This book was *chefs kiss* I really enjoyed the mix of articles and memoir chapters. Having recipes sprinkled throughout the book was a very nice touch and I really enjoyed reading them. This was a great mystery thriller with twists that kept me guessing! I enjoyed the characters and loved the story. I will definitely be recommending this book!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC.

After reading The Dead Husband's Cookbook by Danielle Valentine, I'm torn on my rating. On one hand, it was a fun read.

It had multiple POVs, but not so many that it got confusing. It was the perfect amount. I loved the strong female representation. The recipes at the end of each chapter were amazing. It really was a unique story.

On tne other hand, I struggled to keep reading in many parts. I just couldn't get attached to the story. The characters were underdeveloped.

If you're looking for a quick read, it's still worth it!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one got me! I thought for sure I had predicted a big plot twist, and I was happily surprised to be wrong. I enjoyed everything about this from the book within a book, to the funny recipe titles, and the wild storyline!

After a scandal, editor Thea Woods needs a win. And it comes in the form of celebrity chef Maria Capello, who is ready to tell her story and that of her late husband. Maria will only work with Thea, and she demands complete secrecy.

The creep factor of the farm, with the slaughterhouse and the various people who are there, plus the isolation really amped up the tension for Thea and readers. The ending was absolutely wild and definitely bumped up the rating for me. Now I want to make the famous meatballs.

4.5 stars

What an absolutely fantastic and wild read by Danielle Valentine! The Dead Husband Cookbook instantly grasps you with its premise of a woman going to stay at a famous chef, Maria Capello's, home to view her memoir manuscript while also knowing that the chef's husband mysteriously disappeared. The suspense was never-ending as I tore through the pages of this book. Thea was a great female lead as she tries to figure out the reason for Maria's decision to break the silence on her husband's disappearance and why she was forced to stay out of communication with the outside world. The inclusion of recipes throughout the book was a brilliant nod, especially in the titles of some of these recipes. The uncertainty behind everything, especially in Maria's secret ingredient, was filled with fantastic writing as we, the readers, try to find the truth alongside Thea. Overall, this was an absolute blast to read, and the twists in the novel were hard to pull away from. Now, maybe one day, if we could get Maria's secret ingredient, that would leave us with the perfect ending.

Ok first of all this cover is incredible. Without even reading the synopsis or blurb, I was hooked. Moving past the cover, the writing style of Danielle Valentine is so intriguing and immersive. She wrote vividly and in a way I didn’t want to put it down.

Now add the plot into this review and you have a five freaking star read. I loved everything about this book. The book within the book, the mystery, the intrigue, everything.

Maria was an incredible, mysterious, character. Thea was all of us- we’ve all been Thea at some point I feel. Sacrificing our livelihood for family, losing ourselves in motherhood, questioning everything.

Can’t recommend this enough.

Oh this was a good one - I could not put this down…in fact, I would say I DEVOURED it (pun intended.) I don’t think have ever smiled so much reading an unhinged psychological thriller book! This story was unique and creepy and the author gives this great sense of tension and unease. There are also some really funny moments that had me asking myself…wait, should I be laughing at this? Hell yes!!!

Thea finds herself stuck, I mean on assignment at Maria’s farmhouse. Maria is a celebrity chef whose husband disappeared decades ago and Maria is finally ready to write her memior. Thea is going to be the editor for the book. This is top secret so no phones…just Thea, Maria, and her story….

If you love thrillers that are unhinged and will have you questioning your sense of humor, I would give this a read!! It’s perfect for an end of summer #summerthriller or #beachread

There are even recipes included that correspond to the story…but you should know they aren’t going to taste exactly like Maria’s recipe….

✨What To Expect:
🔪Psychological Thriller
🔍Murder Mystery
🥘Recipes
📝Memoir excerpts
🌪️Twists & Turns
🍽️Suspense
🧆Secrets
⁉️Dark Comedy
📚Book Within A Book

The target audience was definitely reached with this one!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC copy of The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine!

For lovers of cooking, twisty mysteries, and books about books, this delicious thriller is filled with suspense and recipes that I can't wait to try!

I ate this book up! I genuinely can’t tell you the last time I loved a thriller THIS much. Definitely a slow burn, but once you hit the 40% mark, good luck putting this down. Filled with unpredictable twists, this novel was so enjoyable and I’m ready for seconds.

Synopsis:
Thea is on the verge of losing her job as an editor after a massive scandal when an author refuses to publish a highly anticipated memoir unless Thea is the editor. As it turns out, this author, Maria Capello, is a famous chef and restauranteur that Thea has been watching her entire life (and is the reason she and her husband met). Maria's husband passed away under mysterious circumstances and brought forth speculation, accusations, conspiracy theories. Although his passing was deemed a self unaliving, the memoir uncovers family secrets and hidden truths that may prove otherwise.

a cookbook within a book within a book. this was a pleasant surprise! this was so unique and had my attention from start to finish. do i recommend this book? a thousand percent, ive already alerted my friends and family to add this to their radar

I loved this!! It was funny and raw. I also did not see the twists coming at all, something that has disappointed me in the past. I would highly recommend this to anyone who liked a certain hunger, I think I might have liked this more.

Well-paced and fascinating look at the life of a celebrity chef and the disappearance of her husband. After reading so many thrillers, you would think I would look for the twists and figure them out but I was so absorbed in the story telling and the book-within-a-book that I wasn’t even trying to find them. I love the way this one unfolded. Bonus points for the recipes that would have made my mouth water if not for the allusions to cannibalism; I may still try one or two of them.

This book was a strange, slow-burn masterpiece of secrets—the kind that sinks its claws into you and refuses to let go until the final, shocking twist.

Maria Capello has built an empire on charisma, charm, and a very secret ingredient. But behind every jar of marinara is a past steeped in shadows. Her husband's disappearance two decades ago? Still unsolved. Her reluctance to ever speak of it? Chilling. And now, suddenly, she’s ready to talk—but only to Thea Woods, a fan-turned-editor caught in a web she never saw coming.

From the very beginning, something about Maria doesn’t sit right. She’s too poised. Too polished. And the deeper Thea digs, the more tangled the family’s history becomes. Every chapter is like peeling back the layers of an onion—each one stingier than the last.

Danielle Valentine doesn’t hand the reader answers. She makes you earn them—just like Thea. Maria gives us crumbs—morsels of memories, confessions laced with manipulation, and recipes filled with more than just love. It’s psychological suspense with a side of sinister.

And that ending? I thought I was prepared. I was wrong.
You’ll never look at a cookbook—or a close-knit family—the same way again.

Because all families have secrets.
But the Capellos? Theirs are deadly.

This was such a fun read - from the moment I saw the cover and read the summary, I knew I was locked in.

I’ve been trying to think of how to write my review without spoiling any of the story - so all I’m going to say is that this story is a masterpiece when it comes to lies, half truths, and complicated domestic matters. I didn’t see the ending - the twists and turns were so fun, and honestly this book was one I didn’t want to put down.

Read this if you like any of the following:
- unreliable narrator
- rumored cannibalism
- family secrets and rumors
- Italian food and recipes
- multiple POVs
- complicated characters

This book kept me guessing from start to finish! The twists and turns were perfectly timed, keeping the suspense high and the pages turning. While some of the cooking scenes were a bit gory, they added to the overall thrill and intensity of the story in a way that felt fitting rather than overdone.

I found the main character relatable and compelling, and even the supporting characters had depth that made them easy to connect with. I also absolutely loved the inclusion of recipes at the end of each chapter—it was such a unique and creative touch that added to the charm of the story.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy). All opinions are my own.

I was expecting something similar to another book that came out a few years ago, one that I don't think I managed to finish... There's just no comparison. This book was FANTASTIC. Celebrity chef Maria Capello is finally writing her memoir, promising to explain what really happened to her husband. Rumors have swirled for years about why his body was never found. Everyone's heard the tasteless jokes about cannibalism, or seen the jokes on late night television. The story shifts between Thea, the young editor who was hand picked by Maria herself and sections of the memoir. Thea learned to cook by watching episodes of Maria's TV show and absolutely idolizes the older woman. Editing this book is a dream come true for her, worth being secluded at the chef's luxious home. Lengthy recipes had me feeling like I'd watched episodes of the show myself. The contrast between Maria's writing and what Thea sees as she interacts with the woman and her family kept me wondering what was really going on. There are so many layers of deception in this story that I didn't come close to guessing them all.

Absolutely crazy story! A fun read, but pretty dark with what happened in Maria Capello's life, at least according to the tell all memoir that she has written and has Thea editing. Better read that with a grain of salt though. Maria Capello is a master of controlling the narration and her life which has propelled her to stardom, a tv show, multiple books, and many rumors about her husband who may or may not have committed suicide. Thea certainly ends up swimming in the deep end quickly when she goes to Maria's house to edit the memoir. You get lies, dark truths, some not quite reliable narrators, and a lot of creepiness both in that house and the town where Thea goes to look for answers that either support the memoir or prove that Maria is a liar. It does get twisty and things are connected in a way that ended up being quite surprising and I was hooked the whole time.

A dark read with a bit of humor in the recipes and the names they had and a twisty ending that got a chuckle out of me. I enjoyed this book a lot!

"When infamous chef, restauranter, and television personality Maria Capello's husband died, the media circus was intense…and quick to cast the blame. Whispers claimed Maria murdered her husband to build her culinary empire on his bones, and that there was an all-too-grisly reason his body was never recovered. Yet for the past few decades, the Capello family maintained their stoney silence—until now.

Thea Woods has no idea why she was chosen to work with Maria on her sure-to-be-infamous memoir, but she doesn't question her luck. Spirited away to the Capello's rustic upstate farm, she's soon embroiled in the mystery—and cut off from the rest of the world. It should be the job of a lifetime, but something's not quite right with the close-knit clan, and Damien Capello isn't the only one to go mysteriously missing over the years. As the true story of Maria's past unfolds and the stench of rot hidden behind the kind coastal grandmother veneer rises, Thea finds herself trapped...and desperately afraid."

Ina Garten meets Martha Stewart. And both are creepy and kind of crazy and murderous. Feels extra contemporary. But also a bit all over the place and I wish some editing would have been done to the MC, no pun intended.
Full of unreliable narrators, confusing timelines and with an unlikable FMC... it's actually very intriguing! Digs into genre bending (on purpose).
I really had NO idea what was gonna happen, but Maria's house it's what nightmares are made of. And the vibes were so off... in a good way. Also the subtle and not to subtle cannibalism hints... It works!
While I guessed a detail of two, the finale was an actual surprise for me. Would read again from this author.

Such a refreshing take on a true horror/thriller novel. The story flowed so easily that I couldn’t put it down and wanted to keep reading until the very end. The plot was full of twists and my head was spinning trying to figure out what was actually happening. Things aren’t as they seem and sometimes they are and most of the time you’re left with trying to figure out the twists then when you think you solved it sometimes you’d be proven wrong. I didn’t find this book to be gory or vividly peculiar and it blends together genres of horror, thriller and mystery but also a touch of humor. I think readers will appreciate this book and for fans of horror, mystery and intrigue this is the book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback.

A wild ride of a read a book that includes recipes and delicious characters.EnjoyedThe Dead Husband Cookbook from first to last page.#NetGalley #sourcebooks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)
This book is such a strange little treat, and I mean that in the best way. The Dead Husband Cookbook is equal parts slow-burn thriller, culinary drama, and psychological mind game. I went in expecting dark humor and a touch of absurdity (hello, that title!), but what I got was a twisty, layered mystery with a rich atmosphere and just enough bite to keep me turning the pages.

The story centers on Thea, an editor in desperate need of a career comeback, who’s handpicked by elusive celebrity chef Maria Capello to edit her memoir. It’s a huge break, but there’s a catch: Maria’s husband, the famous chef Damien Capello, vanished years ago under very suspicious circumstances. Rumors have always swirled that Maria had something to do with it… and now Thea’s locked away with her at a remote farmhouse with no phone, a looming deadline, and secrets simmering just under the surface.

The setup is great, the pacing slow and deliberate, like a meal that simmers on the stove all day, teasing you with its scent. Some moments dragged a bit for me, especially when it leaned too hard on introspection or flashbacks, but the tension always bubbled back up before I got too impatient. And while the big twist wasn’t completely surprising, it was satisfying enough to make the journey feel worth it.

This is a great read if you enjoy books with eccentric leads, a strong sense of place, and a “did-she-or-didn’t-she” mystery at its core. Think The Menu meets Verity, with a little Italian flair. It’s not quite a five-star gourmet meal, but it’s a solid four-star dish, and I’d definitely come back for seconds.

A big thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Much like the guests at Maria's restaurant, I devoured this book with abandoned glee. The pacing was perfect, the plot twists were perfect, and the ending was perfect. This novel is what I would consider the pinnacle of the emerging "food & murder" genre, more engaging than Butter and A Certain Hunger. You will love this book if you like face paced murder mysteries, celebrity gossip, blackmail, and some good old-fashioned meatballs.