Inspired on the true story of the Konkatsu Killer, this was a very interesting read and with a fantastic cover that immediately caught my attention. Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this copy.

Description:
Rika, a journalist, is trying to visit Manako Kajii - a fastidious cook said to have murdered three ageing businessmen after seducing them, in large part with her cooking. Kajii freely admits hating women and margarine, and denies Rika an interview until Rika’s friend Reiko suggests asking Kajii for her recipe for beef bourguignon…

Liked:
This is a full-fat exploration of misogyny in Japanese culture: both men and women in the story are deeply affected by their patriarchal upbringings and buried beliefs. At the heart of the book is the point that adult men expect women to look after them, and the guilt that women experience when men close to them let themselves go. The translation seemed very competent - it both got out of the way most of the time, and clarified quickly when Japanese terms were used.

Disliked:
Butter is too long, with too many characters. The plot meanders and never seems to pick up the pace, with a brief middle section from another character’s POV which doesn’t seem to fit particularly well. I’m torn when it comes to the messages underlying the novel: on the one hand, the multiplicity of perspectives on women and feminism in modern Japan feels realistic, foregrounding a sometimes shocking naivete and torturous double standards. On the other, there are no clear conclusions to be had here, and even the protagonist’s resolve to actually enjoy eating food now and then undergoes a bit of a climbdown by the end of the book. Overall, the exploration feels less ‘nuanced’ than ‘confused’.

Would recommend, lightly. It’s interesting, but I’d hoped this would be meatier.

Anything Else:
Distinctive yellow covers are so arresting! I wish this didn’t have the bloody fingerprints, otherwise it’s so lovely.

Rika, a 33 year-old journo working for a men’s weekly magazine in Japan, breaks out of her beige existence when investigating a serial killer. Manako Kajii, awaiting trial, is a romance fraudster who attracted her victims with delicious gourmet cooking. Rika requests one of her killer recipes and is granted an audience. Pursuing the truth with fangirl-level obsession, Rika discovers an untapped pleasure in food, friends and life.

Based on real events, Asako Yusuki has done something really clever by rendering a story that reads like a time capsule for our current era. It depicts the horsemen of the 21st century apocalypse: misogyny, fame, trolling, and body shaming. The book begins amid a heatwave-induced butter shortage, so even climate change gets a look-in. It is beautifully written and Polly Barton’s translation delivers an evocative account richly steeped in all the senses for the English reader to savour.

The story is a rich stew of ingredients. Each fully formed character benefits from a graceful, rounded construction, and no sense is left untouched in the author’s world-building. Rika’s tense journey to authenticity and meaning inspires empathy. Amid the Nigella-level food adjectives bob a few rolling metaphors that add to the brilliant poetic depth of the text. It’s an enjoyable read by a master storyteller.

‘Butter’ is a thrilling story that could be a ‘Julie and Julia’ remix by Stephen King. It’s coolly stylistic like Capote’s ‘In cold blood’ but hotly contemporary like Curtis Sittenfeld’s ‘Romantic Comedy’ and stingingly alert like Sarai Walker’s ‘Dietland’. I will be buying copies for all my friends. Fantastic. Thanks to NetGalleyUK and 4th Estate for the eARC.

This was an intriguing read. I loved the vivid descriptions of food and the powerplay twists between interviewer and interviewee. It was a fascinating insight into Japanese culture in modern Tokyo and to a real life case I knew nothing about.

The first thing I need to say about this book is that it made me go out and buy a rice cooker! BUTTER by Asako Yuzuki is a detailed and involving story of female friendships, the way we see ourselves, the way others see us, and the simple things that can give us pleasure. It's a long story - longer than I expected it to be - but at no point did I find my interest flagging. Every detail, from the food to the locations to the people to the emotional arcs, felt perfectly placed and thoughtfully written. I really, really enjoyed this book and am excited to read more of Asako Yuzuki's work in the future (while cooking rice in my rice cooker).

An original story about murder and food.
I found the cultural references really interesting, although the story itself was quite long winded. I think a slightly shorter story would have made a more enjoyable read.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me of an ARC of Butter!

From the start, I was intrigued by the premise and blurb of this book. I had expected this to be a sort of mystery thriller story, something fun to read in my downtime but turns out I was completely wrong. This book was slow moving but not in a "i really need this to keep moving" but more of in the way that I enjoyed and savored every piece of paragraphs. I loved the discussion surrounding misogyny and fatphobia and I loved how the main character, Rika, reflects on that as well for herself. I'm a big fan of character driven books, so this book was a delight for me to read because I loved seeing the change and growth in Rika's personality and confidence through out the story. I especially loved how Rika learnt to love and be comfortable in her own body despite the people in her lives saying otherwise, and learnt to listen to herself and her body.

Of course, the food descriptions don't help either. This one needs to be read on a full stomach or with something to snack on because truly, just reading the food description made my stomach grumble. I really enjoyed Asako's writing and also the translation. This book might not be for all - I know that a lot of people are intrigued by the blurb like me previously - but if you love character driven stories, you'll definitely enjoy this one.

Weirdly compelling, and very original.
I did find the book quite long, and wondered whether a shorter story would have been an easier read - the bits that were more exciting were really good, however there did seem to be some padding in there.
The parts about food were pretty good, and I did enjoy the culture differences.

I was sent a copy of Butter by Asako Yuzuki to red and review by NetGalley. At first I thought I would despair of yet another book that seemed to be on the trend of being foodie and having recipes dotted through it as so many novels seem to be at the moment. However, this novel does have more to it than some others I have read in the same vein. While it is a story (apparently inspired by real events) of a journalist attempting to form a relationship with a serial killer to get an insider scoop I felt it had much more to do with the limitations and expectations imposed on Japanese women, both concerning their weight and presentation and the ongoing traditions that women should aspire to get married and have a family, giving up any employment to do so and to primarily ‘make a home’. There were times when I think some things got lost in translation and I did feel that the book went on a little too long for my liking. I also got a little confused at first with the protagonist and her best friend being called Rika and Reika! The prose though quite interesting was a little flat and on a level, with a surprize couple of chapters thrown in part way through the novel written first person, whereas all the other chapters had been third person, and were following this too. It’s a shame that there wasn’t more written in this way as I think it makes for a much more immersive read to actually be in the head of a particular character. All in all I think Butter deserves 4 stars, if only because it highlights a very different culture to my own, plus it gave me plenty to think about along the way.

Butter by Asako Yuzuki is a captivating novel that intricately weaves Japanese culture into its narrative, providing readers with a rich and immersive experience. As a translation from Japanese to English, the novel not only presents a compelling story but also offers glimpses into the nuances of Japanese customs, traditions, and way of life.

For readers like myself who have a deep appreciation for learning about different cultures, it is a treasure trove of new concepts and insights. Each reference to Japanese culture serves to enhance the reader's understanding and appreciation of the story, adding layers of depth and authenticity to the narrative.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This story, apparently based on real events, has the slippery, elusive taste, and the creamy consistency of the expensive butter it celebrates. A young journalist, Rika, investigates the story of an alleged mass murderer, Manako Kajii, but slowly becomes involved with her story and the drawn out associations Manako makes between food, personal freedom and relationships.

There’s an interesting critique of Japanese social relationships here and the interesting assertion that people are so preoccupied with not giving offence to anyone else that social relationships disappear. Interactive, emotional and sexual relationships go the same way, so that sex is more easily simply transacted rather than explored.

Rika, and her best friend Reiko, begin to escape through food, choosing what they enjoy, focusing on quality and not worrying about the calories, and also not bothering about putting on weight. This change is driven by their relationships with Manako Kajii although the influence is not always for the best.

It’s strange story but, in translation, quite an easy read and enjoyable.

Butter is about a female journalist who visits an inmate who is in a detention centre, accused of being a serial killer. As the inmate is a gourmet chef, many of their conversations centre around food and her obsession with it.

I’m not sure how to review this book, and to be honest, I’m not sure that Japanese books are for me. On the one hand, the author does a great job weaving the theme of misogyny throughout the novel, however on the other hand I found it too much. The conversations between the characters lacked the depth I was looking for, and it took a little too long for the story to get going.

I do appreciate the author’s concept with this book but I found myself struggling to pick this up, and didn’t make it to the halfway point before I gave up, unfortunately.

I enjoyed this book. I was refreshed that is was different, with an usual story. Set in Tokyo and based on a true crime, this book tells of a japanese gourmet chef that is being held in a detention centre, charged with being a serial killer. It was said she lured her victims with food.. The cook Manako Kajii refuses to open up and engage with anyone, she is due a retrial. Rika, a journalist manages to start visiting Manako after asking for a recipe. Manako can't resist responding to the journalist and the two form an unusual relationship.
The book was strange, it's not all about food there are other themes including misogyny, obsession and romance. I know little about Japanese culture, so this was a treat for me, something that introduced me to something different. I would look forward to further books by this author and I imagine they would adapt very well as films, Asako Yuzuki will be a name I watch out for.

This one lives up to the hype that I had heard surrounding it, and I feel very lucky to have been granted a review copy just before publication! An intriguing book that took me on mind journeys i didn’t realise it would

First, I loved the book and was ever so impressed by the creativity of the author! However, this is a tricky book to review! I loved it because the book was so different. I felt I gained a new perspective on Japanese culture, femininity, friendship, relationships and family.

There were lots to appreciate throughout and only a little downside was the ending. Personal taste, I guess.

If you ever need to become a bit better at cooking or even if you have never cooked before then this book will be quite helpful to you. I found it inspirational in that respect.

There were three main aspects of hthe book that appealed.

First the characters - especially Rika. They were all so different but very realistic. I had to work hard on the Japanese characters’ names.

Secondly I had my eyes opened about Japanese culture and femininity in particular. By and large the men in the book do not come out well - although there was one exception.

Finally, I loved the plot. So clever! Cooking, career development, friendship and the mind of an alleged serial killer are intertwined creatively. Most innovative.

I found myself disappointed to finish the book. I had expected to find out the truth about the “serial-killer” but I guess that was not essential. I did love when the author used Rika to look quite closely at cooking and recipes. I could relate to that from a beginner perspective.

I'd describe this book as.. true crime meets feminism meets Sweeney Todd? And that still doesn't really cover it. This was a stranger book than I thought it would be, but delightfully so!

Inspired by a true story Butter is a tale about a Woman who is a gourmet chef who is in a detention centre accused of being a serial killer, and the relationship that she has with a female journalist. Butter is a story about the constraints and judgments that Woman face in society, and the expectations placed on Women by other Women, and by men. Butter is a book about being finding your own path, and being happy with who you are!...Read it!

This is definitely more about food than about murder. It is even more about women, their place in Japanese society and their relationship with food. The murders are just something that happens because everything is so twisted and women are not allowed to have a healthy relationship with food and with their bodies. It is also a story about loneliness, about regrets and about finding peace with yourself and with your past. I like this because it takes me out of my comfort zone a little, shows me how other women in completely different societies live their lives but often are dealing with the same issues. The descriptions of food are excellent and the author must like butter herself because it makes you want to try every dish she describes. Maybe not for everyone but I enjoyed it.

Based on a real case! Well that made me very interested in this. That and the fact that its a japanese book as I am very interested in reading more books from this part of the world. An interesting and quirky mix of true life murder fictionalised and the descriptions of food and japanese culture.

More food and culture than murder though which was a bit disappointing. ( that sounds wrong but you know what I mean)

I can promise you one, possibly two, things about this novel – it will make you hungry and may very well inspire you to prepare and eat food in a way never tried before. Such is the power of Butter. What a joyous, thought-proking, inspiring novel this turned out to be!

Journalist Rika Machida becomes fascinated by gourmet cook/serial killer Manako Kajii because she is confident and breaks all the stereotypes. She carries a bit of weight, something Japanese culture frowns upon, and is happy to share her wisdom under the right circumstances. Rika is amazed when she is granted an audience with this fearsome woman, a visit which changes the course of her life.

Butter is more than just a foodie's dream, it goes far beyond by exploring ideas and expectations of ourselves, friends and people of the opposite sex. Just when you as the reader feel you know where this novel is headed, it splinters off in an unexpected direction sprinkling sage knowledge as it travels along. Completely surprising, maybe even strange, at times, Butter, Rika and Kajii ever so gently tips the world on its axis delighting as the story grows richer with each chapter.