Jacklyn Brady
Jacklyn Brady has published 6 books. The recommended reading order starts with A Sheetcake Named Desire (2011).
Jacklyn Brady writes cozy mysteries and romance novels. She is a pen name of Sherry Lewis, an award-winning author who has also written non-fiction and taught writing workshops for over twenty years. Lewis began her publishing career in 1993 with mystery novels featuring Fred Vickery, followed in 1994 by her first romance novel for Harlequin Superromance. She launched her Jacklyn Brady mystery series, Piece of Cake, set in New Orleans and featuring cake artist Rita Lucero, in 2011 with A Sheetcake Named Desire. Another mystery series, under the pseudonym Sammi Carter, features Abby Shaw, a candy maker in Paradise, Colorado. Lewis, originally from Montana and having lived near Utah's Wasatch Mountains, now resides near the beach on Florida's Emerald Coast.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of A Piece of Cake Mystery Books
- TagsmysterycrimeDescriptionInheritance can arrive in unexpected forms. For pastry chef Rita Lucero, it comes wrapped in buttercream and suspicion: Zydeco Cakes, her soon-to-be ex-husband Philippe's high-end bakery, now belongs to her after he's found murdered. The police see motive, means, and a freshly signed will. Rita sees a setup. The problem with inheriting from the dead is that everyone assumes you wanted them that way. Philippe may have been a philandering disaster of a husband, but Rita had already moved on—divorce papers filed, new life planned. Now she's trapped in the very shop she'd hoped to leave behind, fielding questions from detectives who measure her grief in grams and ounces. Every éclair she pipes, every wedding cake she designs, becomes evidence of her supposed guilt. To clear her name, Rita must navigate the treacherous world Philippe left behind: rival bakers with old grudges, business partners with hidden agendas, and secrets baked into the foundation of Zydeco Cakes itself. The deeper she digs into Philippe's life, the more she realizes how little she knew the man she married. In New Orleans, where every celebration demands cake and every cake tells a story, Rita discovers that some recipes are better left unread—and some desires are deadly.Publication dateAugust 2, 2011Amazon rating4.3/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
- TagsmysterycrimeDescriptionThe scent of buttercream can't quite mask the whiff of danger in this cozy mystery where confection meets crime. Jacklyn Brady's "Arsenic and Old Cake" belongs to the Piece of Cake Mystery series, where a bakery becomes the unlikely stage for murder and mayhem. When sweetness turns sinister, someone with a whisk and a sharp eye for detail must sift through the clues. This is the kind of mystery that understands the comfort of small-town intrigue—the gossip that travels faster than yeast rises, the secrets baked into every layer of community life. Brady crafts a world where the stakes are personal, where the victim might have been your customer yesterday and the killer could be ordering a dozen cupcakes today. The protagonist navigates both fondant and felony with the practical competence of someone who knows that timing matters as much in solving crimes as it does in pulling a cake from the oven at precisely the right moment. What sets this apart is its refusal to let the cozy trappings soften the genuine tension. The poison is real, the danger tangible, even as the setting offers warmth. Brady balances the domestic arts with genuine mystery craft, creating something that satisfies both the appetite for clever plotting and the desire for a world you'd want to visit—even if you'd check your slice for arsenic first.Publication dateNovember 6, 2012Amazon rating4.3/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
- TagsmysterycrimeDescriptionWhat do you do when the person you love most becomes the prime suspect in a murder you witnessed unfold? Rita Lucero is a pastry chef, not a detective. But when her Mardi Gras party goes from festive to fatal—one of her guests found dead after a very public, very ugly fight with her uncle—she doesn't have the luxury of staying in the kitchen. The police have their sights set on her uncle, and Rita knows he's innocent. She also knows that no one else is going to prove it. So she steps into the chaos of New Orleans during Mardi Gras, where masks hide more than faces and everyone has something to lose. This is cozy mystery with bite. Brady doesn't shy away from the messiness of family loyalty or the stakes of clearing someone's name when the clock is ticking. Rita is sharp, grounded, and motivated by love—not curiosity. The setting crackles with the energy of Mardi Gras, all that glitter and grit, and the pastry shop backdrop adds warmth without softening the tension. It's a mystery that moves, with a protagonist you'll root for and a plot that doesn't waste time. Perfect for readers who want their cozies smart, their heroines capable, and their settings as vivid as the crime itself.Publication dateFebruary 7, 2012Amazon rating4.3/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
- TagsmysteryDescriptionRita Lucero runs Zydeco Cakes, a custom bakery in New Orleans where the buttercream is rich and the family drama runs even thicker. When a high-profile wedding cake order collides with long-simmering tensions in her own life, Rita finds herself navigating more than just fondant and flour—she's caught in a mystery that could crumble everything she's built. Someone's dead, and the suspects are as layered as one of Rita's signature confections. The wedding she's been hired to cater becomes the backdrop for secrets, lies, and a murder that hits far too close to home. With her business on the line and her own safety in question, Rita has to sift through the clues while keeping her ovens hot and her staff from falling apart. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that in New Orleans, everyone has something to hide. Brady serves up a cozy mystery with real bite—humor, heart, and a heroine who's as tough as she is talented. The Big Easy comes alive in every scene, from the humid streets to the bustling kitchen where Rita works her magic. If you love your mysteries with a side of Southern charm and a generous helping of cake, this one's for you.Publication dateSeptember 3, 2013Amazon rating4.3/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
- TagsmysterycrimehorrorDescriptionHalloween shadows are creeping over New Orleans, and something darker than decorations is stirring in the neighborhood. Rita Lucero and Miss Frankie, the unlikely duo behind Zydeco Cakes, are about to trade their piping bags for something more dangerous. Their neighbor Bernice needs help unraveling a mystery that blurs the line between ghost story and murder. What starts as a favor between friends quickly spirals into something sinister. The past won't stay buried, and the present is getting messier by the hour. Then Bernice's cousin vanishes into the swamp. The bayou keeps its secrets well, and time is running out. Rita and Miss Frankie must navigate murky waters—literal and metaphorical—to find answers before someone else disappears. The stakes are higher than any cake they've ever baked. Brady serves up Southern Gothic atmosphere with a side of buttercream. The former mother-in-law/daughter-in-law partnership at the heart of Zydeco Cakes gives this cozy mystery its warmth, even as the plot tightens like a noose. Halloween in Louisiana has never felt so deliciously unsettling. Perfect for readers who like their mysteries atmospheric, their settings richly drawn, and their amateur sleuths armed with both courage and cake.Publication dateSeptember 2, 2014Amazon rating4/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
- TagsmysterycrimeDescriptionThe Cakes of Monte Cristo transforms the cozy mystery into something more deliberate, a meditation on revenge served cold alongside buttercream and fondant. Jacklyn Brady's entry in the Piece of Cake Mystery series understands that bakeries are not merely settings for murder—they are stages where ambition, betrayal, and the weight of the past collide with the sweetness of the present. At the heart of this novel is a protagonist who must navigate the treacherous terrain between professional obligation and personal danger, where a cake order becomes the catalyst for uncovering secrets that someone would kill to protect. Brady weaves the culinary and the criminal with a deft hand, allowing the reader to taste both the confections and the bitterness of old grudges resurfacing. The title's nod to Dumas is no accident—this is a story about scores settled and justice pursued, even when it arrives decorated with sugar flowers. What makes this work resonate is its refusal to treat its genre lightly. Brady respects the intelligence of her readers, offering them a mystery that demands attention while never losing sight of the warmth and community that define the best cozy fiction. The result is a novel that satisfies on multiple levels—as puzzle, as character study, and as a reminder that even the sweetest surfaces can conceal the most complex depths.Publication dateJanuary 5, 2016Amazon rating4.6/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherBerkley
Frequently Asked Questions about Jacklyn Brady
The books in the A Piece of Cake Mystery series should be read in the order they were published to follow the character arcs and plot developments. The series began with A Sheetcake Named Desire in 2011. It was followed by Arsenic and Old Cake and Cake on a Hot Tin Roof in 2012. The Cakes of Wrath was published in 2013, and Rebel Without a Cake in 2014. The series continued with additional titles, maintaining a chronological order for readers to fully appreciate the ongoing narrative and the evolution of the characters within the cozy mystery setting.
A good starting point for Jacklyn Brady's books is the first novel in the A Piece of Cake Mystery series, A Sheetcake Named Desire, published in 2011. This novel introduces the main characters and the central premise of the series, which involves mysteries often centered around a bakery or baking competitions. Reading this book first allows readers to understand the background and relationships that develop throughout the subsequent installments. It sets the stage for the cozy mysteries that follow.
Yes, it is recommended to read Jacklyn Brady's A Piece of Cake Mystery series in publication order. While some cozy mysteries allow for standalone reading, this series features recurring characters and an overarching narrative that benefits from chronological progression. Reading the books in order ensures a deeper understanding of the characters' personal lives, their relationships, and the subtle connections between the mysteries. The first book, A Sheetcake Named Desire, establishes the world and characters that readers will continue to follow.
Jacklyn Brady writes series, specifically the A Piece of Cake Mystery series. The books within this series feature recurring characters and a connected storyline, indicating that they are intended to be read as part of a larger whole. While the mysteries themselves might have self-contained plots, the overall character development and relationships are best experienced by following the books in their intended sequence. The series focuses on a particular setting and cast of characters.
Jacklyn Brady has written at least six books in the A Piece of Cake Mystery series. The available information lists five titles: A Sheetcake Named Desire (2011), Arsenic and Old Cake (2012), Cake on a Hot Tin Roof (2012), The Cakes of Wrath (2013), and Rebel Without a Cake (2014). An additional book is indicated but not specifically named in the provided list. This suggests a continuing series with more installments available.
The first book Jacklyn Brady wrote in the A Piece of Cake Mystery series is A Sheetcake Named Desire, published in 2011. This novel introduces readers to the charming world of bakery-themed mysteries and establishes the characters and setting that readers will come to know. It is the foundational story for the series, setting the tone and introducing the narrative style that defines Jacklyn Brady's work in this genre. Reading this book first provides the essential background for the subsequent novels.
The most recent book listed for Jacklyn Brady in the A Piece of Cake Mystery series is Rebel Without a Cake, published in 2014. The information also indicates that there is at least one more book in the series beyond those specifically named. However, without further details on titles or publication dates, Rebel Without a Cake is the latest confirmed entry. The series is characterized by its cozy mystery elements and baking themes.
Jacklyn Brady writes cozy mysteries. The A Piece of Cake Mystery series, her known body of work, falls under this genre. Cozy mysteries typically feature amateur sleuths, small-town settings, and relatively low levels of violence or gore, focusing more on puzzle-solving and character interaction. The titles and themes of her books, often involving cakes and baking, further align with the lighthearted yet intriguing nature of the cozy mystery genre.
Kelly Lane
Coming soon
Ginger Bolton
Coming soon
We verified the reading order for Jacklyn Brady's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: March 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Jacklyn Brady Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/jacklyn-brady