I would like to thank Netgalley and The Book Folk for a review copy of The Piper’s Children, the first thriller in a projected series featuring FBI Agent Ilona Farris set in Washington State.

When park rangers find a child wandering in a state forest they are puzzled as the the boy is wearing mediaeval clothing and speaking an antiquated form of German, or so they deduce. Ilona is asked to join a new unit the FBI is forming, the Unsolvable Crime Unit, to try and solve this enigma. She will be working with Will McCord, a former boyfriend, and she’s not sure if she’s a good fit for the job.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Piper’s Children, which is a highly entertaining read with countless twists and turns and absolutely no grounding in reality or plausibility. And so what? It held my attention from start to finish and had me oohing and ahing at every clever twist.

The novel is told mostly from Ilona’s first person point of view with the odd interjection from the victim. I say victim, because Ilona is sure that the boy has been kidnapped and is not a time traveler, despite there being no solid evidence of either. I can’t say what happens after this without spoilers, but it held me gripped throughout, in awe of the plotting and the foresight. The only thing I would take issue with is that I guessed the perpetrator’s identity fairly early on, although the motive remained elusive. After all the rest of the sleight of hand and misdirection it was marginally disappointing. Still, it’s a clever novel and deserves appreciation.

Ilona is a weird one. She has a secret, illegal hobby that plays a role in the plot, but by day she is a driven, perceptive investigator with an empathy for victims, as she was a teenage kidnap victim herself, who managed to escape. I was less convinced by her interactions with Will, which didn’t seem quite natural.

The Piper’s Children is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Sp this clearly merges the lines between fantasy and reality but it's a fiction book so who needs it to be realistic?! That's the point of reading fiction! Clearly a play on the old story of the pied piper, this was a really cleverly story that isn't just a retelling or anything but it plays on the story and then goes off on its own direction. Really well written with plenty suspense, twists and turns. I loved the characters, the tension, the mystery, the whole package really! Such a good book to get completely lost in for a few hrs and worlds apart from any other thriller ove come across

This book was a little hard for me to get into. It was a slow burn, but entertaining once it picked up. I liked the character development and the story line. I was kind of hoping the supernatural element would be true.

This is a book that will top my personal chart for originality. It's not a fantasy but there's theme that could be fantasy.
Ilona, the detective, is a bit borderling but she grew on me.
The story is fast paced, twisty and it keeps you wondering what is happening.
Read it please, it's excellent
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was one of the more unique mystery/thrillers I've read in awhile, because of the theme of a Pied Piper-like bad guy, as well as the fact I never saw who the bad guy was at all, until the agents figured it out. It was really interesting that the kids seemed to be speaking some kind of old German and appeared to be wearing medieval garb.

I really liked Ilona. She was a strong woman, despite everything she'd been through in the past, and even though she didn't think she was the right person for the job, McCord did. McCord still knows her better than anyone.

This is the first in a new series from the author, and I'm excited to see where it will go. I look forward to reading more in the series, and more by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are mine, and freely given.

The Piper's Children by Iain Henn is a gripping, twisted suspense packed with nail-biting moments! As the first book in the *Unsolvable Crimes* series, it delivers a knockout mystery. We’re introduced to FBI agent Ilona Farris, whose intriguing backstory adds depth to the plot. The mystery itself is truly confounding, not only for the characters but also for the reader. There were several moments when I kept reading just to see how the author would possibly explain such a perplexing and fantastical case. In the end, it’s all wrapped up beautifully, and as a seasoned fan of the genre, I thought I could predict the outcome—but I was completely off. I love a book that challenges me, and this one did just that. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to dive into the next unsolvable mystery Ilona faces! Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley & Iain Henn for the arc!