Recipe for A Perfect Wife

 Recipe for A Perfect Wife: A Novel by Karma Brown, Karma   322 pages

In the present, Alice finds inspiration found in hidden notes left by her home's previous owner, Nellie. In the past, Nellie seemed to be the perfect 1950s housewife. However, things aren't as idyllic as they appear and Nellie's life begins to unravel. However, cooking keeps her life running smoothly (or as smoothly as possible) and in the present, Alice is discovering these recipes and trying them on her own husband. However, as Alice begins to discover, while Nellie's recipes seem benign, Nellie's secrets were anything but.

I liked this story and enjoyed the dual perspectives. I liked how there was the 1950s perspective and the recipes (which sounded a lot like some I've seen in old church cookbooks). I liked Nellie more than Alice, and found at times that Alice had an unpleasant edge to her. But, the back-and-forth was interesting and ending had a twist I hadn't fully anticipated.