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.

Celebrity Chef Damien Capello went missing in 1996, during a party at his home. Soon, a suicide note and his clothes were found by a creek, but a lot of people had conspiracies about what really happened to him. Was he killed, or did he really die by suicide? Did he just leave, and he’s still alive somewhere out there? Did he fall into the creek? And the creepiest theory of them all: did his wife Maria kill Damien, and then eat him?

After his death, Maria continued his legacy of cooking Italian food, becoming a celebrity chef in her own right. She published many cookbooks, started her own line of packaged food, and had a hit show, “Dinner at the Farm”. Though many people loved her, the rumors and speculation still ran rampant…what is the secret ingredient she uses in every dish? Nobody can replicate her cooking - especially not her meatballs. Everyone buys her cookbooks, but fails at making everything as perfectly as Maria does.

Thirty years later, an editor who is an inch away from being fired is called into her boss’s office. Thea is going to be given one more chance, only because there is a writer who specifically asked for her to edit their new book. Thea soon finds out Maria is this one asking for her. It’s not a cookbook, although there are a few recipes, it’s her memoir. Could this be when Maria tells the world what happened the night her husband went missing?!

Leaving her own husband and little girl for a few days, she heads to the Catskills to Maria’s farm, where all of the editing will take place. Phones aren’t allowed. Telling even her husband where she will be isn’t allowed. This mission is top-secret, which makes editing a logistical nightmare. Maria will only give Thea one chapter at a time, and all feedback seems to be ignored. Not being able/allowed to use the internet is making it hard for her to fact check. Soon, Thea just wants to leave, but this is her big break. She can’t stop until the story is ready for publication.

This is a book within a book, as we read Maria’s story chapter by chapter, just like Thea, and both sides are fascinating. The women are more similar than they seem, but they are also not what they seem. Two years ago, I read an ARC from this author called “Delicate Condition” and I gave it five stars. To quote myself from that review, because I feel the EXACT SAME WAY about this book: “This is a page-turningly suspenseful, thrilling, horrifying and at times, darkly comedic novel. This was a four star book all the way, then the beginning of the ending made that a 4.5. Then the actual ending has me rounding up to five.” I loved this so much!

(Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark, Danielle Valentine and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 5, 2025.)

I loved this book and I am so thankful I was chosen for an ARC. I did not know if I needed to love or hate Maria, and Issie and Enzo seemed pretty sketch the whole time. That was definitely a good plot twist too, I was not expecting it! I thought I had it all figured out, but I most definitely did not! I did however feel like it could have done without the food recipes, but that is just my personal opinion! I did like the last line of the final recipe though, that was a good one! I am not one who loves to cook though, so I do feel like if the reader loves to cook they will love reading the recipes to possibly try them out!

Thea Woods is struggling. With motherhood, marriage, her strained relationship with her parents (especially her mother), and her long-time career. She's been an editor for nearly two decades, but a horrible lapse in judgment has her job hanging by a thread. That is, until celebrity chef, Maria Copella, asks for Thea's help on her tell-all memoir. Needless to say Thea is thrilled to be keeping her job but, more than that, Maria has been a role model for since childhood. This is a chance of a lifetime. So why is Thea so unsettled? The closer she gets to Maria, the more Thea feels she's stumbling into a darkness she can't come back from.

This book is fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat deliciousness from front to back. (Plus, there's recipes dispersed throughout in case you get hungry IRL).
There's just something about Maria Copella. She is sinister and carrying secrets, and it was such a fun ride watching it all unfold.

This book was somewhat reminiscent of Who Is Maude Dixon. I definitely recommend for finals of that book as well as culinary mysteries such as The Golden Spoon.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thea is an editor that is minutes away from losing her job after some controversy of her handling of the last book she worked on. That is until renowned chef and cookbook author, Maria Capello, asks for Thea, and Thea only, to be the editor of her upcoming memoir.

Not only is Thea one of her biggest fans but the lucky timing couldn't have worked out better.

As the story goes Maria's famous chef husband, Damien, disappeared years ago under a veil of mystery. The assumption by all is that he committed suicide though some have doubts and rumors have swirled ever since that Maria was a woman that got away with murder. She has always refused to address the rumors and if any interviewer even approaches the subject she will immediately cut the interview short.

This could be the big break Thea needs to earn back her reputation.

When she arrives at Maria's secluded farmhouse and is asked to turnover her phone, she hesitates. Something niggling her brain. Something about all of this seems off but she has a job to do.

Are there some secrets we'd rather not know? You'll have to read this to find out.

What a tasty treat this was in the beginning. I was savoring every word. Getting lost in the aroma of a delectable mystery. Valentine chooses the low and slow method of storytelling making me restless with hunger pains and checking the timer (page count) wondering when I'd be rewarded with something delicious to sink my teeth into. In the end though it seems that the story got overcooked and tough to bite into leaving me to feel a little unsatisfied with the final results.

This may not have been fine dining but it still far exceeds fast food. Opinions will vary. 3 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my complimentary copy.

The Dead Husband Cookbook is a thriller novel following Thea, a book editor working with infamous chef, Maria, to write her memoir. With the promise of a complex, tense story, I was dramatically underwhelmed by what I read. In just a few words, this book was uninteresting as all hell, to the point that I gave up with only 100 pages left to read - it wasn’t worth the boredom to even attempt to finish reading it. The pacing and writing were weak, and the characters were so dull that I couldn’t be bothered with them. Severely disappointing considering the premise promised.

I thought this plot would be right up my alley, but it literally gave me nothing. There was no tension or intrigue, no creeping suspense, nothing to keep me hooked - despite the book not being terribly long, and a relatively fast read, it felt like it was dragging on and on. A slow-burn is one thing, but this was just tedious, becoming more so as I read further. Valentine’s narrative voice was lacking for me - the writing felt formulaic, and I got to the point that I was sometimes skimming sections out of boredom.

The characters were just as bad as the pacing. I couldn’t bring myself to care about Thea, how she related to Maria, or any other relationships in the narrative. Everyone felt boring and underdeveloped, and the writing didn’t do enough to make them feel like people to me. I simply couldn’t find a single thing to enjoy, nothing drew me in, and I became so bored that I just gave up on the Dead Husband Cookbook. It was so bland to me that I can think of nothing else to say for this review, because it was just giving nothing at all.

Now this is a book that you will want to sink your teeth into! The Dead Husbands Cookbook combines your love for food, thrillers and a dash of mystery.

The story within a story is fascinating and when the reader thinks the story is going one way, the twists creep up on you and make you feel indecisive as to what will happen next. It was so hard to put down having that inner dialog inside your head “do I keep reading or do I sleep?” 2025 has honestly been the year of creative unique stories and this should be on the top of everyone's list!

Danielle Valentine has easily become one of my favorite authors! I read Delicate Condition then saw this was coming out & had to request it, so thank you Netgally for the ARC. This book is filled with so many twists & turns. Just when you think you know what's going on, you're thrown another curve ball. I would definitely recommended this book & enjoyed reading it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this title.

I actually got the audio and digital copies of this book so I did immersive reading for most of it. I went in totally blind, no clue what it was about, but I was intrigued by the cover.
I was immediately hooked! Thea’s drama hooked me but Maria, she kept me reading. I absolutely love Maria and the way she played this all out. And the ending…. It was sooo satisfying! Such a great mystery/thriller! This is one of my favorites of 2025 so far! I will recommend this to everyone!

Editor Thea Woods gets a seemingly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with the infamous chef, Maria Capello. After making a career blunder with a previous assignment, this is Thea’s chance to redeem herself and restore her reputation. Rumors abound surrounding the decades-earlier mysterious death of Maria’s husband. The popular theory is that Maria killed him and he became the secret ingredient in her most famous recipe. Thea quickly discovers that nothing is as it seems. This book was a quick, entertaining read. Full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing till the end. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of this book.

── 4 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .

✦ “i've included the recipe in the back of my new book. you're welcome to try making them yourself. but they won't taste the same”

i absolutely devoured this one. i don't know what secret ingredient Danielle put into this book well I do, but it was ridiculously addictive.

┆ ⤿ 🍴 ⌗ plot
ᰔ was I disturbed? yes. was I questioning my sanity? yes. was i not only losing my mind but my appetite? yes. did i keep reading? hell yes. The unexpected twists and actual recipes included in the book were chefs kiss indeed.

┆ ⤿ 🍷 ⌗ final thoughts
ᰔ can't wait to share the recipes with my chef husband—only thing i won't tell him where I got them from.

꒰ trigger warning ꒱
⤿ descriptive animal slaughter


.𓂃⊹ ִֶָ pre-read
this is my first arc and i'm crazy excited. since my #1 toxic trait is justifying questionable actions of disturbed female characters i hope this eats 🍝 🥩

thank you to netgalley, sourcebooks landmark and danielle valentine for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun read! While slightly predictable, this book still had me guessing down to the last few sentences. The length of the chapters made it easy to read quite quickly, and I like that the story is broken up with new chapters of Maria's book. This added the sense that we, the reader, were only as informed as the main character was, which heightened the thriller vibe. I would've loved more detail in the last few chapters and the history of Maria's family....fingers crossed for a prequel/sequel soon!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was a fun mystery that I thought I had figured out and then, snap, nope. I couldn't put this book down, It's a must read for the summer or fall.

Fantastic job to whoever edited this book! The story within the story is compelling. Like Thea, we want to know what happened to Damien. Maria is a skillful storyteller. She will suck you into the story, make you loathe Damien, get you on her side, and she breaks the narration up with tongue-in-cheek titled recipes that are mouthwatering.

As for the main story, it’s suspenseful and thrilling. I started to feel Thea’s paranoia, her feeling of claustrophobia in the farm with no internet and easy access to the outside world.

I wasn’t quite sold on how Maria and Thea resolved their connection. It felt so easy considering how serious and complicated the situation is.

Watch out for the final chapter though. This is, after all, a horror book.

If you are the type of person who enjoys listening to true crime podcasts while cooking a delicious meal, then man, oh man, have I got the perfect book recommendation for you!

The Dead Husband Cookbook is a dark, twisty thriller that is perfect for anyone who grew up watching too much Food Network programming and is now looking for a meaty story to sink their teeth into.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! I absolutely devoured this book and can’t recommend it enough!

3.75 ᯓ★

This was just alright for me. I think all the plot twists were predicable therefore made my reading experience not as exciting. The characters were alright I wasn’t the biggest fan of them. The plot is the strongest thing about this book and while it did keep me entertained, I still feel iffy about this one.

Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read this book!!