You can have your cake and murder too!

Mary Jane Clark (former daughter-in-law of Mary Higgins Clark) takes spatula in hand and dips into the cozy mystery world with the first in her newest series - To Have and to Kill: A Wedding Cake Mystery.

We meet the heroine of the series, Piper Donovan at her lowest point.  She's an unemployed actress struggling in NYC and finds that her only solution - temporarily that is - was to give up her apartment in the city and move back with her parents in the New Jersey 'burbs.  Not exactly a dream come true for a 27 year old woman, but her quirky father and bakery owning mother make for some interesting and fun back story.

Not one to let grass grow under her feet, Piper helps out her mother at the bakery and agrees to bake a wedding cake for Glenna, her best friend and former soap opera co-star.  Piper also agrees to attend a charity auction in hopes of networking with industry insiders where a another former co-star is murdered right before her very eyes. The motive, dodgy incidents and suspect list grows throughout the tale. 

In this fun cozy based in the NYC metro area, bodies pile up, jewels are stolen and its practically impossible to discern friend from foe.  With the help of her former neighbor and friend Jack, an FBI agent and the solid foundation that was laid by her former police officer father, Piper untangles the murderer's motive and manages to whip up the perfect wedding cake.

While I found the myriad points of view interesting, I'd of much rather spent time inside the main characters minds a little more.  Granted, I had no problem following the multiple points of view, which is a sure sign of a well crafted writing, but I did feel like I didn't completely get to know Piper the way I wanted to.  I felt a tiny bit cheated at the hints of romance that went no where, but since this is a series, I expect that Piper and Jack to maybe hook up in a book down the road (I hope!).

Also, I was a tad disappointed near end when the murderer was revealed because of the points of view that author chose. Clark glazed over the climatic part of the mystery and seemingly jumped ahead to the wedding day and the unveiling of the cake.  It almost felt rushed and that she needed to get to the end and decided to leave out how things wrapped up and how Piper felt about the whole ordeal.

All in all, it was a fun, fast read and I'm seriously looking forward to seeing more of Piper and crew.

 

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.  ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Yes, Virginia...

I'm sure the very last thing that little Virginia O'Hanlon thought at the tender age of eight back in 1897 was her short little ditty to the editor of the New York Sun would turn into a holiday classic.  Upon asking her father, Dr. Phillip O'Hanlon, if Santa existed since her friends at school failed to believe any longer, he suggested she write to the editor because, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so", which dropped the pressing question on to the desk of Francis P. Church, who had been a Civil War correspondent.

Mr. Church was a popular journalist and often wrote human interest features and tackled tough theological debates of the time.  It might be why his, editor, Edward P. Mitchell thought him up to the task of debating Santa's existence. Church supposedly bristled at the idea of penning a response to a girl about Santa Claus, but thankfully not only was he up to the task, he wrote a masterpiece under a deadline.

As someone who has never been particularly fond of Santa Claus, I do adore the letter and find the message not only inspiring, but in a clever way answers a little girl's question without crushing her, but having her realize that Santa Claus is a symbol of the season, of all the good things that the Christmas season brings out in people.  And should be remembered not just at this time of year, but all year long.

Below is the article from The Sun.  You'll noctice despite being a holiday favorite, it was written on September 21, 1897, and they say we start the holiday season early! ;-)

Dear Editor—
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. 
 ~ Albert Camus

Happily Ever After

After taking a bit of break from romance, I was happy to fall in love again with Nora Robert's final novel in her best-selling Bridal Quartet series.  The series focuses on four childhood best friends who turn their afternoons of playing "Wedding Day" into reality as they pool their talents to create a premiere wedding venue and service called Vows.

Each novel focused on each of the friend's falling in love along with showcasing their talents in the business.  Mac, from the first novel, Vision in White, is a spunky photographer.  Emma, the hopeless romantic of the group, is the florist, in Bed of Roses.  While Laurel the smart mouthed baker extraordinaire displays her talents and love story in Savor the Moment.

Happy Ever After revolves around the uber-organized business woman Parker Brown, who's the creator of Vows. She finds her inner organized self at war with her feelings towards one of her brother's friends and her mechanic, Malcolm Kavanaugh.  Sparks fly, but while she's used to creating the best day of every bride's life she seems almost clueless of where her own love life is heading.

While I loved all the other books in the series, and eagerly anticipated each one (this one included), it was a tiny bit of a let down.  I knew what to expect since it was hinted in the last novel who her love interest was going to be and fully expected a happy ending.  After all that is why women read romances - to see a happy ending. 

My main quip with the novel was the pacing, which felt a little slower than the others and the excess of Parker handling various brides.  Perhaps I was spoiled by learning about different crafts in the other novels, whereas I didn't feel that way with the wedding planner position. I just felt hassled while Parker dealt with silly bride problems. 

Otherwise, the romance part of the novel was fabulous.  Watching a straight laced woman hop on a Harley and basically come undo by her feelings for a man she normally wouldn't give the time of of day to (not because she's a snob, but just because she's so consumed by work & afraid to let someone in).

All in all I most especially recommend this if you've read the others in the series and if you haven't start at the beginning and wrap yourself in the wonderful decadent world of brides, lace, cakes and flowers.  You won't be sorry.  This installment, as all the others is excellent brain candy!

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. 
~ Chinese Proverb

Currently reading...

...and completely enjoying every minute of this romance.  I've been on a romance hiatus for a while, so it's nice to sink back in with this gem.  No one does romance like Nora Roberts.  Review to follow soon!