Every family has secrets. This one has a secret ingredient.

When Maria is ready to spill the Capello family lore in an all new cookbook, Thea can't understand why she is chosen as editor. She just knows her job, and career, depend on getting the secretive chef to spill the beans

But once Maria starts meting out chapters like courses of dinner, Thea realizes some of the rumors surrounding Maria and her family might ring more true than she thought. Because everyone knows, if you don't have your own family scandal:

A fever-dream read for anyone who's ever wondered, "What if Martha Steward killed people?"

This was weird, and dramatic, and out there at times - I ate it up. 4 stars because there were a few chapters that felt repetitive, and I thought the last few felt rushed. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited about this one because I had heard good reviews of it, but I just felt like something was missing. I thought the premise sounded really interesting but I didn’t really connect with the characters.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thea is an editor trying to bounce back from a major career misstep when she lands the opportunity of a lifetime: editing the memoir of world-famous chef Maria Capello. But Maria comes with some very unusual working conditions. Still, Thea takes the job, hoping she can convince Maria to finally open up—especially about her late husband’s suicide, which has never been discussed publicly.

Honestly, this book is just red flag after red flag. If I were Thea, I would’ve run the other way. The ending? Completely over-the-top, gross, and wildly far-fetched. That said, I could see this working as a movie—there are some really creepy elements, like butcher shop scenes, eerie deserted farmhouses, and locked doors leading to sketchy basements. But as a book, it just wasn’t for me.

I really enjoyed this dark and twisty thriller, and the narrator did an amazing job. I was lucky enough to do an immersive read and had both the eARC and ALC. Make sure you are ready for a bit of gore as I would not consider this too cozy. Great story that kept my attention the whole time.
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC and Sourcebooks for the EARC
4 star

I had really wanted to like this book because I had read great reviews about it. Unfortunately, I really didn’t get captivated by the book until the last four or so chapters. There were some moments that I would actually cringe when Maria described the events in the slaughterhouse. While reading I really had no idea which direction the book was going to go. Finally, I don’t mind that the author had put some of the recipes in the book, but for me having them within the chapter made it hard to read and stay focused.

If you enjoy books from Joanna Fluke then you will love this one. This is definitely one of my top reads for the year! Such a good story with plot twist at the end. I thought I had it all figured out but nope. Such a good story and good recipes too.

The Dead Husband Cookbook follows Thea as she desperately tries to redeem herself at work following a mishap that cost her career. Forced into a precarious deal with a secret and paranoid client, Thea must balance what she’s being told and the truth. Dark, twisted and a hint of (maybe) cannibalism will make every reader question the lengths they’d go for family.

After months of searching, I’ve finally found a good suspense/mystery book! I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading popular books or authors in the genre, and after a while they all blend together and become predictable. The Dead Husband Cookbook was enticing and worth the wait! Thank you Netgalley for providing the ARC!

This reminded me of a mix between Variety by Colleen Hoover and another book I can't recall the title of. That being said, I did find this repetative and a bit predictable. I was disappointed since I really enjoyed Delicate Condition, by this author.

Thea is a book editor who is being threatened with losing her job while also feeling unfulfilled in her marriage. Her favorite cookbook author requests Thea, and only Thea, to edit her long awaited memoir. While the circumstances are suspicious, including Maria’s, the chef’s, particular request to (1) edit the book in person at her farmhouse in upstate new york and (2) tell no one anything about the book, Thea ultimately decides to take the trip up to Woodstock.

Maria has a flurry of rumors about her ranging from cannibalism/using her dead husband as the “special ingredient” in her meatball recipe to mob ties/FBI investigations. Ultimately, the reader uncovers both Maria’s side of the story chapter by chapter as well as hears from various side characters.

An excellent mystery book that is told in the present day while Thea is editing the memoir, with chapters of the memoir that jump back to the past to tell Maria’s side of the story. I really appreciated this style of storytelling and really didn’t expect some of the twists and turns that are uncovered, especially not the ending. I definitely think anyone who likes strong female characters and mysteries would love this story!

I found this book ultimately satisfying, but it took a while to get there. I thought it was very slow pacing, and I didn't enjoy the narrator's (Thea) voice. I thought she was too passive and not decisive enough. It took until the third act, for me to really like this book, but that third act significantly picked up the pace. There was a lot of info dump in the latter part, but at least it was more interesting. I didn't see the twist until we got there, so that is a plus. 3.5 stars for me.

ARC received from Sourcebooks/Landmark via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

What a fun book! This was the epitome of unsettling, eerie and twisty! The twists and turns just kept on coming! I loved the setting and the way this was a book within a book. I love Danielle’s writing and she really delivered. I admittedly love any kind of book that even has the slight promise of cannibalism so she got me there! I will not confirm or deny if that is true. You’ll have to read it to find out. This was very clever and dark and yeah maybe a few things where I had to suspend my beliefs but eh those things never really bother me to be honest and it just made things more fun! I highly recommend this one. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book!! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC that allowed me to read it early. I have to say, just when I thought I knew where it was going, I got thrown for a loop. I really enjoyed the recipes that were included in the book. It was definitely a nice touch.

I wanted to love this because the premise was so intriguing but I just feel like the execution was a bit underwhelming. The twists were fine but I never had a “holy sh*t!” moment which I expected. I actually enjoyed the characters, the unreliable narrator was delightfully unreliable, the book-within-a-book, and the recipes. I liked the concept a lot, I just feel like there were some plot holes and plot conveniences and pacing issues that made the book not as creepy as it should have been. The atmosphere was missing something. Overall, it was a good, fast read, but it just didn’t satisfy that craving like I thought it would (pun intended).

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The cover grabbed my interest right away of course. I got sucked into the story right away which I love in a book. Great characters and great writing.

Maria Capello is the ultimate domestic goddess , celebrity chef, bestselling author, TV star. But behind the glitz is a twenty-year-old mystery: the disappearance of her husband Damien, a legendary chef himself. Now, Maria is finally ready to share her story… but only with one editor, Thea Woods, a lifetime fan/editor who unexpectedly finds herself on Maria’s isolated farm with more questions than answers. Why is Maria avoiding big publishers? What really happened to Damien? And what exactly is the “secret ingredient” in her success?

Sprinkled throughout the book are Maria’s famous recipes, try them if you dare. I found myself craving pasta and to find out what Maria’s secrets were. It was a nicely paced thriller that had me guessing until the very end.

I came into this blind and WOW. There are so many twists in this book that are so completely unexpected (I stayed up way too late because I actually had to finish this book). This starts off as curiosity, shifts to light mystery, and finally ends in an OMG suspense/thriller. A very exciting and different book. I'm so glad I requested this. Thank you, NetGalley

The Dead Husbands Cookbook is a solid thriller. A lot of cannibalism references.
I loved the addition of the recipes!

The ending did fall flat for me and I didn’t think the biggest twist was that shocking. But I did enjoy the read for sure!

Thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

the dead husband cookbook follows thea woods, an editor at hanes house, as she navigates complex family relationships and career-altering mistakes. when she is chosen to be the editor of her favorite childhood idol Maria Capello's highly anticipated memoir, detailing the mysterious disappearance of Maria's husband and her subsequent rise to fame, things get weird, to say the least.

the plot twists of this book were absolutely incredible. while i could predict some of them at times, it didn't take away from the fact that this plot is SO good. the execution of this plot, on the other hand, was great in some parts, poor in others. among the well-written suspense and atmospheric descriptions were fairly unpolished moments, occasional childish prose, and a few unresolved questions. there were also some personal pet peeves in this book - for example, nearly every time a character had a question, the dialogue tag was "[he/she/I] wanted to know." there is nothing wrong with using "asked" or "said"! these dialogue tags are tried and true; no need to reinvent the wheel. another thing that bothered me (but likely would not bother everyone) is how the author made this huge deal about her character not having a phone, but also at times seemed to forget she wasn't supposed to have one. (for example, "i knew without checking my phone that it was between 2 and 3 am," and that kind of thing).

additionally, it seemed to me that every woman character had the same general character profile as the other women characters, and every male character was also very similar in that regard. i get that there was supposed to be a point to this (all men suck like the main character's father; all women are responsible martyrs for being unable to leave the way a man can; blah blah blah). it came across as stale and trite to me. there needs to be more variety in characters, especially in a book that borders on literary fiction as the depth of characters is the vehicle for a plot mired in relational drama and self-actualization or self-discovery.

overall, though, i really enjoyed this book! it kept my interest and had a well-constructed, suspenseful, and largely surprising plot! true rating 3.5 stars. thank you net galley for the arc!

After a months-long reading slump, this book finally brought me back to life. It grabbed me from the very first pages. The author’s ability to find a new way to tell a medial timeline story was refreshing and engaging. Her writing was so vivid, I found myself at work thinking “I can’t wait to get home and watch that show.” Only to realize, I was actually thinking about this book! The characters were interesting and relatable, in a way that I would sometimes forget it was a murder mystery. Some thrillers sacrifice character development for a fast paced narrative, but the author found a way to balance both beautifully. Highly recommend this page-turner of a book!

Thank you NetGalley for this amazing ARC. I enjoyed this book, it was a great story start to finish. The characters were well written and relatable. I loved the graphics of the cover and just the title alone was what initially drew me. The ending had a great surprise and I loved it. Everything about this book was fantastic.