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Miso Cozy Mysteries #1
The Daydreamer Detective
She’s got her head in the clouds and a taste for solving crime...
Mei Yamagawa is out of luck and out of money. After five years in Tokyo, she has little to show for it besides a laundry list of unrealized dreams. Left without a choice, she returns to her rural Japanese hometown, ready to be branded a failure by her relatives and rivals. At the least, she looks forward to seeing her best friend, until Akiko is accused of murdering her own father.
As Mei helps her farmer mother with the crops, she scouts for clues to clear her friend’s name. But during her investigation, she can’t help but notice the celebrity chef looking in her direction. The amateur detective can balance a new love interest and a murder case... can’t she?
To clear her friend of the crime and find the real killer, Mei’s going to need every last ounce of her imagination... and just a pinch of luck.
The Daydreamer Detective is the savory starter to the Miso Cozy series of cozy mystery novels. If you like twisty plots, delectable food descriptions, and rural Japanese towns, then you’ll love Steph Gennaro culinary tale.
Edited Feb 2019. Previously published under the name S. J. Pajonas.
Mei Yamagawa is out of luck and out of money. After five years in Tokyo, she has little to show for it besides a laundry list of unrealized dreams. Left without a choice, she returns to her rural Japanese hometown, ready to be branded a failure by her relatives and rivals. At the least, she looks forward to seeing her best friend, until Akiko is accused of murdering her own father.
As Mei helps her farmer mother with the crops, she scouts for clues to clear her friend’s name. But during her investigation, she can’t help but notice the celebrity chef looking in her direction. The amateur detective can balance a new love interest and a murder case... can’t she?
To clear her friend of the crime and find the real killer, Mei’s going to need every last ounce of her imagination... and just a pinch of luck.
The Daydreamer Detective is the savory starter to the Miso Cozy series of cozy mystery novels. If you like twisty plots, delectable food descriptions, and rural Japanese towns, then you’ll love Steph Gennaro culinary tale.
Edited Feb 2019. Previously published under the name S. J. Pajonas.
248 pages, ebook
First published March 31, 2016
489 people are currently reading
962 people want to read
About the author
Steph Gennaro
7 books7 followersSteph Gennaro is a long-time Japanophile, and she’s been studying Japanese culture and language for over 20 years. She loves dreaming of far-off places, going for walks with her dog, Lulu Ninja Assassin, hanging out with her family, and reading outside in the summertime. There is no better season than summer. She’s a Capricorn, mother, knitter, and web developer, and pasta is her favorite meal. Steph Gennaro is her pen name for cozy mysteries, but she also writes science fiction romance.
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November 11, 2018DNF at 15%. Would have been a quick read, but I couldn’t get into the writing style. While I can appreciate that the author is very into Japan, the book very much feels like “look at how much I know about Japan” in a way that’s inauthentic and annoying.
April 13, 2016
This review was originally posted on [Between My Lines]I became absolutely fascinated with Japan in S J Pajonas contemporary romance Summer Haikus and when I knew she was writing a cozy mystery also set in Japan, it was a no brainer that I would sign up to participate in the blog tour! This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours, it runs from 4 till 8 April and you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours:
Quick note this is a long post but I didn't want to leave any of it out as I loved the extras! So you get the review, then an extract and last but not least the author's top 5 traditional Japanese Dishes. Yum, my mouth was drooling!
First Line of The Daydreamer Detective by SJ Pajonas:
My Thoughts on The Daydreamer Detective by SJ Pajonas:
I flat-out loved the setting in this book. SJ Pajonas is solely responsible for making me fall in love with Japan and has sent me on a quest to learn more and more about this fascinating country. I loved the way she used Japan as a setting for her cosy mystery as that way I was able to combine my love of amateur sleuthing while also soaking up some more Japanese culture.
The main character – Mei – is a twenty-six year old whose life is very different to what she thought it would be. She slaved at school, worked hard at college but due to the economic crisis has been unable to get into a work environment that suits her skills. I think this is an issue that a lot of twenty something year-olds will be able to relate to as unfortunately I see it happening a lot. After another unsuccessful job, she returns home to her mother to help at the family farm, feeling a failure.
The funniest thing about Mei is that she is a massive daydreamer. In her head, she carves out whole new worlds and directions for her life. It is so funny, all the more so as I do it myself all the time. I’m well used to that annoyed look that I get whenever I space out from a conversation so I loved seeing it play out in a book. Like Mei I’m a daydream believer and you can keep all your mediation, you can’t beat a good daydream for a little escapism :D
Mei gets pulled into a mystery due to the death her friend’s father. As she feels she has no purpose or meaning in her life, plus she also wants to help her friend, she pulls a Jessica Fletcher and starts investigating.
If I were to put in order what I loved about book, I’d say setting, characters and relationships. These three things kept me reading and engrossed in the book. The mystery was very much second to those factors but I still really enjoyed seeing how all that came together. There is also a very captivating romance which I fully believed in.
So overall this has a little of everything for me; a character I could relate to, an absorbing rural Japanese setting, a mystery to sink my teeth into and a romance that is slowly developed but had me thinking it could be something very, very special for both people.
Who should read The Daydreamer Detective by SJ Pajonas?
I recommend this to you if you like Japanese settings, well-built up relationships (not just romance but family relationships, friends, etc) and cosy mysteries.
Thanks to Lola's Blog Tours for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. If you want a little flavour of this book, make sure you read the teaser and extract below!
Excerpt from The Daydreamer Detective by SJ Pajonas:
Top 5 Traditional Japanese Dishes by SJ Pajonas:
Miso Soup - A staple at many Japanese meals, miso soup, made from miso paste dissolved in dashi stock and garnished with seaweed and tofu, is a light but hearty hot soup that is consumed at any time of the day. I usually make mine with packets from the store, but homemade is even better.
Sushi - Of course sushi! Probably one of the most well-known Japanese foods outside of Japan. It’s rice and raw fish or vegetables, rolled up in vinegared rice, and wrapped in nori seaweed. I make it at home occasionally, but I love it fresh from my favorite Japanese restaurant. In Japan, sushi was once “fast food,” eaten standing up with your fingers. Now, it’s that AND it can also be upscale and gourmet.
Tempura - Possibly one of my favorite Japanese foods, tempura refers to vegetables, fish, or meat, breaded and deep-fried, usually served with a dipping sauce and rice, but also can be put into noodle soup dishes. Sweet potato tempura is my all-time favorite. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
Yakitori - Walk any of the city streets in Japan and you’ll smell it, the sweet aroma of meat, fish, or vegetables cooked over charcoal. Chicken and beef yakitori, small bits on tiny wood skewers, are the most popular versions of yakitori. You’ll see them cooking over hot charcoals and someone diligently flipping them and fanning the smoke away. I love eel yakitori. Mmmm. And in the autumn, mountain vegetables cooked over charcoal are especially delicious.
Soba and Udon - I had to put these two noodles together because they’re both quintessential Japanese dishes. Udon are white wheat noodles, usually thick and plump. Soba are darker, buckwheat noodles, usually cut thin. Both can be served in a variety of ways from cold with dipping sauces, in a bowl of soup or with curry ladled over them, or fried up with vegetables or meat. For an on-the-go meal, udon and soba cannot be beat. They’re filling, tasty, and affordable!
You can buy The Daydreamer Detective here:
- Amazon:
- B&N:
- Kobo:
- iBooks:
Quick note this is a long post but I didn't want to leave any of it out as I loved the extras! So you get the review, then an extract and last but not least the author's top 5 traditional Japanese Dishes. Yum, my mouth was drooling!
First Line of The Daydreamer Detective by SJ Pajonas:
"You're one of our finest, most industrious, and successful team members."
My Thoughts on The Daydreamer Detective by SJ Pajonas:
I flat-out loved the setting in this book. SJ Pajonas is solely responsible for making me fall in love with Japan and has sent me on a quest to learn more and more about this fascinating country. I loved the way she used Japan as a setting for her cosy mystery as that way I was able to combine my love of amateur sleuthing while also soaking up some more Japanese culture.
The main character – Mei – is a twenty-six year old whose life is very different to what she thought it would be. She slaved at school, worked hard at college but due to the economic crisis has been unable to get into a work environment that suits her skills. I think this is an issue that a lot of twenty something year-olds will be able to relate to as unfortunately I see it happening a lot. After another unsuccessful job, she returns home to her mother to help at the family farm, feeling a failure.
The funniest thing about Mei is that she is a massive daydreamer. In her head, she carves out whole new worlds and directions for her life. It is so funny, all the more so as I do it myself all the time. I’m well used to that annoyed look that I get whenever I space out from a conversation so I loved seeing it play out in a book. Like Mei I’m a daydream believer and you can keep all your mediation, you can’t beat a good daydream for a little escapism :D
Mei gets pulled into a mystery due to the death her friend’s father. As she feels she has no purpose or meaning in her life, plus she also wants to help her friend, she pulls a Jessica Fletcher and starts investigating.
If I were to put in order what I loved about book, I’d say setting, characters and relationships. These three things kept me reading and engrossed in the book. The mystery was very much second to those factors but I still really enjoyed seeing how all that came together. There is also a very captivating romance which I fully believed in.
So overall this has a little of everything for me; a character I could relate to, an absorbing rural Japanese setting, a mystery to sink my teeth into and a romance that is slowly developed but had me thinking it could be something very, very special for both people.
Who should read The Daydreamer Detective by SJ Pajonas?
I recommend this to you if you like Japanese settings, well-built up relationships (not just romance but family relationships, friends, etc) and cosy mysteries.
Thanks to Lola's Blog Tours for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. If you want a little flavour of this book, make sure you read the teaser and extract below!
Excerpt from The Daydreamer Detective by SJ Pajonas:
Every time I went into the barn during harvesting, I avoided the loft, but at the end of the week, I was finally ready to climb up there and inspect the remains of my past. The stairs creaked as I ascended into the dusty space above the tractor we used in the spring. On the right, under the window, sat the old couch I used to sit on and read, the spot where Tama and I slept together for the first and many times after. A plastic tarp covered it, and I could imagine the upholstery underneath was pristine. Mom was pretty thorough about taking care of this place. My old canvasses, some half drawn on or painted, others blank, leaned against the adjacent wall, next to my easel and tackle boxes of paints. On the left, Mom’s fire-proof file cabinets sat against the wall, carrying her precious documents and other things she needed to run the farm.
The Mount Fuji painting used to take up the space to the rear of my canvasses, but the wide wall stood empty, begging to be filled. I grabbed the top tackle box and popped it open. Tubes of acrylic paint lined the top tray, like I’d left them in there yesterday. Several were unopened and moved when I squeezed them, but a few had seized up. Wow. I was lucky! I’d heard acrylic paint could last ten years or more, especially if they were kept in the fridge, but the temperature fluctuated up here and I expected worse.
I flipped through the few canvasses left and placed one on the easel. I had scratched a few hasty pencil sketches onto it, but nothing seemed familiar. Hmmm. I turned the canvas around 180 degrees and there! Yes. I had planned to paint a lake with a torii gate and a mountain in the background. I never understood this about myself. I loved modern life. I loved my phone, my computer, and the city. Yet, when it came to painting, I only ever wanted to capture the world in its splendor, natural and real. I didn’t paint people. I didn’t paint animals. I hadn’t tried abstract or modern, though I loved to look at both. I was attracted the most to natural landscapes.
I was a host of perplexing contradictions.
Top 5 Traditional Japanese Dishes by SJ Pajonas:
When Mei first meets Yasahiro, the town’s newest bachelor chef, in The Daydreamer Detective, it’s not all fireworks and lovelorn looks across the room. She’s been a fan of city-style fast food straight from the convenience store for the past ten years or more, and Yasahiro’s Japanese slow food cuisine makes her want to roll her eyes. In the beginning, she’s very skeptical, and even though he’s annoyed by her behavior, he still wants to prove to her that his food is better than anything you can buy at the local 7-Eleven.
When I think of typical traditional Japanese dishes, my mouth starts to water and I seek out the ingredients at my local grocer. Skipping over fresh, hot rice from the rice cooker, these are my top 5 traditional Japanese dishes.
Miso Soup - A staple at many Japanese meals, miso soup, made from miso paste dissolved in dashi stock and garnished with seaweed and tofu, is a light but hearty hot soup that is consumed at any time of the day. I usually make mine with packets from the store, but homemade is even better.
Sushi - Of course sushi! Probably one of the most well-known Japanese foods outside of Japan. It’s rice and raw fish or vegetables, rolled up in vinegared rice, and wrapped in nori seaweed. I make it at home occasionally, but I love it fresh from my favorite Japanese restaurant. In Japan, sushi was once “fast food,” eaten standing up with your fingers. Now, it’s that AND it can also be upscale and gourmet.
Tempura - Possibly one of my favorite Japanese foods, tempura refers to vegetables, fish, or meat, breaded and deep-fried, usually served with a dipping sauce and rice, but also can be put into noodle soup dishes. Sweet potato tempura is my all-time favorite. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
Yakitori - Walk any of the city streets in Japan and you’ll smell it, the sweet aroma of meat, fish, or vegetables cooked over charcoal. Chicken and beef yakitori, small bits on tiny wood skewers, are the most popular versions of yakitori. You’ll see them cooking over hot charcoals and someone diligently flipping them and fanning the smoke away. I love eel yakitori. Mmmm. And in the autumn, mountain vegetables cooked over charcoal are especially delicious.
Soba and Udon - I had to put these two noodles together because they’re both quintessential Japanese dishes. Udon are white wheat noodles, usually thick and plump. Soba are darker, buckwheat noodles, usually cut thin. Both can be served in a variety of ways from cold with dipping sauces, in a bowl of soup or with curry ladled over them, or fried up with vegetables or meat. For an on-the-go meal, udon and soba cannot be beat. They’re filling, tasty, and affordable!
Pictured above: Shrimp tempura! Oishii!
Now that I’m so hungry I could die, it’s time to go out and eat some delicious Japanese food! Do you have a favorite Japanese dish? Tell me about it in the comments!
You can buy The Daydreamer Detective here:
- Amazon:
- B&N:
- Kobo:
- iBooks:
February 18, 2020
This was a nicely-written mystery with characters that I immediately warmed up to, with the exception of the killer, of course. ;) It was interesting that in Japan, the police actually welcomed civilian input on murder and other investigations. It did seem to move a little slower at first than I'm used to as far as talking about the murder itself, but it was probably setting the scene for background stories of the characters. There weren't a lot of suspects, and I did guess who did it, but the fun was in watching how this person got caught. The showdown was very exciting but traumatic for poor Mei. It was good to see that she was back in her hometown and being hopeful for her life to turn around especially after meeting a nice guy and reconnecting with her childhood bestie.
I'm interested in continuing with the series although I'm not sure when I'll get to the next book.
I'm interested in continuing with the series although I'm not sure when I'll get to the next book.
March 12, 2016
The Daydreamer Detective is a sweet and wonderful story. As a cozy mystery, the story features a young, amateur sleuth, Mei, who has found herself back in her hometown trying to resolve herself against her failed attempt at life in the big city. But she isn’t there long at all until her best friend’s father is found dead and her friend is implicated as a possible suspect. Add to the mix a handsome chef and a matchmaking mom, and there you have it.
What I love most about this story is the attention to detail and the way the story delves into Japanese life in a natural way. The characters seem real, the places, too. Everything is brought together so that you feel like you’re there, with just enough information upfront and sprinkled in so that you understand how the culture feeds into the motivations, interactions, and everyday lives of those portrayed in the story. It makes the world seem a smaller place and made me feel a kinship with the characters.
Another thing I love, and I think this is a necessary characteristic of a cozy mystery, is the way the story unfolds in a way that just feels right. The pace is steady and pleasant, but engaging all the same. The mystery is almost second place to Mei trying to adjust to her new life, at least until nearly the end when it gets rather exciting, and the romance is sweet.
I suppose the only downside is that Mei is too hard on herself. At times, she seems stuck, like a record player on a bad spot, reliving her insecurities and past failures, despite all the support and reassurance of her friends and family.
Overall, I loved this story. I think fans of cozy mysteries and light romance will like it, and though it’s longer than others I’ve read, I thought the length was a plus. It let everything unfold in an unhurried and organic fashion and just let me enjoy the progression over a few days. It’s a great book to snuggle up with.
I received the review copy of this book from the author so as to take part in one of Lola’s Blog Tours. This review was written for the I read too much! blog at patriciahamill.blogspot.com. Check out my post on April 4!
What I love most about this story is the attention to detail and the way the story delves into Japanese life in a natural way. The characters seem real, the places, too. Everything is brought together so that you feel like you’re there, with just enough information upfront and sprinkled in so that you understand how the culture feeds into the motivations, interactions, and everyday lives of those portrayed in the story. It makes the world seem a smaller place and made me feel a kinship with the characters.
Another thing I love, and I think this is a necessary characteristic of a cozy mystery, is the way the story unfolds in a way that just feels right. The pace is steady and pleasant, but engaging all the same. The mystery is almost second place to Mei trying to adjust to her new life, at least until nearly the end when it gets rather exciting, and the romance is sweet.
I suppose the only downside is that Mei is too hard on herself. At times, she seems stuck, like a record player on a bad spot, reliving her insecurities and past failures, despite all the support and reassurance of her friends and family.
Overall, I loved this story. I think fans of cozy mysteries and light romance will like it, and though it’s longer than others I’ve read, I thought the length was a plus. It let everything unfold in an unhurried and organic fashion and just let me enjoy the progression over a few days. It’s a great book to snuggle up with.
I received the review copy of this book from the author so as to take part in one of Lola’s Blog Tours. This review was written for the I read too much! blog at patriciahamill.blogspot.com. Check out my post on April 4!
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July 3, 2016more details at http://www.spajonas.com/the-daydreame...
August 14, 2016
I only finished this book because I wanted to see if the ending was as bad as I expected. It was. The writing was poor quality, but what I really hated were the characters. The trope of a protagonist with poor self esteem that is entirely unfounded is boring. It felt like not a single character had any self-awareness and none of it was believable.
December 12, 2020
My new favorite cozy mystery series!
I received this book free from a cozy promotion. I hadn't read anything from the author prior to this book, but I thought the cover and title were cute. This is my new favorite cozy series! I also liked learning about Japanese culture. I now want to travel to Japan. Highly recommended!
I received this book free from a cozy promotion. I hadn't read anything from the author prior to this book, but I thought the cover and title were cute. This is my new favorite cozy series! I also liked learning about Japanese culture. I now want to travel to Japan. Highly recommended!
June 13, 2021
3.5 Stars
Mei Yamagawa loses yet another sales job in Tokyo and is forced to return to her old small-town life on her mother's farm. When her best friend's father dies under mysterious circumstances, she is forced to investigate or see her best friend imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit.
Usually, I find glossaries a bit of an irritation, but there were at least five words in this book that were not easily discernible. One I managed to get through context and one was in the Kobo dictionary but the other three required a google search. In her notes, the author mentions having removed some cultural influences that could be foreign to western readers; perhaps some translations of unfamiliar terms would be useful too.
Mei is very timid and self-effacing. She's probably the last person I would pick as an investigator. Perhaps it works in this setting, but it just didn't captivate me. I wasn't too crazy about the massive amount of romance in the novel, either. It seemed to overwhelm the mystery aspect.
Recommended.
Mei Yamagawa loses yet another sales job in Tokyo and is forced to return to her old small-town life on her mother's farm. When her best friend's father dies under mysterious circumstances, she is forced to investigate or see her best friend imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit.
Usually, I find glossaries a bit of an irritation, but there were at least five words in this book that were not easily discernible. One I managed to get through context and one was in the Kobo dictionary but the other three required a google search. In her notes, the author mentions having removed some cultural influences that could be foreign to western readers; perhaps some translations of unfamiliar terms would be useful too.
Mei is very timid and self-effacing. She's probably the last person I would pick as an investigator. Perhaps it works in this setting, but it just didn't captivate me. I wasn't too crazy about the massive amount of romance in the novel, either. It seemed to overwhelm the mystery aspect.
Recommended.
March 9, 2016
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
I was so excited when I first heard SJ Pajonas was writing a cozy mystery and this book definitely didn't disappoint. The Daydreamer Detective is about main character Mei, she has just been fired from her job and can't afford to pay the rent on her Tokyo apartment so she return to her small hometown. This book is a cozy mystery, but it's about so much more. the characters take a strong focus and Mei her search for what she wants to do next and finding her place in the world. I really enjoyed this book, it has a gentle pace like I expect from Pajonas her books which fits the story perfectly. There was enough going on to keep me interested and I enjoyed the book.
The mystery is an important part of the book and while normally I like the mystery to be front and center in cozy mysteries I didn't mind it here as much when the mystery went to the background a few times as there was enough else to keep me interested and I wanted to know more about the characters and their daily life. I did think the mystery was a tad predictable, there are some suspects at first, but as the story continues a few get cleared and one of my initial suspects turned out to be the murder. I also would've liked a bit more insight in the murders motives. Overall it was a nice mystery, but I would've liked a few more twists and turns. I did like how Mei got bought into the investigation, it was a fun scene and it was interesting how open the police were about people helping with the investigation.
This book is different form most cozy mysteries I've read so far, a slightly different feel and some of the standard themes like how the main character usually is the one to find the death body were absent. But the book made it work. I think the setting is one of the things that made it so different. This book is set in Japan and that means the law and police investigations are different. I really felt like Pajonas had done her research into this as it all sounded believable and I got a bit of a feel of how law and investigations are handled differently in Japan than here or in the US, which was interesting.
How the story takes place in Japan also makes for an interesting setting. The book is set in an adorable small Japanese town and I could visualize it pretty well. There are also some developments going on in the town, with some new stores and a big grocery store settling there, which makes me curious how the town will continue to develop. Oh and I loved the mentions of food and drinks, which made me wish I could try out whatever Mei was eating. There are some Japanese words added into the story which added to the Japanese feel and I didn't have any trouble understanding any of the words used as it was always obvious due to the context or previous knowledge what the word meant.
Mei the main characters makes for a great main character and I immediately liked her and could relate her when we met her. She's a daydreamer, often letting her mind wander, this aspect was described well and the title Daydreamer Detective definitely fits her. She's a bit lost, doesn't know what to do next and figuring out what to do next. She loves art, but hasn't painted in a long time. She also has some scars from the past and some flaws like her low self esteem and urge to run away at times. She was a well developed character with strengths and flaws, she felt like a real person. I loved reading about her and following her adventures and daily life.
There were some interesting side characters as well. My favourite were Mei her mother and Yasahiro. Mei her mother is very sweet and supportive, she works hard and loves to cook. She also is very supportive of Mei and gives her the space and freedom to figure out her next path. She's also proud of her daughter and willing to help her when possible. I really liked her and Mei was lucky to have as her mom.
I had some trouble remembering who was who at times, but for some reason I have a lot of trouble with Japanese names usually, it just mashes all together and they all sound similar. Although I was glad that some characters had a bit shorter names, which seemed easier to remember. There is quite a cast of side characters, but not all of them play as big a part, so that's probably also a reason why I had some trouble remembering who was who at times. Most of the side characters do stay a bit flat and I would've liked to get to know some a bit more. I wasn't a fan of Akiko, she should've been Mei her best friend, but I just didn't quite feel it. I did like Goro the police officer.
Then there is Yasahiro the love interest, he was a great character too and I liked his interactions with Mei. He's very caring and sweet and I liked these two together. Oh and he's a cook! I liked the food and cooking aspect that his job brought to the book. There is a bit of romance, more than in most of cozy mysteries and I would've liked even more. Their relationship does develop a bit fast, but I didn't too mind too much as I liked them together. I hope to see more of these two in the next book.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this book! The mystery was a tad predictable and I would've liked a few more twists or surprises, but I did like how Mei got into the investigation and helped out. It also was interesting to learn a bit more about how Japanese law and police works, the author sure did her research. I liked the Japanese settings and the use of some Japanese words and mentions of food which added to the feel. I really liked Mei, she was a great main character. Her mother is a great side character and I really liked her. There is some romance which was a nice addition and I really liked Mei and Yasahiro together. All in all a great start of the series and I can't wait to read the next book!
I was so excited when I first heard SJ Pajonas was writing a cozy mystery and this book definitely didn't disappoint. The Daydreamer Detective is about main character Mei, she has just been fired from her job and can't afford to pay the rent on her Tokyo apartment so she return to her small hometown. This book is a cozy mystery, but it's about so much more. the characters take a strong focus and Mei her search for what she wants to do next and finding her place in the world. I really enjoyed this book, it has a gentle pace like I expect from Pajonas her books which fits the story perfectly. There was enough going on to keep me interested and I enjoyed the book.
The mystery is an important part of the book and while normally I like the mystery to be front and center in cozy mysteries I didn't mind it here as much when the mystery went to the background a few times as there was enough else to keep me interested and I wanted to know more about the characters and their daily life. I did think the mystery was a tad predictable, there are some suspects at first, but as the story continues a few get cleared and one of my initial suspects turned out to be the murder. I also would've liked a bit more insight in the murders motives. Overall it was a nice mystery, but I would've liked a few more twists and turns. I did like how Mei got bought into the investigation, it was a fun scene and it was interesting how open the police were about people helping with the investigation.
This book is different form most cozy mysteries I've read so far, a slightly different feel and some of the standard themes like how the main character usually is the one to find the death body were absent. But the book made it work. I think the setting is one of the things that made it so different. This book is set in Japan and that means the law and police investigations are different. I really felt like Pajonas had done her research into this as it all sounded believable and I got a bit of a feel of how law and investigations are handled differently in Japan than here or in the US, which was interesting.
How the story takes place in Japan also makes for an interesting setting. The book is set in an adorable small Japanese town and I could visualize it pretty well. There are also some developments going on in the town, with some new stores and a big grocery store settling there, which makes me curious how the town will continue to develop. Oh and I loved the mentions of food and drinks, which made me wish I could try out whatever Mei was eating. There are some Japanese words added into the story which added to the Japanese feel and I didn't have any trouble understanding any of the words used as it was always obvious due to the context or previous knowledge what the word meant.
Mei the main characters makes for a great main character and I immediately liked her and could relate her when we met her. She's a daydreamer, often letting her mind wander, this aspect was described well and the title Daydreamer Detective definitely fits her. She's a bit lost, doesn't know what to do next and figuring out what to do next. She loves art, but hasn't painted in a long time. She also has some scars from the past and some flaws like her low self esteem and urge to run away at times. She was a well developed character with strengths and flaws, she felt like a real person. I loved reading about her and following her adventures and daily life.
There were some interesting side characters as well. My favourite were Mei her mother and Yasahiro. Mei her mother is very sweet and supportive, she works hard and loves to cook. She also is very supportive of Mei and gives her the space and freedom to figure out her next path. She's also proud of her daughter and willing to help her when possible. I really liked her and Mei was lucky to have as her mom.
I had some trouble remembering who was who at times, but for some reason I have a lot of trouble with Japanese names usually, it just mashes all together and they all sound similar. Although I was glad that some characters had a bit shorter names, which seemed easier to remember. There is quite a cast of side characters, but not all of them play as big a part, so that's probably also a reason why I had some trouble remembering who was who at times. Most of the side characters do stay a bit flat and I would've liked to get to know some a bit more. I wasn't a fan of Akiko, she should've been Mei her best friend, but I just didn't quite feel it. I did like Goro the police officer.
Then there is Yasahiro the love interest, he was a great character too and I liked his interactions with Mei. He's very caring and sweet and I liked these two together. Oh and he's a cook! I liked the food and cooking aspect that his job brought to the book. There is a bit of romance, more than in most of cozy mysteries and I would've liked even more. Their relationship does develop a bit fast, but I didn't too mind too much as I liked them together. I hope to see more of these two in the next book.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this book! The mystery was a tad predictable and I would've liked a few more twists or surprises, but I did like how Mei got into the investigation and helped out. It also was interesting to learn a bit more about how Japanese law and police works, the author sure did her research. I liked the Japanese settings and the use of some Japanese words and mentions of food which added to the feel. I really liked Mei, she was a great main character. Her mother is a great side character and I really liked her. There is some romance which was a nice addition and I really liked Mei and Yasahiro together. All in all a great start of the series and I can't wait to read the next book!
March 4, 2018
I had described this book to some friends. I decided that it was as good of a review as anything else I could come up with.
I've had Steph Pajonas' The Daydreamer Detective in my TBR for a while. I truly regret having waited this long to read a really excellent story. When the murder is revealed, you immediately have 4 suspects. The angry son who wants nothing to do with his father or his property, except to sell it. The doting daughter who hoped to get her father's property, she's a nurse by the way. And the two business men who want the property to expand their own business venture's. This leaves recently unemployed Mei-san, Akiko's childhood best friend to investigate, and clear her friends name and possibly save her friends farm.
This is a story that has well developed characters, a few surprises, and a lot of laughs. I believe you will enjoy the book if you give it a try.
I've had Steph Pajonas' The Daydreamer Detective in my TBR for a while. I truly regret having waited this long to read a really excellent story. When the murder is revealed, you immediately have 4 suspects. The angry son who wants nothing to do with his father or his property, except to sell it. The doting daughter who hoped to get her father's property, she's a nurse by the way. And the two business men who want the property to expand their own business venture's. This leaves recently unemployed Mei-san, Akiko's childhood best friend to investigate, and clear her friends name and possibly save her friends farm.
This is a story that has well developed characters, a few surprises, and a lot of laughs. I believe you will enjoy the book if you give it a try.
January 30, 2024
If I didn't need the book for a challenge prompt, I wouldn't have read it. Not reading again.
May 4, 2021
This one is an interesting mash-up. Yes, there is a murder mystery running through the middle of the narrative, which draws together the narrative. But it isn’t actually the pivot of the ongoing story. At the heart of this one is the fact that Mei, after being a bright, hardworking student and a talented artist, somehow has lost her way.
Instead of finding herself in charge of a project team and going from strength to strength, as she’d confidently expected when moving to the city some five years earlier, Mei has lost three jobs in a row. She has to return to her home town, in debt and rely on her mother’s help to get back on her feet, again. She feels an utter failure – and Pajonas has to tread a tricky path in convincing her readers of her protagonist’s misery and crippling self-doubt, without producing an annoyingly whiny heroine. I think she pulls it off.
What helps to jolt Mei from her own troubles is the news that her best friend’s father has been strangled and Akiko, her best friend since forever, is one of the chief suspects. The town is in the process of being regenerated, thanks to the interest of a large food corporation who are interested in buying up abandoned farms, building greenhouses and a large headquarters, thus providing much welcome jobs. As a consequence, after years of slow stagnation as young people left to seek jobs elsewhere, shops and businesses are now springing up. But there are farmers who don’t want to sell – and Akiko’s father had been one of them.
To be honest, the murder mystery doesn’t produce all that many convincing suspects, so it wasn’t difficult to work out whodunit. But as the Japanese setting was so intriguingly different – and Mei’s assistance is actually welcomed by the police, this detail wasn’t a dealbreaker. I also enjoyed the ongoing romance, which was sweet and well handled. Overall, this was a delightful, engrossing read that was just what I needed at a difficult time. I’ll certainly be reading more of this series.
8/10
Instead of finding herself in charge of a project team and going from strength to strength, as she’d confidently expected when moving to the city some five years earlier, Mei has lost three jobs in a row. She has to return to her home town, in debt and rely on her mother’s help to get back on her feet, again. She feels an utter failure – and Pajonas has to tread a tricky path in convincing her readers of her protagonist’s misery and crippling self-doubt, without producing an annoyingly whiny heroine. I think she pulls it off.
What helps to jolt Mei from her own troubles is the news that her best friend’s father has been strangled and Akiko, her best friend since forever, is one of the chief suspects. The town is in the process of being regenerated, thanks to the interest of a large food corporation who are interested in buying up abandoned farms, building greenhouses and a large headquarters, thus providing much welcome jobs. As a consequence, after years of slow stagnation as young people left to seek jobs elsewhere, shops and businesses are now springing up. But there are farmers who don’t want to sell – and Akiko’s father had been one of them.
To be honest, the murder mystery doesn’t produce all that many convincing suspects, so it wasn’t difficult to work out whodunit. But as the Japanese setting was so intriguingly different – and Mei’s assistance is actually welcomed by the police, this detail wasn’t a dealbreaker. I also enjoyed the ongoing romance, which was sweet and well handled. Overall, this was a delightful, engrossing read that was just what I needed at a difficult time. I’ll certainly be reading more of this series.
8/10
April 6, 2016
Thank you to the author, S.J. Pajonas, as well as Lola's Blog Tours for gifting me with a copy of The Daydreamer Detective in exchange for an honest review!
I really loved this book, honestly. It was such a... nice mystery. Yes, it was about a murder, but somehow the whole book wasn't sinister. There are just a few tiny things that would have made it even more perfect. Let's jump in!
1. The mystery itself. So this book is centered around a murder mystery. Mei (our MC) comes back to her home town to find that her best friend's father has died. At first, everyone believes it was natural causes but the autopsy soon reveals it's anything but. As I said in the intro, this was such a nice mystery. While it is about a murder, it didn't have that overly sinister feel for the entire book. There were nice breaks which I'll talk about in the next section. Mei's journey to solving the mystery along with the police office Goro is really interesting to follow. While it didn't really have any major twists, there were some small ones that kept me interested. I loved the way it ended up! It's also really fun to follow along with Mei as she tries to figure it out. She isn't really an actual detective, it's just how crimes are solved in her small town that has virtually no crime. So she's pretty inexperienced and Google is one of her main sources of information which I actually really liked because I could picture myself doing that! It's nice to get away from the professionals once in a while.
2. All of the other plot lines. There are several other plot lines going at the same time as the mystery. I really liked how the two interacted simply because Mei isn't an ordinary detective and it just fit her life perfectly. There is a romance which I found so adorable as well as different events that force Mei to examine her life path. These plot lines also had a wonderful effect on the mystery story line. It broke it up a bit which kept the book from getting too dark.
3. The characters. For the most part, I really liked all of the characters. They all had their different characteristics which was interesting to explore. I do wish some of the characters had been a bit more fleshed out (such as Akiko). Sometimes I had difficulties remembering specific characters and their relationship to other characters. I don't know if it's simply because I'm unused to reading Japanese names or what.
4. The setting. This was actually my favorite part. I haven't read many books that take place in Japan and I've always found the different contrasting parts of their culture fascinating. Such as how Mei (who's lived in a big city like Tokyo for the past few years) comes to this small town where a lot of the older customs are still around. It's really cool to me how the Japanese culture is evolving but still staying the same. On a more micro scale, I could picture every scene and I loved getting to know the different places in the town and how they reflect the Japanese culture.
The Final Verdict:
A wonderfully warm mystery that still felt sinister, but never became too creepy. It kept a nice balance between the parts of the MC's life. The characters were very nice although a few could use a bit more fleshing out. The shining star of this book is the setting.
4.5 stars
Quotes:
"Yasahiro, seeing my clumsiness for the tenth time from the floor. 'Let me get you a new one.'"
"He laughed. 'Wooing? You want to be wood?'
'I do. I've never been wooed, and it looks like fun.'"
"'Sake for lunch and a rosemary plant.'
'A rosemary plant? I can't keep anything alive.'
He laughed, walking past me into the house. 'The plant is for your mom.'"
I really loved this book, honestly. It was such a... nice mystery. Yes, it was about a murder, but somehow the whole book wasn't sinister. There are just a few tiny things that would have made it even more perfect. Let's jump in!
1. The mystery itself. So this book is centered around a murder mystery. Mei (our MC) comes back to her home town to find that her best friend's father has died. At first, everyone believes it was natural causes but the autopsy soon reveals it's anything but. As I said in the intro, this was such a nice mystery. While it is about a murder, it didn't have that overly sinister feel for the entire book. There were nice breaks which I'll talk about in the next section. Mei's journey to solving the mystery along with the police office Goro is really interesting to follow. While it didn't really have any major twists, there were some small ones that kept me interested. I loved the way it ended up! It's also really fun to follow along with Mei as she tries to figure it out. She isn't really an actual detective, it's just how crimes are solved in her small town that has virtually no crime. So she's pretty inexperienced and Google is one of her main sources of information which I actually really liked because I could picture myself doing that! It's nice to get away from the professionals once in a while.
2. All of the other plot lines. There are several other plot lines going at the same time as the mystery. I really liked how the two interacted simply because Mei isn't an ordinary detective and it just fit her life perfectly. There is a romance which I found so adorable as well as different events that force Mei to examine her life path. These plot lines also had a wonderful effect on the mystery story line. It broke it up a bit which kept the book from getting too dark.
3. The characters. For the most part, I really liked all of the characters. They all had their different characteristics which was interesting to explore. I do wish some of the characters had been a bit more fleshed out (such as Akiko). Sometimes I had difficulties remembering specific characters and their relationship to other characters. I don't know if it's simply because I'm unused to reading Japanese names or what.
4. The setting. This was actually my favorite part. I haven't read many books that take place in Japan and I've always found the different contrasting parts of their culture fascinating. Such as how Mei (who's lived in a big city like Tokyo for the past few years) comes to this small town where a lot of the older customs are still around. It's really cool to me how the Japanese culture is evolving but still staying the same. On a more micro scale, I could picture every scene and I loved getting to know the different places in the town and how they reflect the Japanese culture.
The Final Verdict:
A wonderfully warm mystery that still felt sinister, but never became too creepy. It kept a nice balance between the parts of the MC's life. The characters were very nice although a few could use a bit more fleshing out. The shining star of this book is the setting.
4.5 stars
Quotes:
"Yasahiro, seeing my clumsiness for the tenth time from the floor. 'Let me get you a new one.'"
"He laughed. 'Wooing? You want to be wood?'
'I do. I've never been wooed, and it looks like fun.'"
"'Sake for lunch and a rosemary plant.'
'A rosemary plant? I can't keep anything alive.'
He laughed, walking past me into the house. 'The plant is for your mom.'"
April 4, 2016
*I would like to thank the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
Right off the bat, let me just say that I will follow S. J. Pajonas anywhere her writing wants to go. I’ve read her sci-fi, contemporary romance, and even her short stories. And now, we come to cozy mysteries. This book is the first I’ve read in that genre, and if it’s anything to go by, I will certainly have to investigate it further.
The titular daydreaming Detective was Mei. She was someone I found to be extremely relatable. As a twenty-six-year-old woman, Mei didn’t really know what to do with her life. Due to losing her job, Mei was forced back home, where she discovered a certain knack for sleuthing. Mei was a bit too blunt at times, speaking before she thought. I went from not liking that about her, to really appreciating it. Her daydreaming was an interesting quirk I haven’t really seen much in adult characters.
This is the first book in a series, so we only just scratched the surface of side characters. So far, though, my favorites are Mei’s mom, and the chef Yasahiro. Mei’s mom was just…great. Even though her daughter wasn’t successful, she was still there for Mei. I think that being proud of someone who still hasn’t quite figured out their place in the world is a pretty awesome thing, and I just loved Mei’s mom. Yasahiro was interesting. A chef trained in France, he came back to his home nation of Japan, and started a high-end restaurant in Mei’s little hometown. He could easily have been arrogant, but he wasn’t. I actually found him pretty sweet, and I liked that he wasn’t scared off by Mei’s directness.
This story was pretty fun. It followed Mei as she lost her job in Tokyo and then came back home to regroup. Upon arriving though, Mei quickly got swept up in the mystery of who killed her childhood best friend’s father. Along the way, Mei rediscovered her love for art, and found out that traditional Japanese food may not be as bad as she’d always made it out to be. I found the story to be an interesting mix of mystery, growth, and a look at how a person changes from when they’re a teenager to an adult. The only downsides were that I guessed the villain pretty early on, and I sometimes found Mei a bit too quick to run away from her problems.
All in all, I’m happy I followed S. J. into the cozy mystery genre. I was very excited to see that she’d set the book in Japan, once again. And in a small farming town, no less! Mei was a mostly likable protagonist whom I felt grew into a very likable one. The side characters were intriguing, too. I will definitely be back for more of this series.
Right off the bat, let me just say that I will follow S. J. Pajonas anywhere her writing wants to go. I’ve read her sci-fi, contemporary romance, and even her short stories. And now, we come to cozy mysteries. This book is the first I’ve read in that genre, and if it’s anything to go by, I will certainly have to investigate it further.
The titular daydreaming Detective was Mei. She was someone I found to be extremely relatable. As a twenty-six-year-old woman, Mei didn’t really know what to do with her life. Due to losing her job, Mei was forced back home, where she discovered a certain knack for sleuthing. Mei was a bit too blunt at times, speaking before she thought. I went from not liking that about her, to really appreciating it. Her daydreaming was an interesting quirk I haven’t really seen much in adult characters.
This is the first book in a series, so we only just scratched the surface of side characters. So far, though, my favorites are Mei’s mom, and the chef Yasahiro. Mei’s mom was just…great. Even though her daughter wasn’t successful, she was still there for Mei. I think that being proud of someone who still hasn’t quite figured out their place in the world is a pretty awesome thing, and I just loved Mei’s mom. Yasahiro was interesting. A chef trained in France, he came back to his home nation of Japan, and started a high-end restaurant in Mei’s little hometown. He could easily have been arrogant, but he wasn’t. I actually found him pretty sweet, and I liked that he wasn’t scared off by Mei’s directness.
This story was pretty fun. It followed Mei as she lost her job in Tokyo and then came back home to regroup. Upon arriving though, Mei quickly got swept up in the mystery of who killed her childhood best friend’s father. Along the way, Mei rediscovered her love for art, and found out that traditional Japanese food may not be as bad as she’d always made it out to be. I found the story to be an interesting mix of mystery, growth, and a look at how a person changes from when they’re a teenager to an adult. The only downsides were that I guessed the villain pretty early on, and I sometimes found Mei a bit too quick to run away from her problems.
All in all, I’m happy I followed S. J. into the cozy mystery genre. I was very excited to see that she’d set the book in Japan, once again. And in a small farming town, no less! Mei was a mostly likable protagonist whom I felt grew into a very likable one. The side characters were intriguing, too. I will definitely be back for more of this series.
June 8, 2016
I can't say I clicked with any of the characters. I didn't dislike any of them per se, but they were maybe too bland and nice for my tastes, the side characters in particular. The MC was so-so, nothing to hate, nothing to love. The mystery was too predictable, I had guessed everything (and I mean, everything) very early on. The pace was also too slow, and the scenes dragged on.
That said, the writing style flowed very well, and the Japanese setting was so vivid it was palpable. The descriptions weren't over done, but each detail told a story and put me right into the Asian setting. I like it when a book manages to take me out of the real world.
All in all, I am not going to dismiss this author, because I'm sure I can find another story by her more befitting to ME : I'm reading one of her short story, Mamachari matchmaker, and so far, I LOVE, LOVE it, which proves my point!
That said, the writing style flowed very well, and the Japanese setting was so vivid it was palpable. The descriptions weren't over done, but each detail told a story and put me right into the Asian setting. I like it when a book manages to take me out of the real world.
All in all, I am not going to dismiss this author, because I'm sure I can find another story by her more befitting to ME : I'm reading one of her short story, Mamachari matchmaker, and so far, I LOVE, LOVE it, which proves my point!
January 28, 2021
I really thought i would like this more than i did. A day dreaming detective who loses jobs, has an awesome mum and paints is pretty much me. I loathe ‘Friends’ and the other American sitcoms mentioned, but otherwise me and me would be pretty tight. But, i needed a lot more background to take the way she horns in on the investigation - because that’s just how things are done in japan - as real; and what aikido knew made the story absolutely stupid and pointless. killed any sympathy you could have had for her. So many things about this book were great. I am not really sure why I wasn’t happy at the end.
May 14, 2016
This is a cute and sweet story about a young woman who fumbles her way through life. She's living at home again after being fired from her past 3 jobs. Home carries old memories, both comfortable and not, plus new situations.
There is not much plot here; this is more of an exploration of how life is evolving in Japan, and how it affects people from each generation differently. There is a budding romance, a murder mystery, and some internal angst, but nothing dynamic.
Still, this was well written, and an enjoyable stroll through modern-day Japan.
There is not much plot here; this is more of an exploration of how life is evolving in Japan, and how it affects people from each generation differently. There is a budding romance, a murder mystery, and some internal angst, but nothing dynamic.
Still, this was well written, and an enjoyable stroll through modern-day Japan.
February 2, 2021
From the title you would think the book is about a detective who is a daydreamer. You'd be mistaken. It really is about a young woman with self doubt and low self esteem. We learn more about her struggles with these issues than anything else.
She does fall into detective activities as she attempts to clear her friend of suspicion. She does put clues together, but most progress comes from purely accidental coincidences. It was interesting to watch the story develop. My hope is that she matures in follow on novels.
She does fall into detective activities as she attempts to clear her friend of suspicion. She does put clues together, but most progress comes from purely accidental coincidences. It was interesting to watch the story develop. My hope is that she matures in follow on novels.
April 18, 2016
Cute premise and ultimately a nice story. I was put off a little by the ' I am such a screw up' litany from Mei, although I understand how it sets up what follows. I enjoy SJ Pajonas' other books enough that I look forward to seeing her develop these characters. Mei's mother is lovely.
I didn't like this as much as some of her other books (Face Time, Nogiku series) but I liked it well enough to want to read the next one.
I didn't like this as much as some of her other books (Face Time, Nogiku series) but I liked it well enough to want to read the next one.
April 27, 2018
Flimsy story, I was expecting a light detective story but instead, the love element dominated the storyline, serving the main purpose in the story, the development is barely sensible, and I figured that if you knew nothing on Japanese Culture, you find it difficult to understand the vocab the writer used to illustrate the story, like kotatsu, they are literally Japanese romanisation.
I don't think I would like to read the sequel, only if I read most of the books on my reading list.
I don't think I would like to read the sequel, only if I read most of the books on my reading list.
October 24, 2020
Pretty good; a little slow for the genre. It was interesting to have one set in Japan; I had to constantly remind myself to drop the US-centric norms.
I don't like Mei, but perhaps she'll grow into someone I like. While I sometimes feel for those people with such low self-esteem and self-worth, I also tend to ignore them. They're just not the kind of people I want to associate with. Mei *might* grow in confidence; then she'd be a person worth knowing.
I don't like Mei, but perhaps she'll grow into someone I like. While I sometimes feel for those people with such low self-esteem and self-worth, I also tend to ignore them. They're just not the kind of people I want to associate with. Mei *might* grow in confidence; then she'd be a person worth knowing.
July 4, 2023
Not a great book for me. Mei was one of the main characters that I don't care for- borderline whiny and very down on herself. The setting was a totally new one for me (and the primary reason that I read the book), and was interesting. The book was an easy read and the mystery itself was fairly decent, although I had that culprit pegged almost from the beginning. There really wasn't a variety of suspects, so it was an easy solution for me. Probably not going back for another round.
July 19, 2018
A cute mystery that happens to take place in Japan
If you like the quilting mystery series or one of the series about living in the gothic South with kooky neighbors, then this is a good series for you. It has those same elements but also takes place in Japan. If you want a dark, cultural jaunt through Japan, this is not for you.
If you like the quilting mystery series or one of the series about living in the gothic South with kooky neighbors, then this is a good series for you. It has those same elements but also takes place in Japan. If you want a dark, cultural jaunt through Japan, this is not for you.
December 2, 2017
I liked the setting, and it had potential. Unfortunately, the MC is one of the most annoying characters I've come across with no character development during the book, and the plot is very weak. I cannot even remember what significant events happened in the book.
February 10, 2020
This is fine for what it is, but the 'detective' side of it was shunted into the background for some toe-curling girl-meets-boy romance that was just too much. The main character was not entirely likeable either. Cozy, undemanding but lightweight. 2.5 stars.
April 10, 2020
This book was okay, but I like a Cozy Mystery that focuses more on how the "detective" figures out who committed the murder. This story seemed to focus more on her personal life and her struggles with her past. It seemed to me the figuring out the murder was a side note and not the main focus.
dnf
May 12, 2019Main characters I want to punch are not a huge draw for me.
April 9, 2021
This is a cozy murder mystery, set in small-town Japan. The protagonist, Mei Yamagawa, has lost the big-city job she'd longed for, and gradually acclimates to life back in small-town Japan.
This was a pretty generic murder mystery. More than half the book was focused on the romance sub-plot instead of the mystery, and the solution was very simple, only reached by Mei instead of the police because the police didn't seem to actually feel like doing police work.
There was a lot of contrived, idiotic plot-points in this book - which not only hurt the story, but also left me bewildered as they were frequently counter-acted by later events in the book. The most infuriating example; early in the book, the local police officer (an old friend of Mei's) tells her not to get involved in trying to solve the murder. A few paragraphs later he makes a bet with her about who can solve the case first... the hell? Mei tells her best friend, the daughter of the murder victim, about the bet, and the friend is like, 'okay, good luck.' Instead of 'what the f***, is my father's death a joke to you???' The police chief finds out about the bet and is totally fine with it too. And then, a couple chapters later, they just cancel the bet because...? It was legal and respectful before, but we're having second-thoughts? Why couldn't that whole sub-plot have been excised from the book? The whole book felt like it needed more editing. I don't know if the author couldn't get a good editor, I feel like it might have been because some sane edits to the book would have caused the book to self destruct. Later in the book, the officer repeats to Mei, she should NOT get involved with this investigation, it's too dangerous. A page later he asks her to investigate someone's alibi! The police are actually too busy, so, yeah, you do our job for us.
Said alibi is actually no good, as Mei tells the cops. And then they futz around for days not doing anything about that. The murderer kidnaps Mei, but she is saved by a drunken neighbor who had appeared in the book only once before. Everything Mei did could/should have been done by the police, and her big moment of having potential agency ends with somebody else saving the day.
I also do not feel the writer was very familiar with Japan and its culture; people acted too American, but with gratuitous mentions of katanas and kimonos, and Mei was CONSTANTLY making awkward asides about 'we do things like this in Japan, not like in America...' Why the heck would anyone think this way, unless they were trying to explain things to Americans? At one point a professional chef says his "secret ingredient" for Japanese curry is apples, and Mei is mind-blown. That's... that's just wrong. Every mom and grandma in Japan makes their curry with apples. Sorry to be pedantic, but, wrong is wrong. This curry is available at literally every supermarket and convenience store in Japan.
This was just a weak mystery, haphazardly edited, with a constant feel that the writer wanted to be writing a romance instead of a mystery.
This was a pretty generic murder mystery. More than half the book was focused on the romance sub-plot instead of the mystery, and the solution was very simple, only reached by Mei instead of the police because the police didn't seem to actually feel like doing police work.
There was a lot of contrived, idiotic plot-points in this book - which not only hurt the story, but also left me bewildered as they were frequently counter-acted by later events in the book. The most infuriating example; early in the book, the local police officer (an old friend of Mei's) tells her not to get involved in trying to solve the murder. A few paragraphs later he makes a bet with her about who can solve the case first... the hell? Mei tells her best friend, the daughter of the murder victim, about the bet, and the friend is like, 'okay, good luck.' Instead of 'what the f***, is my father's death a joke to you???' The police chief finds out about the bet and is totally fine with it too. And then, a couple chapters later, they just cancel the bet because...? It was legal and respectful before, but we're having second-thoughts? Why couldn't that whole sub-plot have been excised from the book? The whole book felt like it needed more editing. I don't know if the author couldn't get a good editor, I feel like it might have been because some sane edits to the book would have caused the book to self destruct. Later in the book, the officer repeats to Mei, she should NOT get involved with this investigation, it's too dangerous. A page later he asks her to investigate someone's alibi! The police are actually too busy, so, yeah, you do our job for us.
Said alibi is actually no good, as Mei tells the cops. And then they futz around for days not doing anything about that. The murderer kidnaps Mei, but she is saved by a drunken neighbor who had appeared in the book only once before. Everything Mei did could/should have been done by the police, and her big moment of having potential agency ends with somebody else saving the day.
I also do not feel the writer was very familiar with Japan and its culture; people acted too American, but with gratuitous mentions of katanas and kimonos, and Mei was CONSTANTLY making awkward asides about 'we do things like this in Japan, not like in America...' Why the heck would anyone think this way, unless they were trying to explain things to Americans? At one point a professional chef says his "secret ingredient" for Japanese curry is apples, and Mei is mind-blown. That's... that's just wrong. Every mom and grandma in Japan makes their curry with apples. Sorry to be pedantic, but, wrong is wrong. This curry is available at literally every supermarket and convenience store in Japan.
This was just a weak mystery, haphazardly edited, with a constant feel that the writer wanted to be writing a romance instead of a mystery.
August 18, 2018
In as fictional small town near Tokyo, Mei returns home to her farmer mother's house after losing another in a long string of dead-end jobs, getting kicked out of her Tokyo apartment, and basically feeling disappointed and sorry for herself.
But Chikata isn't the small town she left behind anymore. There's a big grocery chain developer, a hipster farm-to-table restaurant run by a France-trained hottie chef, and her best friend's father suddenly dead under mysterious circumstances.
This is an entertaining little cozy mystery with the added bonus of the small-town Japanese feel. Convenience-store food loving Mei challenges Chef Hottie and the result is that he invites her to eat dinner at his restaurant every day for lunch. Truthfully the food, the farm, and the bathhouse stuff was the best. I wish the narrative had lingered even longer on the food Chef Hottie made as well as Mei's farmhouse mother.
There was also a bit of tense confusion here and there, and a somewhat hard-to-believe role for Mei as a helper for a murder investigation....but overall I was reading along quickly wanting to find out how Mei will feel better about herself, solve the murder, and develop things (this is slow burn clean romance folks) a bit with Chef Hottie.
Super-cute, little book I would recommend as an entertaining, fireside read with a cup of tea :)
But Chikata isn't the small town she left behind anymore. There's a big grocery chain developer, a hipster farm-to-table restaurant run by a France-trained hottie chef, and her best friend's father suddenly dead under mysterious circumstances.
This is an entertaining little cozy mystery with the added bonus of the small-town Japanese feel. Convenience-store food loving Mei challenges Chef Hottie and the result is that he invites her to eat dinner at his restaurant every day for lunch. Truthfully the food, the farm, and the bathhouse stuff was the best. I wish the narrative had lingered even longer on the food Chef Hottie made as well as Mei's farmhouse mother.
There was also a bit of tense confusion here and there, and a somewhat hard-to-believe role for Mei as a helper for a murder investigation....but overall I was reading along quickly wanting to find out how Mei will feel better about herself, solve the murder, and develop things (this is slow burn clean romance folks) a bit with Chef Hottie.
Super-cute, little book I would recommend as an entertaining, fireside read with a cup of tea :)
March 16, 2020
I was going to give this book 3 stars, for reasons I will explain, without spoilers (I hope) but went with 4 since several other reviews gave it 4 as well, while complaining of my complaints. I like mysteries, hence the reason I jumped on this book, luckily, I also like travelogues, but this is a travelogue of a fake place in a real country.
There was a mystery, a murder most foul, but all that seemed to take a backseat to Mei walking around and filling us in on why she is so miserable, while being surrounded, mostly, by people who love her and are glad she is around. In the story, she does seem to gather suspects quickly, but so do the police, who actually seem to welcome all help. but then, an encounter happens, in which you start hoping this is the baddie, who deserves punishment, and then the story builds around said person so much, they can't be innocent. I don't want to definitely know the baddie too early, unless they being bad is part of the story.
I was a fun read. I recommend it and will read some of the other, at least, but I hope the chemistry of the writing changes a bit.
There was a mystery, a murder most foul, but all that seemed to take a backseat to Mei walking around and filling us in on why she is so miserable, while being surrounded, mostly, by people who love her and are glad she is around. In the story, she does seem to gather suspects quickly, but so do the police, who actually seem to welcome all help. but then, an encounter happens, in which you start hoping this is the baddie, who deserves punishment, and then the story builds around said person so much, they can't be innocent. I don't want to definitely know the baddie too early, unless they being bad is part of the story.
I was a fun read. I recommend it and will read some of the other, at least, but I hope the chemistry of the writing changes a bit.
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