This was a more mystery than horror, and I wanted more horror than mystery, but overall it was an interesting read. The narration was really good too. It was a book that made good use of a small amount of space.

His books are quite a ride. I do think this book should be enjoyed in physical form instead of an audiobook.

Yet another enjoyable japanese locked room mystery. Japanese novels tend to rely a lot on the dialogue and conversation between characters rather than action. So good, those who do not enjoy description or monologues might beware. This was another fun light horror that is creepy for fans of a good locked room mystery.

A mystery surrounding architecture and a bit of murder.

I read the graphic adaptation of this title first and decided I should read the book. I was approved for this audiobook and ended up getting the physical book to help follow along with the pictures. This was a great book!

The narrator did a great job in creating tension using their voice.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC.

I really enjoyed this book! It felt something akin to Agatha Christie (truth be told, I don't read a lot of mystery even though I enjoy it when I come across it). The ending felt open ended but was also satisfying. I do think it veered to be a bit too much when we reached a conclusion but it wasn't too big of a deal. It was a fun adventure filled with twist and turns as we figure out what was going on.

Super creative idea for a book. Great stories and the narration was good for all of them.
Lots of points for creativity on this audiobook.

"Strange Houses" ~ Uketsu
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Uketsu’s "Strange Houses" is a haunting collection of horror shorts based on a family of killers that transforms the familiar setting of a home into something deeply unsettling. Each story explores a different "strange house," where reality twists and terror lurks in unexpected corners. From rooms that shouldn’t exist to windowless rooms, Uketsu crafts an atmosphere where the architecture itself feels alive and malevolent.

Uketsu has a knack for taking everyday situations and warping them into chilling, surreal nightmares. The oddities in the floorplans add to the eerie tone. The end might frustrate readers looking for more concrete resolutions.

Uketsu' work is perfect for fans of short-form horror and architectural dread."Strange Houses" is an eerie, imaginative ride through the uncanny. It is a winner with its originality, disturbing floorplans, and atmosphere that will stick with you long after the lights go out.

One of the most inventive ideas for a book. A well done audiobook, even though you need to see images to solve the mysteries. Full of quiet suspense and haunting darkness.

When a writer stumbles across a mysterious floorplan for a house, he enlists the help of his architect friend, Kurihara. The floorplan at first seems to be a normal house, but closer inspection reveals unnerving details. There is a bedroom with no windows and a hidden entry, and most disturbing a "dead space" in the house, a space with seemingly no entrance or exit. Even more alarming is that the family that lived in that house seemed to vanish without a trace, then a body missing its left hand is found in the forest nearby. A woman contacts the writer with her own mysterious floorplan, bringing the writer and Kurihara deeper into a dark and disturbing mystery.

Strange Houses was a really interesting story. The writing style and the tone of the audiobook narrator did a great job of leaving the reader with an unnerving feeling throughout. The story is also mostly told through interviews with the characters, which helped to keep the pace moving along. The narrator did a good job with voices for all of the characters too. My review copy of the audiobook didn't have the additional floorplans, which I think could have helped me better imagine the layouts of the strange houses, but I also think the text does a really good job of describing them so it isn't super necessary. My one complaint with this story is that the characters jumped to the correct conclusion or almost correct conclusion every time they uncovered a new piece of information, so it does require some suspension of disbelief. That being said, I would definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a dark and unnerving mystery.

This is such an interesting story and I enjoyed the way the plot seemed to weave in and around itself. Slightly creepy, yet also not, I found myself unsure of how I was supposed to be feeling and the unsettled vibe is an experience in itself. I really enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone and this book was a great way to do that. The audiobook is an excellent way to enjoy this genre defying novel.

This continues to be such an interesting concept. I've enjoyed both Strange Houses and Strange Pictures. More mystery than horror but definitely one that will leave you feeling unsettled.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.


Solid creepy book.... not quite HORROR in my opinion... but creepy and I was very vested in if the daydreams were accurate. Highly reccommend.

A writer fascinated by the macabre is approached by an acquaintance who is considering purchasing a second-hand house in Tokyo. With its bright and spacious interior, the home seems perfect. But looking closer, the building’s floor plan reveals a mysterious "dead space” hidden between the walls. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the floor plan with an architect friend only to discover more “strange spaces” dotted across the house.

What are these mysterious “strange spaces” and why do they exist—are they really there, or is there something off with the floor plan? Who is the home’s former resident who suddenly disappeared?

The freelance writer and his architect friend can’t resist the challenge of solving the riddle of these puzzling floor plans . . . and the terrifying plot behind it all.

This was my first experience with Uketsu; an engaging mystery that's written expressly to draw the reader in, to make them feel like they are in on the sleuthing, while also making them feel like they are going down a rabbit hole that it might not be entirely safe to explore. I do wish the final wrap-up had felt a little more organic.

An architecture mystery but make it murdery.

Two friends are discussing the unique and ultimately creepy layout of a house in a bid to understand why the owners designed it this way. The reasoning starts far fetched, but then clues are revealed that make you realize, it may not be as far-fetched as it first seemed.

I love how Uketsu uses images to make this story really accessible. There are PDFs with this audiobook and I highly recommend being able to reference them as you read.

The story is a fast listen (I finished in two sittings), and it's compulsively readable. I didn't want to stop to fall asleep.

I loved Strange Pictures by Uketsu, which was in a very similar style to this book. If you also loved Strange Pictures, you'll love this.

What to expect
- Murder architecture
- Mystery houses
- Family curses
- Compulsively readable
- Lots of pictures

This book is best read while designing the house of your dreams. Forget the windows.

🏚️ Strange Houses by Uketsu – ★☆☆☆☆

Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. I found the writing style a bit clunky, and I struggled to stay engaged with the story. Honestly, I am probably not the target audience, which is totally okay—but it made it hard to fully connect with what the book was trying to do. I am not a huge horror fan, and I know this was written in the classic horror style, so it just wasn't quite my vibe, and I wasn't able to fully appreciate it.

To be fair, I listened to the audiobook, and I do wonder if I would have had a different experience with the physical book. Some of the more unusual or experimental elements might have landed better visually.

That said, take this review with several grains of salt HA! If you're intrigued by the premise, it might be worth checking out a sample for yourself. This just didn’t click for me.

hmm. i think this one was a miss for me. what i think may have had an impact on my reading experience is i listened to this on audio and was not sent the pdf files of the house layouts as was described in the preface. the narrator wasn't very enjoyable to listen to either, but then again, i'm really picky with my audiobook narrators. another thing that hindered me from rating this any higher was how slow-moving the storyline was, despite being a relatively short tale. i will have to give uketsu some credit on the originality, though. the plot twist was extremely unique. i'm considering reading uketsu's other book, "strange pictures", but if i do, i won't be listening to it on audio.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the audio arc copy of "strange houses"!

I received an audio copy of this book to review. It felt like watching an episode of a tv investigative thriller. It kept me interested throughout the story. The *redacted* got a little annoying but I understand why it was there. It's a cool quick read. The narrator was easy to follow at an increased speed.

ALC🎧&📖 Review: Strange Houses by Uketsu, Jim Rion(Translator)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: June 3, 2025. (Out now!!)

I was approved for this audiobook and knew I probably needed the physical copy for the pictures and ordered right away to follow along! This was so fun, I still need to checkout Strange Pictures and I’m so excited! I cannot wait for more from this author.

Thank you @netgalley and @harperaudio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

🏡🏘️🏠

A writer fascinated by the macabre is approached by an acquaintance who is considering purchasing a second-hand house in Tokyo. With its bright and spacious interior, the home seems perfect. But looking closer, the building’s floor plan reveals a mysterious "dead space” hidden between the walls. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the floor plan with an architect friend only to discover more “strange spaces” dotted across the house.

I loved it, absolutely loved reading this! This was great!
I was familiar with Uketsu, as I already have Strange Pictures on my To Read list. SO, I couldn't help but try my luck at requesting the audio book of this one. (I received an advanced audio copy of Strange House from NetGalley and am leaving my honest feedback.) Much to my surprise I was granted a copy. I then realized/assumed I needed the book to read along so I went to my local BN and purchased the paperback. I assumed since there were so many illustrations that one would not be able to fully grasp the story just by listening to the audiobook. I was wrong. Strange Houses is incredibly descriptive so if you don't have a physical copy then you will enjoy the audio book just as much. The narration was great and there were absolutely no discrepancies between the hard copy and the audiobook version. I especially liked the translator's message at the end. The translation definitely worked. Well done!

On to the story. I read this in one sitting (along with the audiobook) . It was a great story with simple writing that people of all ages could easily grasp. It was a breeze to read, a perfect pick me up. I did, however, expect Strange Houses to be a lot more scary but that was my own assumption. It definitely makes you feel uneasy but in a good way. It is not so scary that it would prevent younger readers from going to sleep, if that makes any sense. Uketsu came up with a twisty yet straightforward, macabre story in which the characters fall down a rabbit hole of sorts and we the readers get all the mysterious prose that go along with it. I cannot wait to read more from Uketsu, they are definitely one to watch out for.. Other authors within the horror/mystery realm better watch out, there may be a new sheriff comIng town.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Strange Houses is a slow-building, surreal horror story that pulls you in with its quiet tension and strange, lingering questions. It starts off simple enough—a writer asked to check out a house with a weird floorplan—but quickly spirals into something darker, stranger, and more disorienting.

The mystery unravels through floor plans, conversations, and uncanny discoveries, and while the pacing isn’t always fast, the unease builds in a way that sticks with you. I loved the concept—especially how it blends architecture, horror, and detective work. It’s subtle but deeply creepy, and I never quite knew what was coming next.

Listening to the audiobook definitely enhanced the atmosphere. The narrator captured that quiet dread really well, though I’ll admit there were moments I wanted just a little more energy or emotional connection. Still, the delivery matched the story’s mood, and it kept me engaged even when things got intentionally confusing.

This is one of those reads that’s more about vibe and slow realization than jump scares. If you’re into psychological horror with a surreal twist, or if you enjoy feeling like a detective unraveling something deeply wrong, Strange Houses is absolutely worth the time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.