What do you think?
Rate this book
Tuscan Cooking School Mystery #1
Al Dente's Inferno
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.
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.
294 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2020
35 people are currently reading
2567 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Cole
3 books27 followersStephanie Cole is an active member of the mystery writing community. Writing as Shelley Costa, she was nominated for both an Edgar and Agatha Award, and she co-founded the Northeast Ohio chapter of Sisters in Crime. She teaches creative writing workshops and lectures on American literature in the greater Cleveland area. For fun she takes violin lessons, studies Art History—and eyes them both for murder plots.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
December 23, 2019
This debut cozy Mystery has a nice Tuscan, Italy setting in a vineyard. When Chef Nell Valenti moves there from the U.S. to help revive Italian Chef Claudio’s image, she’s unprepared to find a rundown old villa and a Chef who forgets how to cook.
I figured out the murderer before halfway through the story so the mystery is somewhat weak. While I feel some of the characters were people I could grow to like; the frequent use of foreign language was difficult for me to understand. There is some humor sprinkled throughout which I enjoyed. Overall, I simply had problems connecting to the storyline and characters. Recipes included.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishers for an honest review. Thank you.
I figured out the murderer before halfway through the story so the mystery is somewhat weak. While I feel some of the characters were people I could grow to like; the frequent use of foreign language was difficult for me to understand. There is some humor sprinkled throughout which I enjoyed. Overall, I simply had problems connecting to the storyline and characters. Recipes included.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishers for an honest review. Thank you.
April 2, 2020
A cozy comfort read filled with food, fun, and fabulous characters. Nell Heads to Tuscany to help revitalize a farm to table cooking school. She is excited for the new environment as well as the opportunity to work with one of her idols Chef Claudio. But when she reaches the Italian Villa she finds it in a state of major disrepair. To make things even more complicated there is a documentary crew there to film a series on farm to table cooking schools. And of course one of the film makers is Nell’s ex-boyfriend. When he is found dead Nell wants to prove her innocence. Now Nell needs to trade in her chefs hat for a detective cap.
This was a fun story I loved the setting and all the food. There is a great cast of characters that I am looking forward to being further developed. My only tiny gripe is there might have been a slight overuse of Italian (not sure if I missed anything or not). The mystery was cleverly plotted and I enjoyed trying to solve it right along side Nell. Looking forward to many more installments in this clever new culinary cozy series.
This book in emojis 👩🏻🍳 🍲 👨🏻🍳 🔪 🔍 🇮🇹
*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
This was a fun story I loved the setting and all the food. There is a great cast of characters that I am looking forward to being further developed. My only tiny gripe is there might have been a slight overuse of Italian (not sure if I missed anything or not). The mystery was cleverly plotted and I enjoyed trying to solve it right along side Nell. Looking forward to many more installments in this clever new culinary cozy series.
This book in emojis 👩🏻🍳 🍲 👨🏻🍳 🔪 🔍 🇮🇹
*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
February 19, 2020
Nell Valenti has turned her love of food and her training as a chef into a career helping establish farm to table cooking schools. When she is offered a job setting up a school for Chef Claudio Orlandini in Tuscany, she jumps at the chance. Not only is she looking for some changes in her life, but Chef Claudio is her culinary idol. However, Nell is shocked upon her arrival to discover that the villa Chef Claudio owns is in worse disrepair than she expected, meaning the transformation is going to be more work than she’d expected. Then comes the news that a kick off dinner with some local dignitaries is scheduled for the next evening. Even worse, the dinner ends with some of the guests dead and Chef Claudio missing. What has Nell gotten herself into?
I picked up this book with high hopes. It’s fun to see a cozy in a new setting, and Tuscany appealed to me. Unfortunately, the language barrier made the book hard to get into initially. Yes, we need bits of Italian, and not all of the characters are going to speak English, but it felt like too many Italian words and phrases were thrown out, and we had to wait for the translation to appear or figure out what was meant in context. While it took a bit longer to be hooked than I would have liked, it did happen once the plot kicked into high gear. We are treated to a great mystery with plenty of suspects. As Nell pieces things together, I was in awe of just how well the clues were laid out for us. Nell is a good main character, and the core cast also comes to life for us as well. There are some laugh out loud funny scenes here, and, of course, we get a delicious sounding recipe at the end. The characters, plot, and setting make this a fun debut.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I picked up this book with high hopes. It’s fun to see a cozy in a new setting, and Tuscany appealed to me. Unfortunately, the language barrier made the book hard to get into initially. Yes, we need bits of Italian, and not all of the characters are going to speak English, but it felt like too many Italian words and phrases were thrown out, and we had to wait for the translation to appear or figure out what was meant in context. While it took a bit longer to be hooked than I would have liked, it did happen once the plot kicked into high gear. We are treated to a great mystery with plenty of suspects. As Nell pieces things together, I was in awe of just how well the clues were laid out for us. Nell is a good main character, and the core cast also comes to life for us as well. There are some laugh out loud funny scenes here, and, of course, we get a delicious sounding recipe at the end. The characters, plot, and setting make this a fun debut.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
April 14, 2020
Wanted to like it but sadly didn't.Too much italian. I loved the premise but did not understand what was going on. Could not relate to the characters.
February 23, 2020
Al Dente’s Inferno by Stephanie Cole is the beginning of A Tuscan Cooking School Mystery series. I enjoyed the word imagery of the Tuscan countryside and the dilapidated Orlandini villa. I had to laugh when Nell found mold and a critter in the public rooms. Nell thought she was just upgrading a farm-to-table cooking school. Instead, it seems she is starting from scratch. Unfortunately, the launch dinner for the local dignitaries is the next evening. Then someone kills the filmmaker which could put the kibosh on the cooking school before it opens. While I enjoyed the Italian setting, I was not a fan of the multiple Italian words and phrases in the story. Some of them are explained, but many of them are not. I quickly tired of them as it disrupted the flow of the story plus I had no clue what they meant (unless I used the translation feature on my e-book). The clichés were another annoyance (way too many). I believe they were meant to be humorous. There are some interesting characters in the story, but I found background information to be lacking. I thought Al Dente’s Inferno was a slow starter. The murder does not occur until you are a third of the way into the story (way too late). If you are a frequent reader of cozy mysteries, you will have already identified the killer by the time the dufus (i.e. the filmmaker and Nell’s ex-boyfriend) turns up dead. There are good clues to aid readers in solving the crime and I liked Nell’s approach to the investigation. It was straightforward with a Jessica Fletcher type reveal at the end. I liked that most of the focus of Al Dente’s Inferno was on cooking and the whodunit. I did not like when it delved into a new romantic interest for Nell. Considering her recent breakup and taste in men, Nell needs to wait before diving into a new romantic relationship (she needs to keep her focus on the school). I did enjoy Nell’s snarky comments. Al Dente’s Inferno could have used a little more work before it was published (in my personal opinion). Al Dente’s Inferno has a crumbling cloister, a pesky porcupine, a curious conveyance, mouthwatering meals, and a frustrating filmmaker.
February 23, 2020
With the setting this book was in and the very unique idea of a chef going around developing different cooking schools for various areas, I was excited to read and love it, but I have to be honest and say that I was disappointed. The use of too much Italian really put me off for one thing. I've read books before where a language is simply sprinkled in for a nice, local feel, but this was a bit of an overkill. There seemed like a lot going on at once, and I felt confused quite a bit. I couldn't quite warm up to any of the characters like I normally do within the first few pages of cozies that I rate much higher. Even Nell's dad--and usually I love silly dad characters--fell short. I felt like I never quite understood just who these sisters were that came in to get the house more ready for filming...nuns or actual sisters to Rosa, who I think might have been a nun. A little more background on some characters would have been nice. I hope I'm not the only one who missed the boat on the sisters!
I enjoyed the occasional humor like the car ride in the little Ape. Pete and Nell made a nice sleuthing team, but at some points, again being honest, I stopped being interested in who offed the guy, because I hadn't really liked him to begin with, but I did want to see how Nell caught the person. That was a plus point, at least someone nice wasn't killed. I hadn't guessed the killer, so that was good. I may or may not give the second book a read. Again, I love the premise and Tuscany setting.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
I enjoyed the occasional humor like the car ride in the little Ape. Pete and Nell made a nice sleuthing team, but at some points, again being honest, I stopped being interested in who offed the guy, because I hadn't really liked him to begin with, but I did want to see how Nell caught the person. That was a plus point, at least someone nice wasn't killed. I hadn't guessed the killer, so that was good. I may or may not give the second book a read. Again, I love the premise and Tuscany setting.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
March 14, 2020
Dollycas’s Thoughts
American chef Nell Valenti needs a break from her family, job, and love life in the States so she jumps at the chance to set up a farm-to-table cooking school in Tuscany. The icing on the cake is that she will be working alongside acclaimed Italian Chef Claudio Orlandini.
Her arrival is a little bumpy but she is finally picked up and transported to the villa where the cooking school will be located and where she will be staying. It is nowhere near what she imagined and clearly sees she has her work cut out of her. Sadly, she seems to be the only one that sees the disorder around them and all the repairs and renovation needed to fulfill the needs of a cooking school. Chef Claudio is so excited he has invited a group of dignitaries for a launch dinner. There is also a filmmaker coming to film the school to use in future advertising.
As the guests arrive Nell is shaken to her core. The filmmaker is her ex-boyfriend that she left back in America. The dinner is filled with fits and starts but after it breaks up, the filmmaker is found dead and Claudio is nowhere to be found.
Nell knows her history with the deceased could make her a prime suspect so she decides to investigate the murder herself. An American in the country for only a few days she does her best to find the killer because even with the school in disarray she needs the job and hopes to stay. That is if she survives.
Stephanie Cole has introduced some interesting characters in this story. Nell is a character I could grow to love. She sees she has a mountain to climb in turning an old rundown villa into a cooking school and she doesn’t run off at her first chance, especially when everyone else seems to be wearing rose-colored glasses when they look at the place. She also hides her shock when meeting Chef Claudio Orlandini. Her hero certainly does not look or act as she expected. Nell becomes attached to the Chef’s son as he gives her the tour of Villa Orlandini, introduces her to all the staff, and translates as needed. They do make a good sleuthing team. We also meet the staff but the author has left plenty of room for growth for all the characters in future stories.
I loved the Tuscan Cooking School theme of the book/series but it is not without a couple of pitfalls.
Setting the series in Tuscany does present a language problem. Most of the characters are going to speak Italian as their first language which means the book is full of translations. This really messed with the flow for me. Sometimes the translations immediately followed in the text, other times we were on our own. I wished I was reading it on my Kindle instead of in paperback because I would have been able to highlight the words and have them quickly translated.
As with most first books in a new cozy series, a great deal of time is spent introducing the characters and setting the scenes for the story, so the mystery is not too complex. There were twists and turns but I figured it out pretty early. I did enjoy the way Nell took on the case.
Ms. Cole’s descriptive talents were on her full display as her words illustrated the villa and everyplace Nell went masterfully.
I did enjoy the liberal use of humor throughout the story. A couple of times I caught myself laughing out loud.
The food descriptions were fantastic too. I wish there had been more recipes at the back of the book. Italian dishes are my faves.
This story had good bones and with a few tweaks, I can see this being a long-running series. Nell and Chef O. are characters I want to get to know better. I also can’t wait to see Villa Orlandini become all it can be. I hope the author takes her time developing a romance for Nell although we can see where it is headed. Nell has enough on her plate without taking on another man. If the filmmaker, Buford Kaplan is the typical man she gets involved with, the girl needs a good long break. 🙂
American chef Nell Valenti needs a break from her family, job, and love life in the States so she jumps at the chance to set up a farm-to-table cooking school in Tuscany. The icing on the cake is that she will be working alongside acclaimed Italian Chef Claudio Orlandini.
Her arrival is a little bumpy but she is finally picked up and transported to the villa where the cooking school will be located and where she will be staying. It is nowhere near what she imagined and clearly sees she has her work cut out of her. Sadly, she seems to be the only one that sees the disorder around them and all the repairs and renovation needed to fulfill the needs of a cooking school. Chef Claudio is so excited he has invited a group of dignitaries for a launch dinner. There is also a filmmaker coming to film the school to use in future advertising.
As the guests arrive Nell is shaken to her core. The filmmaker is her ex-boyfriend that she left back in America. The dinner is filled with fits and starts but after it breaks up, the filmmaker is found dead and Claudio is nowhere to be found.
Nell knows her history with the deceased could make her a prime suspect so she decides to investigate the murder herself. An American in the country for only a few days she does her best to find the killer because even with the school in disarray she needs the job and hopes to stay. That is if she survives.
Stephanie Cole has introduced some interesting characters in this story. Nell is a character I could grow to love. She sees she has a mountain to climb in turning an old rundown villa into a cooking school and she doesn’t run off at her first chance, especially when everyone else seems to be wearing rose-colored glasses when they look at the place. She also hides her shock when meeting Chef Claudio Orlandini. Her hero certainly does not look or act as she expected. Nell becomes attached to the Chef’s son as he gives her the tour of Villa Orlandini, introduces her to all the staff, and translates as needed. They do make a good sleuthing team. We also meet the staff but the author has left plenty of room for growth for all the characters in future stories.
I loved the Tuscan Cooking School theme of the book/series but it is not without a couple of pitfalls.
Setting the series in Tuscany does present a language problem. Most of the characters are going to speak Italian as their first language which means the book is full of translations. This really messed with the flow for me. Sometimes the translations immediately followed in the text, other times we were on our own. I wished I was reading it on my Kindle instead of in paperback because I would have been able to highlight the words and have them quickly translated.
As with most first books in a new cozy series, a great deal of time is spent introducing the characters and setting the scenes for the story, so the mystery is not too complex. There were twists and turns but I figured it out pretty early. I did enjoy the way Nell took on the case.
Ms. Cole’s descriptive talents were on her full display as her words illustrated the villa and everyplace Nell went masterfully.
I did enjoy the liberal use of humor throughout the story. A couple of times I caught myself laughing out loud.
The food descriptions were fantastic too. I wish there had been more recipes at the back of the book. Italian dishes are my faves.
This story had good bones and with a few tweaks, I can see this being a long-running series. Nell and Chef O. are characters I want to get to know better. I also can’t wait to see Villa Orlandini become all it can be. I hope the author takes her time developing a romance for Nell although we can see where it is headed. Nell has enough on her plate without taking on another man. If the filmmaker, Buford Kaplan is the typical man she gets involved with, the girl needs a good long break. 🙂
September 4, 2020
Nell has gone to Cortona, Italy to help her idol, Chef Claudio, to start a farm to table cooking school. She is excited for the new experiences, but upon arrival finds that the villa is in a terrible state of disrepair and the chef seems uninterested in much other than playing bocce. What's more, somebody is poisoning the olive trees. Realizing the enormity and cost of the task ahead of her Nell decides she needs to resign. However, the news that a documentary team and a group of dignitaries are arriving the next day for dinner spurs her in to action.
Nell was an endearing character. She was smart, determined, and kind. At times she was a bit naive and she occasionally lacked a bit of subtlety, but that just made her seem more human. The other characters at the Villa were also very likable.
The murder didn't happen until fairly far in to the book, somewhere around page 94. As a first in the series, I realize that there was a lot of background information being provided to set the stage for what is to to come. Normally having the murder show up so far in to the story is frustrating for me, but I found that I enjoyed meeting the characters and getting to look around the villa was enough to entertain me.
There was a good sized pool of suspects with some interesting motives. Enough clues were sprinkled through the story that allowed the reader to make a good guess at the murderer.
I wouldn't say there was a lot of humor, but there were definitely a few moments that made me laugh out loud. One involved a porcupine. There were hints of romance or at least romance to come. Also, the descriptions of the villa were detailed and I was able to visualize myself there. The food sounded delicious and there was a great recipe at the end for ricotta stuffed peppers that I plan to try this weekend. It is a great addition to the cozy genre.
There was occasionally Italian used that wasn't translated. None of what was said in Italian was ultimately critical to understanding the story. If you have basic travel Italian or know Spanish, you can likely work out what is being said. If you really feel the need to know exactly what people are saying at all times, keep google translate nearby.
Will definitely get the next in the series
Nell was an endearing character. She was smart, determined, and kind. At times she was a bit naive and she occasionally lacked a bit of subtlety, but that just made her seem more human. The other characters at the Villa were also very likable.
The murder didn't happen until fairly far in to the book, somewhere around page 94. As a first in the series, I realize that there was a lot of background information being provided to set the stage for what is to to come. Normally having the murder show up so far in to the story is frustrating for me, but I found that I enjoyed meeting the characters and getting to look around the villa was enough to entertain me.
There was a good sized pool of suspects with some interesting motives. Enough clues were sprinkled through the story that allowed the reader to make a good guess at the murderer.
I wouldn't say there was a lot of humor, but there were definitely a few moments that made me laugh out loud. One involved a porcupine. There were hints of romance or at least romance to come. Also, the descriptions of the villa were detailed and I was able to visualize myself there. The food sounded delicious and there was a great recipe at the end for ricotta stuffed peppers that I plan to try this weekend. It is a great addition to the cozy genre.
There was occasionally Italian used that wasn't translated. None of what was said in Italian was ultimately critical to understanding the story. If you have basic travel Italian or know Spanish, you can likely work out what is being said. If you really feel the need to know exactly what people are saying at all times, keep google translate nearby.
Will definitely get the next in the series
January 22, 2021
Nell Valenti has been invited to Tuscany to transform a somewhat rundown Villa into an upscale cooking school for the tourist trade. This is her chance to work with an Italian Chef she greatly admires and perhaps she'll find a little adventure along the way. However, adventure finds her in the form of an ex-boyfriend film producer. He's there to shoot the transformation of the villa much to Nell's chagrin. And, when he is murdered soon after his arrival, all eyes turn to Nell. With the assistance of the locals - including the delectable son of the Chef - Nell must solve the murder before she's next on the killer's list.
Al Dente's Inferno was a solid cozy mystery that ticked all the boxes. It has its slow moments and got a little rocky in some areas, but it still brought a lot to the table. The mystery had me guessing until the very end and I found myself surprised by the big reveal. However, where this book excels is the characters. There were some great character-driven moments and the reader truly can feel the comaraderie of the group. A solid, enjoyable book!
Al Dente's Inferno was a solid cozy mystery that ticked all the boxes. It has its slow moments and got a little rocky in some areas, but it still brought a lot to the table. The mystery had me guessing until the very end and I found myself surprised by the big reveal. However, where this book excels is the characters. There were some great character-driven moments and the reader truly can feel the comaraderie of the group. A solid, enjoyable book!
August 21, 2023
DNF'd very early on. The main character was both pretentious and refused to really explain anything, the constant mockery of accents was offensively off-putting and torturous to read (most phonetic accents in text are, this is amateur hour), and the MC is just outright rude and disdainful of the people around her. Worse: it describes everything to a ridiculous detail, but it feels nothing like Tuscany, has no sense of place, and is very basic and useless description.
This was not a cozy experience. Not for me.
This was not a cozy experience. Not for me.
May 11, 2020
When Nell Valenti is offered an exciting job opportunity to start a cooking school and work with one of her idols, Chef Claudio Orlandini, she eagerly accepts. It’s a perfect way to bounce back after a recent disastrous love affair. So she packs up her trusty Italian dictionary and off she goes.
It doesn’t take too long for Nell to figure out that this career move probably wasn’t her best decision ever. Not only is the chef’s villa a falling down wreck, the appearance of the chef himself is a real shock. What happened to the handsome, rugged man Nell was expecting? The one bright spot in a motley cast of supporting characters is Chef’s handsome son, Pete. At least he speaks English.
The next shock for Nell is when she’s told that there’s a big dinner planned for the following night to kick off the cooking school plans, and the invited guests include the president of the local chamber of commerce, a contessa, and one of the most prominent food critics in Italy. Plus, the whole event will be filmed for a Netflix special. Nell squares her shoulders and decides that she’s up to the challenge, and that right after the dinner, she’s quitting. With the help of local nuns, a truffle-hunting dog, major rearranging and reconfiguring, and a menu to die for, she’s ready. Then the film crew arrives, and the documentary filmmaker is none other than her former boyfriend, the man she fled to Italy to escape.
On the bright side, Chef and his culinary cohorts have risen to the occasion and the delicious meal is going beautifully. Until the filmmaker is found bludgeoned to death later that night, and Chef has disappeared.
“Al Dente’s Inferno” is a delightful cozy mystery filled with wacky, likeable characters and a fast-moving plot. Open a bottle of chianti and settle in for a terrific read. I can’t wait for the next title in this series
It doesn’t take too long for Nell to figure out that this career move probably wasn’t her best decision ever. Not only is the chef’s villa a falling down wreck, the appearance of the chef himself is a real shock. What happened to the handsome, rugged man Nell was expecting? The one bright spot in a motley cast of supporting characters is Chef’s handsome son, Pete. At least he speaks English.
The next shock for Nell is when she’s told that there’s a big dinner planned for the following night to kick off the cooking school plans, and the invited guests include the president of the local chamber of commerce, a contessa, and one of the most prominent food critics in Italy. Plus, the whole event will be filmed for a Netflix special. Nell squares her shoulders and decides that she’s up to the challenge, and that right after the dinner, she’s quitting. With the help of local nuns, a truffle-hunting dog, major rearranging and reconfiguring, and a menu to die for, she’s ready. Then the film crew arrives, and the documentary filmmaker is none other than her former boyfriend, the man she fled to Italy to escape.
On the bright side, Chef and his culinary cohorts have risen to the occasion and the delicious meal is going beautifully. Until the filmmaker is found bludgeoned to death later that night, and Chef has disappeared.
“Al Dente’s Inferno” is a delightful cozy mystery filled with wacky, likeable characters and a fast-moving plot. Open a bottle of chianti and settle in for a terrific read. I can’t wait for the next title in this series
February 27, 2020
AL DENTE’S INFERNO really caught my attention because of its title and blurb. I have never read anything from this author but I found that I’m a big fan of series that have a big culture emphasis in it. The first that I’ve tried was Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop Mysteries series and also Julia Buckley’s Hungarian Tea House Mysteries. I feel like this new series kind of fits that mold but with an Italian emphasis.
It was so nice to see the culture be played out throughout the novel. You get to experience the language and culture almost as if you have traveled there so I really thought getting to experience that world through an American’s eyes was nice to have. It made Nell’s character a lot easier to relate to.
Along with a great mystery, there’s an easy-to-follow writing style which makes it easy to read through and also have fun with. I know that I will be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. I am really in love with this world and can’t wait to see more!
March 25, 2020
https://openbooksociety.com/article/a...
Al Dente’s Inferno
Tuscan Cooking School Mystery, Book #1
By Stephanie Cole
ISBN 9780593097793
Author Website: stephaniecolebooks(.)com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
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. (Goodreads)
Review:
What do a dead cow, a murdered filmmaker, and a missing, bocce-playing chef have to do with each other? Al Dente’s Inferno is a fun, witty first in a new series set in the lush beauty of Tuscany. The characters are likable, quirky, and defined as needed. The mystery is confounding; I had a hard time choosing a suspect.
Chef Nell Valenti’s re-created life as a cooking school start-up designer is going well; she has been offered a position to help set up a farm-to-table cooking school for her hero, Chef Claudio Orlandini, an acclaimed Italian chef. She successfully directed a start-up farm-to-table cooking school in the Berkshires at the Prajna Retreat Center and had an unsuccessful relationship with Bu, who she thought was someone seeking Buddhist enlightenment.
The first thing she sees of the future cooking school is the Villa’s vehicle, an older three-wheeled enclosed Vespa with a flatbed. Chef’s son, Pete, arrived in it to pick her up at the train station. Hopefully Pete, who has lived in various places around the world and now cares for the olive grove on the vast 50-acre property, better represents the Villa than the Vespa. Or the neighbor’s dead cow in Pete’s olive grove amidst a small area of trees that look blighted.
Nell’s tour of Villa Orlandini is lacking. It is a 16th century convent that includes an old cloister, a crumbling fountain, a mossy common area reeking of mildew, and a dormitory with an invading porcupine that hasn’t been lived in for decades. The former chapel is beautiful with its original stained-glass windows and is now used as an elegant dining room. At dinner Nell learns that the chef and his sous-chef, Annamaria, are preparing dinner the following evening for three dignitaries to celebrate the beginning of work on the cooking school. Joining them is a Netflix documentary filmmaker and his assistant to add the Villa to a documentary on European school start-ups. The common area, where they wish to entertain, is a complete disaster. Oh, and one other little glitch. The renowned filmmaker is none other than Bu, the guy Nell had the unfortunate fling with at her last job.
The next day is a flurry of Pete and others calling in favors – rental furniture for the common area, removal of the porcupine, removed moss from the wall and many other details. Annamaria, who with Pete ensures that anything worthwhile at the villa happens, does not speak English, and Nell speaks little Italian. Watching them converse in charades is hysterical, especially with many misinterpretations!
Bu greeted Nell enthusiastically. He and his assistant, Ember, film throughout the villa. In the kitchen during meal prep, Bu trash-talks to everyone in an insulting manner as he films them, especially Annamaria’s sisters who are nuns, there to help wherever needed. Nell kicks Bu, knocking him down, not wanting her new working family insulted. Pete tells Bu that if he harasses any of the guests or the Villa family, he would personally take care of Bu.
When the dignitaries – Ernesto, international food critic, the Contessa, a wealthy Roman socialite, and Benedetto, the local chamber of commerce director arrive, Nell hears Bu have less than cordial private greetings with each as if they know each other. The dinner starts well, then Nell notices partway through that Chef has disappeared. After dinner is complete and the guests are gone, Nell goes outdoors, and finds Bu lying on the ground. He isn’t drunk as she suspected – he is dead, clearly murdered, and nobody has found Chef yet.
We learn enough about Nell’s background to like her and enjoy her dry humor. It takes courage and determination to travel over 4,000 miles and live in a country with a different language and customs! On the plus side, she will work for her hero and expand her start-up experience. Pete is very personable and does his best to interpret for her with everyone else. We learn a bit of Annamaria and Chef’s backgrounds, but little of anyone else.
Nell and Pete are determined to find the killer and get Chef – then Nell – off the suspect list. They clearly have minimal experience even reading mysteries, as their initial attempts to solve the murder and disappearance of Chef are almost painful at times. They learn the cause of death of the cow in the olive grove. The reader is treated to beautiful descriptives of the countryside and laugh-out-loud humor.
Plot twists slowly reveal suspects and motives, but it seems a very slow process. I was unsuccessful at selecting the real bad guy until seconds before she was identified, showing me how well-plotted the mystery is. For now, cooking, and even preparing the school, are not front and center; the mystery, the characters, and even the truffle dog are the heart of it. This first in a new series may have a slow start but overall is a solid start. I highly recommend it!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Al Dente’s Inferno
Tuscan Cooking School Mystery, Book #1
By Stephanie Cole
ISBN 9780593097793
Author Website: stephaniecolebooks(.)com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
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. (Goodreads)
Review:
What do a dead cow, a murdered filmmaker, and a missing, bocce-playing chef have to do with each other? Al Dente’s Inferno is a fun, witty first in a new series set in the lush beauty of Tuscany. The characters are likable, quirky, and defined as needed. The mystery is confounding; I had a hard time choosing a suspect.
Chef Nell Valenti’s re-created life as a cooking school start-up designer is going well; she has been offered a position to help set up a farm-to-table cooking school for her hero, Chef Claudio Orlandini, an acclaimed Italian chef. She successfully directed a start-up farm-to-table cooking school in the Berkshires at the Prajna Retreat Center and had an unsuccessful relationship with Bu, who she thought was someone seeking Buddhist enlightenment.
The first thing she sees of the future cooking school is the Villa’s vehicle, an older three-wheeled enclosed Vespa with a flatbed. Chef’s son, Pete, arrived in it to pick her up at the train station. Hopefully Pete, who has lived in various places around the world and now cares for the olive grove on the vast 50-acre property, better represents the Villa than the Vespa. Or the neighbor’s dead cow in Pete’s olive grove amidst a small area of trees that look blighted.
Nell’s tour of Villa Orlandini is lacking. It is a 16th century convent that includes an old cloister, a crumbling fountain, a mossy common area reeking of mildew, and a dormitory with an invading porcupine that hasn’t been lived in for decades. The former chapel is beautiful with its original stained-glass windows and is now used as an elegant dining room. At dinner Nell learns that the chef and his sous-chef, Annamaria, are preparing dinner the following evening for three dignitaries to celebrate the beginning of work on the cooking school. Joining them is a Netflix documentary filmmaker and his assistant to add the Villa to a documentary on European school start-ups. The common area, where they wish to entertain, is a complete disaster. Oh, and one other little glitch. The renowned filmmaker is none other than Bu, the guy Nell had the unfortunate fling with at her last job.
The next day is a flurry of Pete and others calling in favors – rental furniture for the common area, removal of the porcupine, removed moss from the wall and many other details. Annamaria, who with Pete ensures that anything worthwhile at the villa happens, does not speak English, and Nell speaks little Italian. Watching them converse in charades is hysterical, especially with many misinterpretations!
Bu greeted Nell enthusiastically. He and his assistant, Ember, film throughout the villa. In the kitchen during meal prep, Bu trash-talks to everyone in an insulting manner as he films them, especially Annamaria’s sisters who are nuns, there to help wherever needed. Nell kicks Bu, knocking him down, not wanting her new working family insulted. Pete tells Bu that if he harasses any of the guests or the Villa family, he would personally take care of Bu.
When the dignitaries – Ernesto, international food critic, the Contessa, a wealthy Roman socialite, and Benedetto, the local chamber of commerce director arrive, Nell hears Bu have less than cordial private greetings with each as if they know each other. The dinner starts well, then Nell notices partway through that Chef has disappeared. After dinner is complete and the guests are gone, Nell goes outdoors, and finds Bu lying on the ground. He isn’t drunk as she suspected – he is dead, clearly murdered, and nobody has found Chef yet.
We learn enough about Nell’s background to like her and enjoy her dry humor. It takes courage and determination to travel over 4,000 miles and live in a country with a different language and customs! On the plus side, she will work for her hero and expand her start-up experience. Pete is very personable and does his best to interpret for her with everyone else. We learn a bit of Annamaria and Chef’s backgrounds, but little of anyone else.
Nell and Pete are determined to find the killer and get Chef – then Nell – off the suspect list. They clearly have minimal experience even reading mysteries, as their initial attempts to solve the murder and disappearance of Chef are almost painful at times. They learn the cause of death of the cow in the olive grove. The reader is treated to beautiful descriptives of the countryside and laugh-out-loud humor.
Plot twists slowly reveal suspects and motives, but it seems a very slow process. I was unsuccessful at selecting the real bad guy until seconds before she was identified, showing me how well-plotted the mystery is. For now, cooking, and even preparing the school, are not front and center; the mystery, the characters, and even the truffle dog are the heart of it. This first in a new series may have a slow start but overall is a solid start. I highly recommend it!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
February 26, 2020
Al Dente’s Inferno earns 5/5 Italian Delights...Entertaining Cozy Fun!
First-in-a-series treat! American chef Nell Valenti is offered a chance to transform a Tuscany villa into a farm-to-table cooking school, but it’s more rundown, ok more like dilapidated, than expected, and Chef Claudio, Nell’s culinary hero, may be quite a challenge. Buon Appetito! Stephanie Cole has penned a delightful new series in a first-person narrative sharing Nell’s perspective giving me a vicarious role in the drama. Cole’s writing style was very entertaining filled with descriptive language of the dreamy Italian countryside, the villa, and cuisine and expressive dialogue adding humorous interactions and illustrating the various personalities and tone of the drama. However, I found the use of Italian phrases may have provided authenticity, but was overused and often without some assistance understanding its meaning; fortunately with the digital copy I was able to highlight and translate most incidents. The murder mystery was engaging with a karma-approved victim, plenty of suspects and motives, well-written discovery of clues, and a final conclusion that had tentatively been on my radar midway through the story...but the murder occurred later in the story than I prefer. The characters are fun, some quirky, but more background and connections would have provided a clearer picture; I like Nell, her snarky repartee, and see an enjoyable personal journey in the future. Bonus, of course! An easy-to-follow recipe for Peroni al Forno Ripieni di Ricotta (Baked Peppers Stuffed with Ricotta) with helpful Tips and Secrets. I did enjoy the book, and look forward to more from Nell.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley and Berkley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
First-in-a-series treat! American chef Nell Valenti is offered a chance to transform a Tuscany villa into a farm-to-table cooking school, but it’s more rundown, ok more like dilapidated, than expected, and Chef Claudio, Nell’s culinary hero, may be quite a challenge. Buon Appetito! Stephanie Cole has penned a delightful new series in a first-person narrative sharing Nell’s perspective giving me a vicarious role in the drama. Cole’s writing style was very entertaining filled with descriptive language of the dreamy Italian countryside, the villa, and cuisine and expressive dialogue adding humorous interactions and illustrating the various personalities and tone of the drama. However, I found the use of Italian phrases may have provided authenticity, but was overused and often without some assistance understanding its meaning; fortunately with the digital copy I was able to highlight and translate most incidents. The murder mystery was engaging with a karma-approved victim, plenty of suspects and motives, well-written discovery of clues, and a final conclusion that had tentatively been on my radar midway through the story...but the murder occurred later in the story than I prefer. The characters are fun, some quirky, but more background and connections would have provided a clearer picture; I like Nell, her snarky repartee, and see an enjoyable personal journey in the future. Bonus, of course! An easy-to-follow recipe for Peroni al Forno Ripieni di Ricotta (Baked Peppers Stuffed with Ricotta) with helpful Tips and Secrets. I did enjoy the book, and look forward to more from Nell.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley and Berkley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
March 11, 2020
While it took me a little while for to warm up to the characters and story line in this first in a new series, I did grow to appreciate Nell and the folks at the Villa Orlandini in Tuscany. The mystery is a challenge, the characters are overall an eclectic mix of American and Italian folks, and the Tuscany countryside is described so well I felt as if I were there. There is much potential for the future of the series.
Nell arrived in Cortona, Italy, for the second job of her new career of directing start-ups of farm-to-table cooking schools. Her first was at a Buddhist retreat in the Berkshires, where she had a fling with “Bu”, a guy staying at the retreat center. She never expected to see him pull into the Villa Orlandini in Italy with his assistant, filming a documentary for Netflix about cooking school startups in Europe. A filmmaker?
Chef Claudio Orlandini has long been Nell’s hero. As a young chef, she idolized the internationally acclaimed chef and his creations. Chef Claudio is going to open his home and convert part of it into a farm-to-table cooking school. She was thrilled to work for Chef, at least until she sees the reality of his current situation.
Chef’s handsome son Pete picked her up in a Vespa that looks like an enclosed tricycle with a flatbed. The 50-acre compound includes Pete’s olive grove and the buildings of the former convent built in the 1500’s. The only usable buildings are currently lived in. Those for the future school need serious work.
It is a shock to learn that Chef and his sous-chef, Annamaria, will prepare a classic Italian dinner to kick-off the future school the following evening for visiting dignitaries, who will include the director of the local chamber of commerce, a wealthy socialite from Rome, and an international food critic. Oh, and Bu and his assistant will be there to film. They all work like madmen the next day trying to get what is needed to make the common room presentable and hide what they don’t have time to work on.
The chef disappears in the middle of preparing the osso buco. They make excuses, and finally figure out where he might have gone. Then Bu’s murdered body is discovered by Nell. An anonymous tip puts Nell on the hotseat, as well as the missing Chef Claudio. Pete and Nell decide to work together to figure out whodunit.
The humor, at times irreverent and once even a tad offensive, mostly brings fun into the situation. The flip side is Annamaria’s very real grief when Chef disappears. The knowledge Pete and Nell have regarding how to solve a murder can be summed up on the head of a pin, but they make up for it with determination. Traits that characterize Nell include perseverance and courage, enough to move thousands of miles to a sight-unseen destination for a job – and to work with her hero. Those traits will serve her well in setting up a school while finding a killer.
The mystery is hard to solve, even though Bu didn’t have a good word for anyone at the dinner that evening. It seemed on the surface he had not met anyone before the dinner except Nell, but she overheard his snide comments to several. Even that didn’t prepare me for the real whodunit as I barely figured it out when the killer is ready to claim the next victim. The ending is satisfactory, with all loose ends tied up. I recommend this to those who appreciate hard-to-solve mysteries, engaging characters, and a European setting.
Nell arrived in Cortona, Italy, for the second job of her new career of directing start-ups of farm-to-table cooking schools. Her first was at a Buddhist retreat in the Berkshires, where she had a fling with “Bu”, a guy staying at the retreat center. She never expected to see him pull into the Villa Orlandini in Italy with his assistant, filming a documentary for Netflix about cooking school startups in Europe. A filmmaker?
Chef Claudio Orlandini has long been Nell’s hero. As a young chef, she idolized the internationally acclaimed chef and his creations. Chef Claudio is going to open his home and convert part of it into a farm-to-table cooking school. She was thrilled to work for Chef, at least until she sees the reality of his current situation.
Chef’s handsome son Pete picked her up in a Vespa that looks like an enclosed tricycle with a flatbed. The 50-acre compound includes Pete’s olive grove and the buildings of the former convent built in the 1500’s. The only usable buildings are currently lived in. Those for the future school need serious work.
It is a shock to learn that Chef and his sous-chef, Annamaria, will prepare a classic Italian dinner to kick-off the future school the following evening for visiting dignitaries, who will include the director of the local chamber of commerce, a wealthy socialite from Rome, and an international food critic. Oh, and Bu and his assistant will be there to film. They all work like madmen the next day trying to get what is needed to make the common room presentable and hide what they don’t have time to work on.
The chef disappears in the middle of preparing the osso buco. They make excuses, and finally figure out where he might have gone. Then Bu’s murdered body is discovered by Nell. An anonymous tip puts Nell on the hotseat, as well as the missing Chef Claudio. Pete and Nell decide to work together to figure out whodunit.
The humor, at times irreverent and once even a tad offensive, mostly brings fun into the situation. The flip side is Annamaria’s very real grief when Chef disappears. The knowledge Pete and Nell have regarding how to solve a murder can be summed up on the head of a pin, but they make up for it with determination. Traits that characterize Nell include perseverance and courage, enough to move thousands of miles to a sight-unseen destination for a job – and to work with her hero. Those traits will serve her well in setting up a school while finding a killer.
The mystery is hard to solve, even though Bu didn’t have a good word for anyone at the dinner that evening. It seemed on the surface he had not met anyone before the dinner except Nell, but she overheard his snide comments to several. Even that didn’t prepare me for the real whodunit as I barely figured it out when the killer is ready to claim the next victim. The ending is satisfactory, with all loose ends tied up. I recommend this to those who appreciate hard-to-solve mysteries, engaging characters, and a European setting.
April 30, 2020
Nell arrives in Tuscany as an American chef. She is hired to work under the Italian chef, Claudio Orlandini. She is going to start a cooking school but to her surprise the villa is in shambles. There are lots of interesting characters and she does become friends with many. Peter is her friend and he does help her when a shocking murder takes place. A phone call puts Nell down as the killer. However after much sleuthing her and Pete discover there are a few other people that may have wanted to kill Bu. Bu was her former boyfriend back in the states and it was not a good relationship. However in the end luckily Nell figures out who is out to get her and wants to kill her to hide her own identity as the actual murderer..... Took awhile to get into the story and there was much Italian language being used, so was hard at times to follow, even though they did explain most of it. Long time to get to the end, but a good mystery all in all.
Want to read
June 25, 2020A fun first in series!! I really loved the unique setting and the Italian characters made this cozy really stand out from others. The main character Nell was likable and the author included enough twists and turns that had me guessing until the very end. The tantalizing recipes at the end of the book were a welcomed bonus!!
I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!
I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!
did-not-finish
July 16, 2021DNF.
I WANTED to like this one so bad. A young American woman moving to Italy to cook??! As a foodie, this should have been a cozy mystery that I would just devour! I loved the Italy setting, loved the Italian words and phrases, but there seems to be just WAY too many characters. And over 100 pages in, there still wasn't a lot of mention in regards to the supposed "cooking school." I found myself skimming the story and not really caring about the characters anymore. I do love the titles in this series though!
I WANTED to like this one so bad. A young American woman moving to Italy to cook??! As a foodie, this should have been a cozy mystery that I would just devour! I loved the Italy setting, loved the Italian words and phrases, but there seems to be just WAY too many characters. And over 100 pages in, there still wasn't a lot of mention in regards to the supposed "cooking school." I found myself skimming the story and not really caring about the characters anymore. I do love the titles in this series though!
April 6, 2020
I like this book, even though parts of it dragged a little for me. Overall, it was a fun read in an interesting location. I like that the mystery was the center of the book, not the simmering romance. Loved the blips of Italian in the book.
April 29, 2022
AL DENTE'S INFERNO by Stephanie Cole
The First Tuscan Cooking School Mystery
After successfully setting up a cooking school in the Berkshires and ending a regrettable relationship, Nell Valenti is thrilled to start her next venture, starting a farm to table cooking school in Tuscany at the home of her culinary hero. She arrives to discover a dilapidated villa with a derelict chef who seems more interested in bocce than braciole! Not only that, the villa's residents a have invited local dignitaries to a special dinner the following night to garner interest in the future school that will be filmed as part of a documentary. Worse, the director happens to be the best forgotten ex she left in the Berkshires! Surprisingly, the evening in question unfolds beautifully...until a chef goes missing and a dead body is found. Now it's up to Nell to find a killer and save the future school - and herself!
Cooking in Tuscany? What's not to love? The concept of creating a cooking school in such a wonderful locale is a great one, but making it a dilapidated villa with eccentric characters is brilliant! Nuns who love Billy Joel!?! A moss filled common room? I love how Nell begins to find herself as she whips the villa into shape.
The first Tuscan Cooking School Mystery provides a complex mystery, made more intriguing by the varied relationships between the characters.
AL DENTE'S INFERNO is a wonderful escape into Tuscany. Eccentric characters, wonderful food, and a good dose of humor make a delightful start to a new series.
The First Tuscan Cooking School Mystery
After successfully setting up a cooking school in the Berkshires and ending a regrettable relationship, Nell Valenti is thrilled to start her next venture, starting a farm to table cooking school in Tuscany at the home of her culinary hero. She arrives to discover a dilapidated villa with a derelict chef who seems more interested in bocce than braciole! Not only that, the villa's residents a have invited local dignitaries to a special dinner the following night to garner interest in the future school that will be filmed as part of a documentary. Worse, the director happens to be the best forgotten ex she left in the Berkshires! Surprisingly, the evening in question unfolds beautifully...until a chef goes missing and a dead body is found. Now it's up to Nell to find a killer and save the future school - and herself!
Cooking in Tuscany? What's not to love? The concept of creating a cooking school in such a wonderful locale is a great one, but making it a dilapidated villa with eccentric characters is brilliant! Nuns who love Billy Joel!?! A moss filled common room? I love how Nell begins to find herself as she whips the villa into shape.
The first Tuscan Cooking School Mystery provides a complex mystery, made more intriguing by the varied relationships between the characters.
AL DENTE'S INFERNO is a wonderful escape into Tuscany. Eccentric characters, wonderful food, and a good dose of humor make a delightful start to a new series.
July 26, 2020
2.5
Not as good or exciting as I thought it would be
Not as good or exciting as I thought it would be
March 9, 2020
Her life in the US in shambles, 29-year-old Nell Valenti decided to accept a six-month job offer from famed chef Claudio Orlandini to help him open cooking school in Tuscany, Italy. Her enthusiasm quickly wanes when she discovers that not only is the building for the new school woefully inadequate (it had been build as a convent in 1587 and the rooms had been seriously neglected) but the chef had invited a group of local dignitaries and filmmaker to a special dinner to promote his project the next night.
Her next big shock was seeing that the filmmaker Orlandini had hired to document and promote his project was Buford Kaplan, the man she had been involved with in the US and the ending of that relationship leading to her fleeing the country. But that problem didn’t last very long. During the dinner he wandered outside where he was murdered.
That event made her job even more complicated. First, she worried that the notoriety might kill the chances of that school even opening and her job may be over before it has really begun. And, possibly more important, Orlandini disappeared and became the first of several suspects.
Despite her despite her lack of ability to speak Italian, Nell quickly became a lead investigator.
As the title implies, AL DENTE’S INFERNO provides very witty dialogue. It also offers wonderful descriptions of locations and characters. Examples:
“Overhead a Plexiglas awning was cloudy with age, and the clock mounted high on the brick wall, which is missing its minute hand, said it was noon. Maybe the guidebooks were right: In beautiful Tuscany, time stops”.
“Mi chiamo Nell Valenti. I gave myself a B+ for inflection in Italian, every phrase needs to sound as though you’re announcing the week’s Powerball winner.”.
Description of Tuscan light: “It was original light, when everything quietly shown. Not in a harsh brightness, but in the simple clarity. Almost as if each tree and creature and rock was a source of light itself. The forks fire, smog, imperfect lanterns, and evil.”
“Rituals can be a kind of default behavior when we don’t know what else to do.”
Description of the Countess closing her suitcase: “Still raging, she attempted to close her overstuffed Louie Vuitton suitcase by slamming the halves together like she was a cymbalist who had failed anger management.”
The book includes a recipe for Peperoni al Forno Ripieni di Ricotta (Baked Peppers Stuffed with Ricotta).
Stephanie Cole’s writing is reminiscent of Shelley Costa, another cozy mystery author, whose stories also have an Italian theme.
Well-written, great descriptions, interesting characters, witty.
March 3, 2020
Going to Italy is on my bucket list as well as other countries. Al Dente's Inferno the first in the Tuscan Cooking School Mystery by author Stephanie Cole gave me the opportunity to live through the main character, Nell Valenti. An invitation to travel to Italy to assist in the establishment of the Tuscan Cooking School, Nell finds herself being handed more than just plans to set up the school. We are allowed to see the life of Chef O, who is world famous but not so professional when he is in his own residence. The Villa is in need of a lot of repairs and there is only one day before the dinner to host dignitaries to announce the plans for the cooking school. Of course when in Italy there is romance to expect but when Nell's former boyfriend, who comes as a film maker to film the dinner of the announcement, is found dead......
Stephanie Cole has provided wonderful characters in this story and the description of the villa and the countryside will draw you to want to visit. I am looking forward to reading the next installment of this new series.
Stephanie Cole has provided wonderful characters in this story and the description of the villa and the countryside will draw you to want to visit. I am looking forward to reading the next installment of this new series.
February 23, 2020
When Nell is given the chance to move to Tuscany to help establish a farm-to-table cooking school, she jumps at the opportunity, especially because it will give her the chance to work with one of her favorite chefs. When she arrives, however, she is dismayed to learn that the villa will need major work to accommodate a cooking school, and Chef is oblivious to the situation. Add to that the arrival of a group of local VIPs and a filmmaker sent to feature and promote the school, and Nell is ready to admit defeat and return home. When one of the film crew is found murdered and Chef disappears, she sets out to prove that her beloved Chef might not be what she expected, but he is not a killer.
I love reading cozy mysteries whose focus is food and cooking/baking, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I found the book to be slightly disappointing. The biggest drawback for me was the frequent use of Italian words and phrases that weren't translated or defined. While that might work for those who speak Italian, it left holes in the story for me, and I eventually just stopped caring.
In addition, there were too many characters to keep track of, especially those whose stories weren't completely fleshed out – many of the dinner guests, the nuns and even some of the villa's staff. I did suspect the character who was ultimately revealed as the killer, but not as quickly as other readers might come to the same conclusion. I'm intrigued enough by some of the relationships begun in this book to read the next in the series, but with lower expectations than I had going into this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I love reading cozy mysteries whose focus is food and cooking/baking, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I found the book to be slightly disappointing. The biggest drawback for me was the frequent use of Italian words and phrases that weren't translated or defined. While that might work for those who speak Italian, it left holes in the story for me, and I eventually just stopped caring.
In addition, there were too many characters to keep track of, especially those whose stories weren't completely fleshed out – many of the dinner guests, the nuns and even some of the villa's staff. I did suspect the character who was ultimately revealed as the killer, but not as quickly as other readers might come to the same conclusion. I'm intrigued enough by some of the relationships begun in this book to read the next in the series, but with lower expectations than I had going into this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
February 20, 2020
3.5 out of 5
AL DENTE’S INFERNO is the first in the new Tuscan Cooking School Mystery series by Stephanie Cole. I love the premise of this cozy mystery in which the protagonist, Nell Valenti, packs up and moves to Tuscany to help establish a cooking school for a famous Italian chef. The author provides lovely descriptions of the country and its delightful food, enticing the reader to visit. Ms. Cole also inserts pockets of humorous moments plus dialog that zings with laugh-out-loud repartee. There are several well-developed characters that keep the reader entertained with their antics. And the mystery itself is well thought out with suspects to keep the reader guessing. Al Dente’s Inferno has all the ingredients for a great read but somehow falls a bit short with the overuse of the Italian language, especially where the phrases aren’t translated or the meaning isn’t obvious. While the use of foreign language may add a feeling of authenticity to the setting, for me it slowed the pace of the story down too much. I’ll definitely try the second book in the series when it’s released with the hope that the flow will be better.
I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
AL DENTE’S INFERNO is the first in the new Tuscan Cooking School Mystery series by Stephanie Cole. I love the premise of this cozy mystery in which the protagonist, Nell Valenti, packs up and moves to Tuscany to help establish a cooking school for a famous Italian chef. The author provides lovely descriptions of the country and its delightful food, enticing the reader to visit. Ms. Cole also inserts pockets of humorous moments plus dialog that zings with laugh-out-loud repartee. There are several well-developed characters that keep the reader entertained with their antics. And the mystery itself is well thought out with suspects to keep the reader guessing. Al Dente’s Inferno has all the ingredients for a great read but somehow falls a bit short with the overuse of the Italian language, especially where the phrases aren’t translated or the meaning isn’t obvious. While the use of foreign language may add a feeling of authenticity to the setting, for me it slowed the pace of the story down too much. I’ll definitely try the second book in the series when it’s released with the hope that the flow will be better.
I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 27, 2020
I was sent this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I usually love "cozy mysteries" like this, but there were a few things that stymied my progress through the book. The first concerns the characters. All the characters with the exception of the murder victim are quite likable BUT there are too many minor characters to the point where it's hard to keep track of everyone. Secondly, her use of Italian phrases throughout the book gets old especially if you have no experience with the language. On the other hand, I can easily see where readers who love Italy and/or have traveled there will love the setting of these books.
July 5, 2020
Certain styles of novels lend themselves to certain styles of prose, character-development/description, plot-development, and such, whether by choice, or by the nature of the style itself as it has evolved over time. From its opening pages, this novel has all the prosaic nuances of a Harlequin romance, and if that is the author's intention, fair enough (this is, admittedly, the first novel of hers I have read); however, it wasn't what I would want in a mystery. As well, inconsistencies in narrative detail toward the end of the novel left it in dire need of a final edit.
The title is a clever one-liner; the novel doesn't live up to it.
The title is a clever one-liner; the novel doesn't live up to it.
July 22, 2023
In short a cozy mystery that takes place in Tuscany. A lady takes a job starting up a cooking school only to be interrupted by murder. The who did it had me going in circles. The diverse characters blended well in the story line filled with suspicion. The description of the villa and surroundings will have you dreaming of a visit to Tuscany. This was a giveaway from Berkley Random House publishing. My only complaint was it is a mass market copy which I have quit buying.
#BerkleyPub
#BerkleyPub
February 23, 2020
I assume I am one of the few that won't complain about the Italian phrases as it's my mother tongue :)
I found this cozy mystery a fun and engrossing read. I appreciated the cast of characters, not a lot of stereotypes, and the descriptions of the setting, not overly turistic.
The mystery was interesting but I guessed the culprit quite soon.
I am curious about the next instalment and I recommend this one.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I found this cozy mystery a fun and engrossing read. I appreciated the cast of characters, not a lot of stereotypes, and the descriptions of the setting, not overly turistic.
The mystery was interesting but I guessed the culprit quite soon.
I am curious about the next instalment and I recommend this one.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
February 1, 2021
3/17/2020 Full review tk at CriminalElement.com.
2/1/2021 Ahead of my review of its terrific sequel, here's the link to this one at CriminalElement.com.
2/1/2021 Ahead of my review of its terrific sequel, here's the link to this one at CriminalElement.com.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews