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.

Such an intense and bizarre read, this is a totally compelling story about Rika Machida, an aspiring journalist and the experiences she has while chasing an exclusive interview with convicted murderer and gastronome Manako Kajii.

It is a book to savour and to enjoy slowly, offering views about women, their appetites and their place in modern Japanese society, providing fascinating and thought-provoking insights at every turn.

Completely captivating.

A captivating read with an underlying creepy feeling I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was uncomfortable in places, particularly exploring the misogyny that still exists. A fearless novel I appreciated greatly. Not an easy read, but a worthwhile one.

This was a rollercoaster! I was intrigued by the premise, a novel equal parts about cooking/food and a murder case. Rika is a journalist who starts visiting a convicted murderer in prison to gain an exclusive interview. She's been charged with murdering three men, and prior to their deaths, she was essentially being paid to be a housewife, taking care of the men and cooking them luxurious dishes in exchange for financial support. At first, Rika isn't sure whether Kajii is guilty or not, or what her motives are and wants to figure out more about Kaji and what led her to where she is now.

I think some parts dragged on a little, the side characters did get quite a bit of story which in some cases could have been condensed. I did enjoy Shinoi, Rika's source for some of her articles as a journalist. It gets more exciting nearer to the end when Kaji does something unexpected, without giving away any spoilers. I did think this was different to anything else I've read recently. There were also some interesting comments on Japanese society, in terms of how women are expected to be thin and cater to their husbands, and some of the characters agreed with this, whereas others argued against the societal expectations of women in Japanese culture.

★★★☆☆ (3.5)

This was not what I expected, which is my fault, but it made me a bit less inclined towards this than I thought I would be.

This was much more about the misogyny women face in a patriarchal society, and the relationships women have with both men and each other. There is a strong thread on how society views women's roles, and the double standards in comparison with men (such as, women are expected to take care of, and baby, men, but are seen as "letting themselves go" if they gain a little weight, whereas men being incapable of their own basic needs is just a man being a man and poor him because he doesn't have a wife...(gross)).

As a Western reader, there were also some really interesting cultural differences (is it a thing that not all Japanese houses have ovens?), but I had gone into this thinking it was going to be a bit more about murder, intrigue and mystery rather than the above. Not to say the above is bad, just not what I was anticipating.

The chapters are long and pretty slow in my opinion (I'm very much a short chapter girlie) and was relatively introspective versus plot-based so this took me a while longer than I usually read. It's heavily centred around food (duh) which isn't something that necessarily appeals to me, although it was interesting to hear about the different Japanese dishes, and the characters relationships with food. Also very maddening how offended all these men seemed to be by women's weight...Also...did I miss something or is it never explained whether Kaji killed the men or not???

All this to say that by no means is this a bad book, it's just not for me.

cw// discussions of weight gain/dieting - can be triggering for anyone with disordered eating, sexual assault references, sexual assault of a minor, mentions of murder

A really interesting read, a mix of culture, food, friendship and crime. I will say that it should come with a warning *do not read if hungry!* it was just so detailed on Rika's journey with food and sounded delicious. I loved the freedom she found from it and this passed in to her friends, thus bringing them closer.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a weirdly interesting and unique read. It is a slow burn psychological tale. Because of the pacing it would be challenging to class it as a thriller.
Inspired by true events in Japan, the story is about a female serial killer held in a detention centre, and a journalist trying to obtain an exclusive, career defining interview with her.
Several of the characters go on a personal journey as the tale unfolds.
The characters, not all likeable, are all well developed and richly drawn in this intriguing novel.
The book is beautifully written with wonderful insights into Japanese food and culture. The food descriptions scattered throughout the book add to the atmosphere and ambience.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC

This isn't the book I thought I was going to read at all. It is a novel of food but the murder part takes up such a small part of the book that it seems disingenuous to put it on the cover. I presume it's there to garner a different audience.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this strange novel. I am a big fan of Japanese literary fiction but Asako Yuzuki is a new author to me. After reading Butter I'd definitely read more of her work.

The narration is by Rika Machida, a journalist who is yet to have a story published. She finds the stories and they are written up by someone further up the chain. However Rika has an exclusive. She has been chasing an interview with a convicted murderer, Manako Kajii, before her appeal hearing begins. Finally, with help from best friend Reiko, Rika gains Kajii's acceptance. What follows is a strange and wonderful experience where Rika becomes totally enamoured of Kajii, following her cooking and dining instructions in the hope it will lead her to the truth of Kajii's life.

However Kajii is a slippery customer and soon sees that Rika is in thrall to her. It is all Kajii requires of anyone - to be her acolyte. But once she is worshipped, will Kajii have any more use for Rika.

The book is inspired by a real case which, no doubt, deserves some Googling. It is certainly a fascinating tale of one woman's desire to be worshipped for who she is. For Kajii does not conform to the standard of beauty in Japan - small, neat, slim, in control; Kajii is rounded, plump, a force of nature. Rika is fascinated by her.

The book itself will most definitely make you hungry and I've got to wonder how sales of good butter have fared in its wake. There are several "recipes" (often just serving suggestions) in the book (mimicking Nora Ephron). The characters in the book also go through transformations where they begin to realise they are not the person they thought they were or should be.

If anything this book is about being a non-conformist which must be very daring for a traditional Japanese.

Loved the book even though it was not what I expected. Highly recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and 4th Estate for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.

Asako Yuzuki's Butter is a bit of a bait and switch. While it cetnres around the (true) story of a woman who killed a series of husbands this is not really a story about murder. Yuzuki uses this story and the relationship between the woman and her main character to explore a range of issues relating to body image, the role of women in Japanese society and our relationship with food. This is a very Japanese novel, which is to say it dives deeply into the minutiae of personal relationship and food preapration, which is interesting but can make for slow going.

Originally published in Japan and a huge hit, this translation provides a great insight into Japanese culture against a backdrop of a female gourmet cook who also happens to be a serial killer and a female journalist Rika Machida. It intertwines the misogyny in Japanese society and preparation of gourmet food. Food is really the central character but for me, it didn’t quite work. More a visual feast than a literary treat.

When journalist Rika pursues accused serial killer Manako Kajii for an exclusive interview, her life changes. Rika’s determination to not only catapult her career, but to be the one to crack the case, borders on obsessive; and before long she is down a rabbit hole leading to a more indulgent life.

Butter is a story of societal expectations on women, exploring Japanese beauty ideals and gender roles. My favourite thing about this book is how it describes food and effortlessly weaves in recipes, and its preparation and consumption in society, to add dimension to the narrative. I don’t think I particularly liked Rika or her friends, but I liked how their interactions demonstrated the author’s points. I found the majority kind of annoying, and Rika herself is very naive. Kajii on the other hand was great. She is such a complex and unpredictable character that I loved reading about and guessing what she would do and say next. Recommend for fans of feminism, cooking and crime.