To Have and To Kill by Mary Jane Clark is the first book in the new “Wedding Cake” mystery series. Publisher: William Morrow, December 2010
Piper Donovan never imagined that decorating wedding cakes could be so dangerous! A struggling actress with no immediate prospects and a recently broken engagement, Piper moves back in with her parents to take stock of her life. She steps tentatively into the family bakery business and finds herself agreeing to create a wedding cake for the acclaimed star of a daytime television drama. But soon someone close to the bride-to-be is horribly murdered and it seems that that someone is ruthlessly determined to stop the wedding.
With the help of her former neighbor, Jack, a handsome FBI agent with a soft spot for the gorgeous cake-maker, Piper moves closer to the truth. And as she narrows in on a suspect, she realizes that it’s hotter in the kitchen than she may be able to handle.
When we first meet Piper, she is moving back home while her acting career has stalled and is working with her mother in the family bakery. As soon as friend Glenna announces her engagement, things goes terribly wrong around her. Piper’s observation, determination and her father’s lessons will help solve this crime. This page-turning mystery kept my attention and I couldn’t put this book down. The cleverly written chapters gave us clues to the identity of the killer and every time I thought I knew who the killer was, the twists and turns through me off and I was surprised at the killer and the motive. Rounding out the story was the delightful cast that included her parents and her former neighbor, Jack who I hope we’ll see more of in Piper’s life. The evenly-pace, action-filled and suspenseful tale was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait to read the next one is this captivating series.
previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog