Synopsis: 'Corinna Chapman’s bakery and her boyfriend both come under siege. Corinna is understandably upset when a “hot bread shop” opens just down the street in Melbourne from Earthly Delights. The chain store’s product is inferior to hers, but its prices much cheaper. Even more upsetting is the “old friend” who’s come to visit Corinna’s lover Daniel: stunning blonde Georgiana, who apparently has her eye on both Daniel and Earthly Delights. Meanwhile, seemingly ordinary people are going crazy and jumping off buildings in the neighborhood. The police close all shops serving food when they discover that an ergot fungus is the cause. All Corinna’s friends from Insula, the unusual Roman-style apartment house where she lives, rally round to provide comfort to the stricken Earthly Delights bakers, who fear that bad rye mistakenly delivered to but not used by them is the source of the ergot. Corinna’s friend, the powerful witch Meroe, has her own troubles; she doesn’t approve of the carryings-on by some of the Wiccans gathered in Melbourne for Samhain celebrations. Daniel, a private investigator, is pursuing treasures stolen by Nazis from the Jews of Greece, and the case heats up when several valuable pieces turn up underwater at the witches’ camping area. As the two plots converge, Corinna and Daniel combine their sleuthing abilities to identify the fiendish malefactor. Working a case loosely based on a true story, Corinna and her friends are as delightful as ever, the killer a surprise and the appended recipes a treat.'
Review: This was a very interesting look at Wicca. It makes me want to know more.

This all felt a little bit messy. Too many plot lines that all got a bit crossed. I love the regular characters (though I’m disappointed that SC Letty White only survived the first two books before disappearing with no explanation) but this story felt a little rushed and a little forced at the end. ( )

Australia, poisons, war-booty, witches, friendship, greed, investigation

Another delightfully complex mystery with Corinna, Daniel, and the characters who live in the building known as Insula. The investigations are into people poisoned with what seems to be LSD, a megalomaniac who claims to be the King of Witches and a ceremony, unusual WW2 booty from Greece showing up locally in Australia, and a few other things. Addictive series!
Louise Siverson is absolutely fantastic in voice interpretation of the interesting characters! ( )

I always like spending a little time with Corinna Chapman and cohorts in Melbourne and imagining I can smell the wonderful breads, muffins and other goodies she bakes up in her bakery Earthly Delights as the mystery rises and comes to fruition. ( )

In the fourth book of this series baker Corina Chapman is having a tough time with a competitor opening up shop a few doors away from her business and her boyfriend inviting a long-legged, beautiful woman to stay with him. If that’s not enough it seems there might be some extra-nasty drugs being sold nearby that are sending people mad.

Do you have a friend who you’ve known for ages and whose family gatherings you are automatically invited to? And does this friend’s family delight you with its eccentric members and good-heartedness although you can see how it might be less delightful to be related to them than to drop in (and out) when it pleases you? I do have a friend like this but I have to say that the gang in the Corina Chapman series are nearly as much fun to visit as her family. Corina is funny, socially conscious and a highly credible reluctant amateur detective, her boyfriend is a former Israeli soldier who does a nice line in romantic gestures and in this outing her friend the white witch and an ex drug-addict turned apprentice baker feature heavily. They’re all, along with the rest of the residents of the Insula apartment building, great characters.

I often think, at the start of these books, that I’m just going to revel in the characters and not worry too much about the invariably slightly-odd story but I always get engaged by the deft way in which the subjects are handled. This one features a couple of story lines that are both intriguing and well researched and, in combination with the clever and amusing writing style round out a terrific reading experience. If you’re into ‘cosies’ you’ll love this book and if you’re looking for something a little light but still intelligent and witty then I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Sure it’s a little fantastical but a happy ending every now and again is just what my doctor ordered. ( )