I think when I first heard about this book it was pitched as a mystery, but I’m not sure if that’s how I’d describe it to someone if they asked about it. The novel follows Rika Machida, a young journalist who’s attempting to gain an exclusive interview with Manako Kajii: an accused serial murderer said to have trapped and seduced her victims via her cooking. At the book’s opening, Kajii has refused every other interview request, but Rika catches Kajii’s interest by asking for the recipe of the famous beef stew that her last victim ate. This sideways approach of flattering Kajii opens a correspondence between them.
Like some mysteries, Rika and her longtime friend Reiko spend much of the book traveling and digging for details about the murder cases. But I think the book’s approach to cooking and food is much more memorable. Through her queries to Kajii, Rika begins to think more deeply about food and the act of cooking. Having treated eating largely as a necessity, her encounter with Kajii encourages her to actually take pleasure in fine ingredients and good food. As her own body changes, Rika confronts sexist and fatphobic standards of her society, which complicates her dialogue with Kajii as she begins to identify with her interlocutor.
Ultimately, by learning to cook, we see Rika become less atomized through caring for herself and others more authentically. In turn, Rika’s growth inspires others in her life to begin living more true to themselves. These evolutions are contrasted with Kajii, who tragically fails to find real fulfillment in sharing and connecting with others. Overall, I would say this book is a very wholesome story. It reads a bit slow during the 50%-75% of the book, but was a nice companion while Jenny and I were prepping meals in our kitchen.