Crazy Mordad

“Crazy Mordad,” written by Mohammad Hassan Shahsavari, is the first volume in the “Genre Novel” series published by Qoqnoos Publishing House. The main objective of this series is to write and publish novels that align with Iranian culture (though in some aspects there is little distinction between us and a global audience) while respecting the emotions, intellect, and refined taste of the new generation of readers. This collection strives to include various types of genres. Mohammad Hassan Shahsavari is also the editor of this series, and he has written this novel in the thriller genre. Shahsavari acknowledges that some may not consider the thriller a genre but provides explanations about it: “What is entirely clear is this fundamental point that the thriller mainly focuses on the plot of the novel. In the plot of a thriller, in order to create maximum tension, as far as the story’s logic permits, the narrative should progress through sudden plot twists, tension, increasing the pace of events, unraveling the characters’ pasts, sharp and dynamic dialogues, and engaging developments.” The story of this novel centers around a mysterious familial murder, and its main character is Shahrad Shahani. He seemingly has a good life and feels happy, but one murder turns his world upside down and makes him think about revenge. Shahrad marries Manizheh, his old love, but his fear of life’s betrayals becomes a reality. Manizheh and Shahrad’s son are killed in an accident, and Manizheh’s brother is another victim of the incident. This drives Shahrad to personally seek revenge. Along the way, he repeatedly loses control, leading to further events. Many people enter the story to uncover clues about the murderer. Among them are Saghar and her brother Sohrab. Saghar enters the story with a premeditated plan and affects Shahrad’s emotions. However, after some time and with Sohrab’s death, she decides to reveal the truth to Shahrad. Shahrad, shocked and vengeful, faces a dilemma—whether to hand over the killer to the police or not. As a writer and creative writing instructor, Mohammad Hassan Shahsavari has strived to adhere to all the rules and subtleties of the crime thriller genre and narrate a compelling and engrossing story. He believes that suspense in a crime thriller lies in preventing another murder. Typically, the first half of the story is based on a puzzle, while the second half revolves around suspense. Hence, he has tried to keep this principle in mind in this novel. “Crazy Mordad” is an attempt to create a thriller novel set in an Iranian context, a fitting choice for fans of this genre.