ingram Spark
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
All correspondence to Sarah Jane Weldon sarah@oceansproject.com
To the founding children of Oceans Project who taught me to live life to the full in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in 2010.
Author’s Foreword
Dead on Doughnuts was written in room 1 of the Brafferton Guesthouse in Hartlepool, England where I was sat on my bed, surrounded by my three cats Ozzy, Artemis, and Esa, and my ageing Italian Greyhound Isla.
We (the pets and me) had moved to the guesthouse on the 15th June 2018 and were only supposed to stay for a couple of weeks before moving into our new home. I had no idea that the purchase of the house was about to fall through, nor that I would still be in the guesthouse many months later.
I had just finished work as a ‘supporting artist’ on a brand new mystery series for Amazon Video called The Romanoffs and my agent called to see if I would be interested in playing a tiny role on Agatha Christie’s ABC Murders, a new series for the BBC, alongside the likes of John Malkovich and Rupert Grint. Nothing ever came of it, but in reading the book (whilst on set for some other period dramas), I found myself suddenly immersed in the literary world of cozy mysteries.
The next thing I knew, I was devouring cups of pumpkin spice latte at the Starbucks close to the guesthouse, watching episodes of a Russian paranormal mystery series called Detective Anna, and plotting out my own books.
With my fill of coffee, and my guesthouse lady Julie suggesting a ski resort as a great location for a mystery, my coffee shop mystery trilogy was born.
The thought of writing in the cozy mystery genre was terrifying. I knew that if I got it wrong in any way at all, the fans of the genre would likely kill me. But I decided to take the risk…no pain, no gain as they say. As I hit ‘publish’ on the screen, I can only hope and pray that you now enjoy this story as much as I loved writing it and immersing myself in the fictional resort of Val D’Isera and the lives of the two amateur sleuths Madeleine Cooke and Eloise Bates.
I also created a mood board for ths book on Pinterest if you want to check it out: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/SarahJaneWeldonAuthor/dead-on-doughnuts-inspiration/
The case of the doughnut crime, an investigation by Madeleine Cooke and Eloise Bates.
Location of crime: Val D’Isera Ski Resort, Austria
Written by Madeleine Cooke, aged 18
Begun on 16th August 2018
Character List
Snow Mountain Cafe
Emilio Silvestre - cafe owner (South American)
Sophia Saner - pot washer (Swiss)
Madeleine Cooke - barista and sleuth (English)
Eloise Bates - barista and sleuth, (English)
Théo Messerli - coffee shop regular (Swiss)
Sébastien Paris Pâtisserie
Stefan Kress - owner and Audrey’s fiancee (Austrian)
Audrey Flandin - pastry chef (French)
Violetta Gruca - kitchen porter (Polish)
Ski Resort Employees
Daan van Bree - ski shop technician (Dutch)
Nicklas Rehn - ski instructor, Karl’s brother (Swedish)
Karl Rehn - ski resort bartender, Nicklas’s brother (Swedish)
Sim MacDiarVioletta - ski resort doctor (Irish)
Bastian Rainer - ski resort police officer (Austrian)
Bianco Bellissimo - ski resort police officer (Austrian)
Ski Tourists and Resort Visitors
Camilla Vicini - skier, mother to Francesca (Italian)
Francesca Vicini - skier, daughter of Francesca (Italian)
Miryam Löfgren - skier, Nik and Karl’s cousin (Swedish)
Margot Baillieu-Flandin - Audrey’s stepmother (French)
Félix Flandin - Audrey’s fath
er (French)
Rose Landry - Felix’s secretary (French)
Chapter One
Results Day, St Winifred’s School, Oxford, England: 16th August 2018
“I think I’m going to die” Eloise proclaimed, as she clutched my arm dramatically, her finger scrolling down the list of names on the school notice board.
I took a deep, nervous breath. “I daren’t even look. I can’t bare it”. I felt torn. Part of me was longing to find my own name, but at the same time I was dreading the outcome.
Eloise suddenly screamed. “Oh my goodness! Madeleine I did it. I ACTUALLY passed”. She pulled my wrist towards her, bringing me in closer to inspect the finer details. “Look there, you see, it says Eloise Bates…Psychology A*, German A*, Chemistry A, Business A*.
“Heavens to Betsy. That’s brilliant” I replied, knowing that Eloise would appreciate my words. Eloise and I were huge murder mystery fans and we were determined to bring back all the quirky expressions from our favourite Agatha Christie novels, even if it did make us look a bit dorky in comparison to our peers who preferred to use words like ‘sick’ for something being good, and called each other ‘blood’.
Eloise pulled out her iPhone and took a photo of her exam results so that she could stare at them through the day, just to make sure that they were real and she hadn’t imagined them. We weren’t really allowed to take photos of the results board, but it wasn’t like the school could do much to punish us now that we had completed our A’Levels and would be moving on to jobs and university.
“Come on Maddy. Let’s find your results. I’m sure you’ll do spiffingly”. Eloise was already looking down the list of names trying to find my own.
“I can’t do it Eloise, I’m too scared. Can you check the results for me, and if they’re bad, then don’t tell me. Just make something up”. I averted my gaze, certain that I would puke at any moment. If we had been in an old movie, I would no doubt have fainted on the spot at this very moment, only for some young man to catch me and sweep me up in his arms. But the chances of that happening in an all girl’s school, where the teachers were nuns was very remote. So I made do with leaning against the white painted wooden frame of the door that opened into the girl’s toilets. It was hardly blockbuster movie material.
Eloise was already on the case. “Let me see, let me see. A’s, B’s, C’s. Carter. Chang, Chesney, Cooke. Madeleine Cooke. There you are. OK, let’s see what you got. Psychology A*, French A*, Business A*, Physical Education A*. By Jove old fruit, 4 A stars. You are a true genius”.
I couldn’t look at Eloise. I did not believe her for a second, though I knew she were not the lying kind. But I had just asked her to not tell me if I had failed. “Really? You’re not having me on, are you?”
Eloise pulled out her iPhone, snapped a photo and since I still refused to look at the board, she brought her phone over to me, and zoomed in on the screen. There was no way she could have faked that. It must be the truth after all. “Wait! Let me see that” I said, grabbing the phone from her, and bringing the screen closer to my eye, just in case I was seeing things. “Eloise. I passed. I passed my A’Levels”. I dragged Eloise back to the school notice board, and followed the line sideways. Yes that was definitely my name, and yes those results certainly were mine.
Well it didn’t taken long before Eloise and I were jumping up and down on the spot, hugging each other like crazy. And it was just as well that we were the last ones to arrive at the private school, because all the other sixth form students had already been and gone, and only the caretaker now remained, eager to lock up so he could go and enjoy the rest of the summer break before the new students arrived at the school.
“I say we go and get some coffee and cake to celebrate Maddy”. Eloise did not need to ask me twice, and we were so lost in the excitement of our exam results, that we were surprised to find ourselves already at Mrs Tiggywinkle’s Coffee Shop in the city of Oxford, England. It had been our favourite haunt, ever since we were old enough to get permission to leave the school grounds, and we frequented there for our group work, exam revision sessions, and in our roles as baristas, learning to make coffee and all kinds of tray bakes.
Chapter Two
Mrs Tiggywinkle’s Coffee Shop, Oxford, England: 16th August 2018
The city of Oxford was always busy, especially in the summer, and today was stiflingly hot, giving the yellow brick stone buildings a cosmopolitan look against a cloud free, blue sky. The coffee shop was always busy, and today was no exception.
“I’ll be sad to leave this place Maddy”. Eloise pushed open the glass door, as the latch gave a little click, and a small bell tinkled over head. The coffee shop was heaving with tourists, and echoed with all different languages as the visitors exchanged stories of museum visits, and showed off their recent souvenir purchases. We had to squeeze ourselves between the tables and chairs as we made our way to the counter where Mrs B, our boss, and coffee shop owner was busy working.
“Oh girls. I was just thinking about you. How did you get on?” I was surprised that Mrs B had any opportunity at all to think about us today, given the long line of customers ordering cakes and coffee. The place was manic, and the customers looked quite shocked as she stopped everything she was doing and struck up a conversation with the two of us about our exam results.
“Mrs B, we both passed. We got all A grades”. I said as Mrs B’s face changed from worn out coffee shop owner, to proud cat that got the cream. Her eyes filled with tears, and as she wiped her hands on her apron, Eloise and I suddenly found ourselves in a full on Mrs B bear hug, smothered with kisses and tears.
The baffled tourists were watching us amused, and an American lady pulled out a camera and took a photo of this funny Oxford moment. “Did you hear that.” Mrs B was saying to the bemused tourists “my two favourite baristas, both passed their exams with flying colours”. It was all Eloise and I could do, but smile as the tourists in the queue let out a unanimous “awww. Congratulations”.
Mrs B ushered us to a table in the corner and furnished us with two hot chocolates complete with marshmallows and cream on top, and two large slices of her freshly baked chocolate cake. We had offered to jump up and help her with the rush of customers, but as always Mrs B would not hear of it.
“So then Maddy. Now we’ve got phase one of our plan ticked off, it’s time to focus on business”. Eloise already had her game face on, and had pulled out herr notebook and a pen.
“How much have we got saved so far?” I asked as Eloise flicked through the pages and did some calculations on her phone.
Eloise and I had first met at kindergarten when we were three years old, and had been in the same class, at the same school for our whole lives, up until today. Now we had our exam results, we were finished with school and it suddenly felt like the end of an era. Our whole lives had been building up to this point, and finally it was real. Sure we had made plans, and we both knew exactly how much we had saved up, but it was like we had to go over things again, just to be sure that it was actually real, that we weren’t just dreaming it.
We had planned out our careers from an early age. We both loved solving problems, and had decided that we would set up our own detective agency, in the little premises next to Mrs Tiggywinkle's coffee shop. We were fortunate to have an allowance from our parents, but decided to get jobs in the coffee shop so that we could learn about running a business, gain experience in studying people, and save up money to buy our own premises after university. Of course, we had never shared our plans with anyone else, because the grown ups would never have taken us seriously. So we instead worked quietly behind the scenes.
We opted to become boarders at our private school, even though our families both had homes close by, but we knew that by boarding, we could invest our time in reading and watching murder mysteries and detective stories together, and get more shifts at the coffee shop without our parents nagging us or asking us too many questions. And now that we had both passed our exams, w
e would be able to have our gap year to earn some money, and then come back to Oxford ready to study at the university on our return. We had four years to get the money to open up our office, and to find ourselves some clients and to build a reputation as private detectives. Eloise would study Forensic Science, and I would study Forensic Psychology.
Chapter Three