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Cooking the Books: A Corinna Chapman Mystery    by Kerry Greenwood Amazon.com order for
Cooking the Books
by Kerry Greenwood
Order:  USA  Can
Poisoned Pen, 2012 (2012)
Hardcover, Softcover
* *   Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth

Cooking the Books is a Corinna Chapman mystery by Kerry Greenwood. Greenwood is also the author of the Phryne Fisher series, a particular favorite of mine. I love Phryne's lifestyle. She is a female sleuth in 1920s Australia and her life is exciting, lavish and extravagant.

Corinna's, on the other hand, is full of hard work running her own bakery, Earthly Delights, specializing in breads. Her live-in love never fails to amaze her. He adores every ounce of her size 20 body and supports her in almost every way but financially.

Corinna is hired by a caterer to replace a baking chef during the filming of a TV series, helping to feed the actors and behind-the scenes personnel. She is a respected baker with a good reputation in the field but also an investigator when the occasion calls for her deductive skills.

When ill-conceived tricks are played on the leading lady (everyone would like to play tricks on this witch in high heels), Corinna is asked to discover the culprit. At the same time, a young woman loses some bearer bonds and her employers are harassing her. Boyfriend is asked to find the bonds. The witch also asks him to find her long-lost son.

Enough to keep anyone on their toes. Good thing, Corinna is on vacation and the bakery is closed. Other sundry incidents help to round out a delightful mystery. The characters (this is the sixth in the series) are a real delight as well as seemingly fashioned after live people whom you or I might know and like. Would love to sit in the garden on Corinna's roof's building and sip a cup of tea or possibly a gin and tonic. Give us more of Corinna, Kerry Greenwood.

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