Publishers Weekly
01/30/2023
The haunting if overbearing second paranormal mystery in Pelayo’s Chicago Saga series (after Children of Chicago) pays homage to a slew of classic horror films. As a child, Polly used horror movies to escape the real horror of life with an abusive mother—and they gave her and her brother an idea. Desperate to escape their home life, the pair attempted magick to summon demons and ask for what they desired most. Their parents died shortly after, making Polly believe that their magick really worked. Now Polly has a successful career as a YouTuber discussing all things horror and a happy domestic life with Chicago homicide detective Bass and their young son, Bela. Bela’s origins, however, have a dark backstory: after six miscarriages, a desperate Polly invoked all 72 demons to grant her wish of having a child. When Bass starts investigating a series of murders involving demon sigils and horror movies, Polly fears the ritual she did to get Bela may be responsible. Pelayo loads the text with references to cult films and asides about their production histories that will delight horror buffs but may overwhelm more casual fans. The details about Chicago are similarly exhaustive. This is not for the faint of heart. Agent: Lane Heymont, Tobias Agency. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
PRAISE FOR CHILDREN OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO SAGA BOOK ONE
2021 BRAM STOKER AWARD NOMINEE FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A NOVEL
2021 INTERNATIONAL LATINO BOOK AWARD WINNER
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
"GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOUR HEART THUMP AND SKIN CRAWL”—The New York Times
"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
"Pelayo’s collision of magic and history is so smart and sophisticated that you’ll find yourself Googling the nonfiction that forms the bedrock of her tale. ...a delicious foray into the occult." —The New York Times Book Review
Library Journal
★ 01/01/2023
Bass, a homicide detective in Chicago, is called to a brutal murder on the stage of the Chicago Theater, where the body was laid out with a poster for a famous occult film. Bass's wife, Polly, a horror-movie expert, is writing her dissertation on Chicago's most elusive and famous horror host, Grand. Polly, the daughter of immigrants and a survivor of child abuse, has always found comfort in horror movies and magick, and she has passed her love on to her son Bela. But someone else is sharing dark stories with Bela, ominous fables that seem to connect the murder to his family, the history of horror films, and Chicago's deteriorating movie palaces. Crafting a tale that fascinates and frightens, International Latino Book Award—winning and Bram Stoker Award—nominated poet/novelist Pelayo (Children of Chicago; Into the Forest and All the Way Through) writes an enchanting mix of Chicago history, folklore, and haunting atmosphere, anchored by a strong female protagonist. VERDICT A gripping story filled with ghosts, mystery, and history, this novel has many excellent entry points for a wide range of readers, but especially for those who enjoy creepy retellings of western folklore, as written by authors like Helen Oyeyemi, and books about occult movies, such as Experimental Film by Gemma Files.
