One of the most talked-about works of contemporary Japanese fiction, Butter begins with a serial murder case but then abandons the mechanics of crime for something...else.

Inspired by the real-life "Konkatsu Killer" case, the novel follows journalist Rika Machida as she becomes obsessed with Kajii Manako, an imprisoned gourmet cook accused of murdering wealthy men. Their relationship unfolds through conversations about food, appetite, gender, labour, beauty and power, gradually exposing the systems that shape women's desires as much as their bodies.

Food becomes philosophy; recipes become arguments about autonomy, capitalism and femininity. The acts of eating, cooking and domestic ritual accumulate enormous emotional and political weight. Polly Barton's superb translation captures both the novel's wit and its unsettling precision, introducing one of Japan's most acclaimed contemporary writers to an English-language readership.

Rather than offering a tidy feminist allegory or psychological thriller, Butter occupies the uncomfortable space where consumption, loneliness, class and self-fashioning overlap. It sits comfortably alongside the work of Sayaka Murata and Natsuko Imamura while retaining an entirely distinctive voice.

First UK edition, third printing (2024). Published by 4th Estate in paperback. Very good condition with light shelf wear to the dust jacket, including minor bumping to the upper corners. Binding remains firm and pages are clean throughout.