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97th out of 118 books
—
168 voters
To Have and to Kill (Wedding Cake Mystery #1)
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 t...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
December 28th 2010
by William Morrow
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Piper Donovan's dream is to be a successful actress, but when she loses her role on a soap opera she moves back home with her parents to save money. She soon finds herself working in her mother's bakery and realizing as she does so that her mother is keeping a big secret from her. As Piper begins to figure out what is wrong with her mother, she also becomes involved in another mystery when someone from her soap opera is murdered. Piper is drawn into the mystery because one of her closest friends...more
This book was a fast read. What attracted me to it was the category "Wedding Cake Mystery".I do like me a good wedding story! Piper Donovan is an actress who is in between jobs which is forcing her do the dreaded "I'm moving back home for a while". Her mother is a successful baker but something is wrong...Piper reconnects with a friend, Glenna, who is the popular lead actress on a soap opera in which Piper played her sister. Glenna is leaving the show and is getting married and she asks Piper if...more
"To Have and to Kill" is a very fast-paced cozy mystery--yet it's not a typical cozy. Piper is curious about who is causing the murders, but she never directly tried to snoop around and find out who did it. She left that to the police. Yet she's still in the middle of everything that's going on due to her job. I liked how, just by being herself, she thwarted the murderer's plans twice.
I also liked how she didn't stupidly go into a dangerous situation (like some cozy heroines do), and she didn't...more
I also liked how she didn't stupidly go into a dangerous situation (like some cozy heroines do), and she didn't...more
The book was a quick and easy read and mostly enjoyable. I was a little disappointed about several things, though. There were a lot of potential murderers, but none were really fleshed out. The eventual outing of the actual murderer felt more like a "Scooby Doo" moment to me. It also bothered me that the back of the book implies that Piper teams up with her hot FBI friend. Er, no. I saw less of him in the book than a couple of the victims. If you are going to say that they "teamed up" -- they ne...more
After being dumped by her fiancé, Piper Donovan decides to get a fresh start. So she moves back home and works with her mother in her bakery shop called The Icing on the Cupcake. Piper used to be a daytime soap opera actor on a show called A Little Rain Must Fall. That is until her character dead.
Glenna Brooks, a fellow actor on A Little Rain Must Fall is getting married. She asks Piper to make her wedding cake. It seems that someone is not pleasured with the idea of Glenna getting married. Fir...more
Glenna Brooks, a fellow actor on A Little Rain Must Fall is getting married. She asks Piper to make her wedding cake. It seems that someone is not pleasured with the idea of Glenna getting married. Fir...more
I decided to read this book because I was told this was the first in a new cozy series. Interesting.
It was a great book, a good mystery, but a lousy cozy.
Usually, cozies star an amateur P.I. who stumble into the investigative business, are accused of meddling by the actual law enforcement officials, and have non-gory, behind-the-scenes murders. So, this book did succeed in at least the last criteria.
Piper is an actress, and when her latest gig on a soap opera ends, she moves home to help her mom...more
It was a great book, a good mystery, but a lousy cozy.
Usually, cozies star an amateur P.I. who stumble into the investigative business, are accused of meddling by the actual law enforcement officials, and have non-gory, behind-the-scenes murders. So, this book did succeed in at least the last criteria.
Piper is an actress, and when her latest gig on a soap opera ends, she moves home to help her mom...more
I read this mainly because it's set in my town (fictionalized as Hillwood, it's really Westwood - the writer lives in Hillsdale). And it was cute to ready about Shaw's bookstore, and the Bikram yoga studio, etc but gosh was this book predictable! I've read some of her mother's books (she spoke at my high school - this author also attended IHA), and found them very predictable too. I felt like this was hopping on the food/murder trend (which is already a little tenuous) - honestly, the Isis Crawf...more
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Piper Donovan is a struggling actress who reluctantly moves home after a broken engagement and lack of employment. She doesn't realize that her mother, who runs a bakery, has her own difficulties as her eyes are giving out on her, making her less able to make and decorate the cakes and pastries she sells.
However, as Piper helps her mom out, she also agrees to make the wedding cake for a friend and star of a daytime television drama, unaware that this will plunge her into a mystery as members of...more
However, as Piper helps her mom out, she also agrees to make the wedding cake for a friend and star of a daytime television drama, unaware that this will plunge her into a mystery as members of...more
To Have and To Kill is the first novel in a new series for Mary Jane Clark. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading one of her novels before so this was a first of firsts for me, I enjoyed it. Clark definitely drew me in right away. Here is what this novel is about:
“My new character, Piper Donovan, is a struggling actress with no immediate prospects and a recently broken engagement. Reluctantly, she moves back in with her parents to take stock of her life. Piper steps tentatively into the family b...more
“My new character, Piper Donovan, is a struggling actress with no immediate prospects and a recently broken engagement. Reluctantly, she moves back in with her parents to take stock of her life. Piper steps tentatively into the family b...more
Glenna, a famous television soap opera star, has just gotten engaged to Casey, a wonderful private school teacher and heir to the Walden jewelry empire. They have had a whirlwind romance, and Glenna asks Piper to have her mother make the wedding cake for their wedding.
Piper is a former co-star of Glenna's whose character was killed off. Since then hard times have fallen upon Piper and she's been an out of work actress forced to move him to her parents' house. Piper notices that something isn't r...more
Piper is a former co-star of Glenna's whose character was killed off. Since then hard times have fallen upon Piper and she's been an out of work actress forced to move him to her parents' house. Piper notices that something isn't r...more
To Have and to Kill is the first book in the Wedding Cake Mystery series by Mary Jane Clark from William Morrow.
Book Blurb:
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 televi...more
Book Blurb:
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 televi...more
The first in a new mystery series, popular author Mary Jane Clark introduces us to a new line of personable and kind characters – you don’t want to accept that one of them could be the culprit. Leaning on her knowledge of television shows and studios, Clark leads us into the world of A Little Rain Must Fall. Piper and Glenna are both stars of the popular show. The cast will soon relocate to LA for taping, but not before one of their own succumbs to poison. Was the poison meant for him or for ano...more
A fluffy first in a promising new cozy series from bestseller Clark (Dying for Mercy) introduces 27-year-old, down-on-her-luck actress Piper Donovan. After a painful breakup and too few acting gigs in Manhattan, Piper has returned home to Hillwood, N.J., where she's assisting her mother, Terri, at the family bakery, the Icing on the Cupcake. Piper is pleased to be preparing the cake for the upcoming wedding of her friend Glenna Brooks, the star of A Little Rain Must Fall, a daytime soap opera th...more
"It could have just as easily have been your precious Glenna as Travis York last night." Page 102
The murder of Travis York...a soap opera star at a charity auction caused a lot of alarm and definitely publicity. Who could have done this? Was the poisoned drink really for him or someone else? What about the letter Glenna had received before the auction? These questions and a lot more were left unanswered, but one question was definite...someone had been plotting this crime whether the correct per...more
The murder of Travis York...a soap opera star at a charity auction caused a lot of alarm and definitely publicity. Who could have done this? Was the poisoned drink really for him or someone else? What about the letter Glenna had received before the auction? These questions and a lot more were left unanswered, but one question was definite...someone had been plotting this crime whether the correct per...more
I'm not generally a huge fan of "craft cozies," which are so popular with publishers these days. I probably wouldn't have picked this book up had I seen it in a library or bookstore. But when it was made available at a very low price for Kindle, and I read a sample page or two, I thought it was worth spending a few hours with. So if any authors out there are wondering whether this marketing device works -- it works on me!
The character of Piper Donovan, a struggling actress who moves back in with...more
The character of Piper Donovan, a struggling actress who moves back in with...more
Piper Donovan is down on her luck. She was recently written out of her soap opera, A Little Rain Must Fall. Not having any callbacks from her auditions, Piper is forced to give up her Manhattan apartment. She returns home to Jersey to live with her parents. Her father is a former cop and her mother owns The Icing on the Cupcake bakery. It’s there that Piper spends most of her days when she’s not auditioning.
Piper stayed in touch with the leading actress from A Little Rain Must Fall, Glenna Brook...more
Piper stayed in touch with the leading actress from A Little Rain Must Fall, Glenna Brook...more
Brief summary
Piper is an actress who is currently out of work. She moves back in with her parents and helps out at her mom's bakery. While Piper is at a charity event, a nice evening quickly turns into a crime scene. As the bodies start piling up, Piper can't help but wonder why this is happening and who is behind it all.
What I liked
I enjoyed that Piper wasn't acting like she was part of the police force and that she just let them do their job (like a lot of other cozy mysteries). Piper is an in...more
Piper is an actress who is currently out of work. She moves back in with her parents and helps out at her mom's bakery. While Piper is at a charity event, a nice evening quickly turns into a crime scene. As the bodies start piling up, Piper can't help but wonder why this is happening and who is behind it all.
What I liked
I enjoyed that Piper wasn't acting like she was part of the police force and that she just let them do their job (like a lot of other cozy mysteries). Piper is an in...more
I really wanted to like this book, and in the end I did. Unfortunately, it was the "just liked" kind of like, not the enthusiastic kind.
Something about the writing style didn't quite work for me. The sentences were short, without much detail. This may be a purely personal thing, but somehow it never drew me into the world of the book.
Piper was an interesting character, at least on the surface. I never felt I really got to know her, even though I was told a lot about her, including her thoughts...more
Something about the writing style didn't quite work for me. The sentences were short, without much detail. This may be a purely personal thing, but somehow it never drew me into the world of the book.
Piper was an interesting character, at least on the surface. I never felt I really got to know her, even though I was told a lot about her, including her thoughts...more
Piper Donovan, the daughter of a cake artist and a police officer, sees her life changing since she has hit a dry spell in her acting efforts after ‘dying’ on a soap opera. Piper learns that her good friend Glenna, the star of the soap, is getting married and wants Piper’s mother to make the wedding cake. While attending a fundraiser at the school of Glenna’s future husband, Piper watches as Glenna’s costar, Travis, dies of cyanide poisoning. From there, Piper ponders ‘who done it’ while tying t...more
An entertaining introduction to the main character of the Wedding Cake Mystery series. Piper Donovan is an actress whose soap opera character was recently killed off. With little work coming in, Piper is forced to move in with her parents, and quickly notices something is not right with her mother. The bakery owner who has never turned down decorating a wedding cake is now refusing to make the perfect cake for Piper's best friend, Glenna. She convinces Piper to do it herself. But Glenna's big da...more
I started reading cozy mysteries in 2009 so, I was thrilled to receive this book from LibraryThing to read and review.
To Have and To Kill is the story of Piper Donovan, a struggling actress making ends meet by working in her family bakery.
Piper is hired to make a wedding cake for her friend, Glenna. The wedding is set for Christmas eve but, a murder occurs. So, will there be a wedding?
We are introduced to several characters, Piper's parents, a couple of her friends and Jack, the handsome FBI age...more
To Have and To Kill is the story of Piper Donovan, a struggling actress making ends meet by working in her family bakery.
Piper is hired to make a wedding cake for her friend, Glenna. The wedding is set for Christmas eve but, a murder occurs. So, will there be a wedding?
We are introduced to several characters, Piper's parents, a couple of her friends and Jack, the handsome FBI age...more
This was a light and quick read. It was easy to get into the story and finish it in one sitting. The pacing was good, the story line keeps moving along. The characters were introduce slowly but some of the characters lacks depth. Usually, I am able to emphasize and relate with the main characters and feel their anxiety or pain, but not this story. I am not sure why, maybe it's because the story line keeps on changing perspective from the main character, Piper, to her mom, to several side charact...more
Recently. I've been reading books by author Mary Jane Clark. Two from the KEY News series and this one from the Wedding Cake Series. These are quick reads with shorter chapters than other books and I like the way this author introduces each character as a potential suspect, keeping you questioning your guess as to who the murderer is until the very end...unless of course you peak ahead ;) lol
After having read two of her books from the KEY News series, and getting aquainted with the regular char...more
After having read two of her books from the KEY News series, and getting aquainted with the regular char...more
This was a quick, easy read ... Exactly what I was looking for!
Piper is an actress who has lost her job on a soap opera and is having trouble finding more work. So she moves back in with her parents in an effort to regroup. She isn't exactly thrilled about this (which is understandable given she's 27 years old!)
During an auction, one of her former co-workers is murdered and there are no shortage of suspects ... Including Glenna (who also works for the soap opera) who is about to get married.
We w...more
Piper is an actress who has lost her job on a soap opera and is having trouble finding more work. So she moves back in with her parents in an effort to regroup. She isn't exactly thrilled about this (which is understandable given she's 27 years old!)
During an auction, one of her former co-workers is murdered and there are no shortage of suspects ... Including Glenna (who also works for the soap opera) who is about to get married.
We w...more
This was the first book I've read by Mary Jane Clark. I hopen to read more of this Wedding Cake mystery series featuring Piper Donovan as the main character. The other reviewers have covered the plot numerous times, so I won't go into that.
I loved the short chapters and the way the author introduces all the suspects by a small glimpse into their lives and their personal thoughts, without giving too much away. I did figure out who the main killer was quite early, but, not because of the author's...more
I loved the short chapters and the way the author introduces all the suspects by a small glimpse into their lives and their personal thoughts, without giving too much away. I did figure out who the main killer was quite early, but, not because of the author's...more
This is the first in Mary Jane Clark's new Wedding Cake series. The protagonist is Piper Donovan, a 27 year old, recently out of work actress, who has had to move back in with Mom and Dad. In this book, people who worked with Piper at the daytime soap she worked on are being killed off. Who is murdering these people? The director, the photographer, the jeweler brother, the fiance of the star, or the star herself?? Although she tries to puzzle things out, Piper is more the vehicle for telling the...more
To Have and to Kill: A Wedding Cake Mystery by Mary Jane Clark is the quintessential summer read. Now I know that its a little late for summer reading but there is always next summer or failing that travel times during the holidays. The main character Piper, is an aspiring actor looking for love, and has failed on both counts. After being killed off on the only big show she was ever on A Little Rain Must Fall and being jilted by her fiance, Piper has no choice but to move in with her parents. Sh...more
This book was pretty simple, like it probably didn't take the author long to write it. And yeah, it has nothing to do with wedding cakes. The main character's mother owns a bakery and Piper (the main character) makes a wedding cake for her friend, but that's about it. Mostly it's just about finding a killer who a killed off some people associated with a tv show. It was fast paces and none of the characters annoyed me, though I didn't quite understand why the author felt the need to make the moth...more
Just then I realized that this story was simple and easily written--and I hate "just thens". I suppose this book is a cozy, but it was too simple and too easy--too chicklight! A twentysomething gal is single and moving home with her parents, a drag for sure. Soon her old coworkers are being murdered and she fears for their lives. Sadly, it does seem as if this book is written from an older perspective--the author's. There is minimal romance, and very little wedding drama despite the fact that th...more
Piper Donovan is a struggling actress with a bro9ken engagement and no immediate job prospects. She moves back home with her parents to take stock of her life. She tentatively steps into the family bakery business. Who ever imagined that decorating cakes could be so dangerous. Piper agrees to create a wedding cake for an acclaimed star of a daytime television drama. But someone close to the bride is horribly murdered. And it seems someone is ruthlessly trying to stop the wedding with the help of...more
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| IGer's Book Club: To Have and To Kill Chapters 1-5 discussion | 11 | 6 | Mar 21, 2013 11:58pm |
Mary Jane Clark is the author of thirteen novels, including 12 in the KEY News media thriller series, and one in her new Wedding Cake mystery series. A veteran writer and producer for CBS News, Clark worked for almost three decades at the network’s New York City headquarters. Her books are published in twenty-three languages. She lives in New Jersey and Florida.
Clark's former mother-in-law and sis...more
More about Mary Jane Clark...
Clark's former mother-in-law and sis...more
