Book Review: Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Haunting illustrations are key to solving generational murders
Pushkin Vertigo, 2025
Why hadn't she thought of it before? Perhaps she had been too caught up in the bizarre idea of Yuta scribbling out his own home.
Scribbling out a mistake... That was a real possibility.
Her eyes fell on her crayon box. What colour did children use when they tried to erase a drawing mistake? She didn't even have to think about it.
I picked up this weird mystery novel in Foyles and was immediately intrigued by the addition of drawings sprinkled throughout the text. It transpires the visual material is integral to solving the murder mystery penned by Japanese author Uketsu (雨穴), who themselves remained anonymous in the guise of an all encompassing black leotard and papier-mâché mask.
Writing about Strange Pictures is a difficult task, inasmuch as any mention of the characters will inevitably give away spoilers of the plot, but the book has some clever conceits that can only be fully appreciated with the aid of the visual material.
A fun, interesting read for anyone who likes a sprinkle of something extra with their usual diet of crime and horror.
Translated into English by Jim Rion.
This review originally appeared in Dispatch Edition #5.
The Dispatch is a monthly roundup by British speculative fiction writer, Jordan Acosta. News, short reviews and more, published every first Thursday. You can subscribe at jordanacosta.co, and read previous editions, here.
