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Cynthia Cina Pelayo

Children of Chicago (Chicago Saga Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Cynthia Pelayo (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.9 231 ratings

Book 1 of 2: Chicago Saga

Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

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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.

Book 1 of 2

Chicago Saga
Print length

300 pages
Language

English
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On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Agora Books
Publication date

February 9, 2021
File size

1427 KB
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cynthia Pelayo is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, and Poems of My Night, all of which have been nominated for International Latino Book Awards. Poems of My Night was also nominated for an Elgin Award. She holds a bachelor of arts in journalism, a master of science in marketing, a master of fine arts in writing, and is a doctoral candidate in business psychology. Cina was raised in inner city Chicago, where she lives with her husband and children. --This text refers to the audioCD edition.

Review

"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

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08LZNX17V
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Agora Books (February 9, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 9, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1427 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 300 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #359,844 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #319 in Hispanic American Literature
- #2,668 in Paranormal Suspense
- #5,256 in Supernatural Thrillers (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.9 231 ratings

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Cynthia Cina Pelayo

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Cynthia “Cina” Pelayo is a two-time Bram Stoker Awards® nominated poet and author. She is the author of LOTERIA, SANTA MUERTE, THE MISSING, and POEMS OF MY NIGHT, all of which have been nominated for International Latino Book Awards. POEMS OF MY NIGHT was also nominated for an Elgin Award. Her recent collection of poetry, INTO THE FOREST AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH explores true crime, that of the epidemic of missing and murdered women in the United States. Her modern day horror retelling of the Pied Piper fairy tale, CHILDREN OF CHICAGO will be released by Agora Books on 2/9/21. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, a Master of Science in Marketing, a Master of Fine Arts in Writing, and is a Doctoral Candidate in Business 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.

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3.9 out of 5

231 global ratings

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Kindle Customer MJ

The Doomed Princess

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2023

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SPOILER

The book gets a 4+ for modernization of Fairy Tale myths but a 3 for editing, proofreading, and nonlinear stories. Fairy tales and folklore have a beginning, rising action, climax, and end. As a fairy tale this novel meanders back and forth through time, introduces love interests that are irrelevant distractions, and Playoff made the choice to add Chicago historical minutia where, in my opinion, the novel would have been more interesting and terrifying if actual passages of Grimm stories were used.

SPOILER - there is nothing that made me care about Lauren. Finally I interpreted her as the anti-princess, Pelayo turns the princess as victim on its head but not very effectively. The princess here is the evil one. It is no surprise for the reader that Lauren killed her sister. What is missing is the sense of dread that well-written horror tells. Finally, why why why do write a protagonist who is thoroughly obnoxious yet everyone around them willingly does their bidding, sometimes at the risk of their own career?

I liked the concept but hated Lauren. My regret was that she wasn't the one to die at the end.

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2023

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I'm originally from the Midwest, so the thought of a fairy tale set in Chicago piqued my interest. Also, with the second book coming out, I wanted to get caught up. I'm so glad I did.

First off, I'm a sucker for stories based in mythology, and I love how Cynthia Pelayo gives the history of the Brothers Grimm, and the tales they collected, then set one of those tales, The Pied Piper, in modern day Chicago. The blending of other mythologies (specifically Greek) was a great touch as well.

My heart broke for Lauren as her story unraveled and the truth came to light. The struggles she had through her whole life, and what she did to survive, made for an excellent, if heart-wrenching, tale. My only gripe, minus one very minor blip (a harmonica described as laser engraved about a century before laser engraving existed), is that the ending leaves so many unanswered questions.

I really hope that the next books in this saga will revisit Det. Medina's story, and not just completely ignore it in favor of the new tales. My public library already has a copy of The Shoemaker's Magician, so hopefully my wait won't be too long to continue this series!

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Emily Cardwell

What an amazing story!

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2021

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An unbelievably spine-chilling, modern take on the Pied Piper fairy tale. It's a story that follows the life of Lauren Medina, a Chicago police officer with a dark past. She is investigating the murders of high schoolers in the Chicago area that are starting to have startling similarities to the murder of her own younger sister two decades prior. As events begin to unravel it will be up to Lauren to figure out what she is forgetting about her past and how it connects to the cases of modern day, and she has until the Pied Piper comes for what is his. “The Children of Chicago” by Cynthia Pelayo is an absolutely breathtaking story and you will find yourself wanting more by the end.
I was given an Ecopy of “The Children of Chicago” to read and review by Netgalley and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I genuinely enjoyed this story. If you’ve read the concept of a supernatural/thriller about the Pied Piper it kind of makes you scratch your head at what a strange idea it is. But as with all things in my life I went into it feet first not knowing exactly what to expect. I mean, if we are going to be realistic for a second the idea of a adult book having a fairy tale element can either be a huge flop or a huge success and I fully believe “The Children of Chicago” will be a success.
It has everything you crave and need in a good story, three dimensional characters who are deeply flawed, a bad guy who messes with you when no one else can see him and lastly just really good writing. Cynthia Pelayo has remarked before on the podcast “Books in the Freezer” that she used to be a journalist and it really shows in her writing. There is no messing around. She gets to the point while informing the reader and playing out the events in the story as though they are in real time. I personally wouldn’t be surprised if this is what skyrockets Ms. Pelayo to the best seller lists and hopefully a movie in the future. All in all it was everything I could have wanted and everything I didn’t realize I needed. Happy Reading! x

6 people found this helpful

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K. Rogers

No likeable characters

Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2021

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I bought this book on Kindle after reading some editorial reviews. Honestly, I didn't think it was very well written. For me, the story was disjointed and there was absolutely TOO MUCH 'history of Chicago' thrown in with the story. I don't live in Chicago, don't ever plan to live in Chicago, and don't really have any interest in reading an in-depth history (pages and pages of the story) of Chicago. I found myself completely skipping those historical pages.

Also, there wasn't one likeable character. The main character is just plain rude to EVERYONE and seems to have no redeeming qualities. She's just a b*tch! She's always sad or mad or a combination of both. The twist at the end gives a glimpse into the reason she is so sad/mad, but it was not until the end that I (semi-) understood her.

It wasn't until the halfway point that I felt there was actually a supernatural element in the story and it's touted as a supernatural thriller! There was really no foreshadowing of any kind to keep me guessing. This was one of those books where I felt I had to finish it because I had already read over half of it without any type of payoff.

After reading this book, I'm not at all inspired to read more from Cynthia Pelayo and I would not recommend this book to anyone, except maybe Chicagoans.

11 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Austrian Spencer

Great horror with a love of folklore and architecture thrown in!

Reviewed in Germany on February 20, 2021

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There are a lot of comparisons that sprang to mind upon reading Cynthia Pelayo’s Children of Chicago, all of them good and all of them noteworthy as elements of craft – moments of having to stop reading the book to contemplate exactly what it reminded me of, and why. I say that as a complement to the Author – I really liked where she is heading, and it’s made me all the more excited for “Into the forest and all the way through”, but I’ll come to that in a while.

There are touches of Gaiman, to be sure, in the mix of magical and horror, real and fantasy, the taking of a simple fairy tale and looking at it through an unfiltered blood lens. There’s king in there too, the supernatural abilities of the monster almost IT like in presentation, reality-warping to accommodate the antagonist, an otherworldly god, reduced in status to a fairy tale. There was also something early-Patterson (good – still fighting Patterson) about one of the children, Fin, that made me constantly think she was on the verge of saying “cool beans”. As I said, moments of craft that forced me to stop and admire the construction of the tale, but Pelayo brings her own distinct interests into the book in form of her own voice - that of detail-rich history and love of architecture, and fleshes out the combination of magic and mystery lore that Gaiman would skip, catches the historical observations of King but injects it with a love of the subject – Chicago is her own home - and recognizes that simple truth that Patterson never understood – that sometimes there is no winner to be had, no happy ending in sight.

To summarize without spoilers, the book is a study of the basis of one of Grimm’s fairy tales, and then taking that basis and superimposing it on today’s hard-boiled society. The Mc is a hardened female homicide detective, with a haunted past – a past which intrudes her ability to solve a spree of killings to which she holds a crucial key in solving, though solving the case demands an accounting.

There are unusual memory shifts employed – crucial memories are remembered in time to the action, inserted in the middle of the moment without warning, and the effect is interesting – it’s like being hit with lost information, a sudden memory whiplash, to reflect the same effect happening to the MC. There are history drops, wonderfully rich which beg the reader stop and go google – and an almost easter egg approach to the information – HH Holmes popping up a tip of the hat to Tantlingers poetry? I’d love to think so.

The book is written as a tragedy, I think It’s fair to say that we are slowly working toward an inevitable conclusion with regards the MC’s sister and stepmother, but it is the long, drawn-out descent that makes this book memorable. Finn is represented wonderfully, Mo likewise. There are social commentary moments that had me laughing as a European – The American Penchant of wearing shoes into the house always freaked me out, here we have the MC considering if someone’s shoes would be traipsing brain tissue and blood into her house. A horrific thought, yet ironically more or less the exact thing I think of every time I watch an American tv show. That is probably stereotyping on my part, and I am dutifully sorry. My bad. But it was nice to see reflected here.
One detail I missed – We never find out if the thing Mo bargained over was accomplished – It left me wondering on his motivation, but that’s my nerdiness coming out.

To tie this all up – it’s left me excited to read Cynthia’s (Can I call you that?) newest poetry book, Into the forest… because it’s based on true crimes – and that is the thing that really works well here – I think Mrs Pelayo is a researcher – it drips through her detail and infuses the reader with the same longing to find out information, explore the detail, and to come to the same horrific conclusions that she has.

I really liked this. This is a monster for the 2020s.

Full disclosure – I received a copy of this book as an ARC in return for a review, but also full disclosure, I liked it so much I bought my own copy after reading it anyway, It will serve as a great tour guide should I ever manage to get to Chicago.

Joi_review

Dark,gut-wrenching and highly relatable!!

Reviewed in India on April 29, 2021

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📘 CHILDREN OF CHICAGO

AUTHOR- Cynthia Pelayo
PUBLISHER- Agora Books
RATING- 5/5

"KIDS KILLING KIDS"

🏷 Children of Chicago is a mix of magical and horror,real and fantasy, melds fairytale into story about children killing children.

🏷 The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is a significant part of the novel,used the explore ,the tragedy of inner city violence and young people caught up in it.

🏷 Lauren Medina, detective in the Chicago Police department, 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.

🏷 There is a dark force stronger than any gang,and powered by Grimm's fairy tales,stalking its young victims, and Medina unfortunately knows the Pied Piper,his strength, and the great cost of weidling his power.

🏷 Book has everything you crave and need in a good story,three dimensional characters who are deeply flawed,a bad guy who messes with you when no one else can see him and lastly just really amazing writing.

🏷 The experience one has with a book is largely influenced by what they hope to get out of it. I loved how the author brought the Pied Piper back to life with horrifying twist.

This is the kind of story I need more.
I'm immensely grateful to Author for giving me this opportunity.

Stephen Howard

Fairytale of Chicago

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2021

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Children Of Chicago melds horror, crime, the supernatural and, yes, fairytale into a story about children killing children. That sounds like a lot, but it’s expertly done. Fans of all of the above should feel satisfied here.
There’s a sense of if you play with fire, you’re going to get burned, or a cautionary tale about doing deals with the Devil in Children Of Chicago. The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is a significant part of the novel, used the explore the tragedy of inner city violence and young people caught up in it.
And a nod to the historical detail related to the city of Chicago, which I found enriched the text. You feel a love for the city and also a lament for its past and present troubles.
Highly recommended.

Shelly Campbell

Chilling read chocked with cool Chicago history

Reviewed in Canada on July 23, 2021

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This book was part horror, part mystery and part creepy tour of Chicago’s past. Great page turner with some really cool historic world-building. Cynthia did a great job capturing the drive and utter exhaustion of a detective with something to prove.

K. Harrison

A bittersweet love letter to the city of its title

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2021

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This book is a bittersweet love letter to Chicago, wrapped in a police procedural, wrapped in a book of fairy tales. 3 dimensional characters, no heroes or villains per se and a plot that only grows more compelling towards its conclusion, I'll be looking out excitedly for the next entry in the Chicago saga.

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Children of Chicago (Chicago Saga Book 1) Kindle Edition

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