Heavenly Pleasures
A Corinna
Chapman Mystery
Kerry
Greenwood
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-426-0 (1590584260)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-426-2 (9781590584262)
Publication Date: June 2008
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Baker Corinna Chapman is happy with her life. Jason,
the former addict she rescued from her alleyway is shaping into a good
apprentice. And her beautiful Israeli lover, Daniel, though away for
the last couple of weeks, is as enchanting as ever.
Corinna has no intention of doing any more investigative work. At least
until she bites into what should have been a lovely violet cream
gourmet chocolate and instead finds a chili-filled catastrophe.
Corinna doesn’t want to see Juliet and Vivienne Lefebvre’s
chocolate shop, Heavenly Pleasures, shut down. And quite frankly, it is
just a crime to ruin those gorgeous chocolate confections. Is this
tampering part of an elaborate and horrible joke, or is it a warning
that worse may yet happen?
In the meantime, Daniel has returned bruised and battered from an
encounter with a so-called messiah. Is the messiah somehow involved in
this chocolate crime? And just who is the mysterious man who has moved
into the upper apartment?
Review: Kerry
Greenwood's second mystery featuring Melbourne baker Corinna
Chapman, Heavenly Pleasures,
is a hodge-podge of crimes, characters, and cats with a bit too much of
each the result being a less than satisfactory novel.
The mystery begins and ultimately ends in the building that houses
Corinna's business, Earthly Delights, and a number of other diverse
tenants including a self-proclaimed witch, a vegan who grows greens on
the rooftop, a wealthy elderly woman who has recently rented an
apartment, and a strange middle-aged man who will not talk with anyone.
Also in the building is a fantastic chocolate candy shoppe, Heavenly
Pleasures, owned by two sisters who make divine chocolates. Someone has
maliciously injected chilies into their new violet crème flavor.
Although not poisonous, it was certainly a crime and could drive
potential customers away from the shoppe, ultimately forcing the
sisters to close. What would this mean to the other small shoppes along
the street? Corinna’s lover, Daniel, a private investigator, is
asked to investigate. With Corinna’s assistance they are drawn
into other crimes taking place in the area. There is a self-professed
messiah taking advantage of young girls. A bomb has exploded in the
quiet man’s apartment where the authorities find him tied up but
alive. Corinna’s fifteen year old helper at the bakery, once an
addict, is beaten and drugs forced into his system. Corinna and Daniel
must get to the bottom of all this before it negatively impacts her
beloved bakery.
Most of the problem with Heavenly
Pleasures is with the character of Corinna. She comes off as
somewhat cold and aloof, hard and cynical. She loves to bake, she loves
cats, and she loves Daniel, although it's never quite clear what her
priorities are as on any given day she seems willing to give up one for
another. As with the first book in this series, Earthly Delights, there is no
discernable plot here and though attempts are made to infuse some humor
and make it more likeable, these efforts generally fall flat. The
supporting characters are undoubtedly intended to be unique and
memorable, but even this too largely fails to add depth and texture to
the book. All this is so much more disappointing as Greenwood is also
the author of the incredibly enjoyable Phyrne Fisher mysteries, a
series so different (and better) than this one that it's hard to
believe they are written by the same person.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Heavenly Pleasures and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Heavenly Pleasures? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Earthly Delights
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), June 2007
ISBN-10: 1-59058-393-0 (1590583930)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-393-7 (9781590583937)
Heavenly Pleasures
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), June 2008
ISBN-10: 1-59058-426-0 (1590584260)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-426-2 (9781590584262)
Devil's Food
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), May 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-428-7 (1590584287)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-428-6 (9781590584286)
Trick or Treat
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), October 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-532-1 (1590585321)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-532-0 (9781590585320)
Omnimystery keywords for Heavenly Pleasures ...
Location(s) referenced: Melbourne,
Australia.
