To Have and to Kill: A Wedding Cake Mystery

Author: Mary Jane Clark
Publisher: William Morrow

Piper Donovan, an actress who has been having a hard time of it living in Manhattan, has returned home to her parents’ small town in New Jersey. She’s been helping out at her mother’s bakery, which makes it perfect that Piper’s close friend, Glenna Brooks, has asked her to prepare the cake for her upcoming wedding. However, things aren’t as perfect as they seem, and when there is a murder, Piper is determined to figure out what happened and protect her friend.


This is the first in a new series by Mary Jane Clark. It was a really quick read. I was a little disappointed in the book. I felt like the storyline was all over the place. There were too many possible suspects. I kept waiting for Piper and her FBI friend to get involved in the investigation like the synopsis said. Their role in it is peripheral at best and Piper actually stumbles onto the solution by accident. I didn't really connect with any of the characters.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Clark, so I'm not sure if this is her normal style of writing. If you are looking for something quick (the audio version is only 5 hours long) then give it a shot.

--Kari