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Strange Pictures

The Chilling Japanese Mystery Sensation

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Strange Pictures

By: Uketsu, Jim Rion - translator
Narrated by: Andrew Grace
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THE TIMES BESTSELLER

'So captivating I read it in a day. So disturbing I thought about it all night' - Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal

'The twists of a Golden Age whodunit, mixed with a wonderfully innovative use of illustrations. Delightfully macabre and fiendishly clever' - G.T. Karber, author of Murdle

A Japanese mystery bestseller, revolving around a series of creepy drawings, in which the listener is the detective - from the YouTube sensation Uketsu

A series of drawings made by a young woman before her death.

A child's disturbing picture of his home.

A desperate sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments.

Each contains a chilling warning.

Each reveals a terrible secret, hidden in plain sight.

Uketsu's eerie mysteries have captivated millions of readers. Can you find the clues in these strange pictures and uncover the sinister truth that connects them all?

Readers love Strange Pictures:

'Unlike anything I've read before... Insanely clever and imaginative'

'This unputdownable read delivers a perfectly constructed puzzle that comes together with a fantastic precision... The strange pictures are truly mesmerizing!'

'This was eerie and so, so clever! I was hooked' Crime Fiction Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Literary Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Scary
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Critic reviews

He's the biggest crime writer in Japan - now Uketsu's work is set to become a UK sensation... Strange Pictures is a collection of eerie mystery stories, ingeniously connected to each other in ways that only become apparent towards the end of the book... It is certainly an enjoyably discomfiting read: Uketsu has the ability to evoke a sense of mounting unease
A macabre, unsettling box of tricks
A creepy little delight of a brainteaser... Innovative and a lot of fun
All stars
Most relevant
Imaginative story bringing strands of stories to a testing and satisfying conclusion. I burned through it in a few hours. The picture links are vital so not one for the car if you want to enjoy the story evolving

Fun holiday Read

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Strange Pictures is a carefully constructed mystery that reveals itself layer by layer. The story is genuinely strong and full of unexpected turns, yet it never relies on cheap twists. Instead, each revelation feels earned, as if the clues were always there waiting to be noticed.

Uketsu writes in a surprisingly familiar and almost conversational tone, which makes the narrative easy to enter while simultaneously increasing the unease. The simplicity of the language contrasts with the intricacy of the structure, and this tension is what makes the book so compelling. The illustrations are not a gimmick but an essential part of the storytelling, inviting the reader to actively participate in the mystery.

What stood out most is how articulated the narrative feels: separate elements gradually connect into a coherent and satisfying whole. By the end, the surprises do not just shock, they reframe everything that came before. An engaging and very clever piece of storytelling that lingers in your mind well after finishing it.

Deceptively simple, quietly unsettling

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Creative and emersive thanks to the PDF drawings. I think you can listen and follow along just as easily without seeing the drawings as the story telling is descriptive of the drawings themselves, however, you will have a better experience by following it along with the drawings.

fun and emersive story

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Can’t fault the narration. The story is satisfyingly twisty, if a bit far-fetched. But it’s just so much fun! Be sure to follow along with the paperback, as the drawings add a lot to the story.

A fun and fanciful read

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Kept me interested throughout, can get confusing but wraps up nicely in the end, would recommend!

Interesting read

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