Press
“Fans of weird true crime…will eat it up.”
— BuzzFeed, on its list of 2019’s most anticipated books (January 4, 2019).
“Fascinating. This deeply researched and eye-opening account of the lengths people will go for wealth, gratification, and a taste of the prized fungus will captivate readers."
—Publishers Weekly (February 7, 2019).
“a remarkable job reporting from the front lines of the truffle industry…”
—Booklist, in a *starred review* (March 1, 2019).
“an entertaining, revealing,” and “deftly crafted tale of obsessions and true crime in the culinary world.”
—Kirkus Reviews (April 8, 2019).
“former Light reporter explores the mysterious, crime-riddled underbelly of the truffle trade…”
—Point Reyes Light (May 2, 2019)
“Perfect for fans of The Orchard Thief…”
—Read It Forward (May 20, 2019)
“Inside the Exceptionally Shady World of Truffle Fraud.”
—Eater, excerpt of Chapter Eight (May 28, 2019)
“The Best New Books of June 2019”
—Chicago Review of Books (June 3, 2019)
“a rigorously reported, carefully written, endlessly interesting immersion in a high-stakes subculture.”
—San Francisco Chronicle (June 3, 2019)
“The Orchid Thief of truffles. If you want to read…and just be like, ‘Whoa, that is bananas,’ I highly recommend it.”
—Rebecca, BookRiot (June 4, 2019)
“I liked this Eater excerpt from Ryan Jacobs’s new book ‘The Truffle Underground.’”
—Sam Sifton, the New York Times (June 5, 2019)
“A fascinating read.”
—Destination Eat Drink Podcast (June 14, 2019)
“The Dark Underworld of The Truffle Trade.”
—Crime Reads, excerpt of Chapter Two (June 20, 2019)
“a full-fledged mystery and exposé about a luxurious delicacy...”
—Fortune, on its “Nonfiction Page-Turners” list (June 22, 2019)
“Our 5 Favorite Summer Reads of 2019.”
—Outside magazine (June 27, 2019)
“I love this book so much…my dream book.”
—Jess Lahey, #amwriting Podcast (June 28, 2019)
“8 New Books and Memoirs Every Food-Obsessed Reader Will Love.”
—Real Simple (July 5, 2019)
“Thrilling.”
—Mother Jones (July 12, 2019)
“Gangs, poisoned dogs, and fake fungus.”
—Interview on CBC’s As It Happens (July 23, 2019)
“This fungal thriller transports you to southern Europe, where truffles bring out the darkest impulses of the food world.”
—Modern Farmer (August 5, 2019)
The Truffle Underground makes an exciting list of new culinary narratives, including Ruth Reichl’s new memoir.
—Publishers Weekly
(March 1, 2019).
“INTENSE.”
—BookRiot, on its list of Foodie Books TBR in 2019 (April 26, 2019).
“a smart, revealing exposé. True crime nerds, this is the unsuspecting story you've been waiting for.”
—Thrillist (May 15, 2019)
“15 Great Summer Books to Read at the Beach in 2019”
—SmarterTravel (May 22, 2019)
“How an insane demand for truffles is leading to sabotage, fraud and death.”
—New York Post (June 1, 2019)
“Best Books of the month in Cookbooks, Food & Wine”
—Amazon Editors’ Picks (June)
The Truffle Underground is featured in a “New Release Tuesday” video.
—BookRiot (June 4, 2019)
“If this sounds like a story line for a Netflix show, I mean, it could be! … It reads like a Le Carre novel.”
—Alison Stewart, WNYC Interview (June 4, 2019)
“Really fantastic, deeply reported, can’t-put-it-down new book. Extraordinary.”
—Howie Kahn, Prince Street Podcast (June 14, 2019)
“a kind of bandit culture that Jacobs documents brilliantly.”
—Crime Reads, on “June’s Best True Crime Books” list (June 18, 2019)
a “riveting debut…with the stealthy feel of a diamond heist or spy operation.”
—BookPage (June 21, 2019)
“This well-researched, well-written book is a thoroughly enjoyable read.”
—New York Journal of Books (June 27, 2019)
“Death, theft … and the quest for the world’s most coveted fungus.”
—Marketplace Interview on NPR’s Morning Edition (June 28, 2019)
“a lively exposé… even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.”
—The Wall Street Journal (July 11, 2019)
“a crisply written and engaging story about a rare, astronomically priced delicacy.”
—Los Angeles Review of Books (July 14, 2019)
“Six great science reads to pass the time.” —Popular Science (July 24, 2019)
“[a] larger-than-life story that pushes past the glamour into the tawdry world of crime.”
—The Christian Science Monitor, on its “Best Audiobooks of August” list (August 20, 2019)