Killer Cuisine

True-crime-inspired bestselling novel Butter by Japanese author Asako Yuzuki, addresses misogyny, fatphobia, and the complex relationship between women and food

- MAHIMA NAGARAJU

The only woman in her male-dominated news office, Rika Machida is a workaholic who barely has time to eat. Manako Kajii or 'Kajimana,' as she is dubbed by the media, is a woman convicted of the serial murders of lonely and wealthy businessmen she's seduced and killed with her mouth-watering cooking.

Desperate to get the scoop of her career, Machida wants to interview this woman who refuses to talk to journalists or allow any visitors. How to get close? To write to her and ask for the beef stew recipe that killed her last victim, of course.

This is the premise of the Japanese bestseller Butter (4th Estate) by Asako Yuzuki and translated by Polly Barton. The novel is inspired by the real Japanese case of the 'Konkatsu Killer,' explains Yuzuki. "During the 'konkatsu' (marriage hunting/seeking) phase, men search for women who can cook well and deem them worthy of supporting the family. In this case, many of the victims, that is, the potential grooms, were eating her food, approved her as a bride, and then mysteriously died," she says.