This book kept me going till the end. I didn't always see Maria as the bad one. I did think she was behind her husband disappearing. There was always the thought in the back of my mind if they were really making the food for the recipes with people that she had killed. I didn't see the son shooting him though. Each family does have their issues and ways to deal with it. The way that the book was put together was very clever. The names of the recipes had me giggling as well. If there was a follow up to this book I would defiantly read it.

if you’ve ever watched a cooking show and thought, wow, i wonder what that secret ingredient is?—let me assure you, you don’t want to know.

Maria Capello is the kind of chef whose knives are just a little too sharp, whose family is just a little too secretive, and whose long-missing husband is just a little too...well, let’s just say "unaccounted for." enter Thea Woods, a writer who should probably have read a few more true crime novels before accepting a gig in Maria’s secluded estate—because the Capellos have been keeping their family recipes (and their family secrets) under lock and key for decades.

this book is a deliciously unsettling blend of mystery, gothic horror, and psychological suspense. the atmosphere is so thick with tension you could spread it on toast, and Maria herself? let’s just say i wouldn’t accept a dinner invitation from her anytime soon. The slow unraveling of the truth—both through Maria’s storytelling and Thea’s increasingly claustrophobic reality—left me absolutely hooked. the horror elements and the twist was INSANE. subtle but chilling, like the feeling you get when you realize there’s one too many chairs at the dinner table. and that final reveal? i’ll never look at a "signature dish" the same way again.

highly recommend if you like your thrillers dark, your protagonists in way over their heads, and your food metaphors served with a side of existential dread.

thank you SOURCEBOOKS Landmark!

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!

4.5***
The premise is outrageous in all the best ways. It starts with Thea, who is about to lose her job as an editor of a publishing house over a scandal that was leaked to the media. All of a sudden, Maria, a renowned culinary icon, wants Thea to edit her tell all. And also eludes to unveiling the mystery of what really happened to her husband Damien. Was it suicide, did he just disappear, or did she really murder him and use his remains in her recipes. Which of these speculations is true? But, beneath this quirky concept is a gripping thriller. Each chapter peels back layers of secrets, and I found myself both grinning and wincing as the story unfolded. It would have gotten all 5 stars from me if some of the chapters at the beginning were a little shorter, but I am just being petty with that one.

Thank you dreamscape audio for my gifted ALC! I was so excited for this book when I saw the cover! I have loved all of Danielle’s books and was excited for another adult novel! This book was somewhat of a departure from her previous adult novel, but I loved it! It brings family drama and thriller with a dash of horror! I loved the book within a book, having that added so much to this story! I really enjoyed the narrator and thought she did an incredible job with this book! I especially loved the ending of each chapter with the recipes! I need a print copy of this one, obviously for my shelf, but also for the recipes! My mouth was watering! I had no idea where this book was going and I loved that! There are so many twists and at first when I was nearing the end and thought it was wrapped up, I found myself thinking there are still some loose ends, but of course Danielle whips in more drama and everything is tied up neatly in a bow!! I recommend this for all my thriller lovers, especially domestic thrillers! I think this will be a hot one this summer!

4.5 Stars rounded up

This book was an absolute delight. Dark, clever, and so much fun. The Dead Husband Cookbook reads like a deliciously twisted piece of mixed media, with an editor unraveling the manuscript of a famed Martha Stewart type of TV chef. The inclusion of actual recipes (many of which I now need to try) adds a wonderfully immersive layer to the experience.

Yes, the pacing starts out slow, but it’s clearly intentional. Laying the groundwork for complex characters and a brilliantly twisted plot that absolutely pays off. Once the pieces start falling into place, it becomes a fast, addictive read.

Books, food, and murder? Honestly, what more could you ask for in a premise? This is sharp, wickedly entertaining, and wholly original. Highly recommend for fans of dark humor, domestic thrillers, and stories that blend genres with flair.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Danielle Valentine for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thea is a book editor who is being threatened with losing her job while also feeling unfulfilled in her marriage. Her favorite cookbook author requests Thea, and only Thea, to edit her long awaited memoir. While the circumstances are suspicious, including Maria’s, the chef’s, particular request to (1) edit the book in person at her farmhouse in upstate new york and (2) tell no one anything about the book, Thea ultimately decides to take the trip up to Woodstock.

Maria has a flurry of rumors about her ranging from cannibalism/using her dead husband as the “special ingredient” in her meatball recipe to mob ties/FBI investigations. Ultimately, the reader uncovers both Maria’s side of the story chapter by chapter as well as hears from various side characters.

An excellent mystery book that is told in the present day while Thea is editing the memoir, with chapters of the memoir that jump back to the past to tell Maria’s side of the story. I really appreciated this style of storytelling and really didn’t expect some of the twists and turns that are uncovered, especially not the ending. I definitely think anyone who likes strong female characters and mysteries would love this story!

What a fun book! This was the epitome of unsettling, eerie and twisty! The twists and turns just kept on coming! I loved the setting and the way this was a book within a book. I love Danielle’s writing and she really delivered. I admittedly love any kind of book that even has the slight promise of cannibalism so she got me there! I will not confirm or deny if that is true. You’ll have to read it to find out. This was very clever and dark and yeah maybe a few things where I had to suspend my beliefs but eh those things never really bother me to be honest and it just made things more fun! I highly recommend this one. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy.

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

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!

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.)

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.

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.