First published 2025
Maria Capello built her culinary empire on the ruins of her husband's career. Twenty years ago, famous chef Damien Capello vanished without explanation. His timid wife stepped from the shadows to become a household name with bestselling cookbooks, a popular television show, and a line of supermarket sauces. Now Maria wants to publish her memoirs. She rejects million-dollar offers from major publishers and chooses a small press instead. Her one condition: editor Thea Woods must handle the manuscript. Thea has admired Maria for years but never met her. She planned to quit her job that same day until Maria's invitation arrived. Thea travels to Maria's isolated farm to work on the book. She hopes to discover the truth behind the whispered rumors. Did Maria murder Damien to steal his recipes and his legendary secret ingredient? As Thea digs deeper into Maria's story, she uncovers secrets that someone killed to protect.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: deception, secrets, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Isolated Farm
Period: 20 Years Ago
352 pages · Hardcover · Viper
Content warnings: death, murder