Tomato sauce isn’t the only thing that runs red…Local chef Tessa Esposito is struggling to get back on her feet following her husband’s fatal accident. And when the police knock on Tessa’s door, things just get worse. They’ve discovered Dylan’s death wasn’t an accident after all, and they need Tessa to start filling in the blanks. Who would want her beloved husband dead, and why? With the … dead, and why?
With the investigation running cold, Tessa decides it’s time to save her sanity by reconnecting with her first love-cooking. And maybe the best way back into the kitchen is to infiltrate Dylan’s favorite local pizza parlor, which also happens to be the last place he was seen before he died. But the anchovies aren’t the only thing that stink inside the small family business, and with suspects around every corner, Tessa finds that her husband’s many secrets might land her in hot water.
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Wow! A wonderful new series! Tessa Esposito and her family and friends form a rich and warm group of characters. I found the story to be riveting, intricate, and completely compelling. The Italian recipes made my mouth water. I loved this book, and I look forward to reading the next one in this series!
Penne Dreadful by Catherine Bruns is the first in the Italian Chef Mysteries and the first cozy I’ve read by her. Although I’ve been eyeing up the Cookies and Chance Mysteries for awhile now…. one day!
The first thing I noticed when I opened the paperback was the line spacing on the page, which was double the usual paperback. This made me extremely happy! Just recently, I’ve noticed if I read a paperback I have to have very good light and it helps to sit by the window during the daytime. The words are just so tiny to my getting older eyes. But that was not the case with Penne Dreadful because of the extra spacing. That is just an extra bonus, but it inspires me to buy more books by Poisoned Pen Press.
Bruns did a wonderful job with character development for the first book in a new series. There were a lot of characters, but at no time did I get confused, which has happened in the past when a book has a ton of characters or the character’s names that all seem to start with the same first letter. I really enjoyed the relationship Tessa had with her cousins and look forward to visiting with them in the next book. And of course, the kitty, Luigi is adorable.
And Bruns descriptions for the restaurant, Tessa’s house, and the neighborhood was done very well. The perfect amount to make me feel like I could visualize the scene, but not so much that I became bored and started skimming.
Besides the murder there were other crimes to solve, including fraud and blackmail. This was highly enjoyable having so many things to figure out. I had the general idea of who the bad guys were, but didn’t see it all coming, and was really surprised by one of the characters turning out to be a decent person.
I will be reading more of the Italian Chef Mysteries, and highly recommend Penne Dreadful.
Great start to a new series. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. It had a great mystery with many twists and turns. I look forward to see what adventures the next book will bring.
A Life of Lies
Everything she thought she knew wasn’t true, but what was? Cooking. But was her sauce really worth killing for? Very emotional heroine balanced by excitable cousin and lots of suspects as she struggles to make sense of her life–and to keep it. Some fascinating twists and turns.
Great new series!!! Tessa Esposito’s husband was killed in a car crash. It has now been determined that it was not an accident. Tessa, with the help of her cousin Gabby, investigates and uncovers all kinds of secrets along the way. Lots of intrigue and keeping you guessing. This book was hard to put down and I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Tessa and hopefully eventually see a relationship between her and Justin when she is done grieving!!
This new series is off to a great start. It has everything I look for in a mystery and even more. It has a big heart. It’s about love, loss, betrayal, lies and a loving family to catch you when you think you can’t go one more step. Tessa thought she had the perfect life but before she’s 30 her beloved husband dies in an automobile accident. She wrestles with her grief by turning to cooking. Her speciality is a mouth watering pasta sauce and she has made enough, so far, to feed the proverbial army. Tessa is a very talented chef. One day her cousin Gino, comes by and drops a bombshell on her. He’s a cop and tells her that her husband’s death was not an accident, a fact that the family had known about but had kept from her. Finding out was like a hit with a blunt object. Who would want him dead?
I liked the way Tessa was brought into the investigation. Her husband was last seen at The Slice, a restaurant he favored. Turns out they have an opening in the kitchen and Gino sees it as an opportunity to have her nose around. In her fog of widowhood, Tessa takes some risks and pokes around with sometimes little concern for where those questions might lead. They lead to answers that turn things upside down, again.
Besides the very well crafted mystery with wonderful characters, including a great cat, and the food…..oh the yummy food. There are lots of twists and turns, some red herrings, too and a satisfying ending. I’m all ready to read the mystery to see how Tessa moves on with her life. In the meantime I’m going to try my hand at making Tessa’s Tantalizing Tomato Sauce.
Penne Dreadful is the first in a new cozy mystery series “An Italian Chef mystery”. Tessa is deep in her grief for her husband Dylan who died a month before in a fiery car crash. In an attempt to get Tessa back to living, her cop cousin Vino tells her Dylan’s death looks like it murder and that one of the last places he was seen is looking for a cook. Tessa goes undercover at the “Slice” to sleuth around. But the further she investigates the more it seems her husband was up to his neck in lies and dirty dealings. Tessa and her sidekick/cousin Gabby ventures into dangerous territory when everyone in her life seems to be keeping secrets and their lives are on the line. Full of suspense and the little extra twist out of left field, the story draws you in and has the pages flying by for a quick, satisfying read. I cannot wait for more in this promising series. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
Tessa recently lost her husband in a car accident and has been struggling to make it through each day ever since. The only thing that brings her a touch of happiness is cooking and feeding those around her. When she learns that her husband Dylan’s death wasn’t actually an accident it throws her for a loop. Who would have wanted to kill her husband and why? Her husband was a great guy and everybody loved him. It doesn’t look like the police are getting anywhere and Tessa is tired of waiting for them to figure things out so she decides that it is time for her to start her own investigation. She knows Dylan had been frequenting a pizza place more so than usual so she decides to start there. They have a help wanted sign in the window and she knows that she will have no problem blending in because she is a great cook. While there she soon realizes that something is going on other than pizzas and deliveries, she must delve deeper to find the answers. Along the way she starts learning things about her husband that just can’t be true, at least she doesn’t want them to be true. If what she finds out is real then she feels like she didn’t really know the man she married. These knew feelings of hurt and betrayal don’t stop her from looking into who killed him though. She needs answers and she needs them sooner rather than later, especially if she is ever to get any kind of closer on the whole matter. Follow along as Tessa’s looks for clues and finds herself in trouble more times than she can count. Will she find the answers she seeks or will she find herself in the same boat as her husband, murdered? This was truly a great start to what I hope is a lengthy series. The characters were easy to get to know and I look forward to seeing where the author takes them to next.
Tessa Esposito is trying to recover from her husband’s fatal accident and although her family and friends want to help, she needs time to grieve. She will not get that time as her cousin, Detective Gino Mancusi, has disturbing news for her…the accident may not have been an accident! Tessa, an accomplished chef, decides to work at Slice Pizzeria, her husband’s favorite restaurant and where he was last seen prior to his death. Will she learn anything that will tell her why or who would have wanted her husband dead? What secrets will she learn about her husband’s life? They had only been married six years, why was he trying so hard to make sure they were financially sound? A pleasant beginning to a new series by Ms. Bruns. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
Cozy Mystery – Thriller
This is a wonderful Cozy-Thriller. This could be a blockbuster movie for sure! The heroine is a little too impulsive for my liking, but that is what makes the ‘thriller’ suspense work so well. This is a compelling story that I hated to put down. It did haunt my dreams a little. Italian cooking plays a large part in this story and the author includes some great recipes. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Series: Italian Chef Mysteries – Book 1
Author: Catherine Bruns
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Page Count: 416
Publishing Date: July 30, 2019
From Poisoned Pen Press comes the first in a new cozy series “Italian Chef Mysteries” from author Catherine Burns, titled Penne Dreadful. Tessa is a recent widow who finds out that her husbands’ fatal accident was murder. Still grieving, she agrees to help the police find his killer.
Tessa is a talented chef who was idyllically in love with her husband, but when he is killed, she finds out that he had been keeping secrets from her. She begins to wonder if she knew him at all. These thoughts would be reasonable for anyone who finds out that their loved one had a secret life.
Throughout the book, Tessa keeps uncovering more of his secrets. She is torn between deep grief for the man she married, anger and sadness for the man she never knew. Tessa’s conflicted emotions and thoughts make an interesting character with depth, but there needs to be less action that would in the real world have gotten Tessa killed quickly. Having the widow of a murdered man infiltrate the place where the police think her husband met his doom, would be a sure-fire way to tip off the bad guy{s} that the cops were on to them and would in all likelihood get the heroine eliminated.
Other characters such as Tessa’s cousins Gabby and Gino are very likable, entertaining and add a bit of humor to what would otherwise be an unhappy tale. Growth for characters in any series is essential. Ms. Burns has left ample room for character development. The setting in this cozy series has not been overtly detailed, which leaves room to expand the town and surroundings in future volumes.
The killer’s motive for murder, although plausible in today’s day and age, were not as well written as I would expect. There are twists and turns throughout the book, yet I felt it lacked valid leads and any legitimate police investigation. Penne Dreadful is not fast-paced, but it also does not crawl along to the point a reader will put it down and never finish reading it. This book holds enough intrigue to keep you coming back. There is potential for this cozy series to become well-liked and anticipated by readers with future additions.
Penne Dreadful is definitely a five-star cozy! Tessa Esposito thought she had the perfect life, until her husband was suddenly killed in a tragic car accident. Feeling despondent, she turns to the one thing that comforts her the best. Making batches and batches of her “Tantalizing Tomato Sauce”, a family favorite. When cousin Gino, shows up at her door to notify her that her husband’s death wasn’t an accident, and gives further information, Tessa begins to question all she knew about her husband. The more she learns, the more her questions spiral out of control like a bag of Angel Hair pasta. When Gino offers to have her be an informant for a local pizza place, Tess jumps in with both feet! With her cousin, Abby as a sidekick, encouraging her on her quest to find the truth, Tessa finds herself in more than one sticky situation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy. Tessa was easily likeable, her emotions heartfelt. The family dynamics played out well, as I thought back to my Italian family members and friends. The plot was not slow, and the surprises plentiful. I felt Tessa’s distress and she uncovers on thing after another about her husband. I was also pleased to see her determination to uncover the truth. Recipes at the end were a plus – especially after the references to Italian food.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to #NetGalley. I was happy to leave a review of my thoughts.
This was a great little book. I really enjoyed the food and cooking and would love to try making the recipes added at the end.
Tessa is thrown for a loop when she find out her husbands car accident wasnt an accident. As a talented cook she gets a job at a local pizza place where he husband did the taxes and was last seen before his accident. Is it connected? Are there secrets to be found? You better believe Tessa is going to snoop around and find out.
I could relate to Tessa’s need to find out what really happened to her husband but man did she find out some whammys. After all the crazy that has been thrown at Tessa she handled a lot better than I probably would have. She may have been pretty reckless a few times but in the end she is able to put the piece together with the help of her family.
I really did enjoy this book and will look forward to more in this series.
This is the first book I have read by this author and the start of a new series for her. I found it to be a very enjoyable read. The book had a good steady pace that kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. I thought the main character Tessa was well written. She has just become a young widow and discovered her husband’s car accident may have been murder. I thought the author did a good job of balancing Tessa as a grieving widow with a good sense of inner strength to help her deal with all of the things she uncovers along the way. The secondary cast of characters has real potential as well. Her cousins Gino and Gabby both complement Tessa in different ways. The mystery was also well done and like one of Tessa’s lasagna’s it had a lot of layers. The author did a good job of writing plenty of twists and turns as well as dropping subtle clues along the way. The reveal unfolded in several different ways but led to what I thought was a satisfying conclusion.
I really enjoyed this author’s writing style and these characters. I will be back to see what is next for Tessa as the series continues.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Edelweiss book reviews.
Penne Dreadful by Catherine Bruns is the first in her new series, Italian Cooks cozy mysteries. The protagonist, Tessa, is recently widowed and just trying to get her life back together. When her cousin Gino, a police detective, breaks the news her accountant husband’s car accident wasn’t an accident she is out to find out who would want her husband dead. She takes Gino’s advice and gets a job at the local pizza parlor where her husband had been going the books.Then during her investigation she finds out her husband may not have been the honest man she married and why does the shop owner want her to keep making her grandmother’s special tomato sauce when the freezer is full. This opens the door to many twists and turns that have you guessing until the end.
There is mystery, family bonds, great characters and setting, and recipes. I am looking forward to see where Tessa’s life goes from here.
I was given an ARC by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Penne Dreadful (Italian Chef Series #1) by Catherine Bruns is the first book of hers that I have had the pleasure to read. It definitely will not be the last. This book was a quick read with lots of twists and turns keeping you turning the pages. I did not want to put this book down. Just when you think you have a grip the story changes. I love that there are recipes at the end of the book. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. I highly recommend this series to anyone that loves z good cozy with awesome recipes to boot. You will not be disappointed.
PENNE DREADFUL by Catherine Bruns is the first book in her new series -An Italian Chef Mystery series. It is the fabulous story of Tessa Esposito – her coming to terms with many secrets her recently deceased husband had kept from her, being told his death wasn’t an accident and finding out she is stronger than she ever thought she could be.
Just weeks after the death of her beloved husband, Dylan, Tessa is trying to make sense of her life, pick up the pieces and move on. Then she learned from her cousin Gino Mancusi, police detective, that her husband’s death was no accident. His car had been tampered with causing the wreck and his car to burst into flames. Tessa feels it’s her job to find out who and why and for them to pay for such a senseless action. It leads her to taking a job at Slice a local pizza parlor, asking questions and shaking cages – at times with the help of her cousin Gabby, her Ethel sidekick to her Lucy.
Every time Tessa turns around she is finding out more she didn’t know about her husband – having been fired weeks before his death, possible criminal activities he has been involved in, more reasons to doubt if he loved her, and feeling of being kept in the dark. She feels it’s a big puzzle and she just has to find all the pieces to make it become clear. Then maybe she can move on.
Get ready for some heart pounding, on the edge of your seat situations that lead you in one direction one minute only to have you come to a standstill, shake your head and have you starting all over again. Danger seems to lurk around every corner. You will love the twists and turns the storyline takes while you ride the roller coaster ride of emotions with Tessa. Just remember the rides not over until the ride comes to a complete stop.
PENNE DREADFUL will leave you knowing this is going to be an amazing series, loving not only Tessa but everyone in her circle of family and friends and anticipating the next book in the series. There are so many possibilities for this series to go and I will be waiting with great anticipation for book #2. As an added bonus there are some of the delicious Italian recipes use within the story at the back of the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a well written cozy mystery because Catherine Bruns sure delivers on this one. You will not be disappointed!
“Penne Dreadful” earns 5/5 Pots of Sauce…Deliciously Engaging!
Released 7/30/19; Posted 3/4/19 (Goodreads)
I am an eager fan of Catherine Bruns’ work from her seven-book Cookies & Chance Mystery to the three book Cindy York Mystery to her two-book Carrie Jorgenson series in the Aloha Lagoon Mystery multi-author collection, so I knew I’d not be disappointed by her new series…An Italian chef? Italian cuisine? Murder? Catherine penned a well-written first-person narrative with a compelling plot using some contemporary issues, vivid (some mouthwatering) descriptions, and entertaining banter illustrating tone and personality. From Tessa Esposito’s point of view we find she is slowing emerging from the depths of grief after the death of her husband. However, grief turns to resolve when her cousin/cop Gino Mancusi finally explains the officials believe her husband’s fatal accident may have been intentional. Can’t be! Her husband was a good guy, well liked, who worked as an accountant for several businesses. But, evidence was suspicious and tracing his last moments have led authorities to a link with which Tessa can provide some assistance. She’ll do anything to get answers and justice, so she goes undercover…as a cook.
I totally enjoyed this page turner which included several personal and professional motives to sift through, a satisfying conclusion, a bit of peril, and some great characters that I look forward to following. This new group do not appear to be unique, but do not misunderstand, they are not rehashed from her other series. I enjoyed the incorporating of the “Italian” culture and cuisine, like with her Cookies & Chance Mystery, and included in the book are some easy-to-follow recipes: Never-Fail Pizza Crust and Pepperoni Pizza, Tessa’s Tantalizing Tomato Sauce, and ‘Good to the Last Bite’ Stromboli. Don’t miss this one!
Updated 9/17/19
The audiobook (9 hr. 38 min.) provided a delightful way to enjoy Catherine’s story with the marvelous voice talent of Celeste Ciulla. Her rich tones gave a warmth to the listening experience, much like Tessa’s sauce on a bed of al dente penne, bringing Catherine’s story to life. Celeste goes beyond the traditional reading out loud style as her steady-paced performance did well to illustrate the few accents and dialects (especially Carlita’s Spanish, Vincent and Anthony’s New “Yawk”), personalities (especially the excited Gabby and Olivia), different ages, and the male voices, a challenge for female narrators. She also did well performing the emotional complexities from Tessa’s range from grief to fear to angry then satisfaction. Even the points of peril were read in a way to put me literally on the edge of my chair. The audiobook gets 5/5 microphones!
Hurrah! My suggestions have been heard…by whom, I don’t know, but the recipes are included!! You can listen and copy down the three Italian favorites: Never-Fail Pizza Crust and Pepperoni Pizza, Tessa’s Tantalizing Tomato Sauce, and ‘Good to the Last Bite’ Stromboli. I love it!