Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder

A journalist and a convicted serial killer form an obsessive relationship based on food and secrets. The killer, Manako Kajii, baffles the nation because she’s “not attractive” but was able to lure multiple men via her cooking. Though Kajii refuses contact with others, she and journalist Rika Machida develop a bond. Rika becomes Kajii’s pupil in the pleasures of eating, embarking on her own journey through misogyny and fatphobia, underwritten with a current of delight. As Rika’s confidence grows, she wonders if Kajii is truly guilty, but her friends wonder if Rika is losing herself to a murderer’s influence. Hanako Footman narrates this emotionally tense, character-driven novel. Footman’s immense skill with character voices makes each character recognizable and distinct. When Rika is introspective, which is often, Footman performs so engagingly that the boundary between narrator and character disappears. The food descriptions are as important as the plot and are performed as such. Meals sound delectable or intimidating as the story demands, but listeners can’t be faulted for growing hungry even when murder is discussed.