Betchini

"Dear reader, this book is for the dead only..."With this chilling opening, author Maryam Al-Heisi takes readers into a profound piece of deep, dark, and psychological horror. The word "Piccini" is an old Italian term historically given to an anonymous group tasked with collecting the bodies of the deceased from the streets during the outbreak of the Black Plague. The novel revolves around a bizarre protagonist named "Zil" (Shadow), who possesses a dark obsession with collecting, preserving, and caring for corpses, viewing himself as a "superhero for the dead" who saves them from the dark unfairness of being buried under the dirt. His macabre routine fractures completely when he purchases a mysterious corpse, only to find out it is entirely faceless. This discovery drags him into a psychological abyss, unraveling his suspicious childhood, confronting his traumatic past, and turning his reality into a living nightmare.

It offers a highly unique and uncommon premise in Arabic horror literature (the obsession with preserving the dead). The narrative is deeply engaging, mysterious, and packed with psychological twists that keep readers hooked. It brilliantly balances a nightmare-inducing atmosphere with a deep dive into the psychological motives and traumatic pasts of its characters.

Fans of psychological horror, dark mysteries, and suspense thrillers. Readers who enjoy long, heavily detailed, and plot-rich books (the novel is 600 pages). Those fascinated by dark themes exploring death, mummification, and deep childhood trauma.