Customer Reviews

Earthly Delights: a Corinna Chapman Mystery

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found Earthly Delights at a local book store and read it on a rainy summer Sunday. It was wonderful. The mystery was solid, the writing was good and the characters are captivating. Actually the characters are the best thing about the book. You really like Corinna and her neighbors. (I would love to live in that building.) I ordered the 2nd book (Heavenly Pleasures) that night and liked it so much I am currently waiting for the next 3 books to arrive. If you love a good mystery, great characters and bread (did I mention Corinna is a baker) you will love this book!

An enjoyable first book in a cosy detective series. Too many mystery/crime novels set in modern Australia are hard core/violent/just plain realistic. This series has a charmingly eccentric setting, a likeable main character, and many cats.

Set in an idealised but recognisable Melbourne, and looking at the benefits and problems involved, our heroine lives in an amusing apartment building with suitably eccentric residents. While looking at crime and poverty in a modern city, there is still proper attention paid to the important things such as baking, cooking, eating, and spending time with friends and cats.

The covers of the American editions are awful. Why did the publishers feel the need to change them? The original Australian covers are in bold colours with simple pictures, these ones look like they're set in some northern English inner city terrace, there is no sun or light or anything. Some of the Australian covers are available on amazon uk, so get them instead.

The product description captures the story dead on. My initial response to reading the description was that there couldn't posibly be a reasonable storyline with such an assortment of characters; but I have such fond memories of the months I spent in Melbourne that I simply couldn't pass on the opportunity to trigger old memories with familiar references.

In short, I underestimated the author! I am not only pleasantly surprised, but downright delighted at how the author weaves such a solid, believable story from such a diverse cast of characters. Corinna is inspirational on so many levels. The friendship that develops between Jason and Corinna is most inspiring.

Thoroughly enjoyable read!

I have read all the Corinna Chapman books that are available in the U.S. (currently up to Forbidden Fruit) and I just love them. The mysteries are fun, even if the resolution is an improbable collection of unlikely coincidences. I don't mind that at all, as it is the unfolding relationships of the characters that makes these stories so enjoyable. I love all the quirky characters and I enjoy the fantasy of the perfect, delicious Daniel. I am a pet-lover, so I also enjoy the cat characters which are rather prevailent. Greenwood is a bit of an intellectual, referencing Greek mythology, history, literary archetypes, and poetry. Some reviewers have referred to this as smugness, but I never felt it was overly erudite or annoying. In fact, I sensed that this was a bit of a wink to the reader from Greenwood as all the references are kind of funny in how they are woven into the mystery.

I certainly wish my neighbors were so interesting, so well-mannered, so varied in their lifestyles and hobbies, and involved in wacky mysteries all the time. Who wouldn't enjoy heading to a roof top garden (that you dont have to work on!) for a gin and tonic with your fascinating friends every day? I found these books when my own life was stressful and tedious, so escaping into this light, fun series was a soothing delight, like enjoying some comfort food.

This looks to be a great series by the wonderful author of the Phryne Fisher series. Corinna is more mature, down to earth, and modern than Phryne, not as big a leap from my world, but perhaps just as foreign for a delightful escape. Kerry is insightful but not too judgmental about society, but most of all she really has fun with her characters. Like the Phryne Fisher series, this one seems to be introducing the characters for more adventures, but every bit of this book is a joy to read. How can dealing with murders, junkies. and all manner of evil be uplifting, refreshing and fun? The main characters have their flaws but have wonderful attitudes and would make great friends. Give it a try and I think you will agree. I must admit the end seems a little bit thrown together to knot everything up, but it works. It was a great ride getting there and promises even more enjoyment in future books.