Look of Love
Published 6:44 am Saturday, June 2, 2012
(NAPSI)—A glamorous spa provides a deceptively idyllic setting in “The Look of Love,” a delicious new mystery by New York Times bestselling author Mary Jane Clark.
When the owner of Elysium, an exclusive spa and plastic surgery center, offers Piper Donovan an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles, she accepts. All she has to do is create a dazzling and unique wedding cake.
The job also appeals to Piper because it will give her the time to sort out her feelings for handsome FBI agent Jack Lombardi.
The ultraluxurious spa caters to the rich and famous in need of a little “refreshing”—a nip here, a tuck there, a little Botox, a little detox. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, Elysium seems picture perfect. But no sooner does Piper arrive than a guest is brutally murdered in one of the private bungalows. She soon discovers that beneath the glamorous surface of this idyllic oasis lies an ugly truth—and a cold-blooded plan for murder.
The Associated Press has called Clark “one of the most talented storytellers around.” Like Piper Donovan, Clark has a mother who made customized cakes for the neighborhood kids when she was growing up. After a career at CBS News and writing 12 media thrillers, the author envisioned the Piper Donovan/Wedding Cake mystery series.
Part of the appeal may be the great recipes the books include, such as this one for Icing on the Cupcake Cream-Cheese Frosting.
½ cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1½ cups cream cheese, also at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Turn the mixer down to lowest speed and add the confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, until it’s completely combined and smooth.
The series has also garnered positive reviews.
Library Journal said that “Touches of humor keep the mystery light, the baking subplot keeps it cozy, and there is enough going on with family and Piper’s newly developing relationship to keep it real,” and Romantic Times gave it four stars.
The book is available wherever books are sold. For more information, you can find Mary Jane Clark or Piper Donovan on Facebook or visit www.maryjaneclark.com.
On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate(NAPSI)