What happens when food, foul play and fame mix together? You get an unbelievable story that keeps you on your toes.

The Dead Husband Cookbook is book about love, betrayal, family and cooking. Thea Woods is barely hanging on to her job as editor after the scandal that practically blacklisted her. With her bank account dwindling away and the bills still coming in, she needs money and she needs it now.

When a famous celebrity chef, Maria Capello, asks for Thea specifically to edit her memoir, Thea is both shocked and thankful for the opportunity. Even with the pressure on her to get this book done and fast, she's eager to change her fate and also met the woman who shaped her childhood. Maria has a lot of demands, but it's expected with her reputation. And Thea is willing to do whatever it takes to get this memoir in her hands and on to the press.

Though when Thea arrives to the farmhouse, Maria's demands get intense and Maria isn't the person Thea thought she was. With unexpected guests arrive, some things that Maria's kept secret start coming to light. Thea is now fearful for her life, but she can't leave the farmhouse until she find out the truth. Even if it's life changing.

This book was such a fun ride! The writing pulled me in, and the characters—especially Thea—felt so real. I could totally imagine myself in her place. It had the perfect mix of suspense and mystery. I love trying to piece things together as the story unfolds, and while I guessed a few twists, the ending still hit just right.

Wow! I’m so glad I decided to read The Dead Husband’s Cookbook. This was a fabulous book! And it got better and better as it went along. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the title, and it’s definitely full of odd characters and weird situations. In one storyline, we have two people, Maria and Damien, young and in love, who decide to start their own restaurant together. Then, we have Thea, a book editor, who has been hired with her publishing company to produce Maria’s memoir 30 years after Damien has disappeared. The narrative is crazy and convoluted and awesome. Many scenes are eerie, spooky, scary and cold. And what is up with Hank, the weirdo, creepy meat butcher? Things definitely did not seem safe with him around, but maybe he’s just strange. Who knows? The book also includes recipes which made me hungry! Ha! They are a fun addition, but don’t really seem crucial until you read the last one. This one just missed 5 stars, but I still highly recommend. It has a different approach than many other psychological thrillers, and I really enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the digital ARC.

What an interesting book. I devoured the book and very much enjoyed it. I enjoy food and cooking shows, so it was very fun to read a mystery/horror/thriller book with strong female characters that had food and cooking as the backdrop. I loved that the Maria character was unapologetic for who she was and for her dedication to her family. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming. I was disappointed at first, where I thought the book was ending, but the last two chapters tied up and clarified things. I appreciated that there were recipes included and plan to try it.

My one big critique was the discussion of animals. While I understand where our meat comes from, I didn't find the description of hearing animals screams necessary. Perhaps that was used as a way to help add to the horror element, but it felt unnecessary.

This was my first book to read by this author, and I plan to read more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This review is my own and unpaid.

If you are looking for a fast paced 'what the hell is going on' book, then look no further.
If you are looking for an anxious book editor trapped in a house with a famous cook writing a memoir who may have killed her husband and served him for dinner, then look no further.
If you are looking for a book with real Italian recipes sprinkled with in the story, then look no further.

This book has a quite a few twists and turns that you might not see coming, but do make for a fabulous ride. I have to say the main character gave me a little bit of heartburn every time she had a chill, premonition, or rubbed her forehead. Just get your crap together, Thea, and figure out what the hell is happening.

My only question: is there really a little something 'extra' in the meatballs?

Thank you to SourceBooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title: The Dead Husband Cookbook
Author: Danielle Valentine
Narrator: Lauryn Allman
Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My 💭:

This book has been one of my anticipated reads for 2025 and sadly it didn’t wow me like I wanted. My major issue with the story was the pacing. IMO the story started off slow and then when things picked up it slowed down again. I was expecting and hoping for more conflict towards the end, but everything was wrapped up nicely. I did pair this book with the audio and the narrator did a great job and was the main reason I was able to finish this story.

I’m not usually big on thrillers or mysteries. I always feel like they do too much. But Danielle Valentine did a fabulous job. This kept me hooked all the way through. I thought I could predict all the twists and turns but then something else would be thrown in. It was really enjoyable and I will read it again. I also loved having the special recipes in here and will be trying them minus her secret ingredient…. Or with.

This was good! Gross but good. Interesting story that kept me guessing until the very end. Loved the different points of view.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC.

The Dead Husband Cookbook was SO fun. I loved the present timeline and the book timeline, I loved Thea's slow spiral, I loved Maria and her chaos. It worked for me on every single level.

Well... this was a twisty little tale that left me so far on the edge of my seat I nearly fell off.

Thea is an editor on the verge of losing her job after a major "oops" with a previous book when her boss tells her a celebrity chef, Maria Capella, has requested her by name for her upcoming memoir. Whisked away to Maria's farm, Thea is given only one chapter at a time and finds herself ruminating on the "what ifs" of the story as it unfolds. Very strange things are happening around her throughout her time on the farm that she should keep her nose out of, but instead lead her further down the path of darkness surrounding the rumors of Maria's late husband Damien.

To be honest, I loved this book/story except for the descriptive animal slaughter, which was (sadly for me) very well done. The Dead Husband Cookbook was my first book by Danielle Valentine, but will certainly not be my last.

Thank you, NetGalley and SourceBooks for an advanced copy of one of my most anticipated books of 2025!

Thank you, Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark, for the advanced reader copy! This book was a delight. It was so dark, but also humorous and clever. I loved the pace of the book and how everything connected together at the end.

This was a fun read! It was twisty & kept me guessing until the end. I did except more cannibalism, but enjoyed the subtle way it was woven in throughout the book. The writing was wonderful, too - very atmospheric & you could feel the claustrophobia creeping in for the FMC as the book progressed, almost like you were right there with her!

The Dead Husband Cookbook was a fast-paced, twisty thriller that I ultimately felt like tried to do too much with the ending. The last 20% of the book felt confusing and convoluted as the characters posed theory after theory about the death that incited the book. While the earlier portions of the book succeeded in generating palpable tension and suspense, the addition of the killer's perspective for the last 20% ruined the effect entirely. I felt that character's perspective didn't add enough to the book to justify pulling the curtain back so far.
While I gave this book 2 stars, I would still recommend it to those looking for a quick, compulsive poolside read.

I really enjoyed this comedic thriller. It was the perfect balance of humor and murder. It's comedy for the dark souls. The writing was witty and I absolutely loved the recipes were integrated in to the story. Most of the twists I predicted, but I feel like the author wasn't going for shocking twists more than witty darkness. Either way, I really enjoyed this book.

Thea works for a medium sized publishing house in NY. After an embarrassing mishap with a client, Thea needs a Hail Mary. Thea's Hail Mary comes in form of her childhood icon Maria Capello, think Martha Stewart, except Maria has a reputation....as a murderer. Maria's husband Damian supposedly committed suicide 30 years ago.

I really loved the end because the author went where I hoped she'd go with this story. Yessss, in fact, I was secretly hoping the entire book that there would be more detail around that idea. Maybe a sequel? Thank you @landmarkbooks @dreamscapemedia and @netgalley for a copy of this amazing title in exchange for an honest review!

I honestly had so much fun getting to read this, omg. As a big fan of A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers this was such a delight to read. From the very first line of the book you get swallowed by the struggles of our main characters, Thea, who is an editor that might've messed up in the past and is trying to do her best to right her wrongs. And Maria, basically the cooking world's mother and Thea's biggest image growing up.

The different struggles between characters made the reading feel as if I was living through Thea's eyes, from the perfect descriptions and flow that made me sit down and kind of remind myself that this did not happen in real life. Definitely adored how twisty and bendy the story started to get before the end, like trying to figure out a painting that keeps changing colors whenever you look at it from different sides.

4 stars ✨

this was really good! but lowkey i wanted more haunting cannibalism and more murder details.

i really loved how twisty this book was, i was genuinely so engulfed into this story to find out what was going on with this weird family.

this was genuinely really enjoyable and satisfying to read.

i highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something unsettling yet weirdly enjoyable.

Thank you to #NetGalley and SourceBooks Landmark for giving me an advanced readers copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. This. Book. At the beginning it felt like “the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo” but make it a thriller, except it was SO. MUCH. DARKER.

I enjoyed it. Thoroughly. From beginning to end. I thought the chapters from Maria and the recipes were such a fun and different touch to the norm thriller book. The descriptions were so detailed I could picture some scenes! I seriously love it all; the unreliable characters, multi POVs, not knowing who to trust. It was all chefs kiss!

I could’ve done with less of the slaughterhouse and pig descriptions but hey, it is a thriller 🤷🏼‍♀️ honestly that’s my only negative thing about the book and it’s not really even a negative. This book was PERFECTION.

I loved this book so much. The writing reminded me a lot of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's books who I also love. This a book within a book, full of twists and turns so heavily interwoven it is impossible to guess the ending. Maria's voice is witty and powerful and anytime she was on the page she had my full attention. Thea is also a little force to be reckoned with and while their voices are different and for different (maybe obvious) reasons, they do not overpower the other. The book was seamless with it's transitions. The ending was unexpected for me and now in hindsight I can see a lot of clues I didn't catch while reading. Excellent thriller, will be recommending to all of my friends.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC Copy!

Following an editor who is desperate to save her career, that ends up going to stay on the estate of a version of a neurotic Italian Martha Stewart, who has finally decided to write a book about what happened with her missing husband. While many of the twist I could see coming, there were still a few things that happened that were a complete surprise, and even the predictable parts, were still enjoyable. I enjoyed the writing style, and the ways the mystery was woven into the story.

Also, I made the recipe for baked ziti and it was delicious!

Danielle Valentine does it again. This book was fun and trippy and insane but all in the best ways. The plot keeps you hooked from the beginning and if you've ever read Danielle's books before, then you know that you are in for a TREAT when it comes to plot and characters. They are always unique and The Dead Husband Cookbook is no different. Unique, fun, a bit scary at times. I very much enjoyed this!

Oh my gosh what a fun book!!
Thea is a book editor for a major publishing house who is in a bit of a probation at her job. After a drunken slip up involving an author she was hired to edit for she finds herself desperate to get the next big book to keep her job. Somehow she specifically is requested to edit for massive food icon Maria Capello ( think Ina or Martha level!) Maria has some specific demands while Thea edits, she has to stay in the Capello home, turn in her phone, and dodge WiFi shut offs. As the chapters come in one by one Thea finds herself questioning the beloved star and everything she knows.

The mixing in of the recipes in this book was such a fun idea. The pacing was perfect, I really struggled putting it down. I would definitely recommend this to mystery thriller readers. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC!!