Thea Woods was a book editor on the rise until a scandal (that shouldn’t have been a scandal, unless it was against the other side) derailed her career. Just as she’s about to be fired, celebrity chef Maria Capello decides that Thea is the only editor she’s willing to work with. Maria has a lot of additional conditions too, including making Thea visit Maria’s home, where she hands over one chapter at a time. As if this wasn’t odd enough, there have been rumors that Maria’s special ingredient is human meat.

This was an enjoyable book. I didn’t like that there were so many recipes, but at least they made this a quick read. Plus, it was good that I could never get comfortable with Maria because that helped keep me off balance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This is the 3rd book that I have read by Danielle Valentine and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed the characters, the plot and just every aspect of this book.

One husband, well done.

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.

Because there are reasons why Damien's body was never found...and why, in over thirty years, Maria Capello has never revealed the secret ingredient in her most famous recipe.

A suspenseful read with some surprising twists throughout. Maria’s character is an intriguing hybrid of Miranda Priestly and Giada De Laurentis, with a sinister demeanor that leaves a sense of foreboding in her wake. I enjoyed the contrast between the chapters from her memoir and Thea’s perspective, though I found Thea to be the less compelling of the two main characters. The author weaves in some vivid imagery like screaming pigs and skull soup to infuse the story with a popcorn thriller vibe, but there is a layer of sordid family drama and deception that retains a plot amidst the shocks. Overall, 3-stars for a fast-moving plot and creative format. I think the phrase ‘murder, cannibalism, and meatballs’ will echo in my mind like a macabre chant for a few days at least.

This was such a fun thriller! I couldn’t put down this book - it was very very juicy (pun intended!)!

This made for an interesting read. I loved the chapters by Maria which unfold from Thea’s editing, along with the recipes interspersed in the book. Stay away from the meatballs!

The secret ingredient: cannibalism or just the right amount of seasoning? This world's Rachel Ray, Maria, hires Thea to edit her memoir and set the record straight against the rumors of her murdering her husband and the truth of their cooking empire. We get the first look into the secret chapters of her life as Thea edits from the remote farm where all the magic of Maria's home cooking was born. But, the longer Thea spends at the farm, the more out of the ordinary Maria's life appears to be.

I loved getting fed the chapters of Maria's book alongside Thea. This gives the reader the opportunity to try to and decipher the truth alongside our FMC. Maria's recipes scattered throughout were also a bonus that added to the immersion of the story. I kept imagining what it would be like to shadow Rachel Ray or Martha Stewart and unveil their secrets.

Overall a fun and twisty read, but I may skip the family meatballs for the foreseeable future.