First published 2022
Detective Lauren Medina discovers a familiar calling card at a murder scene in Chicago's Humboldt Park. The Pied Piper has returned after years of silence. Another teenager dies brutally at the same lagoon where Lauren's sister was found floating long ago. The killer isn't just back. He's hunting Lauren specifically, demanding payment for an old debt. Lauren made a promise to her sister's murderer years before. Now she must choose between honoring that dark pact and protecting the city she swore to serve. The Pied Piper won't stop killing until he collects what Lauren owes him. She can save Chicago's children, but only by destroying her career and exposing the lies that have defined her life. The fairy tale killer forces Lauren to confront the secrets she's buried and the price of her survival.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Chicago, Humboldt Park
303 pages · Paperback · Agora Books
Content warnings: death, murder, violence