Penne Dreadful
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 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 stinks 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.
Series: Italian Chef Mysteries – Book 1
Author: Catherine Bruns
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Page Count: 416
Rating: 
From Poisoned Pen Press https://poisonedpenpress.com/ 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 has been keeping secrets from her, and 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, and Tessa’s feelings are on full display.
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, was 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.
There are oodles of new cozy series for readers to enjoy and many older ones waiting to be read. A couple of delightful books and series to explore are Maymee Bell’s (aka Tonya Kapps) https://www.tonyakappes.com/ A Southern Cake Baker Mystery series https://www.thecozyreview.com/cake-and-punishment/ or Lena Gregory’s http://www.lenagregory.com/ All-Day Breakfast Cafe series https://www.thecozyreview.com/scone-cold-killer/.
About the Author:
Catherine has lived in Upstate New York her entire life. Her brood consists of a male-dominated household: husband, three sons, and several cats and dogs. She holds a B.A. in English and Performing Arts and am a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. When she’s not writing and has spare time, Catherine enjoys traveling, shopping, and of course, a good book.
Contact Catherine: catherinebruns@outlook.com
Find Catherine on Social Media:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Catherine-Bruns-Books-218522341685434/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/catherinebrunsauthor/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/writesmystery/
Follow the Cozy Review on Bloglovin’
Contact The Cozy Review
Leave a Reply