The spine-tingling mystery horror bestseller that has taken Japan by storm–an eerie fresh take on horror for fans ofHidden Picturesand Junji Ito, in which a series of seemingly innocent pictures draws you into a disturbing web of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches.

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 mystery behind each and the over-arching backstory that connects them all.Strange Picturesis 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.

Translated from the Japanese by Jim Rion

Uketsuis an enigmatic presence on YouTube and an author specializing in horror and mystery. He always appears in videos wearing a white mask and black body stocking, with his voice digitally distorted. His true identity is unknown. Both his novelsStrange PicturesandStrange Houses(forthcoming from HarperVia ) were massive hits in Japan, where he lives.

Jim Rion has lived in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan since 2004. He began professionally translating Japanese to English in 2015, primarily in cultural and travel fields. From 2018, he began working with local sake brewers on international expansion, and in 2022 Stone Bridge Press published his book Discovering Yamaguchi Sake, a guide to all the sake breweries in his home prefecture.

He has published translations of two horror/Cthlulhu mythos books with (now defunct) publisher Kurodahan Press, and from 2022 began working with Pushkin Vintage on translating Japanese crime and mystery fiction into English. The first work,The Devil’s Flute Murdersby Yokomizo Seishi, was published in 2023. His translation ofStrange Picturesby Japanese horror/crime writer Uketsu, is scheduled for publication in January 2025.

• Publisher: Harpervia
• Publish Date: January 14, 2025
• Pages: 240
• Dimensions: 5.56 x 0.81 x 8.56 inches | 1.0 pounds
• Language: English
• Type: Paperback
• EAN/UPC: 9780063433083
• BISAC Categories: Horror – General Psychological Thrillers – Supernatural, Mystery & Detective – Amateur Sleuth Thrillers – Suspense Thrillers – Psychological