I enjoyed this one. The character development was fantastic. The plot and pace kept me intrigued throughout. I spent the entire book going back and forth on whether or not Maria killed her husband, and was consistently surprised by the twists.

Fresh off an editing scandal, Thea is confused- but delighted- to find her cooking idol is not only requesting her to edit, but ONLY her to edit. Said idol, Maria Capello, is a celebrity chef whose husband went missing in 1996. Several spooky tales surround the Capello family, many of them with Maria as the role of murderess. When Thea accepts the job, she is hesitant to leave her husband and child behind to accompany Maria in her home. After receiving one chapter a night and witnessing some research plot holes, Thea does her own digging between the chapters and decides to come to her own conclusion. Honestly, yall- this book was riveting. It had so much going on, and surprised me with just how deeply it delved into the thriller genre. It is both character and plot heavy, and I was very excited to continue the story all the way through to the end. So many twists.! Thank you to the publisher and author for the eARC.

I really enjoyed this book. I only noticed one error the entire time. Overall a 4.5/5 for me. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

When a young mother feels like life is tearing her down she gets the chance of a lifetime. She gets to edit a book by the woman she idolizes. Could she finally be getting the break she so desperately needs? You will have to read to find out.
D
Over all I could completely feel for the storyline. Don’t we all just say “I cannot take one more bad thing!”. Don’t most of us shrug things off that drive us nuts just to have some peace? I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and definitely recommend it to anyone e who enjoys a good mystery! This is one of my favorites reads for the year.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read an early release. It was definitely a wild ride.

Special thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for giving me access to this advance review copy prior to the publication date.

REVIEW

As soon as I learned about The Dead Husband Cookbook and read the descriptive copy, I knew I wanted to read the entire novel—so I ended up devouring it in one sitting. Pardon the pun, but it was good.

“I looked at Maria, studying the soft wrinkles on her face, the arty glasses, the gray streaked through her hair. Who was she, really? An anecdote at the beginning of a beloved recipe? A woman who knew how to make incredible gnocchi? A few pages of a memoir?”

All that and more, as revealed in the pages of the memoir that renowned chef Maria Capello has finally decided to publish—on several conditions, including that Thea Woods—who is already on the verge of being fired from her job as an editor at a small publishing house after a scandal involving a previous project—be the one to edit the manuscript.

I appreciated that it didn’t take 100+ pages to learn about that scandal, and about Thea’s difficult relationship with her mother which is also alluded to in the beginning. It’s not until close to the end of the story that we find out why, specifically, Maria wanted Thea to be her editor—a surprising reveal that was worth waiting for.

“‘My dear, you mentioned you were a fan of mine,’ Maria said. Light and dark, light and dark. ‘Did it ever occur to you that I might be a fan of yours as well?’”

The novel is full of layers: pieces of Maria’s manuscript, which include recipes that sound delicious and fairly simple to make step by step—though as I’m not much of a cook, I didn’t attempt to make any of them. News articles about Maria’s husband’s 1996 disappearance are also included, and there’s at least one Reddit-style thread about the rumors and conspiracy theories that have taken root in the years since.

More layers come in the form of questions the reader wants answered: what is Enzo’s girlfriend Amy really up to? Did Damien commit suicide the night he disappeared? No body was found, but he did leave a note… What’s the secret ingredient that Maria keeps in her little blue tin?

For the revelations that come at the very end of the story, they come too quickly so as to seem convoluted because of the sudden lack of pacing—but Danielle Valentine still managed to tie up every loose end I could think of. Overall, a quick and satisfying read.

Thea Woods is a disgraced book editor who is chosen by a famous chef (think Ina Garten and Martha Stewart, but if they potentially disappeared their husbands) to help edit her memoir. Shrouded in secrecy, she stays at Maria's home while working on the book, and mysteries unravel. I thought this was a serviceable book until it careened wildly towards the end in a delightful way. I thought it was well-played with the twists, and enjoyed the atmosphere of the book. Overall, this is a solid, soapy, twisty novel about murder and food.

I'm also very curious to try any of the recipes!

Even though some of the twists were super predictable (like, saw them coming miles away), the way it all comes together is so ridiculous and unhinged — in the best way. It’s funny, it’s thrilling, it’s campy, it’s everything you need in a wild little thriller. Loved every second.

My husband: “What are you reading?”
Me happily with my kindle wrapped in my fuzzy blanket: “The Dead Husband Cookbook!”
He nods and then stops to raise an eyebrow at me
Me: “It’s EXACTLY what is sounds like”….funny enough I didn’t see him the rest of the night.

This book was very Food Network meets Investigation Discovery which are two of my favorites. The book containing recipes is something I haven’t seen before and I’m now determined to make a couple of them. This book was filled with twists and “oh sh*t” moments. The suspense and the eerie feeling from the writing kept me hooked. This is my first book by Danielle Valentine and I’ve already picked up my second.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

2.5 Stars

To preface, “The Dead Husband Cookbook” by Danielle Valentine wasn’t exactly my cup of tea… But, I know it will be for a lot of people!

Thea, a struggling editor, gets assigned to work on a top secret publishing dream of an assignment: editing Maria Capello’s memoir. Maria, a former celebrity chef, was subject to ongoing ridicule and slander after the mysterious death of her husband (the most popular accusation being about Maria murdering him and turning him into her famous meatballs, that’s right, another cannibalism book! I’m sold!). Thea must edit the book at Maria’s home, referred to as “the Farm,” and thus is trapped under a close-eye as she begins to put all the pieces together.

When I was a kid, I was a Food Network connoisseur! Emeril’s cola-glazed pot roast had me absolutely spellbound and dreaming of becoming a celebrity chef one day. As I moved into my teens, I consumed thrillers and “true crime” like crazy, it served as a comforting confirmation to my anxieties about the world. I thought “The Dead Husband Cookbook” would be a fun merger of the two eras, however, it ended up falling into a 350-pages of predictable tropes, but thankfully, it didn’t drag too much!

I felt as if the book constantly tried to cover for its predictability by subverting expectations in an obvious attempt to cover or even acknowledging the expectations the reader likely has, but it just made reveals lack any shock-value or reward. “The Dead Husband Cookbook” was always very clear cut and left very little to interpretation. Valentine always tells us exactly what we are supposed to be thinking, to the point it felt redundant and like we didn’t need to do any of the work (but, putting the pieces together is a huge part of the enjoyment I get out of mysteries and thrillers).

Overall, it felt a bit like watching a Hallmark/Lifetime movie. Tonally, it reminded me a lot of the “A Simple Favor” movie? Or at least the commentary videos I’ve watched about “A Simple Favor,” because I knew it wasn’t going to be a movie I enjoyed. The entire time, I just saw Anna Kendrick as Thea, haha. I rolled my eyes at lot, but the concept was a lot of fun. It just fell flat, lacked nuance, and never left anything to interpretation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Full review is currently posted to my Goodreads. A summarized review will be posted to Instagram at the end of the month. A full review will be posted to Instagram within 30-days of the publishing date. Thanks!

Maria Capello's husband disappeared nearly 30 years ago and now she's ready to tell her story. Enter Thea, a Publishing editor on the brink of career collapse. Thea's hanging on by a thread, between motherhood and a mistake that left her career in shambles. When Maria tells Hanes House publishing that she will only work with Thea it becomes a make or break moment. Arriving at Maria's country farm in an odd arrangement of secrecy, Thea will have to pick through Maria's story in order to save her career.

Danielle Valentine takes a simple idea and twists it into something much darker. Maria is a grieving wife and mother who rose from the ashes to create a cooking empire. Some will question if that's the real story. Thea is an editor who made a big mistake and risks losing everything, but will she sit quietly without asking questions. This was a fun, fast read. It took no time to work my way through this book. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

"The Dead Husband Cookbook" by Danielle Valentine was not a bad book but I don't think I was the target audience. It was very reminiscent of Gillian Flynn, so if you like "Sharp Objects" or "Gone Girl" this might be for you.

The Dead Husband Cookbook is a quick, compelling read that blends suspense, mystery, and just the right amount of unease. Danielle Valentine draws readers into the glamorous-yet-haunted life of Maria Capello, a famous chef with a decades-old secret—and the disappearance of her husband at the center of it all.

What I really appreciated was how easily the story flowed. The pacing kept things moving without ever feeling rushed, and the mystery was layered enough to keep me engaged the whole way through. The alternating perspectives between Maria and Thea added depth and helped reveal the bigger picture piece by piece.

Though it never gets too graphic, there’s a quiet tension that simmers beneath the surface and keeps the stakes feeling real. It’s the kind of book you can finish in a couple of sittings, and the twisty developments make it worth the ride.

Danielle and I have been together through the thick and the thin. With all of the name changes and genre hopping. We've been tight since day one. She's another author that I love and trust. The Merciless will always have a place inside my wicked heart.

She is back at it again with an adult thriller that'll make you rethink everything you know or think you know about celebrity chefs and delicious meats of the world. Not sure I'll ever want to know my family's secret recipes. Thanks, Valentine! ♥

This was a good book with strong characters and some wicked twists. Okay, the twists weren't surprising, nor were they shocking. How it all played out was pure insanity, and this is why they call Danielle the Queen of Scream! Holy s**t! She is twisted and I love it!

This was definitely a thrill, Maria capello famous Chef hires thea to edit her memoir to clear up the rumors that Maria killed her husband Damian 20 years ago. The only catch is Thea has to stay at the farm house, no phone, no internet and no talking about the book to the outside world. Thea eventually feels something is not right but what? The dead husbands cookbook was a suspenseful thrill, I loved reading Marie’s manuscript, but you only get to read them on Maria’s pace very little chapters at a time which just adds to the suspense and the twists. And with how unreliable Maria is free me in more, is Thea being delusional or is there something wrong with this well known chef? Drawing closer to the end we finally get to Maria’s POV where everything comes to light. Overall the dead husbands cookbook was a twisty suspense with a compelling plot and I highly recommend

This was unexpectedly amazing. I picked it up because of the cover, but couldn’t put it down once I started it. Can this please be adapted for tv??

This book was a slow burn. It took me quite awhile to finally get into the story, but it did pick up. For years people have been accusing celebrity chef Maria, of murdering her husband. She finally decides she wants to publish her memoir and wants Thea to be the one to do that. Thea eagerly accepts and stays with Maria at her home. The story is told from both women's POVs, includes chapters from Maria's book and also has recipes (which I didn't like). Overall, I'd consider it a thriller with some dark humor, just not a book I was overly impressed with.

This was fun and twisted and something I felt like I hadn’t read before. I kept flipping pages because I was so wrapped up in this book. 10/10 recommend and would be a fun book club book with maybe a little cookbook club twist? Either way, very fun and easy read.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

I loved Maria’s complicated character traits and Thea’s past.
The two POV’s were a great touch. As well as the recipes intertwined.
This was very uniquely written. It kept me interested, wanting to know what the secret ingredient is, did Maria kill Damien, how do these two people’s lives connect. Why is the little girl, Ava, so creepy?
All questions get answered! Very satisfying ending. I will be recommending this book to friends!

Mystery and cooking all wrapped up in one twisty book! The second half picked up steam and got those pages turning faster!!

Book/Story: ⭐️⭐⭐⭐
Book Cover: ⭐️⭐⭐.5

Trigger Warning(s):
Murder
Animal Death/Slaughtering
Gore
Cannibalism
POV: Dual, First Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Thriller
Burn: 🔥🔥.5
Safe or Dark: Safe ️️️
Release Date: August 5, 2025

Quick Take Review 💥:

If you enjoy unreliable narrators, this one is for you. A thrilling read from start to finish. This story is packed with suspense that is sure to keep you on your toes.

Fun and engaging characters that feel realistic and believable.

Sure to keep you guessing and on your toes.

Great for those who are looking for a fast-paced, albeit slow-burn, witty read.

Plot 📖:

Chef, restaurateur, and television personality Maria Capello’s husband, Damien, has died. After his death, the media was unrelenting and quick to cast the blame on his widow. Rumors about Maria murdering her husband to build her culinary empire begin to swirl. People even think up the grisliest reason as to why his body was never recovered. After decades of keeping their silence around Damien’s death, the Capello family has finally decided to talk. Will the world finally learn the truth about Maria’s innocence? Will the chatter surrounding the death prove to be true, or is it simply gossip?

Thea Woods can’t fathom why Maria has chosen her to help write what was no doubt going to be a best-selling memoir, but she’s not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. As she settles into her (what is supposed to be) temporary life on the Capello’s rustic upstate farm, she finds herself cut off from the rest of the world and tossed smack dab in the middle of the murder mystery. Thea soon realizes that something isn’t sitting right with what should be the job of a lifetime or the family involved with it, because Damien isn’t the only person who has mysteriously vanished over the years. As the truth begins to unfold, Thea finds herself desperately afraid. What’s really hiding in Maria’s past? What is secretly under the Capello matriarch’s shiny veneer?

There are reasons why Damien’s body has never been found and why, in over three decades, Maria’s never given away the secret ingredient in what has become her most famous recipe.

Writing 📝:

Danielle Valentine’s writing is engaging, witty, and fun. It has an easy flow to it that was fast-paced but never felt rushed, and it isn’t difficult to follow in the least. Valentine gets her points across without making the writing dense, clunky, and overly flowery. She manages to keep things tense but also lighthearted at the same time. I was never bored or hit a lull with this plot. I wouldn’t say this writing/book was groundbreaking and doing things that’ve never been done before, but there was hardly a thriller cliché in sight. I enjoyed the creativity offered in this read.

All of the Valentine’s characters were well fleshed out. None of them felt two-dimensional or flat (even the side characters). Well done, well done indeed.

The author does a wonderful job of building tension and suspense before everything culminates and comes to a head.

Main Character(s) 👫:

Maria Capello - Maria’s character was interesting. Something was off about her. I just couldn’t figure out what it was. While motherly, she also had a darker side bubbling just below the surface. Maria was career-oriented, driven, and definitely hiding something. Despite supposedly being the villain, she was likable and at times endearing.

Thea Woods - I liked that Thea was a normal, everyday woman, overwhelmed with motherhood, work, and having a husband who doesn’t do much to help out around the house. All of this, plus the fact that she was trying to rebound after making a horrific mistake at the publishing company she works for, makes her very relatable. Although she herself was unreliable and sketchy at times.

Side Character(s) 👫:

Jacob Woods - A husband who works hard, contributes the bare minimum to helping out around the house, but ultimately means well. This guy would fall apart without having his wife around. As a matter of fact, he did. However, I suppose I don’t feel as though I got to know Jacob well enough to form a fair opinion of his character.

Damien Capello - We only really learn about Damien through the flashbacks in Maria’s memoirs. I have to be honest, though. Based on what Maria told us about Damien, he sounded like a total babe. A babe but an asshole. Damien did whatever he wanted when he wanted, according to his wife.

Isabella Capello - The eldest Capello sibling. Isabella was a weirdo. There really isn’t any nicer way to put it. She was odd throughout the entirety of the book, but this hardly made her an unenjoyable character.

Enzo Capello – The Capello’s second child and the spitting image of his late father. I like Enzo. He was laid-back and easygoing. He seemed kind and happy-go-lucky. He brought a nice vibe to the book, even though he wasn’t in it very much.

Amy Ryan – Enzo Capello’s girlfriend was a bland character to me. She didn’t sway me one way or the other in the emotions department. Amy was definitely the sneaky type you want to watch your back around. Again, though, I suppose I don’t feel as though I got to know her well enough to form a fair opinion of her character.

Thoughts 💭:


“I’ve always said recipes are like family. Even the best ones are hiding something.”


Honestly, after reading this book, I don’t think my husband appreciates the fact that he’s the cook in our house enough. I mean, things could be worse for him. I’m just kidding. I love my husband...to pieces.

I’ve had this author’s other book, Delicate Condition, sitting in my TBR pile for quite some time now, and let me tell you, after reading this book, I’m kicking myself for never picking that one up!

“The moment I saw you, I knew you were going to be last woman I would ever be with. I wasn’t ready for that yet.”


This story was such a wild ride!

Although a somewhat typical thriller, this book stood out to me; while the same as others in this genre, it was also different. This story hooked me right from the first page. It was fun from start to finish. I just didn’t want to put this down. However, don’t be fooled; despite this being fast-paced, it was a slow-burn type of story. It takes a little bit to get to the meat of the plot, no pun intended. Things really start to kick off when we get to the point where the story starts alternating between Thea and Maria’s points of view. Thea being cut off from the outside world added a very unsettling aspect to things, because let me tell you, my anxiety could NEVER!

“You keep my secrets and I’ll keep yours.”

Okay, scratch that part about NEVER knowing what was going on, since I did figure out one of the twists. In all fairness, though, I didn’t figure it out until we got very close to that particular big reveal. So, it still doesn’t count as a letdown for me. It was also slipped very nicely into the grand scheme of the plot. Well done, Ms. Valentine, well done indeed.

I loved getting a chance to look inside both Maria and Thea’s minds. I think it really added something a little extra to the story. It sucked me in even more, getting to see both sides of what was unfolding in front of us.


I would rather have Gordon Ramsay call me an “idiot sandwich” repeatedly before being stuck at the Capello’s farm without being able to reach any outside parties.

Every time I thought I had things all figured out, a new twist was thrown my way and threw me off kilter. This book kept me guessing the entire time I was reading. Did Maria kill her husband? Did he commit suicide? Did she eat him? Did someone else kill him? Did he disappear of his own accord? What is Maria’s secret ingredient? Why, after decades of silence, is she willing to talk now? I never knew the answers, and I LOVED it! All of the twists thrown at us were very nicely done, and none were too over the top or unbelievable.

“But love could make fools of us all.”


Each chapter tells you whose point of view you’re reading from, but even without that label I would have known whose head I was in. Both characters have a distinct voice and feel like two very different people. Valentine did very well with each of the main female characters. She really made them their own person, and sometimes that can be hard for authors to do. So, bravo, Danielle Valentine!

We also get a lot more from the side characters in the book. They had more input than we tend to get from non-main characters in most other reads. I appreciated that. It really upped the tension and fun of the plot.

“That kind of anger didn’t fade nearly as fast as the love did.”


Most of the chapters tended to be close to twenty pages. So, if you like to get a lot read in one sitting, just know that might not be the case with this book. I found myself getting through a chapter to a chapter and a half at a time. However, they have a few stopping points if you don’t want to finish it in its entirety in one reading session.

I loved how each chapter ended with a portion of Maria’s memoir. They always flowed in nicely and never felt like they messed up the movement of the story or the plot. It was refreshing to learn about what had happened in a character's past that way instead of with an alternating timeline.


Most of the chapters tended to be close to twenty pages. So, if you like to get a lot read in one sitting, just know that might not be the case with this book. I found myself getting through a chapter to a chapter and a half at a time. However, they have a few stopping points if you don’t want to finish it in its entirety in one reading session.

I loved how each chapter ended with a portion of Maria’s memoir. They always flowed in nicely and never felt like they messed up the movement of the story or the plot. It was refreshing to learn about what had happened in a character's past that way instead of with an alternating timeline.

Maria’s recipes being sprinkled throughout the book was a cute touch. I enjoyed reading them and wondering if it’s something I would like to cook, AKA ask my husband to cook. I mean, let’s face it, the only thing I know about braciole I learned from that one episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where Marie taught Deborah how to make it.

I should probably let him know that I have some new things for him to try out in the kitchen.

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”


The ending of the book was somewhat predictable in a weird sort of way but still highly enjoyable. I felt that it was the right ending for the story and left me feeling satisfied. I didn’t have unanswered questions after wrapping this one up. Everything came together nicely.

One thing is for certain. After reading this book, I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to enjoy eating meatballs again. Which is a shame because my husband makes some amazing ones. Oh, dear, should I start questioning the ingredients he uses?

“Murder, cannibalism, meatballs made of people.”


As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊

I would like to thank SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.