Book Review: “The Kamogawa Food Detectives” by Hisashi Kashiwai

“The Kamogawa Food Detectives” by Hisashi Kashiwai (2013)

Genre: Fiction, Mystery

Page Length: 208 pages (electronic edition)

Synopsis:

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo are ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories – dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.

Review:

An amateur sleuth, an unsuspecting victim, a quirky supporting cast, and trail of clues are the main ingredients of a cozy mystery. Except for in the The Kamogawa Food Detectives the cozy mystery revolves around a mysterious restaurant, delicious recipes, and piecing together clues from the customers past. It has a cozy setting and overall light-hearted feel as each chapter delves into a special food item the Kamogawa’s are asked to replicate per their request. The novel while being cozy gives off a mysterious aura as the restaurant is nestled into a small spot of the city of Kyoto without any indication on the outside interior that is a diner. The restaurant can only be located by a one line advertisement that gives no clues to where it is.

This is a slow paced read that feels fast due to it’s overall short length but I devoured each chapter. From Kashiwai’s descriptive writing he is able to transport to the reader to the view of the customer nestled into the seat of the booth and be transported to the past with the mouth-watering flavors of foods such as tonkatsu, udo, and more. I was introduced to so many Japanese dishes that I have never heard of and now want to try because of this novel. Each recipe holds so much nostalgic and memories that the customer is trying to recreate to spark joy in their lives or others. I enjoyed the banter between father and daughter (the Kamogawa’s) and see how their bond is strengthened by food and by working together. The novel has a lively cast of characters with varying personalities which makes the interactions at the diner all the more enjoyable to read.

This novel at shows readers how food can be such a powerful thing.  Food brings us together, helps us cope, and has traditions (recipes) that are passed down from one person to another.  It also discusses how food creates core memories for us. I appreciated how the novel taps into Japan’s varied food culture and it’s overall message of food being not just something to savor but an entire experience. If you’re looking for a comfort read and want to experience some amazing recipes, I recommend checking this novel out.

Final Verdict: