Manako Kajii is a convicted serial killer, said to have seduced lonely businessmen with her delicious cooking. Her case has captured the nation’s imagination but she refuses to speak with the press and generally entertains no visitors. However, underachieving journalist Rika secures an audience with the elusive murderer, just months before she is due to go on retrial, after writing a letter asking for her… recipe for beef stew (?!) Rika and Kajii develop a strange relationship built around food and we watch the chaos that ensues as Rika falls completely under Kajii’s spell.

The concept was hugely appealing to me, but it was just… fine. Marketed as a murder mystery, it read more like a cookbook with a little bit of commentary on gender roles and feminism in Japanese culture. From a “murder” perspective, much of it was set in a jail. That’s about it. I think quite a lot of this book has been lost in translation and it could easily have been half the length.

I really struggled to get into the ARC of Butter and I think that was largely because of the attitudes many of the characters have towards weight (and weight gain, especially in women) which, although important to the story of a woman who cooks for men before killing them, was pretty off putting to me. But eventually I picked up the audio version, and got carried along with the story. Not a quick read at all, but an interesting one.

I listened to this very slowly on audio. I wasn’t at all what I expected as it’s billed as a thriller. It is a fascinating glimpse into Japanese life and how women behave and are expected to behave. I enjoyed it but I’m not quite sure what the point of it is, it’s very meandering and doesn’t really go anywhere and there is no tension. A strange book.

What a brilliant book!
It starts out as one thing and then morphs into another.
It manages to use a real-life story to reflect the attitudes of the Japanese people and how these are changing.
It made me question myself and my own motives.

Rika, a journalist, wants to interview female serial killer Manako Kajii, but Kajii doesn’t want to talk to anyone, least of all another woman. So Rita appeals to her love of cooking, and asks her for a recipe.

Initially I thought this would be a thriller, and whilst it has elements of that, its so much more. Butter looks at how women are regarded in society - how “thin is King (or Queen?)”, particularly in Japan. Kajii sets Rika tasks, one being to learn to cook and actually enjoy her food (that’s two tasks) - less of the “food is fuel” school of thought.

Rika learns that she’s lonely, her life is centred around her work. She wants independence, but she also wants connection. As Rita gains weight she feels happier in herself, but she’s judged by those around her of being slovenly. I mean, the work she puts in to learning to cook and actually cooking would say otherwise, but then that’s society for you.

I will say not to read this whilst you’re hungry. The descriptions of the food, it’s smell, texture, flavours - I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

I’m glad I read this. It was a really interesting insight into Japanese culture, more so than ‘just’ a thriller. There were more food descriptions than murders, that’s for certain!!

I love how Japanese authors are completely mundane in their writing styles. They don't shy away from subject matters and it translates really well. This book is a great example of that, there is something super endearing about that.

This has been the book of the Summer for a reason, I couldn't recommend it more! It's best to not know much when venturing in, but be prepared for your stomach to rumble, with all of the mouth-watering descriptions of food that Yuzuki includes.

This book was AMAZING. It made me feel very hungry, so keep some snacks on your nightstand as you read this. Lots to think about women, their bodies, lust, food and more.

Manako Kajii's currently in jail for the murder; she has been convicted of killing lonely older men by seducing them with her cooking. Rika a journalist becomes intrigued with the story and with Manako herself, As Rika becomes slowly more obsessed with finding getting to the truth of the murders it becomes clear that Manako has either suffered a terrible miscarriage of justice or is spinning one more lie in order to trap another victim.

I was intrigued by this novel knowing that it was based on a true story and I wasn't disappointed. As the strange relationship between Manako and Rika developed I was enthralled and needed to know how the story ended. A gripping and thrilling novel; 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this and to begin with it was great, the more I read though the more it felt like it was more filler than storyline.

Not one i'd pick up for a second read unfortunately.

I wasnt sure what to expect from this book as it was so different from anything I had previously read, but I loved it, I wasnt sure whether I liked the main character at first but once more of the story came out it was clear there was more to her than it seemed at first. I loved it.

I can absolutely see why everyone is talking about this novel but it wasn't really to my taste (absolutely no pun intended). I'm not sure whether it'sthe translation or the prose itself but I found it fairly stilted and I just wasn't particularly captivated by the central story. It's well written with an appealing protagonist and I learned a lot about Japan, which I enjoyed, but the novel itself didn't really work for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A slow meandering read tackling a number of modern day topics. It’s full of food instructions, misogyny, fatphobia and murder. An electric mix that had me confused at the beginning and no better off on page 452.
Not sure if I could recommend this to anybody. I know it’s a cult classic, but I’m happy enough not to be in that cult.

I loved this. I really enjoy learning about new cultures in a book. I loved the references to the food and the descriptions were so vivid I wanted to taste all the dishes. A really great story.

A strange and unique read with important perspectives on feminism, self-image and diet culture in Japan. I enjoyed Rika as a character and watching her development was beautiful.

I had expected a faster pace book in the thriller genre, so this was not the type of book I thought I was going to read. I very much enjoyed it nonetheless. Would read more from this author.

WARNING: Do not read when hungry, the food descriptions are amazing!

Thanks: Received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing book!

I love the way the characters grew and discovered herself through her investigation.
I really enjoyed the description of food and how the new flavours affected the characters in the book.

I absoutely love the premise of this, and was really attracted to the whole package, but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. I felt it could be 40% shorter and found myself just trying to get through it, having not connected with the characters or the writing particularly. They're interesting themes and I did enjoy getting insight into Japanese culture, but this isn't one I'll be urging friends to read.

A book about food based on a true story , count me in !
But .... this is so much more than a food novel . We have obsession, loneliness, misogyny, feminism and A LOT of mystery too.
The food descriptions are so vivid but there is also the negative side to eating which is that of the whole diet culture . Women in Japan are under huge pressure to shrink themselves and our two main characters bond over the love and hate with food .
It's scary to think that this novel is based on a true story , it gives a lot of food for thought (pardon the pun) and it's a great one for a bookclub. My only gripe is that it was maybe a bit too long but it's worth the ride .

I read it all, it was awful. I want to say motre but I cannot fins the words. perhaps it was the translation but it was the gretest rubbish I have ever read

Manako Jajii has been detained in a Tokyo jail, convicted of multiple murders of lonely businessmen. She is said to have seduced them with her amazing home cooking. The case has enthralled the nation, that someone who doesn’t conform to the beauty standards could capture the hearts of so many men, and have them so entranced that they would hand over so much money before she killed them. She tried to make each murder look like an accident but got overconfident.

Kajii refuses to talk to the media. Until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter to her asking for her recipe for beef stew, to try and make a connection. Rika is the only woman in her news office and works long hours trying to prove herself. She doesn’t cook (more than instant ramen) and rarely indulges in food extravagance. A distorted relationship soon unfolds between Rika and Kajii, wrapped around meals that Rika begins to explore, directed by Kajii. As Rika tries to delve into the mind of Kajii, she finds herself opening up her own mind more and is not sure of what she is discovering.

This book is inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", real name Kanae Kijima. Knowing it is set on a real case makes it a bit of an unsettling read. It is not a quick and easy read. This book took a long time to get through, but was well worth it. It is a very beautiful journey through Japanese culture, at a slow and steady pace, which takes the time to look at relationships between friends, family, work, colleagues, food, and culture. It highlights the impact of expectations on women in society, for beauty standards, and perceived behaviour standards. I feel like I learned a lot from reading this book, not just about a historical case, but about a culture, food (I want to do cookery classes now!!) and about the importance of friendships, and cultivating them. It is a beautiful and powerful read, which you need to assimilate after reading and reflect on.

*I received this book from NetGalley for review but all opinions are my own.