Strange Houses - by Uketsu

About the Book

"From the bestselling author of the wildly inventive Strange Pictures and a phenomenon in Japan-unnatural layouts, trap doors, windowless rooms- a sinister conspiracy is concealed within a house's warped and unsettling floor plans When a writer fascinated by the macabre is approached by an acquaintance, he finds himself investigating an eerie house for sale in Tokyo. At first, with its bright and spacious interior, it seems the perfect first home. But upon closer inspection, the building's floor plans reveal a mysterious "dead space" hidden between its walls. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the floor plans with his friend Kurihara, an architect, only to discover more unnerving details throughout. What is the true purpose behind the house's disturbing design? And what happened to the former owners who disappeared without a trace? When a body suddenly appears and a young woman reaches out about a second house, it soon becomes clear that the writer and his friend may be in over their heads. Structured around a series of chilling floorplans, with Strange Houses, mystery-horror YouTube sensation Uketsu casts readers in the role of detective, inviting them to help map out the truth hidden within these puzzling floor plans ... and the terrifying plot behind it all"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"Deliciously unsettling and refreshingly unique, Strange Houses will lure you in and keep you captive with every clever twist." --Kristen Perrin, New York Times bestselling author of How to Solve Your Own Murder

From the bestselling author of the wildly inventive Strange Pictures and a phenomenon in Japan--unnatural layouts, trap doors, windowless rooms-- a sinister conspiracy is concealed within a house's warped and unsettling floor plans

When a writer fascinated by the macabre is approached by an acquaintance, he finds himself investigating an eerie house for sale in Tokyo. At first, with its bright and spacious interior, it seems the perfect first home. But upon closer inspection, the building's floor plans reveal a mysterious "dead space" hidden between its walls. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the floor plans with his friend Kurihara, an architect, only to discover more unnerving details throughout.

What is the true purpose behind the house's disturbing design? And what happened to the former owners who disappeared without a trace? When a body suddenly appears and a young woman reaches out about a second house, it soon becomes clear that the writer and his friend may be in over their heads. Structured around a series of chilling floorplans, with Strange Houses, mystery-horror YouTube sensation Uketsu casts readers in the role of detective, inviting them to help map out the truth hidden within these puzzling floor plans . . . and the terrifying plot behind it all.

Translated from the Japanese by Jim Rion

Review Quotes

"Deliciously unsettling and refreshingly unique, Strange Houses will lure you in and keep you captive with every clever twist." -- Kristen Perrin, New York Times bestselling author of How to Solve Your Own Murder

"Uketsu expertly builds sprawling layers of bizarre revelations, and remarkably convinces with his controlled, methodical explanations about once-powerful multigenerational families, inheritance, sacrifice, loyalty. The angular, crisp floorplans enhancing the pages throughout underscore a sense of careful, contained planning, enticing and enthralling readers to undoubtedly believe." -- Shelf Awareness

Praise for Uketsu's Strange Pictures: --

"I loved it! It has the twists and fair-play style of a Golden Age whodunit, mixed with a wonderfully innovative use of illustrations. Delightfully macabre and fiendishly clever. Seemingly unconnected stories tie themselves into a complicated knot, which Uketsu masterfully unravels." -- G. T. Karber, author of the national bestseller Murdle

"A labyrinthine and multilayered horror mystery, full of cryptic images . . . wonderfully complex and carefully crafted . . . This is a story where revelations and new questions wait around every corner, and Uketsu keeps readers guessing until the very end." -- New York Times Book Review

"Dare you say what you see? Not if it's between the unnerving pages of Strange Pictures by anonymous Japanese enigma Uketsu. . . . This refreshingly original, eerie treat of a puzzle invites the reader to immerse themselves in the darkest of mysteries. So captivating I read it in a day. So disturbing I thought about it all night. Uketsu is a disrupter, the master of quiet horror." -- Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal

"[A] triumphant international debut ... with a surprisingly strong emotional core that will keep readers glued to the page until the unsettling conclusion. This intricate puzzle box is a must for horror fans." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Part Rubik's Cube, part Russian doll, part kaleidoscope and altogether irresistible. Strange Pictures is heady, giddy, genre-blurring stuff and so fizzy with invention and possibility that I almost pity the next novel I read." -- A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window and End of Story

"A creepy little delight of a brainteaser . . . Strange Pictures is innovative and a lot of fun." -- The Guardian

"Already a sensation in Japan, this unconventional story detail[ing] nine simple drawings and the dark secret that ties them together. . . . is as creative as it is fleet and offers a whirlwind ride." -- Variety