4.5 stars. A book about cooking, writing a book and maybe-murder? Nicole Booknip! I had so much fun with this book.

Our main character is a book editor assigned to edit a memoir of a famous chef whose famous chef husband disappeared years ago. Did he die by suicide? Leave her for another woman? Or did the wife murder him (...and include him as a secret ingredient in some of her recipes??)

The book editor is forced to live at the estate with the chef during the editing process. Things are a little mysterious.... There were aspects of this book I did predict, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment. Ate this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Publishes August 5, 2025.

Book took a while for me to read, but the characters were very interesting and complex. The plot was twisty. I feel like it was interesting. I feel like the book could been a bit longer.

I loved this book. I meal prep for people professionally so to see a book with a chef and then also her crazy tendencies was amazing. I love how theres a lot of books out here lately that include writing memoirs and this was no different.

Wow! I was immediately drawn into this story. I read it over two days and it kept my attention the entire time - I didn’t want to put this one down, I was so engaged. Deliciously unsettling, *The Dead Husband Cookbook* kept me guessing til the end and didn’t disappoint.

This was my second time reading Ms Valentine’s work, and both have been excellent - I can’t wait to read more.

A definite recommendation!



Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the DRC

3.5 stars rounded down. This is a fun premise and I jumped right in. Around the 30-40% mark, the pacing took a turn, though. I found myself less invested in the story as Thea stayed at the house and I feel that she didn’t have enough interactions with Maria to really build that relationship. It’s hinging on that end twist, but I think teasing it a bit at least wouldn’t have taken away. There were some good surprises in here and I’d be interested to see more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever heard the saying, "Never meet your heroes"?

Well, The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine takes that idea and flips it into a tense, eerie, page-turning ride. Thea Woods has the life-changing opportunity of meeting hers, celebrity chef Maria Capello. On the verge of losing her job, she receives an offer she cannot refuse. Not quite literally, but taking the offer would mean saving her career, restoring her reputation, and possibly saving the publishing house she works for. It’s odd that Maria Capello would want Thea Woods specifically to edit her tell-all memoir, given her recent scandal with another author—but she won’t let anyone else touch the manuscript. As long as Thea agrees to sign an NDA and adheres to some very rigid stipulations, she gets the book.

Now, I don’t personally know what goes into editing and working on a manuscript, but it seems a little unconventional that Thea must go to Maria’s farmhouse and work on the memoir there. One. Chapter. At. A. Time.

I was personally hooked by the first page. Valentine has a real talent for setting a mood—you can feel the tension simmering under every interaction. There’s a strong undercurrent of dread mixed with dark curiosity that makes it impossible to put down. The isolated farmhouse, the cryptic rules, the sense that something is just off—it gave me that creeping "what's really going on here?" feeling that I love in thrillers.

And let’s talk about Maria Capello for a second. She is fascinating. The kind of character that’s magnetic and terrifying all at once. Every chapter makes you wonder whether she’s a genius, a monster, or both. Thea, too, is a great protagonist—smart, a little desperate, but grounded enough that you can see yourself making the same decisions she does (even if you’re yelling at her a bit in your head).

There are a few wild twists that I did not see coming, and I loved that the book played with my expectations. The story leans into gothic horror vibes without going full supernatural, and there’s a deliciously macabre thread that runs through it (yes, pun intended). The title makes more sense the deeper you get—and when it clicks, it clicks hard.

If you're into slow-burn suspense with rich atmosphere, morally gray characters, and a side of culinary creepiness, this one’s for you. I tore through it in a couple of days and was thinking about it long after I finished the last page.

Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, NetGalley and Danielle Valentine for the opportunity to read the digital ARC in advance in exchange for an honest review.

The title alone made me want to read this book!! It was a fun ride. I love the Food Network and watching cooking shows so a FMC as a celebrity chef was chef's kiss for me. The story centers around what REALLY happened to her husband 30 years ago? I would consider this a fun mystery and not so much of a thriller, but I still really enjoyed it. This was my first by this author and I highly recommend!

thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I was drawn to this book by its cover and title…I was not disappointed!! Very cringy and bone chilling, no pun intended. The build up and suspense of this book was well done. I would say this is a slow burn thriller however, that didn’t stop me from being at the edge of my seat constantly reading. The twists and plot I never expected and I promise you that you won’t either. I liked the idea of including actual recipes in the story. When I get my physical copy I will have to try a few recipes just for the fun on it…with or without the special ingredient 👀

Cringy, witty, entertaining and worth a read.

Thank you SOURCEBOOKS LANDMARK via NetGalley for providing me this ARC to indulge in!

“After dinner, Maria served us all thimble-sized servings of an Italian digestif that I didn’t catch the name of, something so bitter it burned going down my throat. But even after the drink, I could still taste that meal. Salt and acid. The tiniest hint of sweetness from the tomato sauce. And something else, some indescribable, incredible taste that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. Her secret ingredient, maybe. Whatever it was.”

We follow Thea who is tasked with editing the infamous Maria Capella’s memoir. To Thea, she is not just a celebrity chef, but also the woman she has looked up to for a good chunk of her life. To many others, she is the wife of the famous chef, Damien Capella, who went missing under mysterious circumstances many years ago. The rumors are that Maria might have killed him. And what’s her secret ingredient? Is it her husband?

The story unfolds in Thea’s POV but we also get Maria’s memoir one chapter at a time which really ratchets up the suspense as the truth slowly unfolds.
This book at times was so eerie, had me sweating, and was overall a dang good time. An absolute wild ride. Unputdownable.
It’s full of twists and constantly had me questioning what I thought I knew. Please do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for my eARC!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Maria Capello is a renowned celebrity chef, known for her cookbooks, TV show, and bestselling sauces. Once a quiet wife to famous chef Damien Capello, she became a household name after his mysterious disappearance twenty years ago. Now, she's ready to share her story through a memoir, despite rejecting lucrative offers from major publishers in favor of a small press. Her condition? The book must be edited by Thea Woods, a lifelong fan who’s never met Maria.
When Thea is invited to Maria’s remote farm to work on the manuscript, she can’t resist. She may finally uncover the truth behind the rumors that Maria killed Damien to steal his recipes and secret ingredient.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
The Dead Husband Cookbook is a mystery thriller that’s eerie, clever, and thoroughly entertaining. The story pulled me in right away with its mix of suspense, dark humor, and just the right amount of weird. And the addition of recipes? Totally unexpected and such a fun bonus—it added a quirky, personal touch that worked surprisingly well.
One of the book’s strongest elements is its atmosphere. I could feel Thea’s growing unease the tension was so well written, it practically seeped off the page. The twists throughout the story kept things exciting and unpredictable, making it hard to put down.
It’s definitely a strange read but in a good way. The story unfolds in such an unusual, layered way that you can't help but stay curious about where it's headed next. If you enjoy mysteries with a psychological edge and a dash of the unexpected, this one’s worth picking up.

Thank You @Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to review this ARC.

I loved this book. The characters felt authentic, the suspense got pretty tense, and food and recipes made everything sound delicious. Well, almost everything! Such a fun, twisty, dark read!

This was a very fun concept that I wish had a little bit more oomph to it.

I thought the sassy little recipes and recipe stories were a really nice touch, that kind of thing is always so fun in a book (at least to me).

Tangent time: there was this one recipe where schmaltz is mentioned and the author says that schmaltz should be utilized more in American recipes, and as a Jewish person, NOOOOO. Do not include schmaltz! Americans are gassy enough as it is. As a Jewish person with a Jewish grandmother that puts schmaltz in everything, it makes you so bloated and so gassy. So don't do that. Butter works just fine. Moving on...

This follows a celebrity chef that feels like a cross between Martha Stewart and Hannibal Lector. And she happens to have a husband that's been missing for quite some time now!

I found this to be a bit on the flatter, more predictable side for a mystery/thriller/whatever you wanna call it. I wanted a bit more of a twist at the end, I wanted to feel more excitement and shock at the reveal. But this was fun!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Danielle Valentine’s The Dead Husband Cookbook is a deliciously dark and twisty read that kept me hooked from start to finish. I devoured it in just two days, completely drawn in by the suspense, clever writing, and that ever-elusive secret ingredient. Valentine masterfully blends mystery with a sharp sense of humor, keeping the tension high and the pages turning. If you love a good thriller with a bite of satire and a hint of the unexpected, this one’s for you!

The Dead Husband’s Cookbook by Danielle Valentine is a fast paced thriller that will have you guessing until the end.


Thea Woods has been having a rough time lately. After getting drunk and letting out information about a client, Thea pretty much has lost all chances at a promotion at the Publishing Company she works for. She’s one step from being fired, is overwhelmed with family issues, and is burning both ends of the candle trying to keep up with her little girl. When she get this opportunity to go to Maria’s home, she’s excited. Have you ever watched a television show and felt that you were a part of it? That a Chef like Gordon Ramsey or Emeril could teach you their secrets? That’s the way Thea is about everything Maria Cappelle.

Maria Cappello has known tough times as well. When she decides to write her memoir about her cooking, career, and most of all the secrets surrounding her deceased husband, she chooses the publishing company that Thea works for. But things aren’t always what they appear and Thea slowly starts to notice odd behavior in the Capelle home. And as juicy as the meals Maria makes, this book is even juicier.

If you are a fan of books that will keep you in a choke hold until the end, then this is for you. I read almost of Freida McFadden, Spencer Guerrero, and Kiersten Midglin, and I believe that fans of those authors will find themselves hooked on Danielle Valentine. This was a fairly fast read, and I hated having to stop reading. This is definitely dark with some interesting twists. .

This one was a wild ride, but I loved it! The plotting, pacing, and character development were excellent. I had no idea what was really going on until the very end.
My only criticism would be a few unresolved threads; I believe by design, and honestly, I am fine with that.
This is one of those mysteries with a lot more going on than solving a murder. This one has a lot to say about the nature of fame/celebrity and the business of cooking, and the way women fit into those spheres.
A really interesting story, one people will be talking about, if only for the more grotesque moments. The author can really set a scene, I had almost visceral reactions to parts of the story.
Seriously, read this one.
Highly Recommend.

I love the cover art for this book. It is what really drew me into wanting to read this story! I found the plot and story interesting and easy to follow

I was gifted an eARC copy of this book and this was my first read by Danielle Valentine. I really enjoyed this book! Danielle completed captured the characters and the setting of this story and as a reader I was able to visualize everything about this story.

Thea Woods is a blacklisted editor and just got offered the assignment that could put her back in the game. Maria Capello, a famous chef and household name, is writing a memoir about her life and the death of her husband from decades ago. Maria seeks out Thea to be her main editor and as a fan of Mrs. Capello, Thea could not be more thrilled. Thea, enthralled in the mystery of Maria, is learning whether deceased Mr. Capello committed suicide, ran away or was murdered and used in Maria's famous meatballs.

I could not put this book down and the storyline flowed very well. Each chapter had a new surprise, and the ending was a complete shocker. I had never read a novel with possible cannibalism in it, and I quite enjoyed the creativeness of the author. This book would be a highly recommended and I encourage everyone to pre-order for when it is released
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC

Rounded up from a 2.5.
This sadly didn’t land for me. It was too cliche and had me rolling my eyes. I’m sure some people could enjoy it but I didn’t like the MC so it was hard to feel for her being scared.

What’s your families secret ingredient?

I received this ebook as an ARC from the author and publisher in enchanted for an honest review.

This book was So good! I was hooked from the very beginning. Format kind of reminded me of Verity but very different. I was afraid the author was going to leave a plot whole and unanswered questions but she didn’t! And the twist?! 🤯 i also loved how the author put actual recipes throughout the novel; i think I’ll actually try a couple of them.

.I highly recommend The Dead Husands Cookb if you like dark thrillers, protagonists in way over their heads, and food metaphors with existential dread. I came for the cover, stayed for the story.
The story immediately caught my attention. The book lands as a thriller with dark humor. Maria portrays herself as the ideal celebrity chef with a perfect life, but Valentine does a fantastic job of creating suspense and a creepy atmosphere once Thea arrives to stay in Maria's home. As the story unfolds the reader gets a picture of a more unhinged Maria, than what the public sees.
I highly recommend this book and will recommend.