Al Dente’s Inferno earns 5/5 Italian Delights...Entertaining Cozy Fun!

First-in-a-series treat! American chef Nell Valenti is offered a chance to transform a Tuscany villa into a farm-to-table cooking school, but it’s more rundown, ok more like dilapidated, than expected, and Chef Claudio, Nell’s culinary hero, may be quite a challenge. Buon Appetito! Stephanie Cole has penned a delightful new series in a first-person narrative sharing Nell’s perspective giving me a vicarious role in the drama. Cole’s writing style was very entertaining filled with descriptive language of the dreamy Italian countryside, the villa, and cuisine and expressive dialogue adding humorous interactions and illustrating the various personalities and tone of the drama. However, I found the use of Italian phrases may have provided authenticity, but was overused and often without some assistance understanding its meaning; fortunately with the digital copy I was able to highlight and translate most incidents. The murder mystery was engaging with a karma-approved victim, plenty of suspects and motives, well-written discovery of clues, and a final conclusion that had tentatively been on my radar midway through the story...but the murder occurred later in the story than I prefer. The characters are fun, some quirky, but more background and connections would have provided a clearer picture; I like Nell, her snarky repartee, and see an enjoyable personal journey in the future. Bonus, of course! An easy-to-follow recipe for Peroni al Forno Ripieni di Ricotta (Baked Peppers Stuffed with Ricotta) with helpful Tips and Secrets. I did enjoy the book, and look forward to more from Nell.

With the setting this book was in and the very unique idea of a chef going around developing different cooking schools for various areas, I was excited to read and love it, but I have to be honest and say that I was disappointed. The use of too much Italian really put me off for one thing. I've read books before where a language is simply sprinkled in for a nice, local feel, but this was a bit of an overkill. There seemed like a lot going on at once, and I felt confused quite a bit. I couldn't quite warm up to any of the characters like I normally do within the first few pages of cozies that I rate much higher. Even Nell's dad--and usually I love silly dad characters--fell short. I felt like I never quite understood just who these sisters were that came in to get the house more ready for filming...nuns or actual sisters to Rosa, who I think might have been a nun. A little more background on some characters would have been nice. I hope I'm not the only one who missed the boat on the sisters!

I enjoyed the occasional humor like the car ride in the little Ape. Pete and Nell made a nice sleuthing team, but at some points, again being honest, I stopped being interested in who offed the guy, because I hadn't really liked him to begin with, but I did want to see how Nell caught the person. That was a plus point, at least someone nice wasn't killed. I hadn't guessed the killer, so that was good. I may or may not give the second book a read. Again, I love the premise and Tuscany setting.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

When Nell is given the chance to move to Tuscany to help establish a farm-to-table cooking school, she jumps at the opportunity, especially because it will give her the chance to work with one of her favorite chefs. When she arrives, however, she is dismayed to learn that the villa will need major work to accommodate a cooking school, and Chef is oblivious to the situation. Add to that the arrival of a group of local VIPs and a filmmaker sent to feature and promote the school, and Nell is ready to admit defeat and return home. When one of the film crew is found murdered and Chef disappears, she sets out to prove that her beloved Chef might not be what she expected, but he is not a killer.

I love reading cozy mysteries whose focus is food and cooking/baking, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I found the book to be slightly disappointing. The biggest drawback for me was the frequent use of Italian words and phrases that weren't translated or defined. While that might work for those who speak Italian, it left holes in the story for me, and I eventually just stopped caring.

In addition, there were too many characters to keep track of, especially those whose stories weren't completely fleshed out – many of the dinner guests, the nuns and even some of the villa's staff. I did suspect the character who was ultimately revealed as the killer, but not as quickly as other readers might come to the same conclusion. I'm intrigued enough by some of the relationships begun in this book to read the next in the series, but with lower expectations than I had going into this book.

Al Dente’s Inferno is the first book in Stephanie Cole’s new Tuscan Cooking School Mystery series. Murder, mystery and a bit of romance are all lurking on the Tuscan countryside.


Chef Neil has found herself in a unique position of being able to help open a cooking school with her idol of a chef. Neil gets more than she bargained for while trying to start this farm to table is cooking school. Neil is a hard worker with a deep sense of pride. She’s knowledgeable in what she does, and seems to handle stress better than most. But opening a cooking school and solving a murder are two completely different things.


Al Dente’s Inferno introduces readers to a beautiful setting within the Tuscan countryside. It was very easy to imagine the kitchen in which they were cooking and the olive fields outside of the house. I honestly could almost smell garlic if I tried hard enough. Along with a colorful, charismatic and tight knit group of characters Neil uses her power of observation along with a little bit of nosiness to try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Al Dente’s Inferno had the potential to be an exceptional read, however I found a few hiccups along the way. The amount of actual Italian used in the book made it very hard for me to read. Using a word or two here or there is not an issue but when you are using full phrases and several sentences at a time, anyone who does not have an understanding of the language is going to have a hard time. I do think the use of the Italian language to give the book a more authentic feel however for myself It was almost too much and began to take away from the entire feel and mood of the book. I also felt that some of the characters were almost too much of a mystery. The characters that we got to know were very enjoyable but there is a cast we still know little about. Neil, Pete and Chef were amazing and I felt like it was because we really got to know them. Stephanie Cole has a good foundation with the start of the series. I am hoping through the next book that we will actually get to know the characters a little more, the language barrier is not so high and the story will flow a little more evenly.

3.5 out of 5
AL DENTE’S INFERNO is the first in the new Tuscan Cooking School Mystery series by Stephanie Cole. I love the premise of this cozy mystery in which the protagonist, Nell Valenti, packs up and moves to Tuscany to help establish a cooking school for a famous Italian chef. The author provides lovely descriptions of the country and its delightful food, enticing the reader to visit. Ms. Cole also inserts pockets of humorous moments plus dialog that zings with laugh-out-loud repartee. There are several well-developed characters that keep the reader entertained with their antics. And the mystery itself is well thought out with suspects to keep the reader guessing. Al Dente’s Inferno has all the ingredients for a great read but somehow falls a bit short with the overuse of the Italian language, especially where the phrases aren’t translated or the meaning isn’t obvious. While the use of foreign language may add a feeling of authenticity to the setting, for me it slowed the pace of the story down too much. I’ll definitely try the second book in the series when it’s released with the hope that the flow will be better.

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.75 stars

A debut mystery by Waiting for God actress Stephanie Cole. The main character is a chef with celebrity pop psych parents (think Dr. Phil). Nell has flown to Tuscany to help set up a cooking school at one of her chef/role model/hero's Italian estate.

Things aren't exactly as they seem -- the estate AND the chef are a little tired around the edges, and to add insult, she finds out that an ex-boyfriend is arriving any minute to shoot footage for a documentary.

But she is drawn to the beautiful Tuscan countryside, the quirky but appealing cast of characters at the villa, and also perhaps to the chef's handsome and kind son. Nell must hit the ground running, and she and the crew are able to magically transform the villa for a spectacular dinner to present the idea of a cooking school. All goes well until the chef disappears before the main course and the filmmaker is found dead by the fountain.

I found the beginning a little awkward and under-edited, but the narrative flowed smoothly and I was soon drawn into the story and the characters. I would happily read another to catch up with Nell and her co-horts. Thanks to Net Galley and to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A great start to a new series!
Likable and realistic characters, a fantastic setting, a story so good it keeps you turning the pages. And the food!
This is one book that's not to be missed.

If you’re looking for a new culinary mystery series, you may want to pick up the first installment of the Tuscan Cooking School Mysteries by Stephanie Cole. The first book, Al Dente’s Inferno introduces Nell Valenti, whose career as a professional chef, as well as her love life are not the best, so she jumps at the chance to move to Tuscany and transform an old villa into a state-of-the art cooking school for a world-renowned chef, Claudio Orlandini. Nell learns that her previous boyfriend has also come to Tuscany to film what is going on at the villa. Unfortunately, he is murdered, and since the chef is the number one suspect, Nell must find the real murderer or she’ll be out of a job.

Cole’s good storytelling skills are evident in this novel, and while introducing characters, she does a good job of developing them into believable people. Nell’s command of the Italian language isn’t very good, but she’s saved by Orlandini’s son, Pete, who was educated in America and has excellent English. There are dozens of Italian phrases throughout, which are translated the first time they are used, but then when used again, readers are expected to remember what they mean; this may be helpful to some, but confusing to others. Italian isn’t the easiest language to master, and the way it’s used in this novel may make it difficult for some readers to understand. There are mouthwatering references to food throughout the novel, but the recipe at the end isn’t for any of the ones made famous by Chef Orlandini and isn’t the one that the readers most likely want (most readers actually want several recipes).

All told, this is a cute series with a likeable protagonist. Fans of culinary mysteries will enjoy this new series, and will anticipate the next installment.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This debut cozy Mystery has a nice Tuscan, Italy setting in a vineyard. When Chef Nell Valenti moves there from the U.S. to help revive Italian Chef Claudio’s image, she’s unprepared to find a rundown old villa and a Chef who forgets how to cook.

I figured out the murderer before halfway through the story so the mystery is somewhat weak. While I feel some of the characters were people I could grow to like; the frequent use of foreign language was difficult for me to understand. There is some humor sprinkled throughout which I enjoyed. Overall, I simply had problems connecting to the storyline and characters. Recipes included.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishers for an honest review. Thank you.

A solid cozy mystery, perfect for anyone who loves food or travel to curl up with. The scenes of the Italian countryside were absolutely wonderful, and the characters were delightful. Can't wait to read the next installation in the series.

Interesting premise with good mixture of unique and expected character types within a culinary mystery set in Italy. Will look forward to the next one!

This story had more cliches in it than you can shake a stick at.

A cozy mystery involving a murder by bludgeoning. The victim was Nell's former boyfriend. There were a lot of Italian phrases in the conversation and descriptions and often there was not a translation. One has to guess at what was being said or meant. Nell plans to start a cooking school here, with the aid of the owner, a world famous chef. There is, of course, a hunky son of the chef, Pete, but that relationship just kind of hangs there. It comes together at the end, but the action was not always clear.

This is a GOOD start to a brand new cozy mystery series and I am looking forward to the next one in the series. While there were a few little things that bothered me about this book, I think as a whole it's a good story. Readers who are looking for a brand new mystery series to start may want to try this one! I love how it's set in Italy!

I liked the storyline and the characters of this book, but I was confused several times by the analogies and the action. I think the tone the author was going for was a bit of a lighthearted, cozy mystery (as light hearted as murder by bludgeoning can be, that is), but a little more background information would have been helpful, especially of the main character. It comes together at the end, but the action was not always clear - the language barrier, the description of the location, even why the main character, Nell, acts and reacts to the action in the story; I was never quite certain why she automatically decided she would leave the villa as soon as she arrived, and I was not quite clear at first that her attraction to Pete was genuine. It was also not quite clear the details of Bu and Nell's relationship, and I was a little hard pressed to understand her attraction to him, or even the depth of his personality; he was a corpse, but it was hard to gather empathy for him or his death. Despite a bit of confusion, I did end up liking the story, and am glad for a chance to read and review it.

This is a delightful beginning to a new cozy mystery series set in Tuscany with an American chef who is hired to establish a cooking school. Cooking, romance, murder and Tuscany---what is not to love?