Demented short stories pulsating with a peripheral darkness.
The headsman has a distasteful but necessary job in the village, to serve justice. And serve justice he shall, no matter his personal feelings for the recipient of his ever-sharpened ax. After all, rules are in place to keep order, even in a cheerless, unnamed town where death and depravity seem to be the order of the day. Striking a fine balance between the various gray shades and interpretations of morality, the headsman has seen it all, although he won’t tell a soul. But his tale isn’t the only one to be told. All of the town’s disquieting residents appear to have their own sinful secrets they’re keeping, from the lowliest shopkeeper to an influential ruler. With a shifting point of view for each character and chapter, readers will delight in the challenge of solving each mini-mystery as we delve deeper into the town’s complexities. Each new story in this deliberate collection adds to the intrigue and dourness of the others. Like the most intricate, splendid web of a spider, all the delicate threads connect and intersect in perfect proportion, creating a thorough picture of a disturbed collection of villagers trying to come to terms with their choices.
Poetic in its consideration of life, death, love, intimacy, aging, justice and grief, The Headsman is a surprisingly lithe group of demented short stories pulsating with a peripheral darkness. Neither gruesome nor outright terrifying, it is the chilling mood of this ingenious collection that makes it stand out above other horror books, furnishing palpable fear. A brilliant choice on Mîrzoi’s part, the nebulous characters exist in this dreary town without personal names or any distinct time period for reference. The effect is eerie, bordering on frightening, as the narrative voice refers simply to the young man, the Duke, the merchant. The way these enigmatic characters interplay in each related tale will keep you reading without letup until the final story concludes, and then you’ll want to start again. Frozen in a time and place just beyond the edge of comfort and familiarity, the Headsman is an unusually gripping dramatic horror collection that goes down smoothly, but will unnerve even the most fearless of readers. Fans of dark fiction rejoice, as your newest indulgence has arrived!
