Butter by Asako Yuzuki

Thank you to Fourth Estate and NetGalley for my advanced-reader copy of this book. This review features my own opinions and authentic thoughts.

“Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?”

When I first came across Butter on bookstagram, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy. Murder? True crime? Food? Give me it all. Butter is inspired by the real-life case of ‘The Konkatsu Killer’. As in reality, the case has captivated the nation but the suspect refuses to speak with the press. Manako Kajii stands accused of killing three men, seducing them with her delicious cooking since, of course, as she is not a traditionally beautiful Japanese woman, there could’ve been no other way. Journalist Rika lives a simple and unfulfilling existence. She works lengthy hours as a journalist – the only female reporter on the news desk, eats simple instant ramen meals, and is fairly malaise in character. When she writes to Kajii, a gastronomic exchange of letters and meetings begins.

I flew through this curious book. It’s certainly a slow burner, although it felt apt for all of the gorgeous food imagery and the vivid connections the author makes between food and emotion. What unravels feels like a true obsession, a lovely witty nod towards society’s combined obsession with food, women and killers. Slowly, Rika and Kajii write to each other more and more, discovering their polarised views on women. And we see Rika and her changing relationship with best friend Reiko, who is stubbornly determined to fall pregnant. Female friendship is a topic I am continually fascinated by, and I really enjoyed this element of the novel.

Butter also tackles misogyny in an unsettling and uncanny way. First, the internalised misogyny across all of the female protagonists. I hadn’t noticed until now that I rarely read any characters with this trait. Some of the things that Kajii says are truly awful, a real case of ‘I’m not like other women’. Others are thought processes of Rika and Reiko, a gentle simmering of what is seemingly expected of women. I thought the topic of body image was interesting too, although it could’ve been approached a little more sensitively. It’s obvious throughout that Kajii is not thin, and this makes her unattractive. Since food is a big topic in Butter, it’s sort of impossible to avoid the weight talk, as Rika puts on weight while traversing Kajii’s recipes and blogs.

My final thoughts on this book are mostly, I enjoyed it! But I also can’t seem to place my finger on why. The characters are unlikeable, the subjects tough, it unfurls incredibly slowly, and felt like hard work through a chapter or two. But, I did race through several chapters of this book and I am thoroughly fascinated by the Japanese justice system, the portrayal of women, and all of the gorgeous food descriptions. There’s something really clever and enjoyable about Butter, and perhaps THAT is the deeper message.