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Wedding Cake Mysteries #3
Footprints in the Sand
It’s the dead of winter and struggling actress and wedding-cake decorator Piper Donovan is thrilled to be in warm and romantic Sarasota, Florida, enjoying the powdery white beaches, soothing seas, and golden sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. She and her family are there to celebrate her beloved cousin’s wedding. Not only is Piper creating the sugar-sand-dollar-festooned wedding cake, she’s also the maid of honor.
But a cloud seems to hover over the whole affair. Shortly after a bridesmaid mysteriously disappears, a kindly neighbor’s car is run off the road and a prospective witness, an innocent Amish teenager, is threatened to keep silent. Then a body is found on the wedding beach. With the nuptials threatened, it falls to Piper to unmask a killer. Could it be the wedding planner with something to hide? A doctor and his wife who collect unusual Japanese figurines? The best man, an ex-drug dealer with lecherous eyes and roving hands? What about her cousin’s future stepfather - or even the bridegroom himself?
As Piper gets close to figuring out who’s been covering his guilty footprints in the sand, the cunning killer has already set his sights on Piper as his next victim!
But a cloud seems to hover over the whole affair. Shortly after a bridesmaid mysteriously disappears, a kindly neighbor’s car is run off the road and a prospective witness, an innocent Amish teenager, is threatened to keep silent. Then a body is found on the wedding beach. With the nuptials threatened, it falls to Piper to unmask a killer. Could it be the wedding planner with something to hide? A doctor and his wife who collect unusual Japanese figurines? The best man, an ex-drug dealer with lecherous eyes and roving hands? What about her cousin’s future stepfather - or even the bridegroom himself?
As Piper gets close to figuring out who’s been covering his guilty footprints in the sand, the cunning killer has already set his sights on Piper as his next victim!
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First published January 8, 2013
312 people are currently reading
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About the author
Mary Jane Clark
41 books464 followersMary Jane Elizabeth Behrends Clark (1954-) 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 sister-in-law are the authors Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark, respectively.
Clark's former mother-in-law and sister-in-law are the authors Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark, respectively.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
February 10, 2021
Fun & light read with short chapters that will keep you flipping to the next page even when it's 2 am ;)
I loved the combination of the Amish culture within a frame of a mystery novel.
The beginning was a bit too slow for me, without too many twist and turns, but it shifted towards the end.
I loved the combination of the Amish culture within a frame of a mystery novel.
The beginning was a bit too slow for me, without too many twist and turns, but it shifted towards the end.
April 16, 2019
The Piper Donovan Mystery series are a great weekend read. The chapters are short. The writing is breezy. There are twists and turns to keep you engaged. Footprints in the Sand is the third in the series but it stands on its own. It is winter and struggling actress and wedding cake baker Piper is in Sarasota, FL, enjoying the warm weather and the feel of sand under her feet. She is serving as maid of honor and cake baker in her cousin’s wedding. But the wedding turns out to be anything but romantic. A bridesmaid goes missing, a car is run off the road, threats are made and a body is washed up on shore. Piper is determined to catch the killer before he or she strikes again. While I preferred the first two books in the series, this is a fun mystery.
October 6, 2022
This one was the best in the series so far....wonderful cozy mystery.
September 20, 2019
This cozy mystery focuses on a soap opera actress, Piper Donovan. A cozy mystery is a subgenre of the mystery genre. It generally involves a protagonist that is female and not employed in crime investigation or law enforcement. The murder generally “falls into their laps” and, for some reason, is motivated to investigate it. The cast of characters, including the murderer, are generally segregated within a smaller community from the general populace. The violence generally lacks “blood, guts and gore.” Sexual relationships between the protagonist and other characters are generally non-existent or downplayed. The book will be void of any cursing. Therefore, any cozy mystery will have little trouble being aired on general television.
The novel opens with Piper arriving in Sarasota, Florida, with her parents to participate in the wedding of her cousin. Her cousin, Kathy, works as the assistant manager of a vacation resort located on the Gulf coast. Kathy is concerned because one of her employees, Shelley, a woman who has left the Amish tradition, has been missing for several days. The explanation for her absence is determined when an elderly woman living near the resort witnesses a dark figure with a shovel carrying a heavy load into the dunes. When she calls the police, they discover Shelley’s body. Although Piper is not initially motivated to investigation, the revelation of certain clues encourage her to ask questions. However, these questions may endanger her life.
Although this book is a fine example of a cozy mystery, there isn’t anything about it that sets it apart from the many other examples of this subgenre. I have no interest in continuing this series.
The novel opens with Piper arriving in Sarasota, Florida, with her parents to participate in the wedding of her cousin. Her cousin, Kathy, works as the assistant manager of a vacation resort located on the Gulf coast. Kathy is concerned because one of her employees, Shelley, a woman who has left the Amish tradition, has been missing for several days. The explanation for her absence is determined when an elderly woman living near the resort witnesses a dark figure with a shovel carrying a heavy load into the dunes. When she calls the police, they discover Shelley’s body. Although Piper is not initially motivated to investigation, the revelation of certain clues encourage her to ask questions. However, these questions may endanger her life.
Although this book is a fine example of a cozy mystery, there isn’t anything about it that sets it apart from the many other examples of this subgenre. I have no interest in continuing this series.
September 18, 2020
If you’re looking for a super quick, fun, twisty-but-not-too-twisty thriller, this is a good one to pick up. It’s about 370 pages but the chapters are really short(about 2-3 pages each, on average) and the story develops fast.
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I can’t say the plot was incredibly mysterious and I never felt strongly about any of the characters but I couldn’t stop turning the pages and I was entertained the entire time.
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3.75/5-this was a fun one-I enjoyed it!
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I can’t say the plot was incredibly mysterious and I never felt strongly about any of the characters but I couldn’t stop turning the pages and I was entertained the entire time.
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3.75/5-this was a fun one-I enjoyed it!
January 27, 2013
"Footprints in the Sand" is a typical Mary Jane Clark suspense/mystery. It's a great read for a weekend, vacation, or a day at the beach. It's not heavy, but it certainly isn't a light read either. The chapters are super short, which I like, and the story moves very fast. I love how Piper and Jack's relationship is beginning to blossom. I love a little romance mixed in with my mysteries. I also like how Ms. Clark adds a little "research" to each of her stories. The "research" for "Footprints in the Sand" was Amish life and Florida's sea life. I loved the Amish proverbs and how their life is lived in today's world. I did not realize Florida had a rather large Amish community. The incorporation about the sea turtles nesting was pretty cool. I vacation to the east coast of Florida each summer during sea turtle nesting season. The sea turtles are a major part of Florida's every day living.
January 15, 2013
I usually love Mary Jane Clark and this series. This one annoyed me. It almost seemed like she was trying to make the main character seem younger. She kept having her post pictures to facebook and abrieviating words until I wanted to stop reading. She also didn't do too much to solve this one, she just kind of stumbled around until the bad guy went after her.
I will read the next one, but I'll just get it from the library instead of buying it.
I will read the next one, but I'll just get it from the library instead of buying it.
October 26, 2016
I really enjoyed this one. I hadn't heard of this series before, but I think I will probably look up some of the others. I like that I didn't figure out the culprit right away. I was a little surprised, in fact. I thought the amount of Amish information was interesting. I never thought about Amish being in Florida, but if this book is anything to go by, I guess there is a substantial community around Sarasota. The book does seem to be well researched on that aspect.
March 22, 2020
#WFH2020: book 2.
Apart from some glaring editing errors, this was a decent cozy mystery. Piper did get on my nerves a little bit as a protagonist, though. At one point she took a photo of a crime scene with the express purpose of posting it on Facebook to get a lot of likes and support. That attitude was pervasive throughout the book and happens to be a specific pet peeve of mine, so there were several times when I just wanted to yell at her and/or slam the book closed.
But it was a quick, engaging read and I didn’t come close to guessing the whodunit, falling instead for the red herring. I probably will read other books by Clark in the future.
(Though seriously, what is with women with first name Mary, last name Clark, writing mysteries? Mary Higgins Clark, Mary Jane Clark... oh. Mary Jane is the former daughter-in-law of Mary Higgins... and then there is also Carol Higgins Clark, Mary Higgins’ daughter... a whole mystery-writing enclave! Runs in the family!)
Apart from some glaring editing errors, this was a decent cozy mystery. Piper did get on my nerves a little bit as a protagonist, though. At one point she took a photo of a crime scene with the express purpose of posting it on Facebook to get a lot of likes and support. That attitude was pervasive throughout the book and happens to be a specific pet peeve of mine, so there were several times when I just wanted to yell at her and/or slam the book closed.
But it was a quick, engaging read and I didn’t come close to guessing the whodunit, falling instead for the red herring. I probably will read other books by Clark in the future.
(Though seriously, what is with women with first name Mary, last name Clark, writing mysteries? Mary Higgins Clark, Mary Jane Clark... oh. Mary Jane is the former daughter-in-law of Mary Higgins... and then there is also Carol Higgins Clark, Mary Higgins’ daughter... a whole mystery-writing enclave! Runs in the family!)
August 24, 2023
Great Murder Mystery! Had me thrown off multiple times! 10/10 would recommend to anyone that likes murder mystery.
January 6, 2013
I enjoyed this murder mystery story. The plot kept me guessing until the very end, and I live in FL and absolutely adored the description of the beach setting. However I felt that some of the character descriptions lacked a little interest and a few paragraphs had me skimming to find more intriguing dialogue. I love mysteries and this was a nice weekend read. I would be interested in reading another book by Mary Jane Clark to see how they compare.
August 18, 2017
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This did not really appeal to my type of escape into the wonderful world of fiction.
And the short chapters were a distraction.
This did not really appeal to my type of escape into the wonderful world of fiction.
And the short chapters were a distraction.
March 22, 2021
Piper confectionne des gâteaux de fête et va réaliser celui du mariage de sa cousine. Sauf que la semaine précédant le mariage ne se passe pas comme prévu : une demoiselle d'honneur disparue, un corps découvert... Piper décide de mener l'enquête, au milieu de nombreux suspects, jusqu'à se mettre en danger.
C'est le premier livre que je lis de cette auteure, bien que j'en ai 2 autres dans ma PAL depuis longtemps, il faut que je les remette en haut de la pile.
Dès les premières pages, avec les détails et remarques sur Piper et sa famille, je me suis demandé si ce n'étaient pas des personnages récurrents. Impression confirmée par une note en bas de page, qui fait référence à un roman précédent, Pièce montée. Cependant, hormis ces quelques détails, ne pas avoir lu le ou les tomes précédents ne gênent en aucune façon la lecture de ce roman.
Je dirais qu'avec ce livre, on a ce à quoi on s'attend, une intrigue bien construite, plusieurs suspects et pas trop de violence ou d'hémoglobine. C'est simple et efficace et c'est ce qui m'a plu.
J'ai apprécié Piper, j'ai suspecté plusieurs personnes et j'ai lu le livre rapidement car j'avais envie de découvrir le fin mot de l'histoire. C'est prenant.
Les chapitres sont très courts, ça me plait beaucoup, il n'y a pas de lenteurs ou de longues descriptions.
J'ai apprécié ma lecture et ça m'a donné envie de lire d'autres livres de l'auteur, notamment avec Piper comme personnage principale.
C'est le premier livre que je lis de cette auteure, bien que j'en ai 2 autres dans ma PAL depuis longtemps, il faut que je les remette en haut de la pile.
Dès les premières pages, avec les détails et remarques sur Piper et sa famille, je me suis demandé si ce n'étaient pas des personnages récurrents. Impression confirmée par une note en bas de page, qui fait référence à un roman précédent, Pièce montée. Cependant, hormis ces quelques détails, ne pas avoir lu le ou les tomes précédents ne gênent en aucune façon la lecture de ce roman.
Je dirais qu'avec ce livre, on a ce à quoi on s'attend, une intrigue bien construite, plusieurs suspects et pas trop de violence ou d'hémoglobine. C'est simple et efficace et c'est ce qui m'a plu.
J'ai apprécié Piper, j'ai suspecté plusieurs personnes et j'ai lu le livre rapidement car j'avais envie de découvrir le fin mot de l'histoire. C'est prenant.
Les chapitres sont très courts, ça me plait beaucoup, il n'y a pas de lenteurs ou de longues descriptions.
J'ai apprécié ma lecture et ça m'a donné envie de lire d'autres livres de l'auteur, notamment avec Piper comme personnage principale.
July 5, 2017
It's the dead of winter and struggling actress and wedding cake decorator Piper Donovan is thrilled to be in warm and romantic Sarasota, Florida, enjoying the powdery white beaches, soothing seas, and golden sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. She and her family are there to celebrate her beloved cousin's wedding. Not only is Piper creating the sugar sand dollar-festooned wedding cake, she's also the maid of honor. But a cloud seems to hover over the whole affair. Shortly after a bridesmaid mysteriously disappears, a kindly neighbor's car is run off the road and a prospective witness, an innocent Amish teenager, is threatened to keep silent. Then a body is found on the wedding beach. With the nuptials threatened, it falls to Piper to unmask a killer. Could it be the wedding planner with something to hide? A doctor and his wife who collect unusual Japanese figurines? The best man, an ex-drug dealer with lecherous eyes and roving hands? What about her cousin's future stepfather—or even the bridegroom himself? As Piper gets close to figuring out who's been covering his guilty footprints in the sand, the cunning killer has already set his sights on Piper as his next victim!
This is the first novel of MJ Clark that i have read. I'll be reading more. Loved it. 5 stars.
This is the first novel of MJ Clark that i have read. I'll be reading more. Loved it. 5 stars.
February 3, 2023
Cozy mysteries are a favorite genre of mine. This is the first that I've read by this author, who I understand will be visiting our bookclub meeting, this will be fun. I'm looking forward to the discussion.
It often happens to me that the first book I read in a series is not the first in the series. That's not a problem here since the story doesn't rely on past history and it stands alone well. I am interested in finding the first two of this series I like the characters and the setting which I am familiar with.
The pace was good the story moved along, the chapters are very short which was interesting. I just finished a book where the chapters were very long and I stopped in the middle of some which I'd rather not do but time constraints forced me. Just an observation, since it was such a difference.
Piper is impulsive and a risk taker, like a lot of amateur sleuths. She does foolish things at times and that's one of my pet peeves with cozies, why do they do that? She's 26 not 12. Anyway, she figures it all out almost too late. A fun, fast read.
It often happens to me that the first book I read in a series is not the first in the series. That's not a problem here since the story doesn't rely on past history and it stands alone well. I am interested in finding the first two of this series I like the characters and the setting which I am familiar with.
The pace was good the story moved along, the chapters are very short which was interesting. I just finished a book where the chapters were very long and I stopped in the middle of some which I'd rather not do but time constraints forced me. Just an observation, since it was such a difference.
Piper is impulsive and a risk taker, like a lot of amateur sleuths. She does foolish things at times and that's one of my pet peeves with cozies, why do they do that? She's 26 not 12. Anyway, she figures it all out almost too late. A fun, fast read.
April 20, 2018
This is my first Mary Jane Clark book and I read the book until the end without any great effort. If you like mysteries, this is your run of the mill book. Nothing spectacular, but good enough to hold your attention.
Cons:
Character development- there were far too many missed opportunities. So many rich diverse people that potentially could have gone somewhere. Piper, the main character, was a missed opportunity as well. I realize I didn’t read the first two books, and I assume they were also had Piper, but what I mean is there was no emotional investment on my part. I didn’t really care what happened to Piper. Same with the other characters. The only character I felt even the slightest concern for is Levi, and again, that was slight.
Cons:
Character development- there were far too many missed opportunities. So many rich diverse people that potentially could have gone somewhere. Piper, the main character, was a missed opportunity as well. I realize I didn’t read the first two books, and I assume they were also had Piper, but what I mean is there was no emotional investment on my part. I didn’t really care what happened to Piper. Same with the other characters. The only character I felt even the slightest concern for is Levi, and again, that was slight.
December 1, 2020
Nouveau décors, nouveaux personnages, et nouveaux meurtres, Mary Jane Clark nous offre une fois de plus une histoire bien ficelée, haletante, ou tout le monde est un potentiel suspect.
Est-il possible de résoudre cette enquête en une demie-journée ? Oui ! le rythme du récit nous tiens en haleine, avec le même schéma que le premier opus ; des chapitres très courts, qui alternent les différents points du vues des personnages et font avancer l'enquête. Un vrai thriller, ce livre devient une addiction : impossible de le laisser avant d'en connaître la fin !!!
Et comme à son habitude, l'auteure nous prévoit de grosses révélations dans les touuuuutes dernières pages, mettant en lumière tous les indices qui nous ont échappés.
Est-il possible de résoudre cette enquête en une demie-journée ? Oui ! le rythme du récit nous tiens en haleine, avec le même schéma que le premier opus ; des chapitres très courts, qui alternent les différents points du vues des personnages et font avancer l'enquête. Un vrai thriller, ce livre devient une addiction : impossible de le laisser avant d'en connaître la fin !!!
Et comme à son habitude, l'auteure nous prévoit de grosses révélations dans les touuuuutes dernières pages, mettant en lumière tous les indices qui nous ont échappés.
June 11, 2020
This is a rather short book, but I liked it as the story took place in Sarasota. The author put in some very interesting places with condos on a beach, the aamish community and restaurants, and sightseeing expeditions to a water tour, Jungle gardens and Pinecraft. The group of people were friends or relatives of the bride and wanted the wedding to be simple on the beach. They made their own cake by hand and cupcakes. Recipe at the end. I enjoyed it, but not sure it would be as fascinated as I was. I was totally confused in the beginning.
January 1, 2018
Piper does not change. She has not learned from her past. The character development is soooo slow. I don’t know if I will read another in this series. For a while. I want the character to grow. She is still barging in on private issues. She justifies her rudeness by saying she is solving a mystery, but she is stagnant. The character development is almost totally absent wth Levi, the Amish young man. He did not react in a “normal” way.
April 9, 2024
This is a simple, clean beach read. The story is short and can easily be read in a weekend.
Piper Donovan is the star of this novel. She and her mom are cake decorators. They travel to Sarasota to attend a cousin's wedding and to make the cake. Before the wedding, one of the invites is murdered and Piper investigates. Before the wedding, two more die and one person narrowly escapes with her life.
Piper Donovan is the star of this novel. She and her mom are cake decorators. They travel to Sarasota to attend a cousin's wedding and to make the cake. Before the wedding, one of the invites is murdered and Piper investigates. Before the wedding, two more die and one person narrowly escapes with her life.
August 10, 2018
One of the worst books I've read in a long time. The story line isn't bad. But the protagonist, Piper Donovan, is a complete and utter idiot. Worse than an idiot, she's unlikable, too. I was dubious about her after the second book, but now I'm convinced that reading these books is a waste of eyesight and time. This is the last book in this series that I will read.
August 19, 2019
Wonderful Read!
Truly enjoyed this book. It is the first book I have read by Mary Jane Clark. It was the first and certainly won't be the last. Great characters, great background information about the location and sea turtles, and dialogue between the characters was also well done. A mystery with a love story mixed in!!
Truly enjoyed this book. It is the first book I have read by Mary Jane Clark. It was the first and certainly won't be the last. Great characters, great background information about the location and sea turtles, and dialogue between the characters was also well done. A mystery with a love story mixed in!!
September 24, 2019
Wonderful book
With this book Ms. Clark has done it again. It will keep you guessing right up to the last chapter of who did it and why. With each progressive chapter I was trying to see if I could figure it out. With each chapter I realized I had only added another suspect and that I was still guessing. Go ahead and read this book. You will only be glad that you did!
With this book Ms. Clark has done it again. It will keep you guessing right up to the last chapter of who did it and why. With each progressive chapter I was trying to see if I could figure it out. With each chapter I realized I had only added another suspect and that I was still guessing. Go ahead and read this book. You will only be glad that you did!
August 1, 2020
This book was a nice, fun, easy weekend read (just what I needed right now too!)
I’ve never read a Mary Jane Clark book, but I really enjoyed that it was a quick read, the chapters were short, the characters were good and there was enough mystery & suspense to keep me hooked! Perfect combo if you ask me!!
I’ve never read a Mary Jane Clark book, but I really enjoyed that it was a quick read, the chapters were short, the characters were good and there was enough mystery & suspense to keep me hooked! Perfect combo if you ask me!!
September 30, 2020
Another fun cozy mystery from Mary Jane Clark. This one takes place in Florida and our intrepid heroine Piper manages to land herself in the middle of another murder mystery all while agreeing to make the wedding cake for her cousin's wedding. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version and look forward to the next book in the series.
August 17, 2017
I'm enjoying this series, more than just because the books are quick reads. This particular story was fun, and I loved where the wedding took place in this one. Florida, the food, the weather. The story was just fun. One more book left in this series.
February 22, 2020
Mystery, murder and wedding cakes
Footprints in the Sand is the Piper Donovan mystery number three. Piper is an actress/wedding cake maker but murder seems to follow her wherever she goes! Good mystery series. I particularly enjoyed this one.
Footprints in the Sand is the Piper Donovan mystery number three. Piper is an actress/wedding cake maker but murder seems to follow her wherever she goes! Good mystery series. I particularly enjoyed this one.
November 18, 2021
This is a fun, fast-paced mystery featuring Piper Donavan. There are plenty of twists and turns, delightful characters, suspense, warm family and friend relationships, all making for an entertaining, page-turning read.
January 19, 2022
A little disappointing. The mystery was well done, however there is no growth in the lead character. She is so tied to her parents and cannot make decisions about her love life. I would like to see her show some growing up.
November 5, 2022
Another mystery
Once again Piper Donovan finds herself right in the middle of a murder mystery. It is a wonder she has any time to make wedding cakes! A good edition to this series.
Once again Piper Donovan finds herself right in the middle of a murder mystery. It is a wonder she has any time to make wedding cakes! A good edition to this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews