• Earthly Delights

  • Corinna Chapman Mysteries, Book 1
  • By: Kerry Greenwood
  • Narrated by: Louise Siversen
  • Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (754 ratings)

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Earthly Delights  By  cover art

Earthly Delights

By: Kerry Greenwood
Narrated by: Louise Siversen
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Publisher's summary

Baking is an alchemical process for Corinna Chapman. At four am she starts work at Earthly Delights, her bakery in Calico Alley.

But one morning Corinna receives a threatening note saying "The wages of sin is death" and finds a syringe in her cat's paw. A blue-faced junkie has collapsed in the dark alley and a mysterious man with beautiful eyes appears with a plan for Corinna and her bread. Then it is Goths, dead drug addicts, witchcraft, a homeless boy, and a missing girl and it seems she will never get those muffins cooked in time.

With flair, chutzpah and a talent for kneading, Corinna Chapman will find out who exactly is threatening her life and bake some beautiful bread.

©1992 Kerry Greenwood (P)2013 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

What listeners say about Earthly Delights

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Don't know why I waited so long.

I have read and listened to all the Phryne Fisher novels and just didn't think another series by the same author could be so good. WRONG. This one is modern, lusty, funny, and again has a heroine who asserts herself and grows. If you have an aversion to the occult or good sex then stay away. Neither overpowers the story but are interwoven well. The narrator, Ms Siversen, does a great job with all the voices too. Looking forward to listening to more.

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27 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fun Australian Mystery Set in Modern Melbourne

Format: Audible Download/Kindle Whispersync

Although I also had this book on my Kindle, I ended up listening to most of this book for the sheer pleasure of the narrator's voice. Louise Siversin brings a warmth and enthusiasm to her reading of the first of the Corinna Chapman series that is positively infectious. It's in first person so Siversin's voice quickly became Corinna's in my mind.

Earthly Delights is the name of the bakery owned and run by Corinna Chapman. Named of course after the modern title given to the painting by Hieronymus Bosch, a copy of which hangs in her shop. And Corinna does indeed enjoy all of the earthly delights. Let me just say that she is not one of those heroines who will announce at some point that she is one of the lucky women who can eat what she wants and not gain an ounce. I particularly enjoyed the information about baking that is woven into the story.

Early one morning she opens the door to her bakery and discovers a junkie ODing on her grate. Thus begins an interesting and largely cheerful murder mystery involving Corinna, her co-tenants at Insula-- a Roman style apartment building with shops on the first floor and living spaces above, and bits of the Melbourne underworld.

It has some strong language, drug taking and sexual activity so if you are the type of person this would put off then this is not the book for you. It's not a cozy in that sense no matter what HK tried to tell you.

Oh, and who is Jade Forrester, the author whose books Corinna reads? I checked and she is a real author.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A Story of friendships, good food, and St. Kilda

What made the experience of listening to Earthly Delights the most enjoyable?

First it is important to know that the characters is this book are not at all like Kerry Greenwood's books featuring Phryne Fisher which I also enjoy, and for very different reasons than I like Earthly Delights. I loved the narrator for Earthly Delights, Louise Siversen's voice is low and soothing. I also enjoyed the characters. These are beautiful people whose beauty has more to do with intelligence, tolerance, and a determination to be cheerful in the face of petty annoyances, and rotten problems, without being insipid. They live in an old fashioned apartment building, called Insula after similar buildings in ancient Rome (the ancient originals more like tenements than this elegant building.Corinna has given up a very profitable career as an accountant, as well as a "profitable" husband and big house to move into Insula, and take the bakery on the first floor. Waking at four in the morning to bake fresh bread to fill orders for stores and restaurants and bake muffins for people on their way to work, is for her heaven. She tells us that she will never wear a kitten heel again. Being a very large person we can be happy for her. While she has her share of insecurities she is not confused about her ability to run a small business, and trust her own judgment. Her friends are fortunate in her friendship, and heaven help those she sees as enemies. Corinna needs all the good sense she owns when her before dawn work day isn interrupted by a young woman expiring of an overdose on a heating grate outside her shop door. Corinna calls medics, keeps the victim alive, and is roundly cursed for "stealing the young lady's high". However, from this rather nasty beginning Corinna meets strong Daniel, acquires a ragged assistant, and deals with a slander campaign that effects all of the occupants of the building.

What did you like best about this story?

Although the story is character driven, the world Kerry Greenwood describes is consistent from beginning to end. The listener/reader is not jerked out of the story by a character or plot point inconsistent with earlier descriptions. I liked the description of St. Kilda. Living in the eastern United States, I doubt my dream of visiting the city where these characters live will ever be in my budget, but after reading Kerry Greenwood's books I certainly wish it were.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are several. I love the garden upon the roof of the apartment building with its fish pool, benches and arbors, and its contrasts with the soup run, to make sure the homeless get one hot meal a day. Both of these scenes involve Daniel, whom the reader only knows as a dark mysterious stranger for a good bit of the book.

Who was the most memorable character of Earthly Delights and why?

Obviously Corinna is the most memorable because this is her story. I expect though the favorite character will depend upon the reader. My daughter's favorite of course is Daniel a man so beautiful that Corinna can't believe he wants to be with her. My favorite is the retired professor who listens with silence and empathy to those who tell him their problems. Of course loving realistic magic, I also like the the owner of Sybil's Cave. When Corinna needs practical help, she is always willing to help. Not all of her help involves spells.

Any additional comments?

This story is a cozy mystery, it deserves the name more than most. The Corinna Chapman stories act upon me like a soothing cup of tea, OK, more like a glass of white wine. I am going to buy as many of these audiobooks as they produce and save them for days when traffic is bad, people are cranky, and I have to do boring mindless tasks.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Take a good look at the book cover.

Any additional comments?

This book was definitely not for me. It started out very good but descended into something a bit too dark and twisted for my liking.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

BORING!!!

Would you try another book from Kerry Greenwood and/or Louise Siversen?

I so looked forward to reading this book and waited throughout for the mystery, what a bore!

Has Earthly Delights turned you off from other books in this genre?

No I love mysteries, but his was so amateur. The characters are boring and cartoonish. I'd run from anyone who appeared on my balcony like "an angel" , Creepy.

Did Louise Siversen do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

The narrator was the best thing about the book, but she didn't nail all of the characters.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Earthly Delights?

I would definitely have cut the cat love bits and the bath scent descriptions. On second thought, I would have suggested a complete rewrite.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Another great listen from Kerry Greenwood

I really enjoyed this book. It is a very different from her Phryne Fisher series. I really liked the down to earth feel of Corinna Chapman. I loved the fact that she is overweight and not only comfortable with it but still considered attractive and sexy. That is something not often seen in other books unfortunately. It is nice to see some more realistic and positive role models. I am familiar with Melbourne and enjoyed that aspect of it also. I would love her flat! The other supporting characters are interesting also. I felt the narration let the book down some what. Corinna is well done but most of the other characters less so especially the men, she made Jason and Daniel sound very slow witted and flat. I liked the pace and inflections otherwise. I did however buy the written book for the next one to see if I prefer it to the audio.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

For Cat Lovers and Bakers Only

It was o.k. the first time she mentioned how she made bread and what ingredients she used, but to have to repeat it more than once was boring. In fact, the book became so boring; and with so many other books that I haven’t read yet which are probably MUCH better than this one; I couldn’t finish the book.

I also found her discussion about Corinna Chapman's cats, in addition to the neighborhood cats, annoying after a while. It was as if the cats were the lead characters and the bread making and recipes were too.

The mystery was so slow that I did not even bother to finish the story which is unusual for me. I don't think I will ever select books by Kerry Greenwood unless they are free and I have nothing else to read.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not Phryne Fisher, but a nice "chick's" novel!

Would you consider the audio edition of Earthly Delights to be better than the print version?

I loved the accent of the narrator. But I enjoyed having the Kindle edition to look up some words unfamiliar to me (an American). The narrator tends to do male voices by lowering and slowing her normal voice. While I did not care for this at first, I got used to it and even enjoyed it after awhile.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Earthly Delights?

Can't say without spoiling it for other readers. But there are several nice surprises in the story!

What about Louise Siversen’s performance did you like?

Her accent.

Who was the most memorable character of Earthly Delights and why?

All I can say is that I wish I knew a "Daniel" in real life, haha!

Any additional comments?

I have read several reviews online that unfavorably compared this series to the Phryne Fisher books. No, this is not Phryne. But I would classify it as one might a "chick flick", but in audiobook form. It starts very slowly and I wondered where the story might be going. But soon, my curiosity was piqued as several mysterious situations began to develop, as well as a romance. The story should not be compared to Phryne Fisher. It is a totally different thing. I actually ended up liking it as an "easy listening" sort of book and will probably buy more. I will admit that there were a few parts during which I stopped everything I was doing so I would not miss a word! I doubt men would like this, but I think women who like cozy mysteries will like it. There's also interesting details about baking and bakeries in the story. One last thing is that "new age" philosophies and lifestyles seem to dominate the lives of most of the characters.While I did not really care so much for this, preferring a Christian consensus type of atmosphere, it WAS interesting and not too overboard.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

For bread bakers

I probably would have given this 3 stars but I love to bake bread. Starts off slow
, but picks up. I do like quirky characters and this had a few good ones.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

SUCH A BLISS

While jumping already to book 2, I am thrilled to express my joy of the story, having finally read about a chubby heroine ( my wish) and great voice actress. I should say well done everybody who had something to do with the story and the performance.

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1 person found this helpful