Penne Dreadful

By: Catherine Bruns

Narrated by: Celeste Ciulla

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.

©2019 Catherine Bruns (P)2019 Recorded Books

5/5 Pots of “Rich” Sauce...Deliciously Engaging!

I am an eager fan of Catherine Bruns’ work, so it’s important to note that the writing, the mystery, and the characters are all her! I totally enjoyed “Penne Dreadful,” first-in-a-series page turner, which included several personal and professional motives to sift through, a satisfying conclusion, a bit of peril, and some great characters that I look forward to following. An Italian chef? Italian cuisine? Murder? She penned a well-written first-person narrative from our heroine Tessa Esposito’s perspective with a compelling plot using some contemporary issues, vivid (some mouthwatering) descriptions, and entertaining banter illustrating tone and personality. We are introduced to Tessa who is slowing emerging from the depths of grief after the death of her husband. However, grief turns to resolve when she learns her husband’s fatal accident wasn’t an accident. The authorities, including her cop/cousin, find the evidence suspicious and tracing his last moments have led them to a link with which Tessa can provide some assistance. She'll do anything to get answers and justice, so she goes undercover…as a cook.

The audiobook (9 hr. 38 min.) provided a delightful way to enjoy Catherine’s story with the marvelous voice talent of Celeste Ciulla. Her rich tones gave a warmth to the listening experience, much like Tessa’s sauce on a bed of al dente penne, bringing Catherine’s story to life. Celeste goes beyond the traditional reading out loud style as her steady-paced performance did well to illustrate the few accents and dialects (especially Carlita’s Spanish, Vincent and Anthony’s New “Yawk”), personalities (especially the excited Gabby and Olivia), different ages, and the male voices, a challenge for female narrators. She also did well performing the emotional complexities from Tessa’s range from grief to fear to angry then satisfaction. Even the points of peril were read in a way to put me literally on the edge of my chair. The audiobook gets 5/5 microphones!

Hurrah! My suggestions have been heard...by whom, I don’t know, but the recipes are included!! You can listen and copy down the three Italian favorites: Never-Fail Pizza Crust and Pepperoni Pizza, Tessa’s Tantalizing Tomato Sauce, and ‘Good to the Last Bite’ Stromboli. I love it!

Excellent book, even included recipes

I loved all the twists and turns in this book. It was well written and worth my time to read it.

A delicious cozy mystery

Mystery will keep you guessing and make you hungry for Italian food before the book is over.

Craving Italian food?

Start making your sauce now. You will want it before you finish the book. A clever mystery that had a few surprises. Some sadness, some suspense. some romance. Cozy mystery that kept me listening beyond my drive time. Can't stop here! Must keep going. Thanks to the author for providing a copy for my voluntary review.

Enjoyable listen.

This is my first book by Catherine Bruns and AFAIK, the first audiobook I’ve listened to performed by Celeste Ciulla. I enjoyed listening to this and Celeste is the biggest part of why. Her performance was so good – and it truly was a performance. The voices she used for all of the different characters were easy to distinguish.

Cozy mysteries aren’t really my go-to books but I did enjoy this one. There were a lot of twists and turns and towards the end of the book I was really on pins and needles waiting for the end.

Yummy Food and Mystery

Characters were fully formed. the setting reminded me of when I lived in upstate NY. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Italian food and the recipes. The plot was not predictable and kept me engaged.

A great new series!

I was honored to receive a free audio copy of this book during the release party for a previous book of Catherine Bruns. I can honestly say that she is one of my favorite authors! This book was delightful and the audio was wonderful! Celeste Ciulla did a fabulous job with the characters. I am excited to see where local chef, Tessa Esposito will go next!

Unpleasant Surprises

This is not a romance story but a story of Tessa navigating a bigger and bigger mystery after the death of her husband. This story is full of twists and unexpected developments. This story was very entertaining. I listened to the audio and it was very well done. #CMCon24

Oh, dear. A "Me too" horror story

Most every male character in this book is represented as constantly making sexist remarks and offensive sexual overtones to the main character. She is really portrayed as a tool, IMO.