Children of Chicago

by Cynthia Pelayo

Overview

2021 BRAM STOKER AWARD NOMINEE FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A NOVEL

2021 INTERNATIONAL LATINO BOOK AWARD WINNER

"GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOUR HEART THUMP AND SKIN CRAWL”—The New York Times

A gripping, modern-day spin on the Pied Piper fairy tale, as well as a gritty love letter to the underworld of Chicago from acclaimed Bram Stoker nominee Cynthia Pelayo.


Reminiscent of the Bloody Mary urban legend, the Pied Piper’s story can be tracked back to the deaths of children for centuries and across the world—call to him for help with your problems, but beware when he comes back asking for payment.


Chicago detective Lauren Medina’s latest call brings her to investigate a brutally murdered teenager in Humboldt Park—a crime eerily similar to the murder of her sister decades before. Unlike her straight-laced partner, she recognizes the crime, and the new graffiti popping up all over the city, for what it really means: the Pied Piper has returned.


When more children are found dead, Lauren is certain her suspicion is correct. Still reeling from the recent death of her father, she knows she must find out who has summoned him again, and why, before more people die. Lauren’s torn between protecting the city she has sworn to keep safe, and keeping a promise she made long ago with 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781951709709
Publisher:	Polis Books
Publication date:	01/25/2022
Series:	Chicago Saga , #1
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	309,333
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	15 - 18 Years

About the Author

Cynthia “Cina” Pelayo is an International Latino Book Award winning and three-time Bram Stoker Awards® nominated poet and author of CHILDREN OF CHICAGO, LOTERIA, SANTA MUERTE, THE MISSING, and POEMS OF MY NIGHT, which was also nominated for an Elgin Award. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Columbia College, a Master of Science in Marketing from Roosevelt University, a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is a Doctoral Candidate in Business Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Cina was raised in inner city Chicago, where she lives with her husband and children. Find her online at www.cinapelayo.com and on Twitter @cinapelayo

Editorial Reviews

ONE OF THE "BEST OF THE BEST BOOKS" OF 2021 BY THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY
ONE OF THE 10 "BEST HORROR NOVELS OF 2021"—Library Journal
ONE OF THE "MUST-READ BOOKS FOR SUMMER 2021"—The Chicago Tribune
NOTABLE MENTION "THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR; CRIME FICTION 2021"—CrimeReads
ONE OF "THE BEST NEW CRIME NOVELS"—Book Riot


"Cynthia Pelayo’s wonderfully eerie CHILDREN OF CHICAGO, an ode to Humboldt Park and fairy tales and crime novels and Chicago’s Latinx community, has ambition to spare."—The Chicago Tribune


"Pelayo masterfully ratchets up the tension and the scares. Robert McCammon fans will be pleased."—Publishers Weekly (Starred)


"With superior worldbuilding, a relentless pace, a complex heroine, and a harrowing story that preys off of current events as much as its well-developed monster, this is a stellar horror novel that fires on all cylinders, from the first page through to its horrible conclusion. For fans of dark fantasy based on fairy tales such as Seanan McGuire’s 'Wayward Children' series or novels by Helen Oyeyemi, with just the right touch of Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski."—Library Journal (Starred)


"Cynthia Pelayo combines police procedural with suspense, horror, and a fairy tale to give you a dark genre-bending tale, perfect for X-file fans and readers who eschew cookie-cutter books."—Alma Katsu, author of THE HUNGER and THE DEEP


"CHILDREN OF CHICAGO is equal parts thriller and horror, occupying the same space as the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris or Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg, and this novel is equally worthy of your time."—Crime Fiction Lover


"Pelayo has crafted a love story to Chicago, particularly the Latinx community, weaving history, culture, and landmarks into the fabric of the story until the city practically breathes. It is also a love story to fairy tales, and Pelayo intersperses retellings throughout the book, examining the structure, meaning, and value of the original tales. Pelayo's dark, reimagined fairy tale will have readers leaving their lights on long after they’ve turned the last page.”—Booklist


"I was enthralled with each page. A perfect book for those who love horror."—Suspense Magazine


"Part police procedural, all horror, Cynthia Pelayo's CHILDREN OF CHICAGO is an immensely entertaining and thoroughly chilling novel, which just so happens to combine two of my favorite things: Chicago and fairytales. I challenge you not to have a good time with Pelayo's book. The confidence and style on display here say she's destined to become one of the greats."—Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-Winning author of SOUR CANDY, KIN, and THE TURTLE BOY

From the Publisher

★ 01/01/2021

Lauren Medina is new to the rank of detective in the Chicago Police Department, but her roots run deep as the daughter of a CPD legend. Dealing with her dad's recent death, the dissolution of her marriage, and a history of trauma involving the death of her mother and sister, Medina immerses herself in her work, trying to stop the epidemic of violence against Chicago's children. But there is a dark force stronger than any gang stalking its young victims, and Medina unfortunately knows the Pied Piper, his strength, and the great cost of wielding his power. Pelayo (Into The Forrest And All The Way Through), a lifelong Chicagoan, presents a well-researched modern fairy tale, peppered with nuggets of fascinating information that inform the story without sacrificing the pace or atmosphere. Even more remarkable is how expertly she works the unreliable narrator trope, from the first page to the final, shocking twist. VERDICT With superior worldbuilding, a relentless pace, a complex heroine, and a harrowing story that preys off of current events as much as its well-developed monster, this is a stellar horror novel that fires on all cylinders, from the first page through to its horrible conclusion. For fans of dark fantasy based on fairy tales such as Seanan McGuire's "Wayward Children" series or novels by Helen Oyeyemi, with just the right touch of Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski.

Library Journal