Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours Presents…
The Chef’s Secret by Crystal King
A captivating novel of
Renaissance Italy detailing the mysterious life of Bartolomeo Scappi, the
legendary chef to several popes and author of one of the bestselling cookbooks
of all time, and the nephew who sets out to discover his late uncle’s secrets—including
the identity of the noblewoman Bartolomeo loved until he died.
When Bartolomeo Scappi
dies in 1577, he leaves his vast estate—properties, money, and his position—to
his nephew and apprentice Giovanni. He also gives Giovanni the keys to two
strongboxes and strict instructions to burn their contents. Despite Scappi’s
dire warning that the information concealed in those boxes could put Giovanni’s
life and others at risk, Giovanni is compelled to learn his uncle’s secrets. He
undertakes the arduous task of decoding Scappi’s journals and uncovers a
history of deception, betrayal, and murder—all to protect an illicit love
affair.
As Giovanni pieces
together the details of Scappi’s past, he must contend with two rivals who have
joined forces—his brother Cesare and Scappi’s former protégé, Domenico Romoli,
who will do anything to get his hands on the late chef’s recipes.
With luscious prose
that captures the full scale of the sumptuous feasts for which Scappi was
known, The Chef’s Secret serves up power, intrigue, and
passion, bringing Renaissance Italy to life in a delectable fashion.
Praise for The Chef’s Secret
“King’s characters are drawn as lovingly, as
sensually as the food and the Vatican world she describes, and the plot itself
— part secret-code mystery, part love story — moves like a well-paced meal.”
Boston Globe
“King supplies all of the elements historical
fiction fans expect in a juicy Renaissance tale, including luscious meals,
erotic interludes, and deaths by poison and blade. This rich tale should
satisfy the appetites of fans of historicals.”
Publishers Weekly
“In The Chef’s Secret, Crystal King serves up
a delectable read stuffed with passion, danger, and a plot worthy of Dan Brown.
This fast-paced, engrossing novel brings Renaissance Rome and the Vatican to
life through the eyes of a famous papal chef. You won’t be able to put it
down.”
Stephanie Storey,
author of Oil and Marble
Excerpt
Forty-three days after he first laid eyes upon the most beautiful
girl in the world, Bartolomeo had the good fortune to overhear the maids
talking about a girl at the palazzo. Two of the serving maids huddled in the
pantry near his post where he was prepping nightingales for the cena. When they
mentioned the dress she had worn the night before, Bartolomeo realized the
principessa was the object of their admiration.
One of the maids was a thin slip of a girl who served the
cardinale’s sister. The other was a young woman who had caught his fancy for a
time the summer before, but soon bored Bartolomeo with her empty gossip.
“She’s here from Roma,” the first said, awe in her voice. They
talked of the girl’s extraordinarily wealthy family, of her famed dressmaker,
and of how long it took to wrangle her curls each morning.
When they said her name, Bartolomeo had to put his knife down for
fear of cutting himself. Oh, to know her true name! Happiness filled him like a
carafe of fine wine. Her name, he thought, was like the taste of strawberries
sprinkled with sugar. It was like the summer sun touching the petal of a
freshly bloomed flower. That evening, when he gazed out his little garret
window, he wished he could shout her name across the rooftops, but he could
never say it aloud. To do so was too dangerous, for her and for him. He would
take a thousand lashings for his Stella [Author’s note, this is a pet
name that Bartolomeo has for her], but he could not bear to have her come
to harm.
The next morning, Stella stopped Bartolomeo in the loggia. The sky
was bright and the October air was still gentle and warm. He was readying to
leave the palazzo to go to market when she approached. He was so startled to
see her there he stopped in his tracks, mouth agape.
The princess was radiant in a red velvet gown, her hair piled high
upon her head. Her beauty was staggering, her skin so clear, her cheeks ruddy
and fresh. What a sight he must seem in comparison, with his own hair a tussle
of wild waves, a grease stain adorning one sleeve. He hadn’t bathed, and he was
certain he smelled too much like onions and ham.
She recognized his discomfort and giggled, in a way that
immediately eased his fear. She gently touched his arm with one hand, and with
the other she pressed a piece of paper into his palm. “What is your name?”
He looked around to see who might be witnessing the exchange, but
there were only a couple of gardeners in the vicinity, none of whom paid them
any mind. “Bartolomeo,” he said, gathering courage.
She released his hand and shared her own name. Bartolomeo’s heart
sang as she repeated the word he had been turning over and over in his mind
since the day before.
“Please tell the cook how much I love his tourtes.”
Bartolomeo nodded his head vigorously. “I will, madonna,
I will.”
She dazzled him with another smile. “I liked the radish flower the
best, though.”
She winked and turned away. He stood there, staring at the curve
of her departing body, wondering what had just happened. He stared until she
rounded the corner of the loggia. He was light-headed and it felt like he was
spinning, like a little bird on a spit, fire rising all around it. The piece of
paper in his hand was small and warm. He hurried out of the palazzo and down
the cobbled street lining the adjoining Rio di San Luca canal.
When he was sure no one could see, he stopped and unfolded the
little piece of paper.
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour,
one winner will receive a set of Feast of Sorrow and The Chef’s Secret!
Enter HERE!
Giveaway Rules
• Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on July 5th. You
must be 18 or older to enter.
• Giveaway is open to US only.
• Only one entry per household.
• All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and
not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site
owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
• The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a
new winner is chosen.
Pick up your copy of
The Chef’s Secret
Crystal King
Crystal King is the author of THE CHEF’S SECRET and FEAST OF
SORROW. A culinary enthusiast and social media professional, her writing is
fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language and culture of
Italy. She has taught classes in writing, creativity and social media at
Harvard Extension School, Boston University, Mass College of Art, UMass Boston
and GrubStreet, one of the leading creative writing centers in the US. A
Pushcart-nominated poet and former co-editor of the online literary arts
journal Plum Ruby Review, Crystal received her M.A. in Critical and Creative
Thinking from UMass Boston, where she developed a series of exercises and
writing prompts to help fiction writers in medias res. She resides in Boston.
Connect with Crystal: WEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM
Gah, I loved this book so much! Thank you for hosting The Chef's Secret blog tour!
ReplyDeleteAmy
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