Heavenly Pleasures

Second Outing for Corinna Chapman

Format: Audible Download/Kindle Whispersync for Voice

Heavenly Pleasures is the name of a Chocolate Shop run by a pair of sisters of Belgium extraction. They are located near Corinna Chapman's bakery and do very good business. Then Corinna finds out that they have been the focus of a series of unpleasant incidents involving their chocolates. Nothing dangerous, so far, so it is unlikely that they would be of interest to the police, and if the story becomes public knowledge then it might ruin their trade. They hire Corinna's partner (ex-Israeli soldier, current private eye) to try to find out who is trying to put then out of business.

This isn't the only mystery though around Insula, the Roman style building where Corinna has her bakery and apartment.

Corinna is intensely likeable with her whole-hearted enjoyment of the good things in life including bread, sex, chocolate and good company. The mystery is interesting enough; however, I really enjoy the cast of eccentrics who populate Corinna's world.

The narrator, Louise Siverson does an absolutely bang up job of reading this book. I couldn't imagine another voice as that of Corinna now.

I try not to read too many books in the same series in a row because I start to notice the authors little tics and twits. However, I got the first one (Earthly Delights) on a deal from Amazon/Audible and then had to buy the next two because I liked it so well. The following book (3rd) is Devil's Food.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Disappointing

Greenwood's Miss Fisher mysteries are smart, interesting and a bit naughty and always immensely enjoyable. This book, one of Greenwood's other series, is none of this; I've tried several times, but find the characters unappealing & uninteresting; the plot not worth my time. It's difficult to believe they were written by the same author.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Relaxing listen

Easy listen! Good for listening when you don't want any gore or other disturbing imagery.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great 2nd Book

Where does Heavenly Pleasures rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

among the highest

Who was your favorite character and why?

Corrina is my favourite character. She has a lot of personality and is a good, strong female character.

Which character – as performed by Louise Siverson – was your favorite?

Still Corrina, I think her voice appealed more than the others.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing extreme, it was a nice mystery novel.

Any additional comments?

I enjoy Corrina's comments on life as a plus-sized woman. She doesn't apologize for her size and gets on with her life.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Read 4 Out of Order -- Best of the Bunch!

I like this book best of the four in the series I've read so far! After Daniel solves a case, mysteries propagate like the heads of a hydra being lopped. A mysterious package may be a bomb forcing all tenants to evacuate. In the melee, a kitten is lost, and a new tenant is assaulted outside the building. An inmate (Daniel brought in) is acting possessed and terrorizing guards and fellow inmates alike. Daniel takes the job of solving the problems of a chocolate shop down the street whose ingredients are being tainted. A girl who worked there has disappeared and is being blamed by the owners in absentia, but the problems continue, and Daniel fears for her safety -- was she taken or did she run away from her own problems -- a Romeo and Juliet romance being thwarted by a father who wants to marry her off to an older man BY PROXY -- without both parties actually being present. A new tenant may be hiding out with crucial evidence in a case involving millions. Corinna thwarts a cat burglar, but his cohorts are two thug persuaders seeking to infiltrate the building. The bad guys go so far as to kidnap and drug Jason and leave him for trash. I love Jason and was furious! This book is chock-full of mysteries to solve and is never dull!

And an exemplary chess game!?

situational-humor, verbal-humor, family-dynamics, cats, law-enforcement, romantic, Australia

***** A deliciously busy book with an eccentric cast of characters and some frightening ones as well. There are mysterious new residents in the building, problems in the chocolate shop, a missing girl, a suspected bomb, major fraud, a chess game, and death threats. All that in addition to Senior Constable Lepidoptera White, Sister Mary, The Mouse Police, a rescue right out of Sir Walter Scott, and some really dim hired goons. Then there's all the humor. Of course I loved it!
The incredible voice actress narrating this wonder is Louise Siverson!

amazing

I seriously can not wait to get the next book these book continues to keep me on my toes I love it and I tell everyone about her books and to read them.

Not Phryne Fisher but very entertaining

It took me a couple of tries to get into Corinna after listening to the whole Phryne Fisher series. Perhaps because living in Phryne's world is just so much fun. I find the pacing of the books sometimes odd--sidetracks into unnecessary information that would be interesting if the forays were not so indulged. The reader is good, although I preferred the treatment of Moroe the witch in book 1. In book 2 Meroe had taken on a pronounced Hungarian accent, which with the deepness of the voice, overcomes the emotional range the reader had in book 1. Still Kerry Greenwood is a good storyteller and the stories an enjoyable listen. The characters feel rather stereotypical but I expect, as in Phryne, their humanness develops over the series.

Good story, uneven narration

A good follow-up to the opening book but why did the narrator decide to have Daniel, John and Mrs Dawson whispering all the time? Very disconcerting when others talked at normal levels. Almost shut it off several times but the story line kept me going. If she can't do men then she shouldn't be narrating. All the young boys sound the same too.

A fun story limited by the reading

What did you like best about Heavenly Pleasures? What did you like least?

I've read this book previously to buying the audiobook and enjoyed it very much. Its a fun, somewhat romantic, Australian whodunnit with lovely baking recipes.

What did you like best about this story?

The story

What didn’t you like about Louise Siverson’s performance?

Louise had difficulty performing the male voices. Instead of simply dropping her voice (or reading without trying to make her voice masculine) she added a nasal quality that made them all sound slow-witted - including the dashing and heroic Daniel. It is also distracting at first to become used to the distinct Australian twang of Louise's voice. I'm Australian - its not that. Stephanie Daniel, who reads Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher stories, has a much gentler Australian voice which can then extend from the laconic Aussie males to posh women with equal facility. I really wish Stephanie Daniel had read this series.

Do you think Heavenly Pleasures needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

There is already a series.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful