Butter- A Culinary Japanese Bestseller

Fictional story based on a true crime with passion for food.
Based on the real-life case of the “Konkatsu Killer”, in which a con woman and talented home cook called Kanae Kijima was convicted of poisoning three of her male lovers, Butter uses its sordid source material to interrogate the impossible beauty standards to which Japanese women are held

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, Asako Yuzuki’s "Butter" is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

It’s at its best when it its foodie parts: “This was a different kind of deliciousness... a more blatant, forceful deliciousness, that took hold of her from the tip of her tongue, pinned her down, and carried her off to some unknown place.” At such moments, it isn’t entirely clear whether to read the novel or devour it!