I do enjoy a crime novel that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and Kerry Greenwood’s Just Desserts is exactly that sort of book.

It’s witty, a little bit cheeky, and full of characters who seem to have plenty to say for themselves.

We’re back with Corinna Chapman at her Melbourne bakery, Earthly Delights, where the bread and muffins are coming out of the oven and life ought to be fairly straightforward. Of course, it isn’t. Trouble centres around the apartment building where Corinna lives, a property developer, missing boys, and danger closer to home than anyone would like.

What I enjoy about Greenwood is that she never forgets the people while she’s working through the mystery. Corinna has a wonderful collection of friends and neighbours, and their conversations are often just as entertaining as the investigation. Something is always happening, whether it’s a problem to solve, a meal to share, or somebody behaving outrageously.

It’s also refreshing to have a central character who’s a baker, not another exhausted detective with a disastrous private life. Corinna is capable, amusing, and very much her own person. She can get involved in trouble and still appreciate the importance of a decent breakfast.

Don’t pick this up expecting a dark, complicated thriller. That’s not what Greenwood is offering, and I don’t think it needs to be. The pleasure is in the humour, the familiar faces, and a story that rolls along without demanding too much of you.

This is the final Corinna Chapman novel, which makes it a particularly nice one for longtime readers to have on the shelf. I’m sorry there won’t be more.

For me, Just Desserts is a witty, fun, light read. Exactly the sort of book to take away for a weekend, or read when you simply want to be entertained.