Strange Pictures: An Eerie Journey through disturbing drawings – the debut novel from a mystery horror YouTube sensation

A BARNES AND NOBLE BEST BOOK OF 2025

"Uketsu’s strange riddles are chilling and addictive – I couldn’t put it down." —R. F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface

"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

"Wonderfully complex and carefully crafted . . . Uketsu keeps readers guessing until the very end." —New York Times Book Review

The spine-tingling "triumphant international debut" (Publishers Weekly starred review) that has taken Japan by storm—an eerie and fiendishly clever Japanese puzzle mystery in which a series of seemingly innocent pictures draws you into a disturbing web of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches.

This psychological thriller is an exploration of the macabre, where the seemingly mundane takes on a terrifying significance. . . .

A pregnant woman's sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning.

A child's picture of his home contains a dark secret message.

A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbithole that will reveal a horrifying reality.

Structured around these nine childlike drawings, each holding a disturbing clue, Uketsu invites readers to piece together the interconnected mysteries behind each and the over-arching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the internationally bestselling debut from mystery horror YouTube sensation Uketsu—an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.

A great read for spooky-season nights
A perfect addition to any Halloween reading list

Translated from the Japanese by Jim Rion.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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Published Jan 14, 2025

240 pages

Average rating: 7.6

90 RATINGS

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Bea Melanie

Mar 01, 2026

This is an interesting and imaginative novel that takes a series of pictures and builds stories around their purpose and the moments behind them. The book is divided into four sections that initially feel unrelated, yet as the narrative unfolds, subtle connections emerge between the characters in each story. The author does an impressive job weaving these threads together. While a few of the explanations require a bit of a stretch of the imagination, the overarching structure is clever and thoughtfully executed. At times, the storytelling feels somewhat dry or restrained. However, I suspect that may be due in part to the fact that the novel is translated from Japanese, where tone and nuance don’t always carry over seamlessly into English. Overall, it’s a unique concept with an intricately connected narrative that makes for an intriguing read.

NicoyaBeauty

Feb 08, 2026

Very good mystery. The lore was interesting and I was pleasantly surprised at points in the book where things are revealed

bookblabber.abhi

Jan 22, 2026

10/10 stars

Strange Pictures by Uketsu is a mind-boggling mystery built around eerie, unsettling drawings. And I haven’t read a book of 200+ pages that fast recently. In four days. If not for adulting errands, I could’ve finished it in one sitting. This book really was that gripping. The novel is a compilation of four dark stories, with interconnected characters... - a blogger posting life updates - a child living with his mama - murder of an art teacher - a girl with her bird Each of these stories has a sketch, acting as a clue to the mystery in that story. They’re separate cases on their own, but story after story... everything starts connecting. The writing itself is plain and simple. Makes the stories easy to follow and keeps the focus where it belongs... on the pictures (and notes). Reading Strange Pictures was quite an interactive experience, I must say, pulling you in to play detective. What was even more fulfilling for me was that by the time the lead character solves the puzzles within stories, I could solve them, too. And I chuckled at the end, amazed at how beautifully the author closed the loop that started in the first story. Had to stop reading for a while just to savour the closure. It was completely engrossing. If you love mystery and detective fiction, Strange Pictures is highly recommended. Also, even though it doesn’t particularly feel like a thriller, it gives you thrills as you connect the dots. It’s absolutely worth picking up. My first 5-star read of 2026.

Tuli

Dec 07, 2025

Ahh this book was so good! It had me on my toes the whole time. I will forever remember this book as the one that got me into mystery’s.

jayapapaya

Nov 02, 2025

8/10 stars

almost perfect but etf was that ending girl