I don’t generally snack when I’m reading (although I do love having a strong coffee or an Aperol spritz while I’m turning pages), but some books function like a feast for all senses: beautiful writing, quippy dialogue, and occasionally, food descriptions so sumptuous that I can practically taste them. When I set out to write Till Death Do Us Part, I sought out books that had wine-adjacent or culinary connections, and I found several that were inspiring to me as I wrote and revised. Till Death Do Us Part is set mostly at a winery in Napa Valley, and it was important to me that the descriptions surrounding wine, and the experience of tasting it, was on the page in a way that fulfilled every sense for readers. I might have done some taste-testing (all in the name of research, of course!), and immersed myself as much as I could in the fascinating world of winemaking.
There’s nothing that feeds my mind more than a book with gorgeous writing where food and wine are brought in almost as their own character, or the backdrop against which the action unfolds. Add an element of mystery, and I am all in, desperate to know more. Here are five stories that will satisfy any craving—and perhaps drive you to open a bottle of wine, shake up a cocktail, or make a restaurant reservation ASAP.
The Hunting Wives by May Cobb
This novel (soon to be a series on Starz) centers around Sophie, who moves to a small Texas town with her husband and son, and gets swept up in seductive, glamorous Margo Banks and the “Hunting Wives,” the clique of rich, suburban wives who meet for drinking and target practice… and possibly, when a body is found nearby, murder. May Cobb’s description of the free-flowing alcohol and wine-soaked evenings made for a heady, all-consuming read. As a reader, it’s easy to feel like you’re in Sophie’s head, with judgments increasingly clouded as the drinks flow and Margot smooths over every uncertainty and suspicion. The lavishly detailed descriptions of parties and gatherings will have you craving a martini. I read it on my couch during a bitterly cold Canadian winter, but I’d recommend enjoying this one poolside! Either way, it’s guaranteed to transport you to May Cobb’s seductive, but dangerous, version of Texas.
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
I read Sweetbitter several years ago and was immediately struck by the way Stephanie Danler captured the ephemeral business of working in a restaurant: the hookups, the relationships that form quickly and dissolve just as fast, the heady rush of being young and surrounded by temptation: and most of all, the food and champagne that Tess gets as familiar with as she does her coworkers after being hired by an upscale restaurant in Manhattan. While this one doesn’t technically have a mystery component, it is a gritty, relatable coming of age story that will leave readers intoxicated by the glamourous setting, wine, and beautiful food presentations.
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
I can’t think of a more fun or immersive summer read than The Sicilian Inheritance. This story centers around Sara, who is newly divorced and reckoning with both the failure of her marriage and business when she receives a letter from her beloved great-aunt Rosie, who recently passed away, leaving Sara with a plane ticket to Sicily, the deed to a plot of land, and the revelation that Sara’s great-grandmother might not have died of natural causes after all. She flies there to find answers, and the Sicilian setting is described in sumptuous detail as author Jo Piazza takes us on a twisting, thrilling dual-timeline adventure. Passages about local cuisine are stunningly lush—I could almost taste the wine grapes and cannoli.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
I was hungry as I read this book—both for more of the twisty, intricately crafted story, and literally, because Jesse Q. Sutanto writes such wonderfully decadent food descriptions. The titular heroine, Vera Wong, is the owner of a tea shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and she has a routine she strictly adheres to—until one day, a dead body is found in her tea shop, setting off an investigation that will change everything. I could practically smell the aromatic tea brewing in Vera’s shop, and the elaborate meals created by Vera are on the page in mouth-watering detail. This book will not only have readers wondering whodunit, but also feeling sated with an exceptional mystery and a satisfying meal. My only complaint is that Vera isn’t a real person and therefore I’ll never be able to experience her cooking firsthand!
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
This story, like the cake at its center, is layered, rich, and deep. Eleanor Bennett has recently passed away, and leaves behind for her two adult children, Benny and Byron, a long audio recording, and a family recipe for black cake. The more Benny and Byron learn about their mother and her life, the more the reader wonders whether they will be brought closer together, or pushed further apart, by a lifetime of secrets. Author Charmaine Wilkerson masterfully spins a multigenerational, sweeping tale, with a mystery both compelling and heartbreaking at its core. Will Benny and Byron be able to uphold their mother’s last wish, and share a black cake together? Beautifully written and evocative, with an overload of sensory details that will situate the reader fully in the story and its settings in the Caribbean, the UK, and California.
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