A fun series opener set in the rolling Tuscan hills. Cole's mystery is fun and food filled, with a cooking school setting. Enjoyable!

I’m very in and out on cozy mysteries lately and really throughout the pandemic. The light, often silly appeal of a murder mystery with very little darkness as reflected by their punny titles appeals to me. But lately I have found it harder to pay attention to them when the balance between cute plot elements and actual mystery is off.

Despite being short, it took me about two weeks to finish AL DENTE’S INFERNO. I loved the cultural setting in Italy at a ramshackle cooking school with a restaurant led by a renowned chef. Nell arrives from the US to find the school is in much worse shape than she realized. She meets the handsome Pete (and an unexpected porcupine), and then a crew of a Netflix documentary arrive and she rushes to get a school stood up out of… well, rubble.

When Chef goes missing mid meal, Nell can’t imagine things getting worse. Until someone ends up murdered, that is!

I enjoyed the setting, the wacky characters, and the Italian dialogue which at times isn’t even translated, adding both authenticity and a bit of confusion! I would like the mystery to be a bit more forefront—it doesn’t even really get started until the halfway point.

Charming and a light break from books that make you think—this is fun for those that do like the American cozy style. Ultimately I think I wanted a bit more mystery.

This is an interesting angle for a cozy with a professional cooking school organizer landing in Italy to set up a culinary school for a chef she admires. I didn't feel much connection with the characters, though, so I don't think that I'll read more in the series.

American chef Nell Valenti jumps at the chance to move to Italy and help her idol, Chef Claudio Orlandini open a farm-to-table cooking school. Leaving her stagnating career and disinterested parents, Nell eagerly accepts the job offer. When she arrives, Nell walks into a disaster zone. There is only one day until the kickoff dinner and Villa Orlandini is a wreck. The dinner is hosting several dignitaries and a filmmaker who will be featuring the new school. Making matters worse is the arrival of Nell’s ex, who happens to be the filmmaker, and his subsequent murder later that evening.

Al Dente’s Inferno is book 1 in the Tuscan Cooking School Mystery series by Stephanie Cole. The book was an engaging story with likable characters and a believable mystery. Nell is a hard-working American trying to get a culinary school in Italy off the ground. She’s at a serious disadvantage due to her lack of knowledge and fluency in the native language of Italian. She’s not completely devoid of the language and there are some employees and residents of the Villa that speak English. Nell is written with realism and her interactions with everyone fit the way a professional in a less-than-perfect situation would act.

The mystery surrounding the murder of Nell’s ex was well thought out. The suspects were plenty, even if unlikely and/or not plausible. The lead up to and reveal of the murderer, along with the means and motive, were plotted well. I had a slight inkling of who did it, but I wasn't 100% sure who the culprit was until closer to the reveal. Nell's amateur investigation produced far-fetched theories and her snooping around was borderline illegal, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.

I found the story interesting and engaging. There was plentiful character development and wonderful world building. I was able to visualize every element of the story including the mouth-watering recipes. I'm excited to see what happens at Villa Orlandini in the next book.

I really loved this first book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

AL DENTE’S INFERNO really caught my attention because of its title and blurb. I have never read anything from this author but I found that I’m a big fan of series that have a big culture emphasis in it. The first that I’ve tried was Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop Mysteries series and also Julia Buckley’s Hungarian Tea House Mysteries. I feel like this new series kind of fits that mold but with an Italian emphasis.

It was so nice to see the culture be played out throughout the novel. You get to experience the language and culture almost as if you have traveled there so I really thought getting to experience that world through an American’s eyes was nice to have. It made Nell’s character a lot easier to relate to.

Along with a great mystery, there’s an easy-to-follow writing style which makes it easy to read through and also have fun with. I know that I will be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. I am really in love with this world and can’t wait to see more!

A fun first in series!! I really loved the unique setting and the Italian characters made this cozy really stand out from others. The main character Nell was likable and the author included enough twists and turns that had me guessing until the very end. The tantalizing recipes at the end of the book were a welcomed bonus!!
I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!

This was a fun start to a new cozy mystery series! I loved the characters, the setting, and the food! I really enjoyed the mystery, and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Eccentric chef's and making your way in a new life... what's not to love. Nell and her new friends are fun and give the book's mystery a believable edge. Enjoyed this first and look forward to the next Nell mystery.

This was a quick, light, fun read. It hit everything I look for in a cozy. I liked the characters and the storyline.

I struggled a bit with this one. I loved the setting, but the characters were more aggravating then charming. Nell had a few fun snarky comments, but generally the conversations did not flow well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

The murder mystery in this one was very light as I figured out the ending before it happened. I did love the setting and the characters but the story itself just didn't do it well. As for cozy mysteries this wasn't the best one that I have read.

The book itself isn't what made me DNF it but I think the format I was reading on wasn't for me. The characters were enjoyable and I did feel a connection to them. The writing was easy to follow along but again I think I need a physical copy of the book to really get into the story. When I do get a physical copy I will probably pick this up again.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

What do a dead cow, a murdered filmmaker, and a missing, bocce-playing chef have to do with each other? Al Dente’s Inferno is a fun, witty first in a new series set in the lush beauty of Tuscany. The characters are likable, quirky, and defined as needed. The mystery is confounding; I had a hard time choosing a suspect.

Chef Nell Valenti’s re-created life as a cooking school start-up designer is going well; she has been offered a position to help set up a farm-to-table cooking school for her hero, Chef Claudio Orlandini, an acclaimed Italian chef. She successfully directed a start-up farm-to-table cooking school in the Berkshires at the Prajna Retreat Center and had an unsuccessful relationship with Bu, who she thought was someone seeking Buddhist enlightenment.

The first thing she sees of the future cooking school is the Villa’s vehicle, an older three-wheeled enclosed Vespa with a flatbed. Chef’s son, Pete, arrived in it to pick her up at the train station. Hopefully Pete, who has lived in various places around the world and now cares for the olive grove on the vast 50-acre property, better represents the Villa than the Vespa. Or the neighbor’s dead cow in Pete’s olive grove amidst a small area of trees that look blighted.

Nell’s tour of Villa Orlandini is lacking. It is a 16th century convent that includes an old cloister, a crumbling fountain, a mossy common area reeking of mildew, and a dormitory with an invading porcupine that hasn’t been lived in for decades. The former chapel is beautiful with its original stained-glass windows and is now used as an elegant dining room. At dinner Nell learns that the chef and his sous-chef, Annamaria, are preparing dinner the following evening for three dignitaries to celebrate the beginning of work on the cooking school. Joining them is a Netflix documentary filmmaker and his assistant to add the Villa to a documentary on European school start-ups. The common area, where they wish to entertain, is a complete disaster. Oh, and one other little glitch. The renowned filmmaker is none other than Bu, the guy Nell had the unfortunate fling with at her last job.

The next day is a flurry of Pete and others calling in favors – rental furniture for the common area, removal of the porcupine, removed moss from the wall and many other details. Annamaria, who with Pete ensures that anything worthwhile at the villa happens, does not speak English, and Nell speaks little Italian. Watching them converse in charades is hysterical, especially with many misinterpretations!

Bu greeted Nell enthusiastically. He and his assistant, Ember, film throughout the villa. In the kitchen during meal prep, Bu trash-talks to everyone in an insulting manner as he films them, especially Annamaria’s sisters who are nuns, there to help wherever needed. Nell kicks Bu, knocking him down, not wanting her new working family insulted. Pete tells Bu that if he harasses any of the guests or the Villa family, he would personally take care of Bu.

When the dignitaries – Ernesto, international food critic, the Contessa, a wealthy Roman socialite, and Benedetto, the local chamber of commerce director arrive, Nell hears Bu have less than cordial private greetings with each as if they know each other. The dinner starts well, then Nell notices partway through that Chef has disappeared. After dinner is complete and the guests are gone, Nell goes outdoors, and finds Bu lying on the ground. He isn’t drunk as she suspected – he is dead, clearly murdered, and nobody has found Chef yet.

We learn enough about Nell’s background to like her and enjoy her dry humor. It takes courage and determination to travel over 4,000 miles and live in a country with a different language and customs! On the plus side, she will work for her hero and expand her start-up experience. Pete is very personable and does his best to interpret for her with everyone else. We learn a bit of Annamaria and Chef’s backgrounds, but little of anyone else.

Nell and Pete are determined to find the killer and get Chef – then Nell – off the suspect list. They clearly have minimal experience even reading mysteries, as their initial attempts to solve the murder and disappearance of Chef are almost painful at times. They learn the cause of death of the cow in the olive grove. The reader is treated to beautiful descriptives of the countryside and laugh-out-loud humor.

Plot twists slowly reveal suspects and motives, but it seems a very slow process. I was unsuccessful at selecting the real bad guy until seconds before she was identified, showing me how well-plotted the mystery is. For now, cooking, and even preparing the school, are not front and center; the mystery, the characters, and even the truffle dog are the heart of it. This first in a new series may have a slow start but overall is a solid start. I highly recommend it!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

A very good new cozy series starter! Set in a beautiful rural Italian estate where Nell Valenti has arrived to help set up a new cooking school, she quickly realizes that the place is going to need a lot more upgrading and effort than she thought- and this is before her former fling shows up to film for a documentary. When he ends up dead, there is a long list of suspects- Nell, of course, among them. The setting is lush and beautiful to read about, and the cast of characters are interesting. This series is off to an excellent beginning with this one!

Solid mystery. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this and the frequent use of Italian phrases (which made sense for the setting) interrupted the flow of the story for me. This was - unfortunately - easy to set aside and not pick back up for awhile.

There are some great moments - a little humor, a good love interest for the main character, and a fascinating backstory for her with her parents that I would have loved to explore more - but I would have liked more of them. I'd still try a second book to see how things develop over time - especially if Nell's parents are going to be involved.

Al Dente’s Inferno by Stephanie Cole is the beginning of A Tuscan Cooking School Mystery series. I enjoyed the word imagery of the Tuscan countryside and the dilapidated Orlandini villa. I had to laugh when Nell found mold and a critter in the public rooms. Nell thought she was just upgrading a farm-to-table cooking school. Instead, it seems she is starting from scratch. Unfortunately, the launch dinner for the local dignitaries is the next evening. Then someone kills the filmmaker which could put the kibosh on the cooking school before it opens. While I enjoyed the Italian setting, I was not a fan of the multiple Italian words and phrases in the story. Some of them are explained, but many of them are not. I quickly tired of them as it disrupted the flow of the story plus I had no clue what they meant (unless I used the translation feature on my e-book). The clichés were another annoyance (way too many). I believe they were meant to be humorous. There are some interesting characters in the story, but I found background information to be lacking. I thought Al Dente’s Inferno was a slow starter. The murder does not occur until you are a third of the way into the story (way too late). If you are a frequent reader of cozy mysteries, you will have already identified the killer by the time the dufus (i.e. the filmmaker and Nell’s ex-boyfriend) turns up dead. There are good clues to aid readers in solving the crime and I liked Nell’s approach to the investigation. It was straightforward with a Jessica Fletcher type reveal at the end. I liked that most of the focus of Al Dente’s Inferno was on cooking and the whodunit. I did not like when it delved into a new romantic interest for Nell. Considering her recent breakup and taste in men, Nell needs to wait before diving into a new romantic relationship (she needs to keep her focus on the school). I did enjoy Nell’s snarky comments. Al Dente’s Inferno could have used a little more work before it was published (in my personal opinion). Al Dente’s Inferno has a crumbling cloister, a pesky porcupine, a curious conveyance, mouthwatering meals, and a frustrating filmmaker.

While I was really looking forward to this book, I found it to be a bit lacking in a couple areas. I loved the setting, a nice change from small town america, and I thought the main story line was a good one but there are a few too many Italian terms thrown into the book, which are a bit jarring and disrupt the flow, especially when the meaning isn't explained. The book was also full of cliches, which added nothing to the story for me. I did like the characters and the mystery so hopefully the writing will improve with book two.

Nell Valenti has turned her love of food and her training as a chef into a career helping establish farm to table cooking schools. When she is offered a job setting up a school for Chef Claudio Orlandini in Tuscany, she jumps at the chance. Not only is she looking for some changes in her life, but Chef Claudio is her culinary idol. However, Nell is shocked upon her arrival to discover that the villa Chef Claudio owns is in worse disrepair than she expected, meaning the transformation is going to be more work than she’d expected. Then comes the news that a kick off dinner with some local dignitaries is scheduled for the next evening. Even worse, the dinner ends with some of the guests dead and Chef Claudio missing. What has Nell gotten herself into?

I picked up this book with high hopes. It’s fun to see a cozy in a new setting, and Tuscany appealed to me. Unfortunately, the language barrier made the book hard to get into initially. Yes, we need bits of Italian, and not all of the characters are going to speak English, but it felt like too many Italian words and phrases were thrown out, and we had to wait for the translation to appear or figure out what was meant in context. While it took a bit longer to be hooked than I would have liked, it did happen once the plot kicked into high gear. We are treated to a great mystery with plenty of suspects. As Nell pieces things together, I was in awe of just how well the clues were laid out for us. Nell is a good main character, and the core cast also comes to life for us as well. There are some laugh out loud funny scenes here, and, of course, we get a delicious sounding recipe at the end. The characters, plot, and setting make this a fun debut.

Al Dente’s Inferno earns 5/5 Italian Delights...Entertaining Cozy Fun!

First-in-a-series treat! American chef Nell Valenti is offered a chance to transform a Tuscany villa into a farm-to-table cooking school, but it’s more rundown, ok more like dilapidated, than expected, and Chef Claudio, Nell’s culinary hero, may be quite a challenge. Buon Appetito! Stephanie Cole has penned a delightful new series in a first-person narrative sharing Nell’s perspective giving me a vicarious role in the drama. Cole’s writing style was very entertaining filled with descriptive language of the dreamy Italian countryside, the villa, and cuisine and expressive dialogue adding humorous interactions and illustrating the various personalities and tone of the drama. However, I found the use of Italian phrases may have provided authenticity, but was overused and often without some assistance understanding its meaning; fortunately with the digital copy I was able to highlight and translate most incidents. The murder mystery was engaging with a karma-approved victim, plenty of suspects and motives, well-written discovery of clues, and a final conclusion that had tentatively been on my radar midway through the story...but the murder occurred later in the story than I prefer. The characters are fun, some quirky, but more background and connections would have provided a clearer picture; I like Nell, her snarky repartee, and see an enjoyable personal journey in the future. Bonus, of course! An easy-to-follow recipe for Peroni al Forno Ripieni di Ricotta (Baked Peppers Stuffed with Ricotta) with helpful Tips and Secrets. I did enjoy the book, and look forward to more from Nell.