The next installment of the Balar series is nearly upon us! This is The Doom of Balar, the second book of horror short stories. Thirteen new short stories build upon the grim legend of the cursed town of Balar. New faces join old (horrible) ones. Secrets unravel while new questions deepen the mystery.
Are you brave enough to venture through the misty streets and twisted alleyways?
Mystery Horror
The first book, The Curse of Balar, had something of a frame narrative in the form of Iris’s transformation. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, suffice to say that she goes from unfortunate victim to something … deadly.
I really enjoyed employing this device as it allowed me to not only develop Iris’s character, but to stitch the stories together. Doom will continue this structure.
This time it is the turn of Tomas Skender, forlorn inspector for the Balar Constabulary, who is hot on the heels of the town’s serial killer, the Tailor. Each time this murderer strikes, he/she/they leave(s) behind a monstrous corpse that is comprised of a number of victims. There are clues, red herrings, suspects, and secrets that our inspector will need to make sense of.
The inspector provides a way to make sense of the town and the many characters that skulk in the shadows. His suspicious eye allows me to introduce established players to new readers and provide a foundation for those returning to Balar.
Everyone is a suspect and nothing is what it seems. Can you put the clues together and uncover the identity of the Tailor? Or will you, like Tomas Skender, have to wait for him or her to strike again?
Note: The killer will not be caught in this book. Yes, this is a kind of spoiler, but I think it is better for you to know this going in. All the information you need to unmask the killer will be in this book, however.
Classic Horror
Several readers noticed my allusions to classic horror stories in the first book. This is entirely intentional as I hoped that the familiar elements would allow me to intrigue, entrance, and – eventually – subvert. Those who read “The Patron” will know what I mean here.
This will continue in Doom – I mean, a stitched-together body should have given you a clue already.
The purpose of these allusions is to give us a familiar starting point before we venture into strange, dark places. I hope you will accompany me all the way to the end of the journey, however far it may be.
Many More Stories
In the meantime, I’ll keep writing. There is a lot of Balar still to write and explore – even though I have it all mapped out. This has become quite an enjoyable series to write – I hope that it is just as fun to read. I hope these stories scratch the horror itch.
Please let me know. Feedback is the only way I can improve. Mostly writing feels like shouting into the void, so any response is welcome.
Also, if you read the first installment, please let me know if you’re eager to return for another helping.