“Once just the timid wife of famous chef Damien Capello, Maria stepped into the spotlight after Damien’s mysterious disappearance 20 years before. An event she’s never spoken about publicly until now, when it is announced that she is looking for a publisher for her memoirs.
The Dead Husband Cookbook, Danielle Valentine
When Thea is invited to Maria’s remote farm to work on the manuscript, she can’t resist. After all, she may finally learn whether the rumours are that Maria killed Damien for his recipes and the legendary ‘secret ingredient’…”
There’s one sentence that guarantees I’ll read a book: “There’s a chance the wife killed her husband.” When I hear that, I’m immediately reading the recommended book. And a book with Dead Husband in the title? Sign me up!
Add in a rumor that the wife has been using meat from her dead husband to make her world-famous meatballs, and I’ve got to read the whole book, no matter what. And I did read the whole book! Even when I got a little mad and it felt like there were so many new plot points I could never find my way out. In the end, this book was a blend of psychological horror and classic thriller.
If you are looking for a book that’s purely “did she kill her husband?” like I was, this won’t be a perfect fit. There’s more layers and context to this story, and it focuses more on the wife’s life story than her husband’s demise. There are a lot of strange characters and several scenes that are jarring and borderline grotesque. Blending these scenes with the main character’s desperation and isolation really made the psychological horror shine through. Unfortunately, the thriller side of the story left me wanting a more developed plot, because the story can’t just be vibes.
But if you’re looking for a creepy, maudlin, look at a hidden family tradition spanning generations, this would be a solid choice! (And if that sentence really grabbed your attention, maybe check out my spoiler-filled summary.)
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
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