Butt Detective: Butt Detective in Love?!

This volume features two stories: "Butt Detective Falls in Love!?" and "The Pink Threatening Letter."

One day, Butt Detective and Brown visited the "Lucky Cat" café for their usual afternoon tea, only to find the place packed with customers. Surprised, Brown asked Ms. Suzu what was going on. It turned out everyone had come to see the new employee, Ms. Berry. Dreaming of owning her own café one day, Berry had asked the owner for a chance to work and learn at "Lucky Cat." Beautiful and charming, she captivated everyone—even Butt Detective began acting strangely; whenever he got close to her, his heart would start pounding...

Although Ms. Berry was a skilled cook and a diligent worker, she was also a bit of a klutz (and had a delicate constitution prone to stumbling or feeling dizzy). The first time she served a drink to Butt Detective, she accidentally spilled hot tea on his hand. The next day, worried about the burn and wanting to apologize, she bought ingredients to cook curry at the detective agency—only to leave her parasol behind at the market. Later, believing she was being stalked, she turned to Butt Detective for help. Wishing to apologize for all the trouble she had caused, she tried to bake his favorite sweet potato pie at the agency, but she left the key ingredient—the "Golden Sweet Potato"—on her mobile cart and mixed up the sugar with spicy seasoning. As a result, after eating the pie, Butt Detective felt dizzy and weak all over... Just then, a call came in from Ms. Hoshiyo of the Yangliu family—who had entrusted the "Yellow-Eyed Ring" to Butt Detective—asking for its immediate return. What should he do? If you were Butt Detective, would you choose to trust Ms. Berry? ……Just who is this young, beautiful, and charming woman?

While cleaning the "Lucky Cat" café, Miss Suzu found a sheet of pink stationery bearing the message: "To Miss Suzu / Today I am going to sue you..." but it was unsigned. Could Miss Suzu have made an enemy somewhere, leading to the receipt of such a peculiar "threatening letter"?! Who wrote it? What is their true motive? Watch as the ever-sharp Butt Detective uses his brilliant deductive skills to unravel the threads of this bizarre mystery. (Is it possible that the letter didn't actually say "I am going to sue you"? The presence or absence of a single character could completely change the interpretation of the message...)

(*A friendly reminder from the editor: What comes to mind when you hear "Phantom Thief Academy"? From *Butt Detective Reader 8: The Bride Targeted by the Phantom Thief* and *Butt Detective Reader 9: Who Gets the Lucky Cat?* to this volume—how much do we really know about this mysterious "international criminal organization"? Who is its leader? Who are the known members? And what is the connection between Phantom Thief U and the group?)

Main Characters
Butt Detective: Always calm and composed. He loves piping-hot drinks and sweet treats (especially sweet potato pie). His hobbies include enjoying afternoon tea and reading. His catchphrase is, "Hmm... I smell something suspicious."

Brown: Butt Detective's assistant. He has an honest and straightforward personality but is often careless when he gets too excited.

Berry: A new part-time worker at the "Lucky Cat" café. She dreams of opening her own café one day. She dislikes direct sunlight and always carries a parasol when going out. She considers herself an excellent cook. ------------------------

About the Author/Illustrator

Troll

Troll is a creative duo consisting of Yoko Tanaka (text; born 1976) and Masahide Fukasawa (illustrations; born 1981). Their series featuring "Butt Detective" (Oshiri Tantei) has been immensely popular with readers, spawning both picture book and early reader series (published in Traditional Chinese by Yuan-Liou). Their other works include the picture book *Onigashima Marathon* (tentative title).

About the Translator

Chang Tung-chun

Having studied zoology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and previously worked at a zoo, Chang’s name is frequently associated with animals; she has produced a staggering number of popular science books and translations. However, she is also an avid mystery fan. As a child, she loved Sherlock Holmes, Arsène Lupin, Kogoro Akechi, and Boy Detective Kobayashi; during junior high, she founded *Detective Weekly* (which ran for four issues) and launched the "Detective Alliance," a group that actually took on cases. She finds her greatest joy in reviewing or writing introductions for mystery novels, which allows her to get an early look at the stories. She remains highly active in the mystery community.