Penguin Random House announces Strange Buildings, the latest unsettling mystery from cult Japanese author Uketsu, expanding the globally addictive Strange series
Strange Buildings, the newest and darkest novel from Japanese cult sensation Uketsu, the mind behind the internationally acclaimed Strange Houses and Strange Pictures. With this release, Uketsu deepens a uniquely disturbing literary universe where ordinary spaces conceal extraordinary crimes.
Across eleven strange buildings, a lonely hut, a murder house, a hidden chamber, a shrine, a burning home and more, Uketsu constructs an interconnected puzzle that invites readers to become investigators. Each space reveals a fragment of a larger truth, drawing readers into a chilling exploration of how architecture, memory and silence can hide violence in plain sight.
Uketsu has rapidly emerged as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Japanese crime fiction. Known for blending classic puzzle structures with psychological unease, his Strange series transforms everyday environments into narrative engines of suspense. Strange Houses examined how domestic spaces can conceal impossible crimes. Strange Pictures explored how images distort perception and truth. With Strange Buildings, Uketsu expands his canvas to institutions and shared spaces, delivering his most ambitious and unsettling work yet.
What makes the Strange series remarkable is its participatory nature. These are not passive thrillers but immersive mysteries that reward close attention, inviting readers to question what they see and how spaces shape human behaviour. The books have built a devoted readership drawn to their cerebral tension, structural ingenuity and lingering emotional impact.
With Strange Buildings, it’s time to introduce readers to a series that sits at the intersection of psychological horror and intellectual crime fiction, an experience that is as thought-provoking as it is haunting.
