I thought this was a very sweet read! Honestly, I look forward to seeing how the western audience responds to the story, but I have high hopes and am going to keep an eye out for it when it hits shelves in February! Thank you NetGalley and PRH for the advanced read!

dnf @ 33%


This book was incredibly cozy and warm, but I probably wasn't the best fit for it, despite being so excited to read it. It feels more like a collection of short stories rather than a proper novel, and I think if I'd come into it expecting that (rather than one cohesive novel), I would have had more success reading it. (I'm also not a big short story person, so that's another count against me.)

That being said, I absolutely loved the emotional warmth that came through on every page. The restaurant lent all that I read a wonderful coziness that I think would really appeal to many readers. I think this will be a perfect read for winter or early spring!

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc. I look forward to reading more.

3.5 *'s

A series of vignettes, kind of set out each on their own, with a father/daughter duo whose goal is to help those who find their way to them. Not a lot of background or explication, but a cute cat

Koishi and her father Nagare run the Kamogawa Diner, which is not exactly a restaurant but a Detective Agency. Customers can go and share a dish from their most precious memories, and these gourmet experts are capable of recreating dishes.

Each chapter is a different case, all full of food names and Japanese culture. As a curious reader, I searched for all those places and food mentioned in the book to increase the reading experience and have a picture of the stories, and I enjoyed them.

The sweet thing about this book is that it leads the reader to personalize the book and think about those dishes. It made me recall family members no longer in this world and the delicious way they used to cook. Something that I don’t think often, but this book made me remember exactly how those dishes used to taste.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group: Putnam for the ARC.
Publication Date: February 13th, 2024

I loved the premise of this book and that's why I read it. The way it's written and presented almost reminded me of an old movie, where the wise proprietors of a very unusual eating establishment know better than the patrons as to what the missing ingredient is in their lives. The father-daughter team are clever, inventive and meticulous. I enjoyed learning about the cultural experience of eating food in Japan. However, I felt there was one missing ingredient between the father and daughter that kept me from giving it five stars. Perhaps more depth as to the relationship? More character development? Nonetheless, this is a gentle book worth reading. I would round my rating up to 4.5 stars.

In this charming book six people come to the Kamogawa Diner in search of a specific dish remembered from childhood or that reminds them of a memorable person or experience . The diner isn't easy to find and those who find it are initially skeptical. Each customer who enters the unassuming restaurant is served a set meal before following Kioshi, the owner's daughter to a back "office" where she interviews them about the dish they are looking for, where they had it and details about what they remember about it. Clues are often sparse but when the clients return they are served the requested dish. It's accompanied with the wise chef's insight into why the dish was so important to them - often providing information previously unknown to the customer.
The descriptions of the Japanese food is marvelous and the lovely presentation of the food makes the reader feel they are in the diner.
Those who read Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold will recognize similarities. Like that title this one is heavy on dialog and can easily be pictured as a stage performance.
This a quick read that celebrates the power of food to evoke emotions.
Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam for the visit to the Kamogawa Diner..

This book is so extremely cozy. I love that this book has the best food descriptions, and is about love and friendship. It is extremely heartwarming. If anyone is looking for a nice, fast, and comfortable read I recommend this. I also LOVED the father daughter relationship in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short, cozy, and heartwarming book! This culinary journey in the form of a book not only satisfied my hunger but also stirred my emotions. Definitely recommend this to fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Plus, how cute is the cover!? Thanks, Putnam, for the eARC!

This book is the perfect cozy read for this time of year! I throughly enjoyed reading it. I don’t typically see healthy father/daughter relationships in books so that was a major plus for me. Their banter is so fun and I loved the stories that came with each of the characters. I wish we got to see more of the actual detective process but regardless, it’s such a heartwarming book! A book that you can finish in one sitting for sure.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is rather light fare when compared to its genre counterpart, Before the Coffee Goes Cold. Kamogawa Food Detectives is split into 6 stories that all revolve around people wanting to reconnect with a meal lost in time. While this premise is interesting, the rather short 200 pages of the book don't lend well to providing emotional depth for the individual characters and their diverse quests. Each character brings with them their own emotional situation, but with very direct writing and repetitive scenes throughout all 6 characters, hardly any storyline is given enough time to marinate into a memorable experience (minus the final story that felt like it truly got the ingredents right and delivered a gut punch).
With less characters/stories and more time with a select few individuals, Kamogawa Food Detectives could have landed a more poignant entree.

This was a delightful little palette-cleanser! I was not sure what to expect but this truly is a little novella about a father/daughter food detective agency. They own a restaurant where the father, a former true detective, cooks and his daughter runs the "detective" part of the operation. If you remember a meal from your past and want it to be recreated, they search for and cook it for you. Admittedly a little weird, but recommended for foodies and someone who just needs a little break from the regular.

I was so hopeful I would like this. The cover is adorable and it did seem like it would be a good read, but the writing style and the plot of talking about food exclusively for almost the first 10% of the story is not working for me. I could see getting this for the library for people who like these plots, but it is not for me.

-Netgalley Arc Review-

Do not read this book while hungry- I repeat- DO NOT READ THIS BOOK WHILE HUNGRY.

Although this book is billed as a "Detective" novel, the actual mysteries themselves take the sideline. The writing on the importance of food in our lives is the shining star of this novel.

Each chapter is its own little episode with a new customer and a new dish to reminice, reconnect, and remind them of some important memory in their lives.

Koishi and Nagare are the cutest father/daughter, detective/chef duo. Their humor and caring for each customer is too wholesome and Kamogawa Diner is now a member of the growing list of fictional places that I wish were real.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a delightful story that is guaranteed to bring a little joy to your day. This sweet tale focuses on a family that tracks down nostalgic dishes for its clients based on their memories and recreates them. It’s a simple story and a quick read that I would definitely recommend.

Kamogawa Food Detectives is such a lovely story. Nagare, a retired detective, and his daughter Koishi work together to recreate food memories. Koishi does the interview gathering past memories and Nagare does the investigating. Together they nourish your soul. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read an ARC. My opinions are my own.

This was a delightful surprise. Having just returned from Japan, I enjoyed the detailed food descriptions...mouthwatering! What an idea...a food detective recreating recipes from someone's past. Each of the short stories was touching and successful!

This lovely book of short stories tells tales of a father-daughter duo who runs a restaurant in Kyoto — and a detective agency that helps clients discover/recover favorite meals. Japanese cuisine features heavily in these stories, with excellent and evocative descriptions of tastes and smells. In one story, for example, a client wants to find out why his deceased wife was able to make a recipe that his current girlfriend (and potential next wife) cannot duplicate — the detectives help unearth the recipe but, more importantly, help the widower move on to the next phase of his life.

This is a quick, yummy read with feel-good vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy.

Hello new comfort read! This is a wonderful addition to the cozy mystery genre.

This story follows a father-daughter chef-detective duo who find long lost meals for customers. Don't read this on an empty stomach, because the food descriptions will have you craving every dish! I've never been to Kyoto but the loving details in this book have me wanting to plan a trip now.

There's not much plot to this book, and that's not the point. It instead is a collection of short stories infused with the importance of food, family, and memories. I hope more people will pick this one up when it comes out!

I was lucky enough to win an eARC of THE KAMOGAWA FOOD DETECTIVES by Hisashi Kashiwai through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy holiday season!