New Arrival: Children of Chicago

One of the predecessors of horror, before King, before Poe, and even before Stoker, would be fairy tales. Yes, they contain magic and yes, these tales have been sanitized for children depending on the teller, but they also contain many horrific elements, from child-eating witches to predatory wolves to women turning to foam for another man. Writers like Christina Henry and Daniel Mallory Ortberg realize that fairy tales are great fodder for horror stories. One such tale that deserves its own horror story is the Pied Piper, the musician who rid the town of Hamlin and then of its children. Cynthia Pelayo noted this and used the tale of the Pied Piper to create Children of Chicago, a crime story/fairy tale/character study.

The story follows Lauren Medina, a Chicago homicide detective investigating a shooting with graffiti referencing the Pied Piper from the fairy tale. Finding other instances of this graffiti with messages like “Pay the Piper,” Medina finds that the Pied Piper is a supernatural entity whose influence is felt far and wide, especially by young people who can call him via a method like the ones to summon Bloody Mary and Candyman. Once summoned and like in the fairy tale, the Pied Piper is all about receiving his payment once he completes a service, and he typically demands a life as payment. Before the story is over, the Pied Piper will claim quite a few lives as payment as Medina goes deeper into the mystery that is claiming Chicago’s young people.

Pelayo doesn’t just rewrite the Pied Piper for a new generation here; this is a story that has a great many influences. She borrows from the Candyman universe in many ways. One is the Chicago setting that the movies use. This, however, does not seem to be borrowing from the movies but the author’s knowledge and love of the city. Pelayo, it seems, could write a history of Chicago based on the information and history she presents here, not as much to move the story forward but to create a living, breathing setting where these characters live. Another similarity to Candyman is its exploration of how a myth can also become a living, breathing thing. The Pied Piper, within this city and this story, has his story told through the graffiti his followers, his congregation, leaves behind. He gains strength every time his tale his told and every time a follower asks for a favor, regardless of the consequences.

The most intriguing part of this story, however, is the character of Lauren Medina. People familiar with shows like Law and Order or any other crime thriller will see Medina’s influences, just as they notice her flaws. She is dedicated to the job, but often to the detriment of her own health and even the health of her relationships. She also frequently uses people to help her in her investigation even as she actively pushes them away. She also deals with her father’s passing, and a department that feels her promotion to detective was undeserved. What becomes fascinating about this character, though, is that readers will see that others’ reticence to fully trust Medina is justified. Ultimately, the ending to this fairy tale/crime thriller/devil’s bargain tale doesn’t wrap up as neatly as some might like, but as a character study of Lauren Medina, an exploration on the power of myth, and a love letter to the city she and Pelayo love, it is sure to attract readers as surely as its supernatural villain attracted rats and children.