If you read thrillers, you would enjoy Uketsu’s genre blend of horror and thriller with murders aplenty. I read “Strange Houses” first and had to read “Strange Pictures” right away. This one too is translated by Jim Rion.

“Strange Pictures” was published first in 2022 after “Strange Houses” and while it does feature a prominent character, Kunihara, from “Strange Houses”, this one shows him still a student. So, in a way, this reads like a prequel to “Strange Houses”. If you’re looking to start reading Uketsu’s works, I suggest going with the publishing order like I did. These books are good reads as standalones too, but I suspect once you get a taste of Uketsu’s stellar writing and plot, you’d be coming back for more.

I am trying not to bore you by reviewing books of the same genre back to back but the Japanese murder mystery revival has been a fresh breath of air in the otherwise stale scene and Uketsu is dominating the lists with his books. The interest in the author’s identity has fuelled controversies and speculations but it is undeniable that the premise of plots are unique in their own right in his books. Strange Pictures was more complicated that Strange Houses but the culmination of the story paid off generously.

Four interconnected stories are centered around the pictures the victims or involved people draw leading up the crime. Putting these pictures together, they reveal a ghastly truth about the murders and the motive behind them that exposes the complex fabric of familial relationships and breaks down those bonds.

The readers are drawn in by the sheer interactive setting of the plot, we are invited to do more than just follow along. You give it a go at solving the murders as you try to figure out what the drawings mean and how it points to the criminal. It is not an easy task to take up.

The mystery begins with a family blog that allude to the death of the wife while giving birth to the child. But all is not quite right there. Some posts are deleted and the husband has uploaded a series of photos sketched by his now-dead wife. The clues are held in these photos. As the plot progresses to other mysteries with a sketch in it, the reader is able to start seeing the threads that connect these mysteries together.

Sharp language and extraordinary narrative style to bring the mystery to life, Uketsu excels at holding the readers’ attention and building his own world seamlessly. Multiple suspects in multiple murders or seemingly accidental deaths culminate in one question — Why? Once the incidents are connected together, a new deduction begins to identify the culprit.

This exciting journey is everything you can wish for in a a murder-mystery. Unlike Strange Houses, the horror factor is toned down low in this installment of Uketsu’s work. However, I am excited to get my hands on Uketsu’s latest release, Strange Buildings and see how it measures up against these two works.

You can grab your copy of Strange Pictures by Uketsu here.

(I earn a small commission from every qualified purchase from the link to continue reading and reviewing)

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Have you read Strange Pictures yet? Or any other works by Uketsu? What are your thoughts on them?

Feel free to drop a comment or reach out to me across social media at @thecalcuttanbibliophile. I would love to hear from you.