The Child of Hameln

by Max Turner

This supernatural mystery and light horror is a dark fable set in 1980's small town USA, and is a retelling of the German folktale The Pied Piper of Hameln.

Elk Pass is a town cloaked in darkness and plagued by an unknown evil, where twenty years earlier all but one of the town's children were stolen. That remaining child, now the deputy sheriff, is left to unravel corruption and cover up when his mentor, the town sheriff, dies unexpectedly. The mystery unfolds as a snow storm blows in, threatening to isolate the town, leaving Deputy Bobby Taylor to deal with a plague of rats and the monsters, both human and fae, that follow.

Genres: Horror, Thriller

124 pages, Paperback

Published November 30, 2023

About the author

Max Turner is a queer fella living in the UK.

He is a nerd, Intersectional Feminist, retired performer and writer of speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, horror and LGBTQ+ fiction, and combinations there of.

Currently undergoing Parenting 101, he can be found hanging on for dear life to the nearest cup of strong coffee.

Max has also written under the name L.E. Turner

https://www.maxturneruk.com/

Reviews

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5) A fun quick read! I enjoyed this spin on the pied piper story, particularly the atmosphere and the sense of longing that permeated this. The relationship between Bobby and Frederick felt a bit rushed for me personally though. But I do also understand the appeal of people being fated for each other/having waited their whole lives for each other.

[Liah :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short sweet (if you ignore the murder and gore :p) and very satisfying. Thank you Martha for sponsoring this book and making my flight home 10x more entertaining.

Gay fae on top!!!!!!!!!

[Hahn Turek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diversity win! The ominous, looming presence that abducted the town's population of children is queer!

I had no expectations of this book going into it, thinking it would just be a short run-of-the-mill horror twist on a classic story, but man, was I pleasantly surprised! Bobby was a relatable protagonist, one whose tragic backstory and somewhat self-imposed isolation really lends itself to a queer reading of the book as a whole. The way that Bobby goes from calling Rick "Reitz", his last name, which is rather formal and detached, to Frederick by the end is a subtle but impactful indicator of their growing closeness. A nice touch.

The desire for vengeance is one that is tackled through many works of fiction, and it was refreshing to see it genuinely come to fruition. My favourite line from the book was when Bobby described the old Reitz residence as a "mausoleum of a house." Fitting, given the history.

Near the end of the book, when Rick is revealing his true nature to Bobby, I was almost joking that there was something more to his feelings and was truly elated with the ending. I hope they're both out there living their best gay fae lives.

[Juliano · Rating 3 out of 5]

“He didn’t want to give into that constant urge to spend every waking moment hearing that music and feeling the regret of being left behind. He was meant to have gone with the children, he wanted to go with them. The music still called to him and thrummed in his blood.” Max Turner’s novella The Child of Hameln is a modern crime-horror take on the story of the Pied Piper with a queer lens, which tackles themes of childhood trauma, abuses of power, revenge and desire in very satisfying ways without ever getting too prolix or didactic. It is a fun, dark, fae story that recalls the original enough to feel familiar but is playful and unpredictable enough to feel fresh. Sometimes the prose feels decidedly lacking and poorly edited (a very specific gripe I know, but British people who are going to write North American characters should understand such vernacular quirks as “flashlight” instead of “torch”!), and it feels a little stock-fantasy-horror at times (too overtly in the school of Stephen King), but it’s still enjoyable and thoughtful.

[Clarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting dip into the Pied Piper of Hamelin story, focusing not on the taking of the children, nor the rat infestation, but what it means to be left behind.

Bobby was the child who was too sickly to follow the enchanting music. Twenty years later he is the deputy sheriff of a small town and still living with the nightmares of being claimed by an unknown darkness.

Although the story covers neglect and extreme violence, there is a genuine sweetness in discovering a powerful relationship and the feeling of home when you meet the person you've been waiting for your whole life.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, a new interpretation of an old fairy tale. Of course I had to pick this one up and wasn't disappointed. On the contrary. One man was left behind, after all the other kids disappeared. He is the Sheriff now in a small dying American town. What happened to the children? Where did they go to? Why is it a story of revenge and what is the Sheriff's role being the last child left? The author knows how to captivate you and build up an eerie atmosphere of suspense and pure twilight. Absolutely worthy new version with some great background explanations and twists. Really recommended!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The start was slow, I thoroughly enjoyed the middle, and the end was satisfying even though a development between two characters felt incredibly rushed.