{"product_id":"strange-houses-jim-rion","title":"Strange Houses - Jim Rion","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrief Description\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\"From the bestselling author of the wildly inventive Strange Pictures and a phenomenon in Japan-unnatural layouts, trap doors, windowless rooms- a sinister conspiracy is concealed within a house's warped and unsettling floor plans When a writer fascinated by the macabre is approached by an acquaintance, he finds himself investigating an eerie house for sale in Tokyo. At first, with its bright and spacious interior, it seems the perfect first home. But upon closer inspection, the building's floor plans reveal a mysterious \"dead space\" hidden between its walls. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the floor plans with his friend Kurihara, an architect, only to discover more unnerving details throughout. What is the true purpose behind the house's disturbing design? And what happened to the former owners who disappeared without a trace? When a body suddenly appears and a young woman reaches out about a second house, it soon becomes clear that the writer and his friend may be in over their heads. Structured around a series of chilling floorplans, with Strange Houses, mystery-horror YouTube sensation Uketsu casts readers in the role of detective, inviting them to help map out the truth hidden within these puzzling floor plans ... and the terrifying plot behind it all\"-- Provided by publisher.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Deliciously unsettling and refreshingly unique,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eStrange Houses\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewill lure you in and keep you captive with every clever twist.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKristen Perrin, New York Times bestselling author of How to Solve Your Own Murder\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for Uketsu\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I loved it! It has the twists and fair-play style of a Golden Age whodunit, mixed with a wonderfully innovative use of illustrations. Delightfully macabre and fiendishly clever. Seemingly unconnected stories tie themselves into a complicated knot, which Uketsu masterfully unravels.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eG. T. Karber, author of the national bestseller Murdle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A labyrinthine and multilayered horror mystery, full of cryptic images . . . wonderfully complex and carefully crafted . . . This is a story where revelations and new questions wait around every corner, and Uketsu keeps readers guessing until the very end.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I'm hooked on these chilling and twisted mysteries. Give me everything Uketsu writes - I'll read it in a single day, and I will not be accepting interruptions.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSamantha Shannon, bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Uketsu's strange riddles are chilling and addictive - I couldn't put it down.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eR. F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Dare you say what you see? Not if it's between the unnerving pages of Strange Pictures by anonymous Japanese enigma Uketsu. . . . This refreshingly original, eerie treat of a puzzle invites the reader to immerse themselves in the darkest of mysteries. So captivating I read it in a day. So disturbing I thought about it all night. Uketsu is a disrupter, the master of quiet horror.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJanice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"[A] triumphant international debut ... with a surprisingly strong emotional core that will keep readers glued to the page until the unsettling conclusion. This intricate puzzle box is a must for horror fans.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Part Rubik's Cube, part Russian doll, part kaleidoscope and altogether irresistible.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eStrange Pictures\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis heady, giddy, genre-blurring stuff and so fizzy with invention and possibility that I almost pity the next novel I read.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window and End of Story\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A creepy little delight of a brainteaser . . .\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eStrange Pictures\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis innovative and a lot of fun.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Already a sensation in Japan, this unconventional story detail[ing] nine simple drawings and the dark secret that ties them together. . . . is as creative as it is fleet and offers a whirlwind ride.\" -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVariety\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Uketsu expertly builds sprawling layers of bizarre revelations, and remarkably convinces with his controlled, methodical explanations about once-powerful multigenerational families, inheritance, sacrifice, loyalty. The angular, crisp floorplans enhancing the pages throughout underscore a sense of careful, contained planning, enticing and enthralling readers to undoubtedly believe. . . .\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eJapan's enigmatic YouTube personality Uketsu returns with another perplexingly horrific mystery,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eStrange Houses\u003c\/em\u003e, likely to unnerve yet certain to engross. -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Deliciously unsettling and refreshingly unique,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eStrange Houses\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewill lure you in and keep you captive with every clever twist.\" --Kristen Perrin,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebestselling author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eHow to Solve Your Own Murder\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the bestselling author of the wildly inventive\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eStrange Pictures\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eand a phenomenon in Japan--unnatural layouts, trap doors, windowless rooms-- a sinister conspiracy is concealed within a house's warped and unsettling floor plans\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen a writer fascinated by the macabre is approached by an acquaintance, he finds himself investigating an eerie house for sale in Tokyo. At first, with its bright and spacious interior, it seems the perfect first home. But upon closer inspection, the building's floor plans reveal a mysterious \"dead space\" hidden between its walls, the start of a compelling Japanese mystery. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the floor plans with his friend Kurihara, an architect, only to discover more unnerving details throughout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is the true purpose behind the house's disturbing design? And what happened to the former owners who disappeared without a trace? When a body suddenly appears and a young woman reaches out about a second house, it soon becomes clear that the writer and his friend may be in over their heads in this truly unsettling psychological thriller.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStructured around a series of chilling floorplans, with\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eStrange Houses\u003c\/i\u003e, mystery-horror YouTube sensation Uketsu casts readers in the role of detective, inviting them to help map out the truth hidden within this puzzling architectural mystery . . . and the terrifying plot behind it all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTranslated from the Japanese by Jim Rion\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 06\/01\/2025 pg. 53 (EAN 9780063433151, Paperback)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/span\u003e 06\/13\/2025 (EAN 9780063468085, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003eUketsu\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUketsu\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis 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. His novels\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eStrange Pictures\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eStrange Houses, Strange Buildings\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewere massive hits in Japan, where he lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRion, Jim\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJim 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe 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,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Devil's Flute Murders\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby Yokomizo Seishi, was published in 2023. His translation of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eStrange Pictures\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby Japanese horror\/crime writer Uketsu, is scheduled for publication in January 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram Content Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47644958425266,"sku":null,"price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0650\/5339\/3074\/files\/Screenshot2026-06-30at2.12.04PM.png?v=1782846732","url":"https:\/\/margoboutique.com\/products\/strange-houses-jim-rion","provider":"Margo Boutique","version":"1.0","type":"link"}