Book Details:
Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
ASIN: B07TQKN23G
About the Book:
An American chef will have to serve up more than good eats if she wants to establish a successful farm-to-table cooking school in Tuscany, in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in Italy.
When Nell Valenti is offered a chance to move to Tuscany to help transform an aging villa into a farm-to-table cooking school, she eagerly accepts. After all, both her job and her love life in America have been feeling stale. Plus, she'll get the chance to work under the acclaimed Italian Chef Claudio Orlandini.
But Nell gets more than she bargained for when she arrives. With only a day to go until the launch dinner for the cooking school, the villa is in shambles, and Chef O is blissfully oblivious of the work that needs to be done before a group of local dignitaries arrive, along with a filmmaker sent to showcase and advertise the new school. The situation only worsens when Nell discovers that the filmmaker is an ex-boyfriend, and he’s found murdered later that night. Even worse, Chef O has disappeared, and accusations of murder could shut the school down for good.
As tensions reach a boiling point at the villa, Nell must throw her chef's hat into the ring, and investigate the murder herself. Because if she fails to solve the case, her career, or even her life, could be next on the chopping block.
My Review:
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 was provided a copy of this book to read.
My Rating:
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