Quidquid Latine Dictum Sit, Altum Videtur

Being a "method reviewer", I woke up at 4 AM just as our amateur private investigator so often does, to tell you about this book Heavenly Pleasures by author Kerry Greenwood.  (Will be great practice for waking up on time stateside for the Royal Wedding coming up.)

No cheating or April Fool's here, as the auto-post feature doesn't seem to want to work around here. I will dutifully be taking a nap here very soon  and while I am waiting to drift off into dreamland I will be trying not to think about what practical jokes and what other possible nonsense may befall me today. (Last year's April 1st brought me the worst day of my life so I'm wary of the anniversary.)








In keeping with today's celebration of the slightly mischievous, this story begins with what seems to be a harmless injection of chili sauce into the pricey chocolates sold at a fine chocolatier shop. The shop, "Heavenly Pleasures", happens to be just down the way from the bakery owned by the story's heroine, Melburnian Corinna Chapman. Once an unfulfilled accountant, now a self-empowered small business owner and fortunate divorcee, the baker finds herself at the beginning of a stay-at-home adventure (Don't you just love those?) when she bites into one of the not-so-sweet treats gifted to her by her friend at the fancy candy shop.

 

We soon find out that this was not the only box tampered with and so there are fears that this ongoing prank might escalate from  a little chili or soy sauce into the precursor to "the secret's in the sauce".  Little does the perpetrator know that this woman and her lov-ah, a hunky and affectionate ex-soldier PI, are now quietly at work on the case and are not to be trifled with.  Meanwhile, Corinna and her neighbors, a lovely bunch of characters who make up this community of cat lovers living in charming Roman themed apartments, find themselves in the middle of another mystery which threatens to bring danger right to their doorsteps.

When meeting someone new, or in this case a new book, I try to suspend judgment as much as possible, but I do not discount first impressions.  I think if a book's cover didn't matter at all,  artists would not be paid to render images for them.  All books would be indistinguishable from the next, say with all hardcover copies still representing their contents with leather-bound bindings and gold leafed edgings and paperbacks meekly covered in nothing more than the simplicity of white paperboard à la J.D. Salinger.  I can't help but wonder, what were they thinking with the original cover art here?  The description of the chocolates and their packaging does not jive with the boxed confections stirring up all the drama in this book.  And the surrounding edifice and curtains aren't chic and they look like they belong in an old estate that keeps a musty old library where all the books are lonely and look the same.  This is not something I'd ever have picked up to read based on its aesthetics alone. 

I believe the author, who I imagine did not have anything to do with the selection of artwork, understands the importance of cover art. This is suggested when one of the many supporting characters, a naive and pretty young thing, ostentatiously carries around a Wiccan magazine with her when out and about to look cool.  The covers for her very different Phryne Fisher series are art deco in style, and in my opinion, you can't go wrong there. I'd carry those books around, and some I think would make ideal wall art.

The newer Heavenly Pleasures cover is not an eye sore.  It's also not quite right, either.  I'm not so sure that the phallic image of the chili is necessary, and I get that they are trying to be edgy but the book doesn't get all that steamy. (Fine by me as I thought the new couple's love for each other was really sweet.)  Quite the contrary, this is a book that I could recommend to my mom and even my wild woman grandma.  When the main characters get together we aren't privy to the most intimate details.  (I'm not much of a prude, and my mom isn't either, mind you.  My sister and I  do get a kick out of the shock factor that comes with explaining raunchy slang when it pops up on the TV or in movies.)

There is a goth club that is referred to and I am guessing a nod to scenes from the first book.  (Realized this was book #2 halfway through. I'm really sharp.)  There's also a lady that owns a leather and lace store and  there's some mention of bondage gear.  But all in all,  I found this story very tame. Things wrap up with some pages to spare, which is always much appreciated because the end of a book can be much like saying farewell to an old friend (especially if the book has only been on loan).  


The End:  

Without giving too much away, I can try to comment a little on this.  If you do not want to take a chance, skip to the next paragraph.  If you're curious, highlight the blocked text to view it.  The very last reveal was a little ridiculous to me at first, but then I remembered that some people really are in the dark as far as technology goes.

Once all of the mysteries are solved, you'll have to check out the recipes in the back.  There's orgasmic muffins, "adult" hot chocolate, and for onion lovers, french onion soup.  The Lit Chicks will be sure to give the recipes our prompt attention and supply a recipe and review accordingly.


Final Thought:   

I loved that she worked in the fact that chocolate in its raw form isn't sweet at all as you'd might expect, as we now have it all the time and take it for granted.   Life isn't sweet at all in its raw form either.   It can be and is very bitter.  You really have to to stop yourself along the way to reflect and learn how to  mold it into its best possible form.   You've got to work with what you've got, but the trouble is well worth it!