This is really a 3.5 rating. It seemed like the longest book I have ever read. It was about Giovanni and his Uncle Bartolomeo Scappi. Goo has been trained to cook for the Pope by his uncle. It seemed that one catastrophe/issue had to be bigger than the last one. I read about this interesting family but I didn’t “know “ them. It was just eh to me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Wow! The Chef's Secret is an amazing story that will keep you guessing what the next turn of events will be. Giovanni's uncle the great Chef Bartolmeo Scappi has died. He has left almost everything to his nephew/apprentice, including his journals that his nephew is to destroy. However Giovanni does not follow his uncle request, and soon discovers more than he could even imagine about his uncle. Will it end well??
The Chef's Secret will keep you coming back to finish it and solve the puzzles. The food that is discussed will fill you with desire for good food. Enjoy!

Interesting story of the chef of cardinals and popes. He writes his life story in journals that he instructs his nephew to burn, but instead the nephew reads them. The nephew is the chef's protege and so much more. A very good story.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
A captivating novel of Renaissance Italy detailing the mysterious life of Bartolomeo Scappi, the legendary chef to several popes and author of one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time, and the nephew who sets out to discover his late uncle’s secrets—including the identity of the noblewoman Bartolomeo loved until he died.

When Bartolomeo Scappi dies in 1577, he leaves his vast estate—properties, money, and his position—to his nephew and apprentice Giovanni. He also gives Giovanni the keys to two strongboxes and strict instructions to burn their contents. Despite Scappi’s dire warning that the information concealed in those boxes could put Giovanni’s life and others at risk, Giovanni is compelled to learn his uncle’s secrets. He undertakes the arduous task of decoding Scappi’s journals and uncovers a history of deception, betrayal, and murder—all to protect an illicit love affair.

As Giovanni pieces together the details of Scappi’s past, he must contend with two rivals who have joined forces—his brother Cesare and Scappi’s former protégé, Domenico Romoli, who will do anything to get his hands on the late chef’s recipes.

With luscious prose that captures the full scale of the sumptuous feasts for which Scappi was known, The Chef’s Secret serves up power, intrigue, and passion, bringing Renaissance Italy to life in a delectable fashion.
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
This is my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
3.5 star rating!