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Uketsu is 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 novels Strange Pictures and Strange 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 Murders by Yokomizo Seishi, was published in 2023. His translation of Strange Pictures by Japanese horror/crime writer Uketsu, is scheduled for publication in January 2025.
""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."" -- G. T. Karber, author of the national bestseller Murdle ""[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."" -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) ""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. -- Variety ""[An] ingenious debut suspense thriller . . . [with] a marvelous revelation of twists and red herrings. Horror and mystery fans will be eager to explore this thrilling import."" -- Booklist ""A superlative puzzle made of multiple parts that interconnect in unexpected ways, told inventively through pictures and text. Every twist and turn steepens the sense of foreboding. Original, intricate and deeply unsettling. I've never read anything like it."" -- Alex Pavesi, Author of The Eighth Detective ""An intricately woven, at times unsettling, but always mesmerizing piece of work."" -- Ian Moore, Author of Death and Croissants ""Absolutely loved this clever little banger. An addictive murder mystery that unfolds like pointillism on the page: only when you reach the end, step back and view the bigger picture does each of its parts click into place. Exceptional!'"" -- Alice Slater, author of Death of a Bookseller
