{I've Been Reading} The Dead Husband Cookbook

 

The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine

I was expecting something similar to another book that came out a few years ago, one that I don't think I managed to finish... There's just no comparison. This book was FANTASTIC.  Celebrity chef Maria Capello is finally writing her memoir, promising to explain what really happened to her husband. Rumors have swirled for years about why his body was never found. Everyone's heard the tasteless jokes about cannibalism, or seen the jokes on late night television. The story shifts between Thea,  the young editor who was hand picked by Maria herself and sections of the memoir. Thea learned to cook by watching episodes of Maria's TV show and absolutely idolizes the older woman. Editing this book is a dream come true for her, worth being secluded at the chef's luxious home. Lengthy recipes had me feeling like I'd watched episodes of the show myself. The contrast between Maria's writing and what Thea sees as she interacts with the woman and her family kept me wondering what was really going on. There are so many layers of deception in this story that I didn't come close to guessing them all. 

For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews 

I've only read a handful of the Meg Langslow mystery series (this is number thirty-seven!)  and I've enjoyed some more than others. This one captures all of the glorious chaos that is Meg's life with her family and friends. While they're preparing for the Mutt March, an event that features nearly four hundred costumed dogs who are all currently housed in Meg's yard, a skeleton is unearthed in the neighbor's yard. The thirty or forty year old murder investigation, combined with concerns about dog-nappers and lots of references to previous events in the town's history, kept me happily entertained. I know I'm missing an absolute ton of backstory, and I'd love to go back and read it all one of these days, but I don't mind at all that I don't always know who's who or how they all got together.