FORBIDDEN FRUIT

A talented baker and her circle of unusual friends find themselves with a puzzle to solve that echoes many of the features of a much earlier Christmas story.

Earthly Delights is the bakery where Corinna Chapman, a perfect size 20, turns out wonderful bread and where her assistant Jason is the wizard of muffins. The latest assignment for Corinna’s private-eye lover Daniel is to locate Brigid, the pregnant daughter of a wealthy couple. The religious convictions of Brigid’s mother made her life and her sister’s tightly circumscribed until Brigid ran off with Manny, one of the family gardeners. Though Corinna is not fond of either Christmas or the scorching Melbourne summer, there’s no lack of diversions this time. She and several of her friends in Insala, the Roman-style apartment house they call home, get sucked into the adventures of some singing vegans temporarily staying in Insala, a troupe of freegans who are a big help in Daniel’s search, and Serena, a rosewater muffin-loving donkey whose owner thinks Corinna’s friend Meroe is a black witch. Following some wild chases through the streets in search of the missing pair, Corinna, Daniel and company must solve an unpleasant puzzle before anyone can have a happy holiday.

Like Corinna’s earlier adventures (Trick or Treat, 2009, etc.), this episode is cleverly written and chock full of charming characters, interesting puzzles and luscious descriptions of food with appended recipes.