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Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder
The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer, and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story
There are two things that I simply cannot tolerate: feminists and margarine
Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, whom 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 master class in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii, but it seems that Rika might be the one changing. Do she and Kajii have more in common than she once thought?
Inspired by the real case of a convicted con woman and serial killer—the “Konkatsu Killer”—Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance, and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.
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Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder
The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer, and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story
There are two things that I simply cannot tolerate: feminists and margarine
Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, whom 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 master class in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii, but it seems that Rika might be the one changing. Do she and Kajii have more in common than she once thought?
Inspired by the real case of a convicted con woman and serial killer—the “Konkatsu Killer”—Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance, and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.
The ultimate cat-and-mouse thriller starring a serial killer chef and the hungry young journalist craving to learn her secrets. Set in Japan against a backdrop of culinary intrigue and obsession, Butter has already reached cult bestseller status across the globe.
The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer, and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story
There are two things that I simply cannot tolerate: feminists and margarine
Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, whom 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 master class in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii, but it seems that Rika might be the one changing. Do she and Kajii have more in common than she once thought?
Inspired by the real case of a convicted con woman and serial killer—the “Konkatsu Killer”—Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance, and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.
Asako Yuzuki was born in Tokyo in 1981. Her English-language debut, Butter, a major critical and commercial success, was named Waterstones Book of the Year 2024 and took home the British Book Awards 2025 Debut Fiction Award. For Nile Perch Girls’ Club, she received the Yamamoto Shūgorō Award.
The ultimate cat-and-mouse thriller starring a serial killer chef and the hungry young journalist craving to learn her secrets. Set in Japan against a backdrop of culinary intrigue and obsession, Butter has already reached cult bestseller status across the globe. Read on for a guest post from Butter editor Gabriella Doob and author Asako Yuzuki […]
Our days are getting shorter with each passing week, which means hibernation season is fast approaching. What better way to hunker down for the cold than with a few fresh paperbacks? Along with long nights, heavy coats and crackling fireplaces, November and December bring back some of our favorite stories from last year and brand-new […]
Every August, we join booksellers across the country to celebrate Women in Translation Month. The official Women in Translation Month organization states, “Women in Translation seeks to rectify the imbalance in world literature, promoting women writers from across all walks of life, all languages, and all experiences.” Novels translated from French, Spanish, Japanese and more, […]
