Kerry Greenwood's second book in the Corinna Chapman series is a fast and compelling read. Set in a slightly seedy area of Melbourne, Australia, is a building named Insula, which houses several floors of apartments, with businesses below, including Corinna's bakery. Her fellow residents are an array of odd but mostly lovable characters, including Jason, a 15-year-old former heroin addict whom she brought in to help her in the bakery in the first book of the series. He continues to prove himself as a creative baker. Corinna's new lover, Daniel, returns injured from a job in which he rescued a girl. New problems pile on as fast as bread comes out of the ovens: a nearby chocolate shop, named Heavenly Pleasures, run by two sisters, has had some of its chocolate tampered with, which is causing great problems with their customers. Daniel is asked to investigate. A girl, Selima, who works at the chocolate shop has been vindicated in the tampering, but suddenly disappears. Also, a couple of new tenants have moved into the building. One is a reclusive man, Mr. White, who came with little gear, and almost never leaves his apartment. A confident older woman, Sylvia Dawson, has also moved into the building. She is more gregarious, as well as able to weather problems: "Mrs. Dawson preserved her social smile, as I was sure she could do through tidal wave, earthquake, nuclear attack, or someone using the salad fork for their fish course. They made hostesses tough in the old days." This mystery is filled with similar turns of phrases that made me laugh aloud. Even when problems that the police can't fully share with them loom, or when danger is upon them, the residents rely on each other. And if one likes cats, kittens and more kittens, there is plenty of feline activity to enjoy vicariously.
I'm planning to keep with this series.
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