Butter

A self-proclaimed domestic goddess turned murderer and a quietly obsessive journalist desperate for a story meet in a prison to discuss boeuf bourguignon. They couldn’t have anything in common, right? Or will they come to understand more about each other than they could possibly realise?

Butter by Asako Yuzuki is a twisty and quirky thriller that delves deep into the connections between food, gender and domesticity to ask: what is the true power of a good meal? Rika is a reporter accustomed to late nights and convenience store ramen, determined to make it in the man’s world of publishing. Manako Kajii is her ticket to a big story: reticent, opinionated and obsessed with food, Manako stands accused of luring three men in with her delicious cooking and murdering them for their money. Indeed, food is the only reason she’s talking to Rika, as a simple question about beef stew initiates a correspondence that draws Rika deep into Manako’s world of taste and pleasure. The more she understands Manako, the more she finds herself changing, growing beyond the narrow bounds of her daily life and becoming someone new.

Asako Yuzuki fills Butter with mouth-watering descriptions of sumptuous meals and thoughtful commentary on the constricting expectations placed on women. Food becomes the vessel for this commentary, as Rika’s austere, functional dinners make way for decadent, unashamed feasts as her worldview slowly shifts, plate by plate. Rika and Manako are both complex, layered characters that are a joy to watch Yuzuki steadily unpick over the course of the novel, laying their souls bare with each tense conversation. Add a lively and varied supporting cast of characters plus a dash of humour and Butter is the perfect read for anyone who wants a darkly compelling novel about the vital importance of high-quality butter.