Image courtesy Nick Greenberg
Less than a year after the launch of the debut novel in his ongoing trilogy, author, musician, and former chocolatier Nick Greenberg has re-released his next book. Published January 26, Buried Treasure (Speaking Volumes) explores the deeply lucrative and covert economy of truffles in the culinary industry.
Culinary Caper, the first title in Greenberg’s By Cook or By Crook trilogy, combines elements of crime and culinary expertise into one book, following piano player and food truck chef Anton Cherney through his participation in art heists as a means to climb out of a mountain of debt.
Exploring similar themes in the world of food and theft, Buried Treasure is a stand-alone book that tells the story of Danny Pasko, a traveling, struggling bassist in Cincinnati whose life turns around when his golden retriever finds a colossal truffle in his backyard and he receives a fortune for selling it.
As Pasko and his dog unearth and sell more of these truffles, his financial sorrows alleviate and his musical creativity begins to come back to life. Yet, there’s a price that Pasko must pay. Centuries old truffle fraternities want to make sure they maintain their place at the top of the hierarchy in the truffle trade, and are threatened by Pasko’s “acclaim” to his valuable harvest. They command that he give up his fungal discoveries, leaving it up to Pasko to decide if he will risk returning to his life as a struggling musician or fight to keep his harmonious creativity through participation in the truffle trade.
“The truffle is the catalyst for change in Danny’s life, and that could be both artistically and financially,” says Greenberg. “When I first started writing [Buried Treasure], I had very little experience with [truffles] and I had tasted them maybe once or twice. And so I had to rely on a ton of research about truffles and read a bunch of books about truffles, and start looking at recipes with truffles to see how it is used.”
Photograph courtesy Nick Greenberg
Like Pasko and Cherney (of Culinary Caper), Greenberg also has a special relationship to cooking and playing music. Growing up, his first job was as a busboy and later a prep cook at his uncle’s Minneapolis restaurant. As a child, traveled around the world, expanding his palate while living in countries like India and Mexico. Later, Greenberg would study classical double bass at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, and developed diverse expertise in various musical styles, from rock to Broadway musicals.
He found that writing about made-up chefs with different careers and an interest in music was his sweet spot
Later in life, while contemplating a career outside of the music industry, he returned to his interest in the culinary world. While he was a musician by day, Greenberg also made and sold gourmet chocolate truffles for a time, but eventually left the work. He found that writing about imagined chefs with different careers and interest in making music was his sweet spot.
After jokingly talking with his family members about starting a food truck, and seriously considering it, the concept perfectly played into his first book, Culinary Caper. The next book in the trilogy, Caterer, will be released in May
“I was reading constantly as a kid, and similarly with music, that’s something I had started at a very early age”, Greenberg says. “I feel like the two are very interrelated as far as starting with a concept, a word, or a couple of notes and developing that and seeing where it goes.”
Originally published in 2020, Buried Treasure is Greenberg’s first stand-alone novel and was later republished in 2026 for a “fresher look,” including new edits and an updated cover.
Buried Treasure can be purchased at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and on Amazon. “Read it. Learn something about truffles,” says Greenberg. “Have a good laugh. Eat.”
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