Death al Dente: A Gourmet Detective Mystery

The film opens with Detective Maggie Price refusing to cover a shift for her colleague Munro, only to return home and find culinary expert Henry Ross cooking a gourmet meal for her mother and daughter. Henry invites Maggie to a celebration at Carmella’s, a legendary Italian restaurant that just won 'Restaurant of the Year.' At the party, they meet the owners, Leo and Claudia Triviano, their ambitious new chef Mateo, and Claudia’s nephew Dom. Leo mentions a strange break-in from the previous week involving a thief in red sneakers who searched the pantry but stole nothing. The next morning, Leo is found shot in the kitchen and falls into a coma; $2,000 is missing from the office. Maggie’s ex-boyfriend, Detective Steve Miller, joins the case, sparking jealousy in Henry and tension for Maggie. Henry discovers a shredded letter in the restaurant’s office from 1944, written by Leo’s grandmother Carmella, which mentions keeping a 'family legacy close to her heart.' While Leo is in the hospital, he suffers a fatal heart attack. An autopsy requested by Maggie reveals the cause was actually an air embolism—someone injected air into his IV to kill him. Suspects multiply: Mateo was having an affair with Claudia; Sara Jennings, a silent partner, had a million-dollar insurance policy on Leo; and Dom is caught wearing the red sneakers from the break-in. Dom confesses to the break-in, explaining he was looking for legendary family diamonds mentioned by his Aunt Vera in Italy, but he denies the shooting. The investigation shifts to Frank Brenetti, Claudia’s brother and an ex-con who is secretly in town. Henry realizes the 'legacy' isn't a metaphor when he notices a pendant in a portrait of Carmella matches one Maggie is wearing. He deduces the diamonds are hidden behind the painting at the restaurant. Henry and Maggie find the diamonds, but are confronted by Claudia at gunpoint. She confesses that the initial shooting was an accident during an argument after Leo discovered she was planning to leave him. However, it was her brother Frank who murdered Leo in the hospital to ensure he never woke up to testify. Frank arrives and turns on Claudia, but Maggie and Henry manage to stall until the police arrive. Frank is shot in the arm and arrested, and Claudia is taken into custody. The film ends with Maggie and Henry sharing a meal and acknowledging their growing romantic feelings after a tense kiss during the investigation's climax.