My cousin Gabby loves to tease me about my tomato sauce. Not the quality, mind you, but the quantity. To be honest, I’ve got too many Ziploc bags of it in my freezer to count. When I’m stressed, I cook.
Cooking is my passion but there are also times when it’s therapy in disguise for me, especially when things gets rough. And boy, my life has not been a picnic lately.
A few weeks ago, my life was no different than anyone else’s. As a matter of fact, it was pretty darn good. I had a job as a cook at a local diner that I enjoyed, a husband I loved, and a cute little Cape Cod style house that we adored. Dylan and I were also the proud parents to Luigi, our fur baby and spoiled Tuxedo kitty extraordinaire. We were just getting around to the 2.5 children and white picket fence, but never made it that far.
You see, Dylan died in a tragic car accident last month. My cousin Gino, who is also a police detective in the town of Harvest Park, New York where we live, assured me that it was instantaneous, and he didn’t feel a thing. I’m grateful for that part.
People are sorry for me, but I don’t want their pity. I’m going to be okay—eventually. It took me a week to get out of bed, another week to get dressed, and one more for me to start cooking again. Baby steps, one at a time. Last night I ventured out of the house for the first day since Dylan’s funeral. I made cookies for Gabby’s club. Gabby owns Once Upon a Book, a cute little bookstore in Harvest Park, and the place is as adorable as she is. It did me a world of good to get out. Cooking and baking make me so happy because it’s what I was always meant to do. Dylan and I even wanted to run our own restaurant someday, but it looks like that dream won’t become a reality now.
Since I’m a trained chef, I’ve never had trouble finding work, but my next job will be my biggest challenge yet. Dylan worked as an accountant and besides his regular daytime job, he did taxes for a vast number of clients, Anthony Falducci included. Anthony owns Slice Pizzeria. Frankly, it’s kind of a dive, but the pizza is to die for. It was also the last place Dylan’s car was seen before his fatal accident.
What does that matter, you might ask? Well, Gino just informed me Dylan’s death was not an accident. That’s right—someone murdered my wonderful, sweet and caring husband. I simply can’t comprehend this. Dylan was devoted to me. Intelligent and kind. Who could possibly want him dead?
Gino tried to talk me out of applying for the job at Slice but finally relented, giving me orders to, “Just cook and observe things, Tess. Don’t ask questions. That’s for the police.” He doesn’t understand. No one does. This is personal for me. What would you do if someone took the life of the person you loved most of all in this world?
As it turns out, I didn’t know my husband as well as I thought. They say that everyone has a skeleton in their closet, but Dylan had an entire family lurking there. Suddenly, it’s as if I never even knew this man. The secrets keep piling up. I want answers and I’m going to get them, one way or another. . .
If it’s the last thing that I do.
What your favorite Italian dish? Leave a comment below with your answer for your chance to win a print copy of Penne Dreadful. Giveaway ends August 3, 2019 and is limited to U.S. residents. The winner will be notified by email (so check your spam folder). Good luck everyone!
You can read more about Tessa in Penne Dreadful, the first book in the NEW “Italian Chef” cozy culinary mystery series, released July 30, 2019.
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 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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About the author
Catherine is the USA Today bestselling author of the Cookies & Chance mysteries. She lives in New York with her very patient husband, three sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine has a B.A. in English and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. She also writes the Cindy York real estate and the Carrie Jorgenson (Aloha Lagoon) culinary mysteries. The Italian Chef mysteries is her latest series. Readers can visit her website at catherinebruns.net, and get a free e-book when they sign up for her newsletter.
** Congratulations to Catherine who recently won the 2019 Daphne Du Maurier Award for Mainstream Mystery/Suspense for her book For Sale By Killer **
All comments are welcomed.
Most pasta dishes!!!!
Yummmzzz…
Thank you for the giveaway…
Chef stories. Yes.
My favorite Italian dish is Ravioli stuffed with all different cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella…. Topped with a marinara sauce. Sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Thanks for a chance to win this book.
Calamari marinara over pasta
Congratulations on the award! My favorite pasta is tortellini stuffed with ricotta and spinach. With an Alfredo sauce. Or maybe a pesto sauce.
My favorite Italian dish is lasagna. Congratulations on your new release and thank you for the giveaway!
Wonderful feature and giveaway. My favorite Italian dish is eggplant parmesan
Lovely book. An Italian dish which I enjoy is pasta primavera.
My favorite pasta dish is ravioli and my current favorite ravioli is pumpkin. Congrats, Catherine on the release of your new series!
I can’t wait to read this!
I’ll go with lasagna as a favorite dish…but there are so many I love!
Thanks Catherine for a chance to win a copy of Penne Dreadful!
My favorite Italian food is any and all but one I really, really, really enjoy is Chicken Piccatta. My husband always treats me to a date at an Italian restaurant in a nearby town. This is one of the featured items. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this giveaway.
Lasagna is my favorite Italian dish. Thank you for the chance
I love all Italian food, but my go-to dish is chicken parmesan. This new series sounds great and can’t wait to pick up the first installment.
My favorite is Fettuccine Alfredo. Thank you for this chance to win.
I’m Italian so this looks like a yummy book for me. I love lasagne the best but I also like chicken alfredo with penne pasta. Would love to read this series. Thanks for the opportunity.
I love lasagna and chicken parm the most! Thanks for a chance to win!
Congratulations on your new series! I’m not sure I can narrow it down to one favorite dish. Is fried calamari Italian? I know lasagna is.
My favorite Italian dish is ravioli lasagna. Looking forward to reading “Penne Dreadful”.
I love any type of pasta!
My favorite is lasagna, but I love all pasta.
Raviolis are my favorite!
My favorite dish is spinach lasagna.
My favorite is eggplant parmesan. My son’s is chicken pasta alfredo and he is a pasta-aholic.
Thanks for the chance!!!
spaghetti and meat balls
My favorite dish is shrimp parmesan with a side of penne.
I love pretty much any Italian, it’s so hard to pick. Maybe lasagna or manicotti. Thanks for the chance to win this yummy sounding book.
I love most Italian dishes, and there is just no way to pick a favorite – eggplant parmesan, stuffed shells, lasagna, the list goes on.
As much as I dispise my ex-husband….he made killer crock pot spaghetti sauce with itallian sausage in it.
Oh my this sounds to die for. Sorry. I was stuck to the screen reading. Yes I would love to win this book from a new to me author. My favorite Italian food is homemade spaghetti. I got the recipe from my mom who got it from some of my dads clients who was born in Italy. My parents attended their wedding. Funny story, dad liked to take a ton of pictures. At the wedding he was taking pictures when he saw a room of wonderfully dressed men all standing around talking, all dressed the same. So he went in there and started snapping away. Fortunately the bride saw these men taking my dad out the back door. She convinced them that he was her guest and he was ok. Dad had to give the whole roll of film the the Italian Mofia. LOL. One of those men in that room was the brides dad. LOL
I think my favorite Italian food is hubby’s homemade lasagna. He also makes a great spaghetti sauce even if the base is Ragu.
donna (dot) durnell (at) sbcglobal (dot) net
**** WINNER ****
Penne Dreadful is Lori Smanski
Congratulations!