Book Review: ‘The Dead Husband Cookbook’ is a recipe for an exquisite murder mystery

By Canadian Press on August 4, 2025.

“The Dead Husband Cookbook” is an enthralling read providing readers with a thrilling look into the cutthroat world of culinary arts — and what makes the perfect recipe … for murder, that is.

With a unique narrative structure that involves past and present day, tantalizing recipes, news clippings and excerpts from the antagonist’s memoir, Danielle Valentine is able to create an unsettling undertone and build up suspense to keep readers engaged until they reach the bone chilling twist.

Valentine uses many well-know horror tropes including a remote farm house, animals screaming, whispering voices and rustling footsteps, but is still able to create a unique feeling of dread. The gradual build up to the final twist in the book makes the story much more riveting and will keep readers guessing.

The use of recipes from the fictional memoir may create an immersive experience for some but for others they may be disruptive. The shift in point of views from the protagonist to the so-called antagonist can be jarring but it also makes the reader question everything they have learned so far, adding to the anticipation in the story.

With twists and turns until the end Valentine is able to deliver a deliciously dark, macabre story that thriller and murder mystery fans will instantly devour — pun intended.

___

AP book reviews: https://apnews.com/hub/book-review

Fernanda. Figueroa, The Associated Press