In This Edition of
The BookBrowse Review
Contents
Highlighting indicates debut books
Discussions are open to all members to read and post. Click to view the books currently being discussed.
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Short Stories
Essays
Poetry & Novels in Verse
Thrillers
Romance
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Biography/Memoir
History, Current Affairs and Religion
Literary Fiction
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Graphic Novels
Biography/Memoir
History, Current Affairs and Religion
| Critics: | |
| Readers: |
One husband, well done.
When infamous chef, restauranter, and television personality Maria Capello's husband died, the media circus was intense…and quick to cast the blame. Whispers claimed Maria murdered her husband to build her culinary empire on his bones, and that there was an all-too-grisly reason his body was never recovered. Yet for the past few decades, the Capello family maintained their stoney silence―until now.
Thea Woods has no idea why she was chosen to work with Maria on her sure-to-be-infamous memoir, but she doesn't question her luck. Spirited away to the Capello's rustic upstate farm, she's soon embroiled in the mystery―and cut off from the rest of the world. It should be the job of a lifetime, but something's not quite right with the close-knit clan, and Damien Capello isn't the only one to go mysteriously missing over the years. As the true story of Maria's past unfolds and the stench of rot hidden behind the kind coastal grandmother veneer rises, Thea finds herself trapped...and desperately afraid.
Because there are reasons why Damien's body was never found...and why, in over thirty years, Maria Capello has never revealed the secret ingredient in her most famous recipe.
"A tasty and wildly macabre story that foodies and horror fans will devour, probably in one big gulp...Valentine scatters an enjoyable assortment of recipes throughout the narrative that will tempt the reader into heating up the skillet." —Booklist (starred review)
"Deliciously dark...Valentine ratchets up the suspense, deploying all manner of horror tropes—including animals screaming in the woods and rustling footsteps in the house—to build a sense of dread...Suspense fans won't be able to put this down." —Publishers Weekly
Rated 
of 5
by
Marianne Vincent
delicious
The Dead Husband Cookbook is the fourth novel by American author, Danielle Valentine. The audio version is narrated by Lauryn Allman. After seventeen years as an editor at Hanes House Press, a stupid mistake has put Thea Woods in the bad books with CEO, Cassandra Hanes. But just when it looks like she’s about to lose her job, a reprieve: celebrity chef Maria Capello has insisted that Thea, and only Thea, edit her memoir.
It would be a coup for Hanes. Three decades earlier, Maria’s husband Damien disappeared. There was a suicide note, but there was also speculation that Maria might have murdered him. If the memoir reveals what really happened on the night Damien disappeared, it could make Thea’s career as an editor. And Thea has always been a devoted fan, thinking of Maria as the mother she wished she’d had.
Maria does have conditions that ultimately see Thea spending time at her home, The Farm, effectively in isolation: she has to hand in her cell phone, the wifi is off, and she gets the manuscript one chapter at a time: frustrating, but Thea doesn’t want to upset the prickly author.
Things at The Farm are a bit weird, though. Maria’s adult children aren’t happy about the memoir; the four-year-old granddaughter, barefoot and clad in a threadbare nightie, likes to sleep in the barn with the pigs; and, disturbingly, son Enzo’s girlfriend is the young woman Thea partially blames for the exposure of her career-threatening mistake.
Maria’s story is fascinating, and Thea hopes for a worthwhile reveal but when, much to the author’s annoyance, she does manage to do some research, not everything Maria has told her or written rings true. Is there anything in the grisly speculation about Maria’s secret ingredient?
She begins to have doubts, recalling Cassandra’s speculation: “it’s possible that she thinks she can write a version of the truth and you won’t question it too closely because you need a win. She might want to get a specific story out there for reasons of her own”, but exactly why she insisted on Thea is still a mystery.
This is a cleverly plotted, twisty tale, and the reader will find that, whenever it seems like they have all the facts about that night, there’s another wrinkle in the story. Secrets and lies abound, and some reveals are breathtaking. Oh, and there’s the bonus of some very delicious-sounding recipes. More from Danielle Valentine will be most welcome.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Profile Books Audio
Danielle Valentine is a pseudonym for the young adult novelist Danielle Vega. Her work, which includes The Merciless series and How To Survive Your Murder, has been optioned for film and television by Lionsgate and Warner Bros, and has been translated into dozens of languages worldwide. Danielle lives outside of New York City with her husband, daughter, and two ornery cats. Delicate Condition is her first adult novel.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
