Mostly Murders

I reckon we always meet the people we’re supposed to meet. Which is why you ended up walking through that door.

The Kamogawa Diner in Kyoto run by former police officer Nagare and his daughter Koishi has no sign out front, no menu and no online presence. And yet, customers find their way there from near and far, looking not only for a delicious meal, but also for the Kamogawa Detective Agency, a very special agency recreating long-lost, cherished dishes, using clues in the customer’s description of their memories of the dish. The price for this service? Whatever the customer thinks is the right amount.

A very cozy and gentle novel focused on the pleasure of cooking and eating delicious food, the healing power of memories and the satisfaction of knowing that you have gone above and beyond the line of duty for the sake of someone else’s happiness and peace of mind. The Kamogawa Diner is an oasis in a busy, uncaring world, a place full of heart welcoming any weary traveller or lost soul who happens to wander in.

The title may be a little confusing. The Kamogawa Food Detectives don’t investigate crimes of any kind. No murders, blackmail or surveillance ever come into play on the pages of this novel. What is in play is a former cop and devoted chef investigating food by digging into the past to discover what ingredients were used in a specific dish in order to recreate it for the customers, and the rush of memories and realisation the customers experience when reliving the past through food.

If you are looking for a murder mystery filled with alibis, motives, suspects and red herrings, this isn’t the book for you. If you are looking for action, drama and conflict, this also isn’t it. But if you absolutely love long descriptions of delicious dishes and elaborate preparations, and if you love gentle, cozy, atmospheric stories as a counterweight to the hustle and bustle of modern life, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is well worth a read, and a real treat for foodies and lovers of cozy literature.

Book 1 in the The Kamogawa Food Detectives series. Translated into English by Jesse Kirkwood.

Cozy – Contemporary – Food