Audiobooks narrated by Hanako Footman

My Grandfather, the Master Detective: The Japanese Bestselling Heartwarming Homage to Classic Myster

"A Japanese Thursday Murder Club, taking healing fiction for a mystery-filled spin with this Japanese bestseller that has sold more than 200,000 copies in Japan. He's not your average Grandpa. As a lover of classic crime stories, it's no surprise that schoolteacher Kaede encounters everyday mysteries more often than your typical twenty-seven-year-old. Solving them is another matter though. For that, she turns to her beloved grandfather, who retains a keen sharpness of mind despite his dementia, and who was once a key member of The Waseda Mystery Club. From impossible locked room murders to confounding missing person cases, the grandfather-granddaughter duo 'weave stories' to get to the bottom of every mystery. But all the while, an insidious shadow from Kaede's past slowly closes in on her . . . Steeped in references to classic crime from Christie to Chesterton to Poe, My Grandfather, the Master Detective plays with the genre, capturing readers imagination in this Tokyo-set escapist mystery. Its charming characters and affectionate focus on relationships are perfect for fans of heart-warming Japanese titles such as Before the Coffee Gets Cold."

Masateru Konishi (Author), Hanako Footman (Narrator)

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The Menu of Happiness: Tuck Into the Uplifting and Moving Japanese Bestseller Perfect for Food Lover

"The Menu of Happiness, translated from Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood, is the third book in the bestselling, delightful Japanese sleuthing series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Welcome to the Kamogawa Diner, where every meal is a mystery ready to be solved. This unique establishment is run by a father-daughter duo who offer more than just mouth-watering meals. They act as 'food detectives', delving into the past to produce nostalgia-infused dishes for their hungry clientele. Among the patrons is a once-renowned pianist whose promising career was marred by a self-inflicted injury. She longs to taste the yakisoba shared with the only man she ever truly loved. The diner also welcomes a man haunted by shadows of regret. His mind races back to the gyoza served by the parents of a lover he once jilted, as he seeks understanding and, perhaps, forgiveness. The Kamogawa Diner doesn't just serve food - it revives the essence of forgotten recipes and rejuvenates cherished memories. Each dish is a portal to the past, serving not just sustenance but solace and reconnection through the miracle of delicious food. The Menu of Happiness follows on from The Kamogawa Food Detectives and The Restaurant of Lost Recipes. 'Feel-good and foodie themes collide in this follow-up to The Kamogawa Food Detectives' - The Times The Menu of Happiness was a Japanese bestseller when it published w/c 04/01/2016"

Hisashi Kashiwai (Author), Hanako Footman (Narrator)

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How to Hold Someone in your Heart

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the multi-million-copy bestselling author of LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR and LOST SOULS MEET UNDER A FULL MOON Ayumi is a young man with special powers to bring back the dead to meet the living. A gift passed down in his family, he is able to arrange meetings according to strict rules and always under a full moon. After years in this role, he begins to question its meaning, and how his powers affect his own desires in the real world. Meanwhile, he helps out five characters: -A young film star finds resolution with the father who abandoned him, but not as he expected; - An amateur historian is obsessed to meet a minor warlord of the sixteenth century; -Ayumi anxiously juggles two meetings on the same evening, both have lost their daughters; -A former cook, whose request to visit an upper-class young woman in the afterlife has been repeatedly rejected, is finally granted his wish. Find out how Ayumi and his clients learn to lose their regrets, open up to the unexpected, and cherish what they already have in this profound and moving novel by Japan's leading storyteller. © Mizuki Tsujimura 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Mizuki Tsujimura (Author), Ami Okumura Jones, Hanako Footman, Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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Sympathy Tower Tokyo

"Brought to you by Penguin. The award-winning, bestselling Japanese phenomenon. A propulsive, prophetic novel about the beauty of language and the nature of identity in the age of AI. Welcome to the Japan of tomorrow. Here, the practice of a radical sympathy toward criminals has become the norm and a grand skyscraper in the heart of Tokyo is planned to house wrongdoers in compassionate comfort – Sympathy Tower Tokyo. Acclaimed architect Sara Machina has been tasked with designing the city's new centrepiece, but is riven by doubt. Haunted by a terrible crime she experienced as a young girl, she wonders if she might inherently disagree with the values of the project, which should be the pinnacle of her career. As Sara grapples with these conflicting emotions, her relationship with her gorgeous – and much younger – boyfriend grows increasingly strained. In search of solace, in need of creative inspiration, Sara turns to the knowing words of an AI chatbot… Awarded Japan's highest literary prize, Sympathy Tower Tokyo is an extraordinary novel from one of the most exciting new voices in world literature. Partly inspired by conversations with an artificial intelligence, it offers an extraordinary defence of the power of language written by humans, a touching exploration of the imaginative impulse, and an often hilarious send up of our modern world's unrelenting conformity. 'Stuns and illuminates. Sympathy Tower Tokyo is an ode to language and possibility and the ongoing question of how to be in an ever-changing world.' Bryan Washington, author of Memorial 'A brilliantly ambitious struggle and mediation on language, thought and existence. A wondrous book', Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Chain-Gang All-Stars © Rie Qudan 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Rie Qudan (Author), Hanako Footman (Narrator)

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Happiness Forever

"‘I wanted to pass it on to all my friends’ SHEILA HETI 'Remarkable clarity and humour' VOGUE 'A book full of wisdom … clever and funny' DAILY MAIL ‘Disarmingly sweet’ NICOLA DINAN 'Funny and tender' PANDORA SYKES 'Had me hopelessly charmed' AMY KEY ‘A fever dream' SHARLENE TEO 'Impossible to put down’ LISA OWENS A most anticipated book of 2025 in Vogue, Our Culture, The Bookseller and Publishers Weekly A hilarious and utterly original debut novel following a woman trying to make sense of her life and herself as she falls in love with her therapist. Sylvie is only happy when she is at therapy. This is because Sylvie is in love with her therapist. She wants to kiss her and roll around on the floor with her. She thinks about her every second they’re not together (roughly 167 hours and 10 minutes per week). She’s aware she has an obsession, but whether it is – as her therapist suggests – a case of extreme ‘erotic transference’, or a lost person’s need to connect, Sylvie isn’t sure. Beyond therapy, Sylvie has what she considers to be a small life: a job as a veterinary nurse, her little brain-damaged dog, Curtains, and a new friend Chloe who she met on the beach. When the therapist delivers some devastating news, Sylvie has to imagine new and lasting ways of coping (that don’t include being adopted by the therapist). Her world has begun to open up, inching beyond the fear that has confined her until now, and she must decide whether she’s ready for a bravery of feeling. In this stunning debut novel, Adelaide Faith encapsulates the great vulnerability, difficulty and joy of being alive. 'There is so much rare humour and insight and sweetness and humanity … and a true and ringing voice' Sheila Heti, author of Pure Colour ‘A spare, associative novel of projection and self-acceptance’ New Yorker 'A tragicomic portrait of a mind in the process of healing' The Cut 'Witty and irreverent … Readers will fall in love' Publishers Weekly 'A jaw-dropping, exhilarating, completely original high-wire act' Jessica Stanley, author of Consider Yourself Kissed 'With tenderness and never force, Happiness Forever reminds us that the most meaningful choices can be the small, everyday things that simply string a life together' Pandora Sykes, author of How Do We Know We're Doing It Right? ‘For fans of Convenience Store Woman and Pond’ Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti ‘Surprising and funny … poignant and philosophical … a book I won't soon forget’ Chelsea Hodson, author of Tonight I'm Someone Else Readers love Happiness Forever ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: 'Utterly beguiling … a truly memorable read' 'Quite honestly couldn’t put it down' 'An utter joy to read! I loved it from start to finish. For fans of Big Swiss!' 'A beautifully crafted debut, filled with heart, wit and a deep understanding of what it means to be human' 'Humorous, bizarre and touching … A very strong debut!' 'So charged and insightful and provocative … I recommend it highly'"

Adelaide Faith (Author), Hanako Footman (Narrator)

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The Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon

"Brought to you by Penguin. THE UNFORGETTABLE MILLION-COPY JAPANESE BESTSELLER BY THE AUTHOR OF LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR Brimming with suspense and heartbreak, the million-copy Japanese fantasy mystery for fans of BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD and LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR Is there anyone you wish to see? So asks the smart young man, Ayumi, to his clients who have come to him for a reunion with the person who once changed their life. But it is no ordinary reunion The people they ask to see have passed away. Calling himself the go-between, Ayumi lays down strict rules around the meetings between the living and the dead: the deceased cannot have been summoned by anyone else; they may refuse; and they must meet under a full moon. - Anxious Hirase asks to see the celebrity who showed her kindness at a critical moment; - An arrogant family man wants clarity about a will from his beloved mother; - After a bike accident, a school girl has a question for her former best friend; - A salary man wants to ask the only woman he ever loved what caused her to run away. With each reunion, tantalizing clues are scattered for readers to piece together the emotional truth behind the go-between in this mesmeric and unputdownable tale of kindness, compassion and connection. Who would you like to see? Watch out for HOW TO HOLD SOMEONE IN YOUR HEART, the sequel to LOST SOULS MEET UNDER A FULL MOON coming soon. 'Recalls early Murakami. An enchanting read' FT First published in Japan under the title TSUNAGU or GO-BETWEEN ©2025 Mizuki Tsujimura (P)2025 Penguin Audio"

Mizuki Tsujimura (Author), Ami Okumura Jones, Hanako Footman, Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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May You Have Delicious Meals

"Brought to you by Penguin. WINNER OF THE 2022 AKUTAGAWA PRIZE The power dynamics of the office are never more obvious than when it comes to food: mandatory lunches with the boss, the colleague who tries to curry favour with home-baked goods, discovering the discarded remnants of someone else's late-night binge . . . In their Saitama office, Ashikawa is the kind of woman Nitani knows he will likely marry: sweet, obliging, and determined to wean him off his addiction to instant noodles. But he finds himself increasingly unable to respect her – or the sugary treats she shares around the workplace, winning their colleagues’ affection with baking rather than hard work. Oshio is bolder and uninhibited – she is Nitani's drinking buddy. In the oppressive office atmosphere, the pair grows closer, both outsiders struggling with the rigid status quo. Driven to behave in increasingly absurd ways by the workplace rules that govern their lives, they must navigate the tensions of modern life: between leisure and hard work; indulgence and restraint; the promise of delicious food, and the reality of a lonely pot noodle. © Junko Takase 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Junko Takase (Author), Hanako Footman (Narrator)

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The Blood of Others

"Brought to you by Penguin. Potent and vividly emotional, Simone de Beauvoir’s captivating novel questions freedom and individual responsibility in the face of brutality ‘These carefree faces, on which we allowed our smiles to spread, were for others the mask of tragedy.’ Jean Blomart, patriot leader against the German forces of occupation, waits throughout an endless night for his wounded lover, Hélène, to die. Told through memories of his and her life, The Blood of Others paints an intense and moving picture of their love story and life in German occupied Paris during the Second World War. In the face of a seemingly unstoppable force, Hélène and Jean are confronted by the illusion of freedom and made to question their individual roles in the collective struggle against fascism, with devastating consequences. First published in 1945, this powerful novel resonates profoundly today and brings the ideas of one of the most important existentialist thinkers to life in spellbinding prose. © Simone de Beauvoir 1945 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

Simone de Beauvoir (Author), Ali Smith, Hanako Footman, Rory Alexander (Narrator)

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Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop: The ultimate gift for cosy fiction lovers

"From the publishers of the international bestseller Days at the Morisaki Bookshop comes a new book about the beauty of humble objects, the power of writing, and reconnecting with those you have lost. Write a letter, heal your heart . . . Hidden away in a corner of the Ginza neighbourhood is a venerable stationery shop. To venture inside is to find everything your stationery-loving heart desires, from the most delicate paper to fountain pens that fit exactly to the shape of your hand to gorgeously coloured inks. The shop owner intuits your every need, inviting you to take a seat at a small wooden table on the top floor, where you'll find the words flowing, helping you unlock repressed memories, secret longings and your own mysteries. To this shop comes a young company employee, uncertain in his career and needing a connection back to his past; the hostess of an elegant club; the vice-captain of a high-school archery team, an ageing businessman and a formerly homeless sushi chef. With impeccable manners and a warm demeanour, the shop owner helps each of them with more than just their stationery needs."

Kenji Ueda (Author), Hanako Footman, Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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[Japanese] - The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

"Including an introductory letter written by the author, Hisashi Kashiwai. The Restaurant of Lost Recipes, translated from Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood, is the second book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese sleuthing series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and follows on from The Kamogawa Food Detectives. Tucked away down a Kyoto backstreet lies the extraordinary Kamogawa Diner. Running this unique establishment are a father-daughter duo who serve more than just mouth-watering feasts. The pair have reinvented themselves as 'food detectives', offering a service that goes beyond traditional dining. Through their culinary sleuthing, they reconstruct beloved dishes from the memories of their customers, creating a connection to cherished moments from the past. Among those who seek an appointment is a one-hit wonder pop star, finally ready to leave Tokyo and give up on her singing career. She wants to try the tempura that she once ate to celebrate her only successful record. Another diner is a budding Olympic swimmer, who desires the bento lunch box that his estranged father used to make him. The Kamogawa Diner doesn't just serve meals - it revives lost recipes and rekindles forgotten memories. It's a doorway to the past through the miracle of delicious food."

Hisashi Kashiwai (Author), Dai Tabuchi, Hanako Footman (Narrator)

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The Lantern of Lost Memories: A charming and heartwarming story for fans of cosy Japanese fiction

"One photograph, one treasured memory, one chance to go back . . . If you could relive one day of your life, which would you choose? In a cosy photography studio in the mountains between this world and the next, someone is waking up as if from a dream. A kind man will hand them a hot cup of tea and gently explain that, having reached the end of their life, they have one final task. There is a stack of photos on their lap, one for every day of their life, and now they must choose the pictures that capture their most treasured memories, which will be placed in a beautiful lantern. Once completed, it will be set spinning, and their cherished moments will flash before their eyes, guiding them to another world. But, like our most thumbed-over photographs, our favourite memories become faded with age, so each visitor to the studio has the chance to choose one day to return to and photograph afresh. Each has a treasured story to tell, from the old woman rebuilding a community in Tokyo after a disaster, to the flawed Yakuza man who remembers a time when he was kind, and a strong child who is fighting to survive. Extraordinarily moving and wise, Sanaka Hiiragi's The Lantern of Lost Memories is a beautiful Japanese tale about the people that make us and the moments that change us."

Sanaka Hiiragi (Author), Hanako Footman (Narrator)

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Storm of Lies

"Secrets and Lies are everywhere you look! And the storm is coming! The new teen thriller from Sophie McKenzie, the bestselling author of Girl Missing Hollie has spent her whole life on the quiet south coast. She's faced some tough challenges, but then who hasn't? When she and her best friend, Parker, start a research project on the local sea-wall defences, the last thing she expects is to uncover a trail of lies that lead her – and those she loves most – into terrible danger. Soon Hollie finds herself at the centre of a growing storm, where she must fight to save everything: her friends, her family and her life . . . Praise for Girl, Missing: 'Page-turning' The Independent 'Will have you gripped for hours' Sunday Express 'Please read this book: it is brilliant!; The Guardian 'Whenever I hear the phrase YA thriller I only ever think of one name - and that's Sophie Mckenzie. Why? Because noboody does it better' Phil Earle, award-winning author 'Sophie's thrillers are brilliant... you can't stop reading' Robert Muchamore, bestselling author 'Brilliantly described, scary and touching' The Daily Mirror 10 YEARS OF AWARDS FOR Girl, Missing Manchester Children's Book Awards Bolton Children's Book Award Soilhill Book Award Winner of the Sakura Medal Red House Children's Book Award Richard and Judy Best Kids' Book Lewisham Children's Book Award "

Sophie McKenzie (Author), Hanako Footman (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Hanako Footman