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Crime Scene
Cynthia Pelayo sings a song for the least of us, the victim we want to forget as soon as possible, the one who disappeared before ever really appearing. With a fairy tale gaze and a heart bigger than the world, her siren song insinuates itself past our defenses, past the hardened calluses and apathy we’ve erected to protect ourselves from the everyday horror of another missing girl.
Pelayo relates the familiar story, poem by poem; a body is found, a brutal crime investigated, clues take us in circles, and lead us nowhere. We are on an epic journey, the hero’s journey, and it must play out to the end in all its painful, ticking moments. Pelayo imbues her hero, Agent K, with the entirety of our dedication and that crumb of hope we’ve been hiding, saving for later. We will need to save for years, for decades, if we want to come out the other side. The job takes its toll, the answers are never complete and whys fracture, crack and spread. Still there is no turning away. We must bear witness, though it changes and contorts us.
Pelayo relates the familiar story, poem by poem; a body is found, a brutal crime investigated, clues take us in circles, and lead us nowhere. We are on an epic journey, the hero’s journey, and it must play out to the end in all its painful, ticking moments. Pelayo imbues her hero, Agent K, with the entirety of our dedication and that crumb of hope we’ve been hiding, saving for later. We will need to save for years, for decades, if we want to come out the other side. The job takes its toll, the answers are never complete and whys fracture, crack and spread. Still there is no turning away. We must bear witness, though it changes and contorts us.
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2022
4 people are currently reading
707 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Pelayo
68 books637 followersCynthia Pelayo is a Bram Stoker Award winning and International Latino Book Award winning author and poet.
Pelayo writes fairy tales that blend genre and explore concepts of grief, mourning, and cycles of violence. She is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, Poems of My Night, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Children of Chicago, Crime Scene, The Shoemaker’s Magician, as well as dozens of standalone short stories and poems.
Loteria, which was her MFA in Writing thesis at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was re-released to praise with Esquire calling it one of the ‘Best Horror Books of 2023.’ Santa Muerte and The Missing, her young adult horror novels were each nominated for International Latino Book Awards. Poems of My Night was nominated for an Elgin Award. Into the Forest and All the Way Through was nominated for an Elgin Award and was also nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. Children of Chicago was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in Superior Achievement in a Novel and won an International Latino Book Award for Best Mystery. Crime Scene won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. The Shoemaker’s Magician has been released to praise with Library Journal awarding it a starred review.
Her forthcoming novel, The Forgotten Sisters, will be released by Thomas and Mercer in 2024 and is an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.”
Her works have been reviewed in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, LA Review of Books, and more.
Pelayo writes fairy tales that blend genre and explore concepts of grief, mourning, and cycles of violence. She is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, Poems of My Night, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Children of Chicago, Crime Scene, The Shoemaker’s Magician, as well as dozens of standalone short stories and poems.
Loteria, which was her MFA in Writing thesis at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was re-released to praise with Esquire calling it one of the ‘Best Horror Books of 2023.’ Santa Muerte and The Missing, her young adult horror novels were each nominated for International Latino Book Awards. Poems of My Night was nominated for an Elgin Award. Into the Forest and All the Way Through was nominated for an Elgin Award and was also nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. Children of Chicago was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in Superior Achievement in a Novel and won an International Latino Book Award for Best Mystery. Crime Scene won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. The Shoemaker’s Magician has been released to praise with Library Journal awarding it a starred review.
Her forthcoming novel, The Forgotten Sisters, will be released by Thomas and Mercer in 2024 and is an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.”
Her works have been reviewed in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, LA Review of Books, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 16, 2022
"What lives in dark woods
What emerges from depths
What creeps within alleyways.."
Beautiful and hauntingly told, Pelayo has done it again!
What emerges from depths
What creeps within alleyways.."
Beautiful and hauntingly told, Pelayo has done it again!
October 12, 2022
An unjust death
taken, tortured
mocked in misery
hopeless against a backdrop
of blue sky, wondering
when will this pain end?
I've had Cynthia Pelayo's books on my TBR for quite some time and have been especially interested in her poetry, so I was incredibly excited to read Crime Scene, especially once I learned it was more of a story in verse than a collection of poems (while I love the latter, the former is one of my favorite methods of storytelling!).
I was immediately taken in not only by how clever and unique Cynthia's ways of phrasing things can be, but also by how necessary her viewpoint on true crime feels. I enjoy true crime books and documentaries as much as many others do, but there's certainly something to be said for the way true crime consumers can take things too far, even exploiting the victims' memories and glorifying the killers at times. Crime Scene shines a light on that problem, in a way, as it exposes the ugly underbelly of crime work by showing us Agent K's ghosts and personal demons that have arisen from her work investigating these murdered victims.
I immensely enjoyed the premise of Crime Scene, but I'll be totally honest: I didn't "get" some of the entries. Something about the flow of thought processes was at times too abstract for my brain to latch onto, but even with that said, I still found myself unable to put it down. I think it's going to hit home with so many readers and I highly recommend picking up a copy, especially if you enjoy horror poetry or poetry with heavy, dark themes like this. And of course, I can't wait to read more from Cynthia soon!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for:
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September 20, 2022
I have to thank Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi and Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending me a copy of this sad and tormenting, but beautiful collection.
The cover prepares the reader for what is waiting within these troubled pages, as much as the title. Yet, I wasn't prepared for the interwoven poems that tell this bleak and heartbreaking tale in a very unique and immersive way.
Each poem is listed under a Report No. and follows what happens after two kids find a dead body. Agent K soon takes over as she investigates. But Agent K is a tortured soul. Not only is she haunted by the endless, callous nature of what human monsters are capable of doing, but her past is darkened by her own personal tragedy. An experience that chases her into slumber and doesn't fade while she's awake.
The way Cynthia Pelayo paints such detailed and gruesome murder scenes is only rivalled by the beauty of the dark imagery. I could see every location she describes so vividly, imagine all the ghosts, and smell the cloying scent of decay.
Poetry, in the hands of a skilful poet, can dig it's claws deep into your soul until every word takes your breath away. And that happened to me many times, while reading this stunning collection.
True crime is one of those things that horrify and intrigue us at the same time. I've been watching a lot of it lately and after every case featuring an innocent woman or girl—because it's mostly the female of the species who suffer these horrendous and unfair crimes—reaches it's horrible conclusion, I always feel the same way. Broken and sad, confused while asking the one question that never seems to be answered: Why take what isn't yours? Because, even when the selfish killer has a screwed-up motive for their despicable actions, it never justifies taking someone else's life.
And this brings me back to this brutal book. I loved how confronting every single poem is, and how well each lyrical word captures the macabre, uncomfortable subject matter.
This is definitely a keeper. The contents of this poetry collection might have torn me apart at every turn, but I loved it.
The cover prepares the reader for what is waiting within these troubled pages, as much as the title. Yet, I wasn't prepared for the interwoven poems that tell this bleak and heartbreaking tale in a very unique and immersive way.
Each poem is listed under a Report No. and follows what happens after two kids find a dead body. Agent K soon takes over as she investigates. But Agent K is a tortured soul. Not only is she haunted by the endless, callous nature of what human monsters are capable of doing, but her past is darkened by her own personal tragedy. An experience that chases her into slumber and doesn't fade while she's awake.
The way Cynthia Pelayo paints such detailed and gruesome murder scenes is only rivalled by the beauty of the dark imagery. I could see every location she describes so vividly, imagine all the ghosts, and smell the cloying scent of decay.
Poetry, in the hands of a skilful poet, can dig it's claws deep into your soul until every word takes your breath away. And that happened to me many times, while reading this stunning collection.
True crime is one of those things that horrify and intrigue us at the same time. I've been watching a lot of it lately and after every case featuring an innocent woman or girl—because it's mostly the female of the species who suffer these horrendous and unfair crimes—reaches it's horrible conclusion, I always feel the same way. Broken and sad, confused while asking the one question that never seems to be answered: Why take what isn't yours? Because, even when the selfish killer has a screwed-up motive for their despicable actions, it never justifies taking someone else's life.
And this brings me back to this brutal book. I loved how confronting every single poem is, and how well each lyrical word captures the macabre, uncomfortable subject matter.
This is definitely a keeper. The contents of this poetry collection might have torn me apart at every turn, but I loved it.
September 11, 2023
Cynthia Pelayo’s poetry is sharp, raw, and unrelenting—the blade of a knife flaying away layers of flesh leaving one's nerves exposed. A lyrical danse macabre, CRIME SCENE, casts a morbid light into the shadows to reveal the horrific monsters who wield death with such callousness—to instead find only the reflection of ourselves glaring back. This collection will leave the reader hollowed out and haunted in the best of ways.
Full review available on Paper Cuts
Full review available on Paper Cuts
February 8, 2023
An emotive and dark exploration of crime through poetry, placing the often forgotten about victims front and centre. This is a mash up of case files, forensics and poetry. and was really addictive to read. (Just one more, I kept saying to myself).
Lots of gritty and confronting moments but ultimately a necessary read. I really haven’t read anything else like it.
Thank you so much to Raw Dog Screaming Press for the gifted copy!
Lots of gritty and confronting moments but ultimately a necessary read. I really haven’t read anything else like it.
Thank you so much to Raw Dog Screaming Press for the gifted copy!
December 28, 2022
This is my second poetry book by Cynthia Pelayo and I'd highly recommend both for very different reasons. I didn't have any expectations going into this one, even after reading her previous book (which I also loved) -- but wow, this was SO different, and so good. I will add a small warning that this might be tough if you have certain content warning needs, so definitely look into all those before diving in. If you can handle the subject matter though, this is one I think will definitely stick with you forever.
September 13, 2022
poetry about murdered women, violence, decay, morbid exhibitions, guilt, grief, and the sensationalism of true crime. this was awful and lovely and gutting, 4/5
October 6, 2022
There's no way I'm getting a full review posted to the blog in time for the 10/13 release of this incredible book, so I'm gonna post a small review here, and a bigger, more interesting one (I hope) as time allows.
Crime Scene is a tough read. But it's absolutely worth it. It's beautiful in that way that terrible things sometimes are. Cina has such an incredible talent for finding beauty in really dark places. Don't get me wrong, the subject is by turns terrifying and intensely tragic, but the almost lyrical way Cina tells the story of the finding of this body, and the subsequent investigation is nothing short of transcendent. She manages to hold you down right in the thick of things for the duration - forcing you to experience a whole host of emotions relating to this poor person and the people responsible for finding a killer and bringing them to justice all while sitting safely on your couch. This is an absolutely stunning piece of work.
Crime Scene is a tough read. But it's absolutely worth it. It's beautiful in that way that terrible things sometimes are. Cina has such an incredible talent for finding beauty in really dark places. Don't get me wrong, the subject is by turns terrifying and intensely tragic, but the almost lyrical way Cina tells the story of the finding of this body, and the subsequent investigation is nothing short of transcendent. She manages to hold you down right in the thick of things for the duration - forcing you to experience a whole host of emotions relating to this poor person and the people responsible for finding a killer and bringing them to justice all while sitting safely on your couch. This is an absolutely stunning piece of work.
May 2, 2023
CRIME SCENE us unlike anything I have read before. It is an epic poem / narrative in verse form and each entry is a "report" chronicling the discovery of a body and the entire process of trying to learn who and why. Pelayo has a way of crafting such horrific and bleak things in a beautiful way that will quickly resonate and stick with you. You are experiencing everything as our hero does in this quest for truth and justice.
June 15, 2023
Ghost don’t exist
Demons are fairytales
God is lore
Demons are fairytales
God is lore
June 18, 2023
I love horror poetry and this is by far one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Written as an epic poem with a narrative told in verse, it left me rocked to my core - filled with emotions. It’s heartbreaking, horrifying, and beautiful all at the same time. Cynthia is incredibly talented. She chooses every lyrical word with care and it shows in CRIME SCENE. I cannot recommend this book enough.
UPDATE: It’s also the 2022 Bram Stoker Award Winner for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection 🙌
UPDATE: It’s also the 2022 Bram Stoker Award Winner for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection 🙌
January 1, 2024
I kind of want to give this book 1.5 stars. Some of the lines stood out to me, but overall, it just wasn’t for me.
Read
September 25, 2022Crime Scene by Cynthia Pelayo is a collection of poetry that is devastating and thought provoking. The poems are organized in a narrative structure. The book begins with finding the dead body of a murdered girl, then progresses into the investigative procedures and people’s reactions.
Pelayo’s makes the reader disgusted with the human condition. Each poem brings the reader into the moment, not allowing to look away from unpleasant realities. The realities are the aftermath of a gruesome crime and difficult questions that come with the crime. Important questions are asked about the mystery of the nature of the crime, the mystery of death, the human fascination with crime and the way our culture handles crime.
Reading this poetry is like reading a well written thriller novel that cuts to the core of the emotional realities of each moment, making for a gut wrenching read. Lovers of dark poetry will definitely not want to miss this book!
Thank you Raw Dog Screaming Press for my review copy!
I am also publishing this review on my blog:
http://glamorousbookgal.blogspot.com/...
Pelayo’s makes the reader disgusted with the human condition. Each poem brings the reader into the moment, not allowing to look away from unpleasant realities. The realities are the aftermath of a gruesome crime and difficult questions that come with the crime. Important questions are asked about the mystery of the nature of the crime, the mystery of death, the human fascination with crime and the way our culture handles crime.
Reading this poetry is like reading a well written thriller novel that cuts to the core of the emotional realities of each moment, making for a gut wrenching read. Lovers of dark poetry will definitely not want to miss this book!
Thank you Raw Dog Screaming Press for my review copy!
I am also publishing this review on my blog:
http://glamorousbookgal.blogspot.com/...
September 28, 2022
I’m not an expert on horror poetry, that being said, this is by far one of my favorite forays into the genre. Huge True Crime vibes with some CSI and Forensic Files thrown in.
For me, it read like a short story. I wanted to know more; more about Agent K, more about the children who found the body. I cared about the story and the journey I was on. I was suitably horrified by the verse and the content. Because how could you not be? Murder is never pretty and reading it through poetry made it more visceral and bloody.
If you haven’t given horror poetry a shot yet, I’d suggest this as your first stop. Definitely a book I’ll be thinking about long after I should be asleep.
For me, it read like a short story. I wanted to know more; more about Agent K, more about the children who found the body. I cared about the story and the journey I was on. I was suitably horrified by the verse and the content. Because how could you not be? Murder is never pretty and reading it through poetry made it more visceral and bloody.
If you haven’t given horror poetry a shot yet, I’d suggest this as your first stop. Definitely a book I’ll be thinking about long after I should be asleep.
November 30, 2022
"Crime Scene" is like an extension of what Cynthia Pelayo carved onto the page in one of her previous poetry collections, "Into the Forest and All the Way Through," and it's so much more. The author describes it as an epic poem and it is indeed told very uniquely through reports. It focuses on the innocence of children turned on its head after a gruesome discovery, the role of law enforcement, of trauma, discoveries, what the truth is vs what someone's perceptions are, and so much more. The language is used beautifully throughout, gritty where it's needed, flowing in other parts, with references to Greek mythological figures to bolster the epic poem theme. In some ways, it also felt like reading a print version of the Netflix show "Archive 81" and going through the same disassociation as the protagonist, trying to figure out what's going on, and here, we have Agent K trying to put together the pieces of a complex puzzle. As with 'Into the Forest,' this poetry also highlights missing and murdered women, unsolved cases, and runs with that theme throughout. Pelayo is uniquely gifted among dark horror and fantasy poets, and "Crime Scene" is a triumph.
October 22, 2022
I don't normally read poetry, but when I read the premise of this, a story told in verse about an investigation....I was down to try something different.
That verse...so good. Humans are monsters, just one of the themes of Crime Scene. Pelayo also delves into the toll investigating brutal crimes can take on the investigators. I loved this take and I could feel the pain that Agent K lives with daily.
This was very different, and interesting and unique. I didn't always flow with Pelayo's rhythm, but that is probably on me for being so inexperienced with poetry. Despite that, I enjoyed the story telling and messages within. And Report No. 78 will stick with me for a while!
What's caused the most
Destruction and suffering
A warm beating heart:
It's us
That verse...so good. Humans are monsters, just one of the themes of Crime Scene. Pelayo also delves into the toll investigating brutal crimes can take on the investigators. I loved this take and I could feel the pain that Agent K lives with daily.
This was very different, and interesting and unique. I didn't always flow with Pelayo's rhythm, but that is probably on me for being so inexperienced with poetry. Despite that, I enjoyed the story telling and messages within. And Report No. 78 will stick with me for a while!
September 27, 2023
Crime Scene by Cynthia Pelayo is a gut-punch epic poem of murder, grief, and the determination to solve cases so those lost do not go forgotten.
Epic poems are my absolute favorite poetry format! What Cina has done here with her epic poem is incredible. There’s so much beauty woven into the darkness. As a reader, you’ll both hang on to every word and dread what’s to come next as the case slowly develops.
I’m kicking myself for taking so long to get to this one after meeting Cina and snagging a signed copy at Merrimack Valley Book Fest! I read this in one sitting, unable to pull myself away.
Horror fans, don’t delay. Go grab a copy today!
Check out my full review here:
https://www.ericarobynreads.com/crime...
Epic poems are my absolute favorite poetry format! What Cina has done here with her epic poem is incredible. There’s so much beauty woven into the darkness. As a reader, you’ll both hang on to every word and dread what’s to come next as the case slowly develops.
I’m kicking myself for taking so long to get to this one after meeting Cina and snagging a signed copy at Merrimack Valley Book Fest! I read this in one sitting, unable to pull myself away.
Horror fans, don’t delay. Go grab a copy today!
Check out my full review here:
https://www.ericarobynreads.com/crime...
November 27, 2022
A slightly different experience than Cina Pelayo's other poetry collections, Crime Scene tells an overarching story in an epic fashion, a la The Odyssey. Even with the unique structure, every entry cuts deep, providing raw stabs of sensory and emotion, and justifying why this exists as a poetry collection rather than a novel. Pelayo has a brutal yet empathetic voice that sinks its tenterhooks into the reader and refuses to let go until the final page.
October 14, 2025
maybe 2.5. i just don’t think this writing style is for me, i need things way more straight forward. however the haunting / gruesome vibes are definitely there. this agent working on a case seems to be visited by spirits? and acknowledges how humans are cruel, as long as there’s humans, there will be killings. some gory writing as well such as missing body parts and death and wounds.
so overall pretty over, interesting concept and my kind of topic! i just don’t think i’m the right audience.
so overall pretty over, interesting concept and my kind of topic! i just don’t think i’m the right audience.
October 13, 2023
"Tell me why we should expect a cheerful investigator? They're a natural pessimist fully aware of how hurt is constant, how hurt reminds them that they're not dead and they still have a job to do, a job which exists because of sadistic chaos."
Pelayo's beautiful poetry once again shows the true horrors of the world.
I loved her writing and the cover is absolutely gorgeous as well.
Pelayo's beautiful poetry once again shows the true horrors of the world.
I loved her writing and the cover is absolutely gorgeous as well.
November 9, 2023
Welcome Night…
It is the heart of darkness, this crime noir Song of Songs. Solomon didn’t write this unfortunately. Dark verses practically sang in the wicked pages. None of any Hannibal Lectors involved. Only Agent K did all the thinking. Very well written, the semi-narrative poems. It’s not for the faint hearted. Be looking forward for more Pelayo. Definitely recommended.
It is the heart of darkness, this crime noir Song of Songs. Solomon didn’t write this unfortunately. Dark verses practically sang in the wicked pages. None of any Hannibal Lectors involved. Only Agent K did all the thinking. Very well written, the semi-narrative poems. It’s not for the faint hearted. Be looking forward for more Pelayo. Definitely recommended.
December 14, 2023
Poetry can absolutely be as chilling and haunting as prose, and Crime Scene, Cynthia Pelayo’s take on the epic poem is proof. There is many an unsettling moment within these pages, and the story it tells, of detective, Agent K, and her search for a murderer, will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
February 8, 2023
Just finished this incredibly moving book of prose. Taking us from the victims to the detectives and then the perpetrator. Beautifully written by @cinapelayo, this is a must for any horror/poetry fan.
May 31, 2023
Crime Scene is an awesome book! Imagine an episode of Law and Order told in the epic poetic style of the Odyssey. Unlike Law and Order, Crime Scene's poems take time to focus on the victims and what was done to them. It'll make you rethink procedurals.
February 6, 2024
Genre:
Horror
Crime
Poetry
Feminist fiction
Mystery
Tone:
Poems range in tone depending on the pov
Sad
Assertive
Fearful
Accusatory
Serious
Anxious
Apathetic
Arrogant
Compassionate
Detached
Desperate
Depressed
Tense
Hopeless
Tragic
Uneasy
Horror
Crime
Poetry
Feminist fiction
Mystery
Tone:
Poems range in tone depending on the pov
Sad
Assertive
Fearful
Accusatory
Serious
Anxious
Apathetic
Arrogant
Compassionate
Detached
Desperate
Depressed
Tense
Hopeless
Tragic
Uneasy
March 28, 2024
My intrigue peaked at the end, but my hopes for this book were so high that I expected much more. I still enjoyed it, but man I really wish it tore my heart open the way her “Into the Forest and All the Way Through” poetry collection did.
September 6, 2025
The cover is fabulous, and the themes in this book thought provoking, essentially a murder mystery in poetry. The book is structured as case reports, which sometimes worked for me and other times not. I also found the poems somewhat inconsistent, but overall creative.
December 6, 2022
One of the best collections of dark poetry I've read. The ending is a grisly reminder that the pursuit of monsters doesn't end with the capture of one...
December 29, 2022
An epic poem, the hero a detective trying to solve a murder. Pelayo shines a light on the often forgotten victim of these terrible crimes. Amazing poetry.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews