Everything I’ve previously said about the “Kamogawa Food Detectives” series still holds for A Serving of Hope, the fourth installment. The formula is the same: clients come to Kyoto chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi with culinary mysteries – meals from their past they need help recreating – and the duo solves them, one chapter at a time.
What felt a little fresher here was the roster of clients. The people who walked through the door in this book felt more varied and interesting than in previous installments, their mysteries a little more complex, which helped.
But I’m still waiting for more. Some hint of character development in Koishi and Nagare’s own lives. A thread that carries from chapter to chapter. Even a small one would do.
Still, that’s not really what these books are for. They’re a Xanax in book form – short, easy, cozy, and requiring absolutely zero concentration. Nothing bad happens. If that’s what you need right now, this series will deliver. Readers who have loved the previous books will love this one, as well as readers looking to feel totally transported to Japan.
PS: Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
