The unmissable new novel of friendship and dangerous obsession from Asako Yuzuki, the award-winning author of the global bestselling sensation Butter.

Eriko's life appears perfect – devoted parents, pristine apartment and a high-flying job in the seafood division of one of Japan's largest trading companies. Her latest project, to reintroduce the controversial Nile perch fish into the Japanese market, is characteristically ambitious. But beneath her flawless surface she is wracked by loneliness.

Eriko becomes fascinated with a popular blog written by a housewife, Shōko. Shōko’s posts about eating convenience-store food and her untidy home are the opposite of the typical Japanese housewife’s manicured lifestyle. When Eriko tracks Shōko down at her favourite restaurant and befriends her, Shōko is at first charmed by her new companion. But soon Eriko's obsession with Shōko begins to spiral out of control, threatening her carefully laid plans. How far will she go to hold on to the best friend she’s ever had?

Beautifully translated by Polly Barton, Hooked is an unsettling story of the line between friendship and dangerous obsession, and a delicious exploration of food, loneliness and womanhood in contemporary Japan.

There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

This is the second edition of the highly acclaimed classic physiotherapy textbook which has become the definitive guide for undergraduate students, junior physiotherapists and practitioners specialising in obstetrics, gynaecology and urogynaecology. The text has been extensively re-written and up-dated for the twenty-first century by a group of respected specialists in the field. Following in the footsteps of its very successful predecessor, Mantle and Polden's Physiotherapy in Obstetrics & Gynaecology 2E it is extensively referenced and copiously illustrated, and it documents in the most practical and relevant way the scientific and philosophical basis on which all good physiotherapeutic clinical intervention rests. Brimming with evidence based advice and practical tips, the book contains:A detailed anatomical description of the female reproductive, urinary and lower intestinal tracts together with associated structures. The physiology of reproduction, pregnancy, parturition, the puerperium as well as the menopause and beyond. A thorough reasoned account of the physiotherapist's role preconceptually, through the reproductive cycle, to the middle years and beyond Information on a wide range of gynaecological pathologies and relevant surgery Treatment of incontinence in much detail with separate chapters on both urinary and bowel dysfunctions. This comprehensive text will be essential reading for all those participating in the post registration university physiotherapy courses in women's health and continence. The editors, Jill Mantle, Jeanette Haslam and Sue Barton are internationally known as physiotherapists, academics, authors and researchers in this field. Amazingly thorough coverage of the physiotherapist's role in obstetrics and gynecology make this resource the definitive one of its kind. Information includes detailed anatomical descriptions of the female reproductive, urinary and lower intestinal tracts together with associated structures. Material on the physiology of reproduction, pregnancy, parturition, the puerperium, menopause, and more makes this text the definitive resource of its kind. Practical content features a reasoned account of the physiotherapist's role preconceptually, through the reproductive cycle, to the middle years and beyond. Comprehensive coverage includes a wide range of gynecological pathologies and relevant surgeries. Detailed coverage of treatment of incontinence provides helpful knowledge to any practitioner. Information has been updated to reflect modern practice and recent changes in the electrotherapy machines used in labor.