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A Trail of Blood

This series delves into the disturbing and obsessive bond between a mother and son, where extreme favoritism twists into a destructive force. Characters grapple with the suffocating reality of toxic relationships and the illusions that keep them trapped. The narrative explores profound psychological depths, revealing how past traumas and unresolved issues can irrevocably shape the present. It's a compelling and emotionally charged exploration of familial ties that have taken a dark and terrifying turn.

Blood on the Tracks 1
Blood on the Tracks, Volume 5
Blood on the Tracks 2
Blood on the Tracks, Volume 3
Blood on the Tracks, Volume 4

Recommended Reading Order

  1. 1

    Blood on the Tracks 1

    • 216 pages
    • 8 hours of reading
    4.1(4251)Add rating

    From the creator who brought you notable works such as The Flowers of Evil, Happiness, and Inside Mari, comes a new suspense drama centering on the theme of a toxic parent. Dive into this latest thriller by master storyteller, Shuzo Oshimi. Seiichi's mother loves him very much, and his days pass with placid regularity. School, friends, even the attention of his attractive classmate Fukiishi. Until one terrible summer day, that all changes... Shuzo Oshimi (The Flowers of Evil) delivers his most unsettling work yet, the tale of a seemingly normal family suddenly swallowed up by the creeping horror of everyday life. Gorgeous art and an understated script only serve to heighten the tension as we watch Seiichi Osabe's life spiral into nightmare.

    Blood on the Tracks 1
  2. 2

    From the creator who brought you notable works such as The Flowers of Evil, Happiness, and Inside Mari, comes a new suspense drama centering on the theme of a toxic parent. Dive into this latest thriller by master storyteller, Shuzo Oshimi. His mother has done the unthinkable...and now Seiichi must decide if he will be complicit. But before he can even catch his breath, what remains of his sense of self is smashed to pieces by her next shocking act... Shuzo Oshimi (The Flowers of Evil) invites us to watch as a once-happy household quietly transforms into an inescapable living hell.

    Blood on the Tracks 2
  3. 3
    4.2(1795)Add rating

    The last days of summer creep toward a violent climax... Seiichi's family begins to fall apart in the wake of his cousin's "accident," but nothing compares to the mental and emotional torture he undergoes as he tries to maintain some sense of self in the face of his mother's manipulations. Torn by his love for her, Seiichi is pushed to the breaking point and finds himself unable to speak, both literally and figuratively. The tension continues to build in Shuzo Oshimi's masterwork of understated psychological horror, as Seiichi falls further and further into the abyss of his mother's unraveling psyche.

    Blood on the Tracks, Volume 3
  4. 4

    From the creator who brought you notable works such as The Flowers of Evil, Happiness, and Inside Mari, comes a new suspense drama centering on the theme of a toxic parent. Dive into this latest thriller by master storyteller, Shuzo Oshimi. Unable to process the horrifying events of the past few months, Seiichi’s anger, fear, and frustration boil over. But even as he is haunted by the memory of his mother’s hands around his throat, he finds his voice again thanks to his classmate Fukiishi. Their puppy love provides a tenderness he has been missing, but it quickly comes under threat from his mother’s insane jealousy... Torn between the two women in his life, Seiichi is forced to make a choice that could bring his whole world crashing down.

    Blood on the Tracks, Volume 4
  5. 5
    4.1(1516)Add rating

    Encouraged by Fukiishi to stand up for himself, Seiichi exploded in a moment of rage, telling his mother Seiko, "I don't need you"—the first rebellious act of his young life. Now Fukiishi has offered him sanctuary in her room, hidden from her father and away from the watchful eyes of his own parents. But as Seiichi fumbles toward sexual awakening, his mother's specter is never far from his mind... Shuzo Oshimi's masterwork of psychological terror continues, as Seiichi struggles to navigate the tangled web of his competing emotions. Meanwhile, Seiko's desperate search for her son brings her to Fukiishi's doorstep...

    Blood on the Tracks, Volume 5