I just finished Strange Pictures, a Japanese mystery novel by Uketsu, translated into English by Jim Rion. Honestly, it’s one of the strangest mystery books I’ve read in a while — in a good way.
The story is built around drawings and split into four chapters. At first, I didn’t realise they were connected. After Chapter 1, I was like… huh? That’s it? Then slowly, everything started to click. Different people, different events, all linked through the pictures. Suddenly, the story made sense.
I liked how the mystery unfolded quietly. No big drama, no action scenes — just clues hidden in sketches, diaries, and memories. It really felt like solving a puzzle together with the author.
The writing is simple and easy to read, but the ideas are clever. Some parts gave me chills because they felt so ordinary yet so sad. The book shows how trauma, loneliness, and misunderstandings can hide in plain sight.
The concept is fresh and memorable. I kept thinking about it after finishing.
There were quite a few names and connections, so I had to flip back pages sometimes to remember who was who 😅
But maybe that’s part of the puzzle feeling.
This book is quiet but disturbing. Simple drawings, simple writing, but dark truths hiding underneath. It’s not a loud thriller, but it stays with you.
If you enjoy psychological mysteries, puzzle-like stories, or Japanese fiction with unusual ideas, this one is worth checking out.
If you’d like to read it yourself, you can check out Strange Pictures here: https://amzn.to/3OB2Kpu.
Rating
⭐ 4 / 5
May x
