Title: Cooking The Books {Corinna Chapman #6}
Author: Kerry Greenwood
Published: Allen & Unwin Australia Oct 2011
Synopsis: 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 auditioning for a soapie. It should be a time of quiet reflection for Corinna but quiet reflection doesn’t seem to suit her – she’s bored.Scenting a whiff of danger, Corinna accepts an offer from a caterer friend to do the baking for the film set of a new soap called ‘Kiss the Bride’. The soapie in which Kylie and Goss have parts. Twists and turns and complications that could only happen to Corinna ensue involving, bizarrely, nursery rhymes and a tiger called Tabitha.While on the other side of town, a young woman is being unmercifully bullied by her corporate employers – employers who spend a lot of time cooking the books
Status: Read from November 26 to 27, 2011
My Thoughts:
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. Corinna would prefer to simply observe from behind the kitchen counter but when the shows’ storyline is eclipsed by the drama behind the scenes she can’t help but be interested and finds herself involved in the search for a spiteful prankster, uncovering the identity of a long lost child and taming an anchovy loving tiger named Tabitha.
I always enjoy reacquainting myself with Corinna, a comfortably plus size baker who owns a bakery named Earthly Delights. These mysteries have their own unique rhythm and tone with interesting characters and quirky twists and turns.
This particular installment is a little more absurd than most with several plot lines worthy of the daytime soap opera Corinna is catering for. It’s fun though and I particularly enjoyed Corinna finally telling ‘Superbitch’ off and even the resolution was ridiculous it somehow worked.
I also found the nursery rhyme riddles both amusing and educational – who knew that the silly ditties we sing as children had such political meanings?
One of the things I admire about the series is it’s definite sense of place. Readers familiar with Melbourne, Australia, will enjoy Daniel and Corinna’s hunt around the city landmarks and commiserate with their experience of the changeable summertime weather.
Cooking the Books is an entertaining read and a pleasant addition to the series which as always includes some delicious sounding recipes on the last pages – I think the Gyngerbrede will probably wind up on my table this Christmas.
Available to Purchase
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Book’d Out 
Sounds interesting although not the type of book I would normally ready you have my interest and I may have to put it on my wish list.
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I wasn’t going to start this series until I was caught up on the Phryne Fisher series, but I haven’t read one of those in ages so maybe I should start this series.
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I could never get into the Phyrne Fisher mysteries – I much prefer this series
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