Mary-Kate wasn’t expecting another close encounter with the creature kind after her first investigation led her to the Woolington Wyrm. A peek at P.K. Mayberry’s A Brief Guide to Monsters and Monster Hunters may have told her otherwise.
The Rule of Monsters states that people who have met one monster are statistically much more likely to meet another.
The stats take Mary-Kate to the Greek Islands. While the Prof, her mother, is working on an archaeological dig at a sardine processing plant, Mary-Kate meets a potential new friend, Nikos, even if he does own bicycles that don’t match.
Mary-Kate soon learns that the sardines aren’t the only fishy thing about this island. Rumour has it that the legendary two headed hydra has been causing all sorts of trouble recently.
Together, Mary-Kate and Nikos explore the island. While they’re investigating, Mary-Kate has plenty of opportunities to face her fears.
Fortunately, she came prepared. She has her trusty red sparkly shoes, coordinating outfits, strawberry scented notebook, glitter pens, novelty torch, back up novelty torch and some other very important lucky items on hand.
Mary-Kate is the anxious child role model a lot of us needed when we were kids. She acknowledges her fears while working to overcome them. She asks for help when she needs it and can be specific because she knows what helps her.
Mary-Kate is an absolute sweetheart. I want to follow her and the Prof around the world as they track down elusive, but certainly not mythical, creatures.
‘There are all sorts of weird and wonderful things in the world.’
I loved Freda Chiu’s illustrations as much as I did in the first book. The characters are quirky and expressive and the monsters are wonderful. The details match the descriptions in the text, something that doesn’t always happen in children’s books. My favourite illustration in this book shows Granny in her zebra print dressing gown.
I’ve been keen to spend more time with Granny so I’m thrilled that she’s accompanying Mary-Kate on her next investigation.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Mary-Kate and her mother are visiting Galinios, an idyllic Greek Island filled with history and surrounded by the shimmering Aegean Sea. An ancient mosaic has been unearthed at the local sardine processing plant and Professor Martin must investigate, leaving Mary-Kate to enjoy a few days of sunshine and antiquity.
But a message asking for help changes everything. A wrecked boat and smashed jetty have recently disrupted life on this tranquil island and point to a monster-sized mystery. Could the local legend of the Two-Headed Hydra be more than a story? If so, what could make this historically serene sea creature so angry?
Armed with her glitter pens and strawberry-scented notebook, Miss Mary-Kate Martin is determined to find answers. She might be scared of heights, but there is no problem too big for her to solve.
It’s been four months since Romie, Emory’s best friend, died along with seven other students from their school, Aldryn College for Lunar Magics. Emory, the only one who survived the tide that night, is determined to find answers.
I was initially intrigued by the magic system, which relates to the moon’s phase when you were born. I was also keen to discover the secrets behind the secret society and learn what really happened in the caves.
“What if it messed up the ritual?”
There is a lot of love for this book and I had high hopes, but ultimately it wasn’t for me. We’re introduced to Romie by those grieving her so I didn’t feel the loss like I would if I’d known a character prior to their untimely demise. I didn’t connect with Emory and I got bogged down in the magic system. It probably didn’t help that I’m anti love triangles.
I’d recommend you read some 5 star reviews before deciding if this is the book for you. It’s clear that the readers who loved it really, really loved it.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Books for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Emory is returning to the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magic for one reason: to uncover the secrets behind the night that left her best friend, Romie, and seven other students dead.
But Emory has plenty of secrets herself, not least that her healing abilities have been corrupted by a strange, impossible magic, granting her power no one should possess.
Turning to the only person she believes she can trust, Emory enlists the help of Romie’s brother Baz – someone already well-versed in the dangers of his own dark Eclipse magic.
But when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore – alive – only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths, Emory and Baz are no longer the only ones seeking answers.
There’s a hidden society at the heart of the school, and they’re attracted to nothing more than they are to power…
“Everything seems fine until it ain’t. And then we come to see it wasn’t never ‘fine’.”
This is one of the most harrowing books I’ve ever read. One of the best, without a doubt, but also one of the most heartbreaking.
Before I even made it to the first chapter I knew this was going to be a confronting read. Robert Stephens, a relative of the author, died in the 1930’s at the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida.
Robert Stephens, the book’s main character, is sent to The Gracetown School for Boys. He’s only twelve years old when he’s sentenced to six months at the Reformatory for kicking a white boy.
This is Jim Crow Florida in the 1950’s and it’s just as brutal as I feared it would be.
“Nobody stays nice”
But despite everything its characters endure, their courage, strength and resilience shine brighter than I’d dared to hope.
“This isn’t everything. There’s more than this.”
I expected this to be Robert’s story. I wasn’t anticipating the chapters voiced by Gloria, Robbie’s sister. Getting to know Gloria was a double edged sword for me. I grew to love her but that came with its own fears.
It was painful enough witnessing what Robert and the other boys at the Reformatory were subjected to. Worrying about Gloria as well, almost certain that the only ways her story could end were with the loss of her brother or her sacrifice to save him, made this book even more stressful.
“I may not be brave most times, but I can be brave for Robbie.”
The brutality of the physical and emotional abuse the children in the Reformatory experienced was bad enough. That a town full of adults who could and should have protected them but didn’t, that’s a whole other level of injustice.
Books like this are so hard to read. If they’re not, something is very wrong. Books like this are necessary, though. I loved this book. I hated this book. You need to read this book. Just make sure you have tissues in arm’s reach while you’re reading it.
“Go on,” Blue said, voice husky. “Ask me what I know about this place. Ask me.”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Jim Crow Florida, 1950.
Twelve-year-old Robert Stephens Jr., who for a trivial scuffle with a white boy is sent to The Gracetown School for Boys. But the segregated reformatory is a chamber of horrors, haunted by the boys that have died there.
In order to survive the school governor and his Funhouse, Robert must enlist the help of the school’s ghosts – only they have their own motivations…
This is my first Christina Henry read and now I need to read everything she’s ever written. I loved the blurb and expected this book to be fun, but not this much fun!
Desperately trying to survive the horror stories they’ve been cast in without their consent are Celia, Allie and Maggie.
Celia has a husband and young daughter she doesn’t recognise. She owns a restaurant near her home in a town she doesn’t know. Unsure if she’s experiencing amnesia or something more nefarious, Celia suspects that this is not her life.
“You’re the number one suspect.”
Allie’s girl’s weekend was hijacked by her friends’ boyfriends. Now she’s using her horror movie knowledge to avoid being added to the body count.
“Movies are fun and all, but that kind of stuff doesn’t usually happen in real life. Usually.”
Maggie has twelve hours to successfully complete the Maze. Her daughter’s life depends on it. Although characters reference The Hunger Games while Maggie does her best to ensure her insides don’t become her outsides, I kept thinking of Squid Game.
“Let the game begin”
There was plenty of action and blood spatter, and I enjoyed the anticipation as the body count grew. I loved figuring out what was going on along with the women and watching them use their individual skills and knowledge to outwit, outplay and outlast.
“Men always underestimate women”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books introducing me to a new favourite author.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Celia wakes up in a house that isn’t hers. She doesn’t recognise her husband or the little girl who claims to be her daughter. She tries to remember who she was before, because she is certain that this life — the little family-run restaurant she owns, the gossipy small town she lives in — is not her own.
Allie is supposed to be on a fun weekend trip — but then her friend’s boyfriend unexpectedly invites the group to a remote cabin in the woods. The cabin looks recently assembled and there are no animals or other life anywhere in the forest. Nothing about the place seems right. Then, in the middle of the night, someone bangs on the cabin door…
Maggie, along with twelve other women, wakes up in a shipping container with the number three stamped on the back of her T-shirt. If she wants to see her daughter Paige again, Maggie must complete The Maze — a deadly high-stakes obstacle course.
When I tell you I finished this book in one sitting, that only tells you part of the story. I haven’t been able to concentrate enough to read for over a month so it’s saying a lot that Cas, Warrior and my other new friends not only introduced themselves to me today but grabbed my attention and held onto it.
We’re introduced to Cas, who doesn’t remember anything before waking up outside of a curiosity shop. A curiosity shop that I would happily live in, mind you.
Brought to a school for the magically gifted by a stranger, Cas soon learns that he’s the Chosen One, AKA the Foretold. As such, he’s the only one who can stop the nefarious Master of All. It’s been prophesied, after all.
You know this story, right?
The wonderful thing is you actually don’t. At all. Yes, the writings of She Who Must Not Be Named are alluded to at one point but this is not that story.
Welcome to Wayward, in the Balance Lands.
“A halfway place between this world and the Normie world. And everywhere else. That’s how it got its name – Wayward. Way through the wards.”
The Balance Lands are a mirror image of the Normie world so things may look familiar but there are some significant differences. Normies don’t travel between worlds using reflections. They don’t have Puggle the Nuggle or Hobdogglin. They probably don’t have a chute from their bedroom to the library, but they absolutely should.
I had a couple of favourite characters, Warrior and Mrs Crane. The tips of Warrior’s hair change colour with her moods! As if that wasn’t enough to endear her to me, she’s a heart of gold wrapped inside a protective layer of attitude. She’s a badass. She’s a bit of a mystery. She has pain and passion, and she’s an outcast.
Meanwhile, Mrs Crane is the school librarian. As the keeper of the books, she’d have to be pretty boring to not grab my attention. Mrs Crane is anything but boring. She also has biscuits.
Cas, Warrior, Paws and Fenix are four friends who I really enjoyed getting to know. They’re all Abnormies so their magic doesn’t work like ‘normal’ magic. What I loved more than anything about this book is the message that being different isn’t something to be ashamed of.
“Whatever people tell you about who and what you are, always remember this: normal doesn’t exist. Everyone is different, from the points of our fingers to the tips of our toes. Being different is what’s normal. It’s what makes each one of us magic, each one of us strong.”
Nathan Collins’ illustrations complemented the story well. From the quirky characters to the creatures unique to Wayward, they matched the tone of the book.
This is the first book in a series that you’d better believe I’ll be continuing.
Favourite no context quote:
“I’m armed with a blanky and I’m not afraid to use it!”
Thank you so much to Walker Books for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
A boy with no memory. A world searching for a hero.
Casander Darkbloom has no memory, lives outside a curiosity shop, and experiences random surges of uncontrollable energy in his limbs. When he inexplicably brings a stuffed raven to life, he unravels a strange and thrilling magical world. A world waiting for Cas to save it.
Cas is the Foretold, the one prophesied to defeat the malevolent Master of All. Under the protection of Wayward School, Cas must learn to master his magical abilities. But, as he soon discovers, all may not be quite as it seems – and Cas will need to take control of his own destiny if he is to find the strength to fight the powers of evil.
Spectacular and imaginative, this thrilling fantasy novel celebrates difference and how what makes us unique is also our greatest strength.
This isn’t your usual etymology book. Here you’ll find the histories of words relating to swearing, body parts and functions, sexuality, insults, slurs, racism, ableism, pirate talk, war and all things supernatural.
I found a few new favourites along the way, most notably brainsquirt, a word used about 350 years ago meaning “a feeble or abortive attempt at reasoning.” There’s also ignivomous, “spitting or vomiting fire”.
Then there were surprises, like discovering that in the 14th century, bowel meant tenderness or compassion.
The word “shark” (or “sharker”) first appeared in English in the 1400’s, and at that time it meant “scoundrel”, “villain” or “swindler”. It wasn’t a word for the animal in English until the 1700’s.
My favourite part of this book was the folktale about the jack-o’-lantern, where Jack successfully tricks Satan more than once, but at a price.
In hindsight, it probably would have been better if I’d dipped in and out of this book over a few weeks, reading about a handful of words each time. Reading from cover to cover, I ended up a bit bogged down.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Chambers, an imprint of John Murray Press, for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
The English language is where words go to be tortured and mutilated into unrecognisable shadows of their former selves. It’s where Latin, Greek, and Germanic roots are shredded apart and stitched unceremoniously back together with misunderstood snippets of languages snatched from the wreckage of conquest and colonialism. It wreaks merciless havoc upon grammar and spelling. It turns clinical terms into insults and children’s tales into filthy euphemisms.
With an emphasis on understanding where the foulest words in the English language came from – and the disgusting and hilarious histories behind them – this book demonstrates the true filth of our everyday words. But this book is more than just a list of vulgar words and salacious slang. It’s a thoughtful analysis of why we deem words as being inappropriate as well as revealing ‘good words’ that have surprisingly naughty origins.
Dirty-minded word nerds and lewd linguistics lovers will derive unadulterated pleasure in leering at the origins of swear words, sexual lingo, inappropriate idioms, violent vocabulary, and terminology for bodily functions – not to mention the unexpectedly foul origins of words you thought were perfectly innocent. If it’s inappropriate, stomach-churning, uncomfortable, or offensive, this book reaches into the dark recesses of history and exposes them for all to see.
I was so keen to read this anthology. I was anticipating demonic Santas, murderous reindeer and a bunch of unfortunates getting impaled on Christmas trees and strung up with lights. Basically, a not so silent night.
I was so focused on the cover image that I entirely missed where it clearly states ‘and other horrors’ and ‘winter solstice’. My initial surprise quickly turned into delight because, while I got Big Bad Santa, I also encountered an array of local legends and the darkness that lurks during the longest night of the year.
The Importance of a Tidy Home by Christopher Golden
Freddy knows all about the Schnabelperchten, who come one night a year to ensure households are prepared for the new year. Being homeless, it’s as though Freddy is invisible to them. This year will be different.
I loved the growing dread of this story. I hadn’t heard of the Schnabelperchten. I would be so dead.
“Chi chi chi.”
The Ones He Takes by Benjamin Percy
Joel’s family made it onto Santa’s naughty list last year and I am more delighted than I probably should be that Santa is the Big Bad of this story.
“You’re safe here, buddy. I’ll protect you.”
His Castle by Alma Katsu
Trevor and Cate have come to Wales for the holidays. A few of the locals are keen to introduce them to the tradition of Mari Lwyd, the grey mare. But Trevor and Cate grew up in Wales and they know a thing or two themselves.
“There’ll be revellers coming to your door one night”
The Mawkin Field by Terry Dowling
This story is set in Australia so of course there’s a fridge filled with beer in a random field. Colin Traynor stops by for a cold one.
Don’t disturb the cupboards!
The Blessing of the Waters by Nick Mamatas
Nasos has come to implore Father Gus to go ahead with the blessing of the waters. Father Gus may not believe in Christmas goblins but Nasos sure does.
“You can’t cancel it, Father. It’ll be your fault, what happens next, if you do.”
Dry and Ready by Glen Hirshberg
Aliyah’s father made his family promise to honour their Hanukkah tradition. She doesn’t know why it was so important to him but they grudgingly go through the motions every year.
I was lulled into a false sense of security for some of this story before being blindsided in the most wonderful way.
“So they know they’re remembered.”
Last Drinks at Bondi Beach by Garth Nix
Light and darkness, Bondi Beach and predators.
Then you must bring her here. Into the dark. Bring her to me.
Return to Bear Creek Lodge by Tananarive Due
Johnny comes face to face with the creature from his nightmares.
Always take your shot, Johnny.
The Ghost of Christmases Past by Richard Kadrey
Every year, the scar on Laura’s arm begins to itch and she prepares for her Christmas lockdown.
“I’m not going to end up like Reiner”
Our Recent Unpleasantness by Stephen Graham Jones
Jenner absolutely didn’t see what he saw that solstice night.
“I want my two seconds back, please”
All the Pretty People by Nadia Bulkin
It’s time for the Airing of Grievances portion of Festivus night.
Grievances should be directed toward a person you know
Löyly Sow-na by Josh Malerman
Russell has travelled to Finland with Hannele, his partner of six months. It’s time for him to meet her father.
“What are your motivations?”
Cold by Cassandra Khaw
Welcome to the apocalypse.
It had died slowly, by degrees, choking wetly on denial of its circumstances.
Gravé of Small Birds by Kaaron Warren
As the most attractive woman on the island, Jackie is sure that she will be the Beauty this year.
If they got this wrong, there could be consequences – and had been, in the past.
The Visitation by Jeffrey Ford
This Christmas Eve, there may be an angel at Jill and Owen’s door. Or maybe it’s just an elderly man who farts a lot.
From sunrise on the day of Christmas Eve to sundown on the day after Christmas, if a stranger comes to your door seeking shelter and assistance, you are compelled to help them.
The Lord of Misrule by M. Rickert
Darla is going to meet her partner’s son. Don’t let his cute teddy bear slippers fool you. This kid is in charge.
“I can send you away too if I want.”
No Light, No Light by Gemma Files
This story brings an apocalypse that’s climate change and vulcanology, with what’s quite possibly my favourite ship, the Naglfar.
Everything about me is a lie.
After Words by John Langan
Thirty years ago today, he last saw Maria Granza.
There were thirty-three days left for her to complete the Great Work we had begun. Until the winter solstice.
My favourite stories in this anthology were by Christopher Golden, Benjamin Percy and Glen Hirshberg but there wasn’t a bad one in the bunch. My inner bah humbug was satisfied, my love of mythology was catered to and I found some new (to me) authors whose work I need to catch up on.
This is one of those books that you’re likely to enjoy regardless of whether you’re on Santa’s naughty or nice list.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this anthology.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
The winter solstice is celebrated as a time of joy around the world — yet the long nights also conjure a darker tradition of ghouls, hauntings, and visitations. This anthology of all-new stories invites you to huddle around the fire and revel in the unholy, the dangerous, the horrific aspects of a time when families and friends come together — for better and for worse.
From the eerie Austrian Schnabelperchten to the skeletal Welsh Mari Lwyd, by way of ravenous golems, uncanny neighbours, and unwelcome visitors, Christmas and Other Horrors captures the heart and horror of the festive season.
Because the weather outside is frightful, but the fire inside is hungry…
Featuring stories from:
Nadia Bulkin Terry Dowling Tananarive Due Jeffrey Ford Christopher Golden Stephen Graham Jones Glen Hirshberg Richard Kadrey Alma Katsu Cassandra Khaw John Langan Josh Malerman Nick Mamatas Garth Nix Benjamin Percy M. Rickert Kaaron Warren
Okay, that was all kinds of adorable. It’s weird, though, because part of me was excited about the changes that had been made to modernise Anne with an E’s story but another part of me wished some of the things I loved about the original remained. I loved the story so much that I’m certain I would’ve felt the same even if it wasn’t about my kindred spirit but if it wasn’t an adaptation (sort of) of her story, maybe I wouldn’t have found it in the first place.
All of that to say, I love Anne Shirley Cuthbert no matter where I find her, the format she chooses to tell me her story or the variations I’ve encountered along the way.
There were changes in this sort of adaptation I was fairly neutral about. For example, Anne doesn’t line up with what Marilla and Matthew expected because they wanted a younger child, not a boy.
I loved that Anne has been through the foster system instead of spending much of her childhood in an orphanage. We need more stories about foster kids that don’t set out to pathologise them. Avonlea is now an apartment building called Avon-Lea and Marilla gets to do something other than housework!
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the way Marilla and Anne’s relationship was portrayed in this graphic novel. It’s so much more positive than any version I’ve come across and it definitely sounds like I want poor Anne to experience the pain of not knowing if she will ever find her way into Marilla’s heart. I don’t. I really don’t. However, one of the things I love about their relationship is that it doesn’t come easy. Being able to witness Anne’s influence on Marilla and her gradual softening is something I look forward to whenever I revisit their story. This Marilla doesn’t have the sharp edges I’ve come to expect and, to be honest, love about her.
I also usually enjoy the struggle Anne has about the clothes Marilla allows her to wear because the payoff is so rewarding. Here, Anne has more agency because she gets to decide for herself what she wants to wear for the first time in her life (absolutely wonderful) but this means the impact is lessened later on when the dress scene happens (kind of disappointing).
Then there was the biggest thing I was conflicted about, Anne and Diana. It’s been so engrained in me that Anne and Gilbert are meant for each other, despite their beginnings, that it’s never even occurred to me that Anne could fall for anyone else. Another of the things I always adore about Anne is her kindred spirit friendship with Diana. Seeing them in a different light took a moment for me to get used to but they won me over. It made my heart go all gooey watching them blush around each other and by the end I was essentially ’Gilbert who?’
No, this is not the story you grew up with. That’s why the ‘sort of’ comes after ‘adaptation’. But it was close enough that I felt like I was reading about the characters I’ve known for decades. And when I thought about the changes that were made to each character, it wasn’t hard to believe that this is who they would be if they were here with us now.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Anne Shirley has been in foster care her whole life. So when the Cuthberts take her in, she hopes it’s for good. They seem to be hitting it off, but how will they react to the trouble that Anne can sometimes find herself in … like accidentally dyeing her hair green or taking a dangerous dare that leaves her in a cast?
Then Anne meets Diana Barry, a girl who lives in her apartment building, the Avon-Lea. The two become fast friends, as Anne finds she can share anything with Diana. As time goes on, though, Anne starts to develop more-than-friends feelings for Diana.
A new foster home, a new school, and a first-time crush — it’s a lot all at once. But if anyone can handle life’s twists and turns, it’s the irrepressible Anne Shirley.
It’s Friday the 13th and you know what that means! It’s time to visit Camp Crystal Lake! But first we need to escape from hell.
Welcome to Friday the 13th: January 2006 edition, the book where if there’s a slur you really, really don’t want to read, you’re almost destined to find it. Probably more than once.
When Wayne Sanchez, the Daytona Beach Devil Boy, is executed, he anticipates fanboying over Satan. Instead, the rapist and murderer finds himself in the thirteenth circle of hell with none other than the legendary Jason Voorhees, his other hero. The hell experience isn’t quite as advertised, though, so Devil Boy starts looking for a ticket out of hell. He thinks he’s found one because if anyone’s going to be able to find their way topside again, it’s gonna be Jason.
Wayne riles up some of the locals and pretty soon they’re out of there like bats out of hell. Or a bunch of serial killers and rapists.
Destiny had led Wayne Sanchez to Jason Voorhees, even if that destiny had meant the extinction of his earthly life.
So, this is really bad news for the hundreds of drunk and stoned party goers who conveniently ignored every single Friday the 13th slaughter up until now. Unfortunately for them but fortunately for those of us reading about them, the University of Forest Green sophomores aren’t as invincible as they’d like to think they are.
Here you’ll meet such party goers as Josh Logan, Trey Leblanc, James Fitzgerald, Lisa Applebaum, Shawna Black and Gretchen Andrews but don’t bother trying to remember their names because most of them will be casualties of the “Friday the 13th crime-wave”.
Then the first scream filled the air.
This Friday’s victims are lining up to be decapitated, garrotted, strangled and impaled.
I’d been anticipating this read since the last Friday the 13th but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book in the series. There wasn’t as much Jason as I’d hope there would be and I absolutely hated all of the slurs, so much so that I started skimming the book instead of looking forward to the carnage.
Next Friday the 13th read: Hate-Kill-Repeat, in which Jason meets a cultish serial killer couple.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Jason Voorhees. Unstoppable. Camp Crystal Lake’s most infamous son is back, and he’s doing what he does best!
When serial killer Wayne Sanchez was executed, he was looking forward to meeting his hero, Jason, in Hell. When they discover there is a way back up into the real world, Sanchez persuades Jason to go back with him, assembling an army of Hell’s worst inhabitants along the way. The world will soon be at the mercy of an army of the most terrifying and infamous killers in history brought back from the dead, with Jason at their head!
Full of thrills, spills and good old-fashioned slasher mayhem, Hell Lake proves that death is not the end … of fear.
Kamogawa Diner – Kamogawa Detective Agency – We Find Your Food
The Kamogawa Detective Agency is run by Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter, Koishi. Their advertisement is cryptic so you’ll need to be determined to find their door. Your perseverance will be worth it, though, because Nagare and Koishi can recreate that dish you’ve been craving.
This father and daughter team track down the exact flavours the diners in this book are seeking, but it’s not just a meal to them. What they’re really searching for is a taste of nostalgia.
Whether that’s someone who is about to embark on the next chapter of their life, wondering about the road not taken or remembering the warmth of kindness in their early life, Nagare and Koishi will track down the correct ingredients.
This was a quick, light read. It quickly became obvious why this book is being compared to Before the Coffee Gets Cold. In both books, you meet a new character, learn enough about their backstory to know why they have sought out the cafe/diner and witness the resolution.
Due to the format, you don’t get to spend a lot of time with each person seeking a connection. This resulted in me staying more on the surface of the chapters. I didn’t become emotionally invested with anyone, although I remained interested throughout each of their stories.
While the food connected the people to their loved ones, I would have preferred getting to meet them and eavesdrop on their conversations.
I’m not sure if you can read a book like this without thinking about the dish that you would hire the Detective Agency to track down for you.
The first thing that came to mind for me was my Nan’s lasagne but my experience doesn’t really fit the criteria. After she died, I searched her cookbooks for the recipe that I knew wouldn’t be there because she was a make it up as you go along cook.
Then I realised that I watched Nan make lasagne so many times throughout my childhood that I knew the measurements, the brands she used and the steps. I was able to make it from memory the first time I tried and every time I make it I feel connected to her.
What I’d be looking for is an experience the Kamogawa Diner can’t provide, the opportunity to watch my Nan cook one last time, not because of the food but to have one more conversation with her.
Regardless of my own impossible wish not fitting the scope of the magic Nagare and Koishi create in the lives of their customers, I enjoyed seeing how the right combination of ingredients can have the power to transform a life.
‘So, hoping we can track down a dish from your past, by any chance?’
Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this book.
Title: The Kamogawa Food Detectives
Author: Hisashi Kashiwai
Translator: Jesse Kirkwood
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Imprint: Mantle
Published: 10 October 2023
RRP: AUD $19.99 (paperback)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant called the Kamogawa Diner run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare. Customers who can find the hidden diner are treated to an extravagant meal, but it’s not the main reason for visiting…
The father-daughter duo have started advertising their services as ‘food detectives’, capable of recreating a dish from their customers’ pasts that may well hold the key to forgotten memories and ongoing happiness.
From the widower looking for a specific noodle dish that his wife used to cook to a first love’s beef stew, the restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to the past and a way to a more contented future.
A bestseller in Japan, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal.
Schizanthus Nerd 