Daily Archives: December 22, 2020

Children of Chicago, by Cynthia Pelayo ~ 4.5 Stars

22 Tuesday Dec 2020

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Thanks to NetGalley and Agora Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 9th, 2021

320 Pages

Synopsis: When Detective Lauren Medina sees the calling card at the murder scene in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, she knows the Pied Piper has returned. When another teenager is brutally murdered at the same lagoon where her sister’s body was found floating years before, she is certain that the Pied Piper is not just back, he’s looking for payment he’s owed from her. Lauren’s torn between protecting the city she’s sworn to keep safe, and keeping a promise she made long ago to her sister’s murderer. She may have to ruin her life by exposing her secrets and lies to stop the Pied Piper before he collects.

I love fairytale retellings and have read quite a few, but Children of Chicago is the first I’ve come across to take on The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Pelayo not only brings the sinister Piper to life, but also the complex history of the city itself. Even without a terrifying mythological figure manipulating into wishing for their “enemies” to be killed, Chicago has a long association with darkness, so it makes the city the perfect setting for the Piper to take up residence. The Piper here is part fairytale, part urban legend, akin to Candyman and Bloody Mary. Given that this story harkens back to the Middle Ages, Pelayo actually takes this beyond a mere retelling and incorporates into the rich tapestry that makes up Chicago. The main character, Lauren, is someone with many layers, and you don’t discover her entire backstory until the final chapters. She’s a fascinating character, and one that kept me puzzled as to the exact nature of her past relationship with the Piper. The final few chapters contained a few shocking twists that I didn’t see coming, and has left me eager for the sequel. I HIGHLY recommend Children of Chicago to readers who enjoy horror and dark fantasy.