The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai is a 207 page novel, perfect to read or listen to during the busyness of the semester. I wanted to read something calm and optimistic (I usually do this during the school year because I need to escape the stressful life of a University student), and this book was available to listen to at the Massanutten library with good reviews and a very cute cover, so I went for it.

My first thought was that the writing style was very simple, but somehow the writer did a good job of adding complexity to the character interactions and overall made the listening engaging. The book features a cute father-daughter duo who run a restaurant/food detective agency, which they keep as hidden as possible with the father’s belief that only people worth knowing will be able to get to the location. The father, Nagare, is a retired detective who has a talent in the kitchen so his daughter, Koishi, decides to combine these talents and opens this agency to help people recreate dishes that impacted them at some point in their lives. 

The description of places and people is minimal but there is an emphasis on the interaction of the clients with the food they requested, describing things like how the food looks and how it makes them feel. So simple and yet so effective. 

The thing that I loved about this is how each chapter has one client with backstory and concludes leaving you with a sense of satisfaction. If you are like me and like to read happy things but not too dull this book is that perfect in between, the author writes these sad scenes in a way that instead of making you cry, it makes you reflect on life. Like this quote:

“We get used to things too easily. You think something is tasty the first time you eat it, but then you start taking it for granted. Never forget your first impressions.” I give it a score of 8/10. I loved every second of listening to this cute and wholesome book, and would recommend it for any season that you need a quick escape from your busy schedule. I found it perfect to listen to while cooking or while drinking hot tea covered with a blanket.