A wave of babynappings has terrified parents from San Diego to Portland. And when the Pied Piper -- named for the penny flute he leaves in the cribs of his victims -- claims his first Seattle infant, the investigation draws in homicide detective Lou Boldt. Assigned temporarily to Intelligence so he can spend more time with his kids while his wife is hospitalized for chemotherapy, Boldt's role is to keep the FBI out of the Seattle Police Department's way. But FBI special agent Gary Flemming is a tough adversary -- so tough it almost seems as if he's intentionally sabotaging the SPD's investigation. Then the Pied Piper snatches Boldt's own daughter, promising that unless Boldt throws both the Feds and the SPD off his trail he'll never see his child again. Caught between his professional obligations and his fear for Sarah's life, Boldt launches his own private manhunt with the help of John La Moia, his replacement in homicide, and police psychologist Daphne Matthews, his closest friend in the department. They form a sub rosa task force under the noses of the Feds and the SPD, and soon discover how the Piper has managed to stay a step ahead of the police, elude capture, and find his small victims. The chase moves from Seattle to Portland to New Orleans, culminating in a thrilling denouement in the daffodil fields of Washington's Skagit Valley. Combining strong characterizations with an impressive command of both policing and pacing, Ridley Pearson, author of Chain of Evidence and Beyond Recognition, delivers another sure winner in this outing for Lou Boldt." -- Jane Adams

Básník, prozaik, dramatik a publicista Viktor Dyk se v této novele (časopisecky 1911–1912, knižně 1915) inspiroval starou saskou pověstí, již použil jako volný rámec pro vyprávění o tajemném poutníkovi, který na žádost občanů očistí svou píšťalou hanzovní město Hammeln od krys, avšak rozčarován malodušností konšelů a zrazen v lásce, zneužije píšťaly a odvede za trest celé město do zkázy. Protipólem postavy krysaře, osudově formovaného hrdiny, osamělého a neklidného snivce ztělesňujícího svět buřičů, je v knize rybář Sepp Jörgen, jenž se s realitou smiřuje a záchranou kojence dá vyrůst nové naději. Dyk v této novele, jež odráží novoklasicistní směřování jeho pozdní tvorby, tak dokázal využít staré předlohy k vytvoření svrchovaného prozaického díla o konfliktu iluze a skutečnosti. Jeho tajuplná atmosféra předznamenává pozdější baladickou prózu 30. let.

'They say cometh the hour cometh the man. This means when a situation demands it, the right person - it could be a woman, despite what Sexist Dave would tell you - will appear. This was the hour and in this case the man was a Piper. A Pied Piper.' You'll be enchanted and revolted in equal measure by the host of characters you meet in Russell Brand's Hamelin: the anarchic rats, the arrogant townspeople, sharp-eyed Sam and of course the Pied Piper himself, all brought to life in Brand's inimitable style and with the illustrations of Children's Laureate Chris Riddell.

"Return of the Pied Piper of Hamelin" by Gene W. Zepp

This is book 9 of the Eternal Flames Maddox series, you should read Eternal Flames 1-13 and book 1-8 of Eternal Flames Maddox before this book. Baxter Kenny is the owner of Maddox’s only hotel. When strange and unexplainable things start happening, Baxter starts to believe his hotel may be haunted. Then one night the fire alarm goes off and Baxter rushes through the halls, making sure all his guest are evacuating. Just as he is about to leave as well, he finds a sweet little girl hiding in the lobby. When Baxter talks to her, trying to get her outside and to safety, he is shocked when Laurie explains that a “ghost” rescued her from her room and left her there to wait for Baxter. Dallas, the Maddox Arson Investigator is called onto the scene at the Maddox Hotel. When he meets the gorgeous man who owns the hotel, Dallas is shocked to find out the little human is his mate. As the two work together to find out who started the fire, suddenly little Laurie goes missing. After watching the surveillance footage from around the hotel, they, along with Nick, the fire chief are shocked to see that Baxter may be on track with his ghost theory. Miles is a lonely soul who ran from his home, distressed over the shame he brought on his family because of who he is. After a long search he believes he has found the right place for him when he comes across the Maddox Hotel, but when the little girl Laurie is threatened to be taken away, Miles steps in to save her. When Miles is finally discovered, he is shocked to find that it is not only his mate that has found him but that he has two. The sweet hotel owner, Baxter, who he has been admiring from afar since his arrival, along with the hot Fireman, dragon shifter, Dallas. When the smoke clears and the people of Maddox discover that Laurie may be part of a larger crime ring, the three join forces to do everything they can to hold onto the little girl who has stolen their hearts, and at the same time learn to come together as a mated tri.

This story is part of Reading Champion, a series carefully linked to book bands to encourage independent reading skills, developed with Dr Sue Bodman and Glen Franklin of UCL Institute of Education (IOE) Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and a reading activity. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure. Perfect for 5-7 year olds. In this twist on the original fairy tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin, a boy called Felix tells his side of the story.