I don’t usually snack while reading (although I do like to drink a strong coffee or an Aperol Spritz while browsing), but some books are like a feast for the senses: beautiful writing, quick-witted dialogue and sometimes descriptions of food so lavish that I can practically taste them. When I started writing Until death do us partI looked for books related to wine or cuisine and found several that inspired me in my writing and editing. Until death do us part is set largely in a winery in Napa Valley and it was important to me that the descriptions surrounding the wine and the wine tasting experience were put on paper in a way that appealed to all of the reader’s senses. I may have done a few taste tests (all in the name of research, of course!) and delved as deeply as I could into the fascinating world of winemaking.
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Nothing gets me thinking better than a book with a wonderful writing style where food and wine almost seem like a character in itself or the setting of the action. And when there’s an element of mystery thrown in, I’m instantly hooked and eager to find out more. Here are five stories that will satisfy any craving – and maybe make you want to open a bottle of wine, mix a cocktail or book a table at a restaurant ASAP.
The hunting women by May Cobb
This novel (soon to be a series on Starz) centers on Sophie, who moves to a small Texas town with her husband and son and is seduced by the seductive, glamorous Margo Banks and the “Hunting Wives,” a clique of rich suburban women who meet to drink and shoot… and possibly, when a body is found nearby, murder. May Cobb’s description of the evenings spent drinking and wine flowing freely makes for an intoxicating, all-consuming read. As a reader, it’s easy to feel like you’re inside Sophie’s head, with judgment always clouded as the drinks flow and Margot irons out any uncertainty or suspicion. The lavishly detailed descriptions of parties and gatherings will make you want a martini. I read it on my couch during a bitterly cold Canadian winter, but I’d recommend enjoying it by the pool! Either way, it’s guaranteed to transport you to May Cobb’s seductive but dangerous version of Texas.
Sweet bitter by Stephanie Danler
I read SweetpleaseI got into this book a few years ago and was immediately impressed with how Stephanie Danler captured the fleeting business of restaurant work: the affairs, the relationships that form quickly and dissolve just as quickly, the heady rush of being young and surrounded by temptation: and, most of all, the food and champagne, which Tess gets to know as well as her coworkers after taking a job at an upscale Manhattan restaurant. While this book doesn’t technically have a mystery component, it’s a gritty, relatable coming-of-age story that will leave readers intoxicated by the glamorous setting, the wine, and the beautiful presentation of the food.
The Sicilian heritage by Jo Piazza
I can’t imagine a more entertaining or exciting summer read than The Sicilian heritage. This story centers on Sara, newly divorced and struggling with the failure of her marriage and business, when she receives a letter from her beloved Great Aunt Rosie, who recently passed away. In it, she leaves Sara a plane ticket to Sicily, the deed to a piece of land, and the revelation that Sara’s great-grandmother may not have died of natural causes after all. She flies there to find answers, and the Sicilian setting is described in lush detail as author Jo Piazza takes us on a thrilling adventure across two timelines. Passages about the local cuisine are breathtakingly sumptuous—I could almost taste the grapes and cannoli.
Vera Wong’s unsolicited advice for murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
I was hungry reading this book—both for more of the convoluted, intricately constructed story and, quite 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 has a routine that she strictly adheres to—until one day a body is found in her tea shop, sparking an investigation that will change everything. I could practically smell the aromatic tea brewed in Vera’s shop, and the elaborate meals Vera prepares are on the page in delicious detail. Not only will this book leave readers wondering who did it, but it will also fill them up with an extraordinary mystery and a satisfying meal. My only complaint is that Vera is not a real person, and thus I will never be able to experience her cooking skills firsthand!
Black cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
This story, like the pie at its center, is layered, rich, and deep. Eleanor Bennett recently passed away, leaving behind a lengthy audio recording and a family recipe for black pie to her two adult children, Benny and Byron. The more Benny and Byron learn about their mother and her life, the more the reader is left wondering if a lifetime of secrets will bring them closer together or drive them further apart. Author Charmaine Wilkerson masterfully weaves a sweeping, multi-generational tale centered on a secret that is both compelling and heartbreaking. Will Benny and Byron be able to fulfill their mother’s final wish and eat black pie together? Beautifully written and evocative, with an abundance of sensual detail that fully immerses the reader in the story and its settings in the Caribbean, Britain, and California.
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