What happens when you combine a food novel with a detective novel? You get the brilliant Kamogawa Food Detectives series by Hisashi Kashiwai and translated by Jesse Kirkwood. Today, we will be looking at the popular Japanese novel series and if you should check it out!
Kamogawa Food Detectives Series Summary
Trying to find the Kamogawa Food Detective agency is not easy. There is no sign and the ad for the agency has no directions, it only states: Kamogawa Diner – Kamogawa Detective Agency- We Find Your Food.”
The restaurant is run by chef Nagare Kamogawa who cooks the food in the restaurant and Koishi, his daughter who runs the food detective agency. Throughout the novel and series, the restaurant and detective agency is visited by all kinds of people from all over Japan who want to find a dish from their past.
What I love about this novel is the focus on Japanese cuisine and dishes from all over Japan. Food in Japan varies by region and that people take pride in their food. Customers get to try chef Nagare’s food which is a set menu for first time customers before they talk to Koishi about the dish that they are looking for.
Nagare and Koishi tell them that they should return in two weeks as Nagare goes out and tries to find the dishes from their past. The food is always delicious and will make you hungry, wondering how you can try some of the food mentioned.
Kamogawa Food Detectives Series Book Order
The Kamogawa Food Detectives
The first book in the series has the same name as the series, making it a bit confusing. The novel was first released in 2013 and has been very popular in Japan. After reading this novel, I can see why and I have become a huge fan of the series. You can read our full book review of the book below.
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes
Book Two in the Kamogawa Food Detectives is The Restaurant of Lost Recipes. And just like the first one, the novel has the same plot. In this novel, the theme is more focused on relationships and how food can bring people together and the importance of food in our lives. You can see the full review below
Menu of Happiness
Book three in the series is Menu of Happiness and it hasn’t been released in the United States as of yet. The release date for this novel is October 9, 2025 so we will have to sit back and wait until then.
Conclusion
Before reading Kamogawa Food Detectives series, I did not know that I needed books about food. This is a theme in many Japanese novels and you can feel the pride that the author has for Japanese food. The series is well written and the format of the novels makes this series easy to devour, no pun intended. Happy reading!
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