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The Chef Secret A Novel Crystal King 9781501196423 Books

Download As PDF : The Chef Secret A Novel Crystal King 9781501196423 Books

The Chef Secret A Novel Crystal King 9781501196423 Books

In 1577, Giovanni’s beloved uncle, chef Bartolomeo Scappi died. He left his entire estate to Giovanni, including two keys to strongboxes and instructions to burn, without reading, the contents of the boxes. Giovanni’s curiosity gets the better of him and he reads the most current journal and becomes more curious when Bartolomeo switches to a written code to conclude the journal. He also finds a letter from a woman that hints at a love affair.

Set in Rome, this novel is written in the first person using Giovanni to tell the story of his uncle. The writing is such that readers will be hooked from the first page. But King’s writing is not without issues—she uses Italian for some places and things which quickly begins to look like an artifice and becomes distracting. There is a plethora of characters that are introduced, but the reader never knows them well because of the use of the first person to tell the story. King takes her time telling the story yet keeps the interest of the reader as she moves her story along.


For the reader who loves historical fiction with a touch of mystery, intrigue, and secret love affairs, this is a must read. This will also be a “foodie’s” dream book because of the scrumptious descriptions of the unique feasts Bartolomeo created for his employers.


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The Chef Secret A Novel Crystal King 9781501196423 Books Reviews

Giovanni is the nephew of Bartolomeo Scappi, a chef to popes and a man of many secrets. So many secrets that he had two chests of journals, many written with insets of cipher that contained the most ‘delicate’ matters, all left to the nephew Giovanni, along with a house, a small fortune, recipes and a knife, with instructions that he burn all of the journals before curiosity encourages him to read them. An apprentice to his uncle since the age of 19, the now thirty-year-old Giovanni is unable to simply ‘burn’ the journals, and starts to read and uncover secrets that still hold danger for those he knows and loves.

King has created a story that is rich in two separate times Giovanni is describing the now in the year of 1577 after his uncle’s death, while the journals lead us back in time as the first was penned some fifty years earlier, explaining the days and highlights of Barto’s life as a younger man on his way to making a mark on the world. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how this story would unfold or read, and to my delight it was wholly captivating and full of the intrigue, gossip, machinations and maneuvers that one would expect, particularly knowing, if in brief, the history of the popes and the ‘nobility’ of Italy. Remember, Bartolomeo’s story is happening just after the Borgia pope Alexander VI, father of Lucretia. Now can you see the ‘dangers’ and jostling that was needed for survival as a chef, and to thrive – it required even more.

Most interesting is Giovanni’s relationships that have changed with both the inheritance and his uncovering secrets of his own birth, the lengths to which his uncle Bartolomeo went to protect his own love and secrets, and the unmasking of secrets on the way to finding a new and perhaps more secure and bright future. As little is known factually about Bartolomeo, King’s use of imagination and some clearly well-researched materials brought a story that feels plausible, is studded with many references to real people, places and situations, and ends in ways that feel both possible and affirmative for the resolutions and decisions that Giovanni comes to throughout his discovery of the uncle he thought he knew.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review all conclusions are my own responsibility.
How cool is a dual time line novel set in 16th century Italy based on the life of what is arguably the first celebrity chef? Very cool. This highly readable and entertaining novel is about Giovanni's effort to piece together the life of his uncle Bartolomeo, who left him his estate, his knife, and most of all, his journals. Told in Giovanni's voice, it traces Bartolomeo's rise. It's got all the intrigue you can imagine- there are Popes, there are plots, there are unscrupulous relatives and others, and there's a love story. AND, best of all, there are gorgeous descriptions of food. There are a lot of characters, some of who you will find yourself googling to see if they are real (many are). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Those interested in this time period will relish this novel, which was an immersive and fascinating read.
In 1577, Giovanni’s beloved uncle, chef Bartolomeo Scappi died. He left his entire estate to Giovanni, including two keys to strongboxes and instructions to burn, without reading, the contents of the boxes. Giovanni’s curiosity gets the better of him and he reads the most current journal and becomes more curious when Bartolomeo switches to a written code to conclude the journal. He also finds a letter from a woman that hints at a love affair.

Set in Rome, this novel is written in the first person using Giovanni to tell the story of his uncle. The writing is such that readers will be hooked from the first page. But King’s writing is not without issues—she uses Italian for some places and things which quickly begins to look like an artifice and becomes distracting. There is a plethora of characters that are introduced, but the reader never knows them well because of the use of the first person to tell the story. King takes her time telling the story yet keeps the interest of the reader as she moves her story along.


For the reader who loves historical fiction with a touch of mystery, intrigue, and secret love affairs, this is a must read. This will also be a “foodie’s” dream book because of the scrumptious descriptions of the unique feasts Bartolomeo created for his employers.