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78th out of 171 books
—
143 voters
Cooking the Books (Corinna Chapman #6)
Corinna Chapman, talented baker and reluctant investigator, is trying very hard to do nothing at all on her holidays. Her gorgeous Daniel is only intermittently at her side (he's roaming the streets tracking down a multi-thousand dollar corporate theft). Jason, her baking offsider, has gone off to learn how to surf. And Kylie and Goss are fulfilling their lives' ambition a
...morePaperback, 312 pages
Published
October 1st 2011
by allen & unwin
(first published September 28th 2011)
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I like this Australian author. I like the character of Corinna Chapman, baker extraodinaire. All too often, however, these books read like a defense of the over-weight and even a wish fulfillment romance.
Corinna is supposedly on vacation but is bored so she allows herself to be blackmailed into helping an old school chum who is catering for the cast & crew of a TV show pilot about a wedding planner. There are tensions in the kitchen and among the actors. Kylie and Goss, who help in Corinna's...more
Corinna is supposedly on vacation but is bored so she allows herself to be blackmailed into helping an old school chum who is catering for the cast & crew of a TV show pilot about a wedding planner. There are tensions in the kitchen and among the actors. Kylie and Goss, who help in Corinna's...more
Corinna and Daniel must follow a breadcrumb trail of nursery rhyme clues left by a crazy homeless former accountant who knows the location of some missing bearer bonds left by a bullied intern in a phone booth. The fact that none of the clues and been thrown or blown away after being tucked, sometimes days before, in public places was more unbelievable to me than the conceit that some one would actually leave them in the first place. One requires suspension of disbelief, the other suspension of...more
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Corinna Chapman, the less-than-svelte baker of bread, in this latest chapter in a long-running series, is supposedly on vacation (with Heavenly Delights closed as her apprentice is away learning how to surf) when she is “blackmailed” into helping out a school chum cater the film set of a TV pilot. Meanwhile, Daniel, her Israeli private detective lover, is preoccupied on a case involving a young girl who has lost $1 million of bearer bonds.
So the stage is set for each of them to solve a number of...more
So the stage is set for each of them to solve a number of...more
Another long-time buy-on-the-name writer in my library whose latest effort didn't excite me as much as the earlier ones. Maybe I have too high expectations by now. There did seem to be some loose ends and confusions in here - eg. Corinna the Baker is supposed to be baking bread for an old school acquaintance's catering firm on the site of a new soap's filming. Then she ends up making pastry as well. But the offsider assigned to her is already a trained if as yet unemployed pastry chef, so why is...more
After reading "A Troubled Man," "Cooking the Books" was a delightful interlude. It's short and sweet and a lot of fun. Better known for her Phryne Fisher series, Ms. Greenwood introduced Corinna Chapman six books ago. Corinna and Phryne are two very different characters. Phryne is svelte and glamorous. Corinna is - well - zaftig. She is a former accountant, now a successful baker. She is less concerned with her own looks and more about how well her bread will come out every day. She's also a plu...more
Cooking the Books is the 6th in Kerry Greenwood’s Corinna Chapman series. It’s January, and Corinna Chapman, baker and reluctant investigator, is on holidays. Her apprentice, Jason, has gone to the beach to learn to surf. Daniel is busy on a paper chase. Kylie and Goss have secured parts in a soap opera series, “Kiss the Bride”, being filmed at a Docklands studio. But Corinna is bored, and when her old school classmate and caterer, Thomasina, convinces her to assist, she finds herself (not quite...more
Corinna Chapman is taking a well deserved break from her bakery Earthly Delights when an old school friend begs her to help her with the catering on the film-set of Kiss the Bride. Reluctantly Corinna agrees to help out as it gives her a chance to keep a benevolent eye on Kyle and Goss, her bakery assistants, who have small parts in the soap opera. Corinna’s lover Daniel is involved in trying to track down some missing bearer bonds to save the job of a young woman who is training to be an accoun...more
My first mistake is that I have only read one book of this great series to date. Also, that I'm dreadfully out of order.
I really enjoyed this mystery novel of sleuth Corinna Chapman and her entourage. Corinna has put her bakery, Earthly Delights, on vacation to Corinna's discomfort. Corinna isn't really a vacation type of person. Her boyfriend, Private Investigator, Daniel, is busy on a new case trying to save a young accountants job as an intern at a somewhat shaky Accountancy firm.
Feeling some...more
I really enjoyed this mystery novel of sleuth Corinna Chapman and her entourage. Corinna has put her bakery, Earthly Delights, on vacation to Corinna's discomfort. Corinna isn't really a vacation type of person. Her boyfriend, Private Investigator, Daniel, is busy on a new case trying to save a young accountants job as an intern at a somewhat shaky Accountancy firm.
Feeling some...more
Cooking the Books is number 6 in the Corinna Chapman series by Kerry Greenwood (who also writes the Phryne Fisher 'lady' detective stories set in 1920s Melbourne). Corinna Chapman is a contemporary baker of ample size who loves her bakery, her partner, her cats, and most of her neighbours. She gets herself involved in various sticky situations by virtue of her own baking and social activities, and those of her partner, Daniel, a private eye who hails from Israel.
This instalment involves Corinna
...more
Kerry Greenwood's writing is always fun (and often comforting - very much an "all's right with the world" feel to it, and it's so refreshing to have such strong female characters in the lead). But the denouement to this one felt like a big let-down, not to mention silly and contrived.
The main problem I had was that a homeless character is given very shallow treatment: a deranged ex-banker (thus qualifying himself for our approval by being "one of us" originally - not like those *other* homeless...more
The main problem I had was that a homeless character is given very shallow treatment: a deranged ex-banker (thus qualifying himself for our approval by being "one of us" originally - not like those *other* homeless...more
It is summer in Melbourne, Australia and baker Corinna Chapman has closed her shop, Earthly Delights for a few weeks in order to have a vacation. That surely wouldn't work in my neck of the woods but it is a detail that reminds the reader that there are other exciting and different places in the world.
Amidst the hot northern wind that the Aussie's have no name for but many others do, like mistral, khamsin, sirocco or Santa Ana's mischief and mayhem is bound to occur because tempers get hot, peop...more
Amidst the hot northern wind that the Aussie's have no name for but many others do, like mistral, khamsin, sirocco or Santa Ana's mischief and mayhem is bound to occur because tempers get hot, peop...more
I had never heard of Australia mystery author Kerry Greenwood until I received the galley of Cooking the Books from Poisoned Pen Press through Net Galley. What a delight to discover a "cozy" mystery author who writes for an intelligent audience!
Our sleuth, Corinna Chapman is a plus-sized, witty baker extraordinaire and former accountant . Her breads are famous throughout Melbourne. She is asked to provide the baked goods for a catering company who is catering a television soap opera production s...more
Our sleuth, Corinna Chapman is a plus-sized, witty baker extraordinaire and former accountant . Her breads are famous throughout Melbourne. She is asked to provide the baked goods for a catering company who is catering a television soap opera production s...more
Corinna Chapman is on holiday and looking forward to spending time with her lover, Daniel. Her assistant Jason is off surfing and her sometimes helpers have gotten bit parts in a film/soap opera called Kiss the Bride. Corinna’s holiday is interrupted when she gets guilted into helping an old school mate do catering for the film production and Daniel gets offered a case to work on. Lena, an overweight accountant, has lost bearer bonds that her company wanted her to register and they are threateni...more
This has been one of the best of the Corinna Chapman mysteries yet - not so much for the mystery (which was a good one), but for the returning cast of characters, who just seem to keep getting better, and a new venue for the mystery - a TV studio. Corinna is asked to help an old friend who has a catering business and has the contract to supply food for the cast and crew during its production. Corinna and Daniel are dealing with multiple mysteries, actually, which take them on and off the TV prod...more
Jumping into a series 6 books in is usually a mistake, but here the characters are well-realized enough that the mid-stream start wasn't a problem. They include Corinna (the narrator) and her lover Daniel (who is Jewish and a private investigator), an array of obviously-recurring minor characters, and some characters specific to this book's plot.
And of course, there's baking. And evil accountants. Australia! And a lady and a tiger, too.
Other points to like: Corinna is fat (size 20, we are info...more
And of course, there's baking. And evil accountants. Australia! And a lady and a tiger, too.
Other points to like: Corinna is fat (size 20, we are info...more
Four and half stars
I fell upon this book (received from Netgalley, thank you) with glad cries.
Well, no, I opened the book on my Kindle looking forward to a light mystery, and within minutes was uttering glad cries. It started with the prefatory note, which includes the line "This whole book is a work of fiction. As is the city of Melbourne itself." Score.
Bigger score:
"He deserves to be remembered. He was Richard the Third's confectioner, a highly paid position. … He went with Richard to the ba...more
I fell upon this book (received from Netgalley, thank you) with glad cries.
Well, no, I opened the book on my Kindle looking forward to a light mystery, and within minutes was uttering glad cries. It started with the prefatory note, which includes the line "This whole book is a work of fiction. As is the city of Melbourne itself." Score.
Bigger score:
"He deserves to be remembered. He was Richard the Third's confectioner, a highly paid position. … He went with Richard to the ba...more
2 likes · like · see review
I like to call these "popcorn" books, because, like a bowl of popcorn, you can sit down and consume the whole thing as a snack. It ain't literature, and it isn't even a particularly good mystery, but it goes down pretty easy.
I would echo some of the other complaints reviewers had about this book. Too much obsession with being overweight and too much obsession with the Daniel character. The ending is a little too contrived and the characters too broad.
After all the Phryne Fisher books, with the...more
I would echo some of the other complaints reviewers had about this book. Too much obsession with being overweight and too much obsession with the Daniel character. The ending is a little too contrived and the characters too broad.
After all the Phryne Fisher books, with the...more
What a delight. I fell about laughing reading this book. It’s a light hearted, easy reading piece of fun especially for those of us who don’t enjoy contemporary chick-lit type humour and prefer a little dry wit instead. Kerry Greenwood has written a modern mystery series set in Melbourne starring a plump ex-accountant who bakes beautiful bread and loves good food. Greenwood shares some of the recipes at the end of the book which is an added attraction. This is the fourth or fifth in the series;...more
I deeply adore Greenwood's Australian series, but this was not her best. One of the high points of Greenwood's Melbourne setting in this series is the bizarre building that Corinna lives in, along with the equally bizarre tenants. Compared to previous novels, these characters were almost completely absent, and the story just isn't the same without them. However, Greenwood still remains one of my favorite authors (I prefer the Phryne Fisher series) and despite its faults, this still had the charm...more
What an incredibly intelligent cozy! Since joining a group on Goodreads which is focused on female mystery writers, I have greatly increased the number of cozies I have been reading. Ninety-five percent of them make me want to gouge my eyes out with their sticky sweet storylines. The characters in this book were likeable and well developed.
Criticisms I would have for this book would be that due to the extensive character development, I found myself lost because I read them out of order. This is...more
Criticisms I would have for this book would be that due to the extensive character development, I found myself lost because I read them out of order. This is...more
I really enjoyed this mystery novel of sleuth Corinna Chapman and her entourage. Corinna has put her bakery, Earthly Delights, on vacation to Corinna's discomfort. Corinna's holiday is interrupted when she gets guilted into helping an old school mate do catering for the film production and Daniel gets offered a case to work on. Corinna is an interesting character, an overweight ex- accountant who became a successful baker. She and Daniel have a wonderful relationship and they work together well....more
Kerry Greenwood always writes an entertaining book and the Corinna Chapman books are no exception. I laughed out loud in several places just because the writing cracked me up. Corinna and her staff are on holiday. Jason has gone off to learn surfing; Goss and Kylie have gotten work on a soap opera, filming in Melbourne and, by chance, Corinna ends up baking for the cast and crew of "Kiss the Bride." Intrique follows as both Corinna and her boyfriend, Daniel, investigate separate cases. I adore a...more
I have been a fan of Kerry Greenwood Miss Fisher Mysteries and now am really enjoying her Corinna Chapman series. Being Australian it is nice for a change to be able to read a mystery where you can identify with the places. Corinna is also a real woman, not afraid of her curves and a pretty smart lady. In this book I love the references to nursery rhymes and their history to help solve clues towards one of the mysteries in the book. As a cat lover I loved the section in the book about the tiger....more
Jul 17, 2012
Margaret
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who like chic lit or cosey mysteries
The latest Corinna Chapman novel was really good. Written at a time when Kerry was consulting on the Miss Fisher Mysteries, "Cooking the Books" is mostly set in a television studio. Kerry has a sharp eye and has the cast and crew of the fictional soap "Kiss the Bride" are incredibly well drawn.
As befitting a book set in the world of a TV soap opera, "Cooking the Books" is somewhat soapish in its plots this time around.
Though the recurring theme of workplace bullying is extremely well handled in...more
As befitting a book set in the world of a TV soap opera, "Cooking the Books" is somewhat soapish in its plots this time around.
Though the recurring theme of workplace bullying is extremely well handled in...more
The series continues to be entertaining although I will admit this is not my favorite in the series. This is probably more a personal issue than otherwise. I am neither a TV watcher or movie fan and my interest level for those kinds of settings and characters is probably much lower than most readers. I liked the tiger and tiger handler better than any of the other characters.
I did enjoy the slight change of pace created by Corinna being on 'vacation' from her own bakery and filling in with a cat...more
I did enjoy the slight change of pace created by Corinna being on 'vacation' from her own bakery and filling in with a cat...more
I used to really enjoy this Corinna Chapman series, but I am becoming disillusioned with Corinna and her hefty size 20. The book swelters with all the food, and causes me to run to the kitchen and chow down. I enjoyed most of the characters, but the ending with twins separated at birth stretches the story, a little. The beautiful building Insula played a very uneventful role in this novel, as well as the other inhabitants of Insula. The story dragged from day to day at the studio, a seemingly po...more
Very disappointing way to end this series in which I have found the books to be somewhat inconsistent. The fifth book, Forbidden Fruit, was delightful, full of the characters we have come to know, and although the storyline was, as always, a little hard to believe, all was forgiven in the telling.
Cooking the Books however, failed to deliver. Not only were the residents of 'Insula' almost entirely missing from the storyline, the plot was beyond belief - far far too much reliance on coincidence an...more
Cooking the Books however, failed to deliver. Not only were the residents of 'Insula' almost entirely missing from the storyline, the plot was beyond belief - far far too much reliance on coincidence an...more
Corinna is supposed to be enjoying a break from Earthly Delights during the heat of a Melbourne summer, Jason has gone surfing, the girls have had success with a television pilot audition and her beloved Daniel is chasing down some bearer bonds stolen from a bullied intern by a cryptic homeless man. Bored, Corinna agrees to an old school friend's desperate plea for help catering to a television soap opera, 'Kiss the Bride', coincidentally the same show Kylie and Goss will be appearing in. Corinn...more
I just don't like the Corinna Chapman series as much as Greenwood's Phryne. I finally gave all my copies away, and this is the first CC book that I haven't read first - a friend loaned it to me.
That being said, a lot of the things that bug me about this series were less pronounced in this book. I didn't overtly hate it, but I'm not sure I'd bother reading it again.
I did get a little twinge of sadness when Corinna goes to Reader's Feast for a book. But that's a Melbourne thing.
That being said, a lot of the things that bug me about this series were less pronounced in this book. I didn't overtly hate it, but I'm not sure I'd bother reading it again.
I did get a little twinge of sadness when Corinna goes to Reader's Feast for a book. But that's a Melbourne thing.
Corinna is on holidays. Ends up baking bread and working as pastry chef for a school "friend" who is catering for a TV pilot. Intriguing mysteries to be solved there. And meanwhile Daniel is asked to find some bonds and uncovers shady businessmen.
A sharp yet comfortable mystery story in which there are many happy and satisfactory revelations. The good guys are calm and civilised and the bad guys, on the shady side of normal. An excellent instalment.
A sharp yet comfortable mystery story in which there are many happy and satisfactory revelations. The good guys are calm and civilised and the bad guys, on the shady side of normal. An excellent instalment.
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Kerry Greenwood was born in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray and after wandering far and wide, she returned to live there. She has a degree in English and Law from Melbourne University and was admitted to the legal profession on the 1st April 1982, a day which she finds both soothing and significant.
Kerry has written twenty novels, a number of plays, including The Troubadours with Stephen D'Arcy,...more
More about Kerry Greenwood...
Kerry has written twenty novels, a number of plays, including The Troubadours with Stephen D'Arcy,...more
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