Strange Houses is the story of an unnamed newspaper reporter who is fascinated by the macabre , being approached by an acquaintance about an eerie house for sale in Tokyo which the acquaintance is thinking of purchasing. It is unclear, is Uketsu writing like he is the reporter, and the book is the article about the events? This is part of what makes this book interesting (also, the fact that Uketsu has never shown his face, and using a voice distorter in all his Youtube videos; it’s rare to have a truly secret author in this day and age). Seeing as the house is practically brand new (it’s been built in the last year, so it’s “lightly used”), the acquaintance’s plan is to live in it with his family, not just tear it down and build a new house on the land. At first, it seems the perfect first home; but upon closer inspection, the floor plans reveal a mysterious “dead space” hidden between the kitchen walls. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the plans with his friend Kurihara, an architect, only to discover that “dead space” is just the tip of the iceberg of architectural details that don’t make sense, unless they add up to a very disturbing picture; one that Kurihara jumps to accepting very quickly; it is a “Murder House”.
What is the true purpose behind the design? And what happened to the former owners, who disappeared one night without a trace? When a body is uncovered nearby and a young woman reaches out to the writer about the existence of a second house, it soon becomes clear that the writer and Kurihara may be vastly in over their heads.
For a short book this story packs one hell of a punch. Uketsu kept me guessing from start to finish. I think one of the strangest things is that in some ways I could actually see the events in this book taking place in real life; as disturbing as they may be, the world being what it is means there are people capable of what is described in the book. I appreciated that the house plans and all changes to them were included each step of the way; it made it very easy to follow along with everything. I know the translator praised how simple and direct the writing was, but I’ve found that characteristic of all the mysteries written by Japanese authors that I’ve read; more being said with less seems to be de rigueur. It was interesting that a large part of the plot was handled less with actions than in conversations or the reading of a letter. I also found fascination that the two protagonists were an Architect and a Newspaper Reporter; not a Police Officer or a Consulting Detective in sight, and they solved everything with just basic knowledge and common sense. The fact that the mystery isn’t completely solved and that all the loose threads aren’t securely wrapped up is something a lot of mysteries don’t do, and I think that’s a shame; life isn’t always neatly solved, books don’t always have to be either. I do wonder if the friend that started the story off knows what exactly he almost got involved in.
I am definitely planning on picking up the other book in the “series”, Strange Pictures, as well as the third, Strange Buildings, when it’s released in the US. The manga of Strange Houses I’m not 100% sure of; I might, but I’m not in a hurry.