Multiple connected stories each featuring a mysterious picture that hides a secret.

A nice, creepy, and unsettling mystery story. I really admire the way Uketsu was able to integrate the pictures into the story, it may be gimmick-y but it is effective in telling a story. The book has some flaws, there are some awkward jumps in the reasoning for some explanations in the first story. And the motive of the murderer for certain kills feels pretty forced. But the book makes up for it with its engaging visuals and a haunting atmosphere especially during the part where we get to read a firsthand account from one of the victims where i think the book really dials up the horror.

This is a prequel to the first book, Strange Houses, and Kurihara is still an architecture student in this one. This and Strange Houses were apparently big hits in japan and both even have manga adaptations.

Uketsu, the author, presents a floor plan of a house that his acquaintance has inquired about. He thought something was off and presented it to Kurihara, an architect, who also notices its suspicious structure and forms a sinister deduction which leads them even further into the rabbit hole of the enigmatic building.

The book starts off strong and i was really engrossed by the investigation done by Uketsu and Kurihara. However, once the answer is slowly revealed and we get to the explanations for the crimes, i found them to be a bit forced even moreso than Strange Pictures and it was just unsatisfactory for me... it's one of those stories that has such a fantastical and crazy premise that there's really no realistic nor satisfying way to resolve it i suppose. It's very reminiscent of Yokomizo Seishi's Kindaichi books where elaborate family tree and background are involved in the mystery and it makes you appreciate how he's able to sell and present them cause it didn't really work here... Additionally, the book doesn't really offer a definite ending, which i didn't mind. i agree with the translator's message at the end that it adds to the book and gives this unsettling feeling as if it actually happened and we can't say for sure if it was a happy conclusion or not.

i think it's a bit of a rough start to his series to be honest, but there are some interesting and fun ideas Uketsu presents such as telling a story through floor plans and all. its his creativity in playing around with the medium (same with Strange Pictures) is where Uketsu really shines. i think he just has some weakness in the conclusion and resolution of the plot he conjures. So far, both of them fell a little flat for me :( moreso here than Strange Pictures.