Strange Pictures by Uketsu

This is yet another five-star read that I absolutely loved! Strange Pictures captivated me from the very first page. Uketsu's debut novel is a brilliant example of layered storytelling, expertly intertwining multiple narrators and shifting points of view. The various timelines keep you engaged until the final reveal in this compelling whodunit.

At the heart of the novel lies a chilling mystery: the brutal and unsolved murder of Yoshiharu Miura, an art teacher who was found stabbed to death on a mountainside. A lone sketch of the mountain was left at the crime scene, serving as an eerie, silent witness to the crime. Miura was not particularly well-liked; his students disliked him, and his family relationships were strained. But was that enough motive for murder? The police were unable to find an answer.

Three years later, Shunsuke Iwata, one of Miura’s former students, sets out to investigate. In a shocking turn of events, he, too, is murdered in the exact same fashion. A twisted pattern begins to emerge—one that suggests a serial killer is lurking in the shadows.

What makes Strange Pictures truly fascinating is its deep psychological undercurrents. Through the lens of childhood art, the novel explores how social alienation and suppressed emotions can fester into something much darker. The eerie, almost poetic way Uketsu ties artistic expression to the unraveling of the human mind adds a unique, unsettling dimension to the story.

The Mercy Chair by M. W. Craven

In this gripping sixth installment, Washington Poe and his brilliant yet socially awkward sidekick, Tilly Bradshaw, are called to investigate a brutal and ritualistic murder—a man tied to a tree and stoned to death. Given Christianity’s fraught history with this form of execution, Poe suspects a religious motive.

The victim, Cornelius Green, was a founding member of the Children of Job—a secluded religious retreat offering conversion therapy with devastating psychological consequences. To some, Green was a devout "Christian soldier." To others, he was a zealot—a monster who justified his twisted practices in the name of faith. His death shakes the foundation of the group, but as Poe and Tilly dig deeper, they realize Green’s murder is far more than an act of revenge or fanaticism.

Green’s body, covered in cryptic religious tattoos, holds the key to a much darker mystery—one that stretches back sixteen years to the infamous Bowman family massacre. And in a chilling twist, the case is also linked to a corpse Poe unearthed months prior, buried under a coffin where it never should have been. The deeper they go, the more tangled the web becomes, leading to a breathtaking conclusion.

This book is an absolute masterpiece! The intricate plot, relentless suspense, and shocking twists left me reeling, and the ending—oh, the ending! I spent a week trying to process the horror that unfolded. If you love dark, intelligent thrillers, this series is a must-read. Now, I’m counting the days until The Final Vow! 5⭐

Selamat Berpuasa

Semoga ibadah puasa kita diterima Allah S.W.T. Amin.

Selamat Berpuasa

InsyaAllah hari esok, Ahad 2 Mac 2025 kita akan berpuasa di bulan Ramadan. Semoga ibadah ini menjadi bekalan kita di sana nanti. Selamat berpuasa! From the River to the Sea!

Witchcraft For Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Neva Craven was only fifteen when she made a mistake—but the punishment would last a lifetime. In the 1970s, her strict parents sent her away to the Home for Unwed Mothers, a cold, controlled place where no one used their real names. There, under the watchful eyes of Miss Wellwood and her staff, Neva—now called Fern—followed strict schedules, took lessons, and counted down the days until she would give birth, hand over her baby to a "deserving" family, and pretend none of it ever happened.

But then, something extraordinary happened.

Amid the bleakness, Fern and her friends—Rose, Zinnia, and Holly—found solace in an unexpected visitor: the bookmobile. And in that bookmobile was Miss Parcae, a librarian with secrets of her own. When she hands Fern a peculiar book, How to Be a Groovy Witch, it seems like nothing more than a distraction. But when the spells work, the girls realize witchcraft might be the answer to their problems. At first, it’s a game. Then, it’s survival.

But magic always comes with a price. And Miss Parcae isn’t as kind as she first seemed. If they want true freedom, they must pledge eternal loyalty and complete obedience. The question is—how far are they willing to go?

Hendrix delivers another masterpiece! The haunting atmosphere, the raw emotions, the growing sense of unease—it all builds to a thrilling, unforgettable climax. The chaos, the desperation, and the eerie allure of power kept me hooked until the very last page. A must-read. 5 ⭐