I went into this book with no particular expectations about its plot, nor did I really let myself believe it was a murder mystery book like my mom did when she originally picked up the book, and yet I was still delightfully blind-sighted by how wonderfully Yuzuki was able to enmesh her social critiques of Japanese society with her conceptual theme of cooking!

The fact that my attention drifted away from the Kajii murder plot line by the end and I was more enamoured by Yuzuki’s gently flowing prose and wonderful character development speaks volumes. Manako was an excellent vehicle for Yuzuki to express her social commentary (buttery) smooth, but also a fascinating character. It should have been obvious how Manako would attempt to manipulate Rika to her whims but I was still surprised when she married the editor and rebuked Rika’s exclusive coverage. What struck me the most was Manako bursting into tears when Rika mentioned the turkey recipe and Manako’s failure to bond with her cooking school classmates. The imagery of the turkey found rotting in Manako’s fridge after her arrest was so vivid and perfect to match Manako’s tumultuous emotions; burning jealously, sour rage, and bitter sadness at not being accepted by the women around her. The delightful ecstasy of female friendship and how badly Manako yearned for it, enough to drop the men she painstakingly “took care” of, really struck me.

I’m not sure how to perceive the lines scattered through the book hinting at Reiko and Rika’s feelings for one another. I’m hesitant to label it queer baiting, and I’m curious to see how other readers perceived it. I interpreted it in several ways; an exploration of Reiko and Rika’s secure relationship, a dig at how the two women did so much more for each other than their respective male partners could, and the urge to crush on your girlfriends when they’re so much better than the men around you. Rika playing up the prince role in her highschool was also eerily relatable as I also attended an all girls school where I let myself step into that role, but for my best friend’s eyes only.

I’m excited to re-read this book sometime because my first read was unfortunately a rushed skip the line loan from Libby. I can’t wait to pick up a pretty hardcover copy and dig in annotating my own copy. I admit I have a soft spot for books set in Tokyo, but Yuzuki’s buttery rich writing is just my thing, like a warm comforting hug, and I’m so happy to discover another Japanese author to be proud of.