A terrifying tale of supernatural horror set in a cursed Louisiana bayou, from the minds of legendary director George Romero and bestselling author Daniel Kraus.
In 2019, while sifting through University of Pittsburgh Library’s System’s George A. Romero Archival Collection, novelist Daniel Kraus turned up a surprise: a half-finished novel called Pay the Piper, a project few had ever heard of. In the years since, Kraus has worked with Romero’s estate to bring this unfinished masterwork to light.
Alligator Point, Louisiana, population 141: Young Renée Pontiac has heard stories of “the Piper”—a murderous swamp entity haunting the bayou—her entire life. But now the legend feels horrifically real: children are being taken and gruesomely slain. To resist, Pontiac and the town’s desperate denizens will need to acknowledge the sins of their ancestors—the infamous slave traders, the Pirates Lafitte. If they don’t . . . it’s time to pay the piper.
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“A captivating triumph for horror fans.”
TANANARIVE DUE, author of The Reformatory
“Kraus couldn’t write a derivative book if he tried. Symbolic sceneries, Cajun patois, and the fey charm of Pontiac, Kraus’s nine-year-old protagonist, combine into a satisfyingly eccentric take on local monsters and ancient histories.”
ESQUIRE
“A great action-packed horror novel.… for fans of waterlogged southern gothic with monsters that prey off the complicated history of a land and its people.”
BOOKLIST
“Not only is this deliciously gruesome book teeming with classic Southern gothic trappings, it also resonates with a socially conscious message. For fans of both Kraus’s novels and Romero’s films, this bloody Southern story highlights the strengths of both auteurs.”
LIBRARY JOURNAL
“A damn fun southern-fried yarn. It’s gross, clever, and a compelling peek into a community that feels left behind in time.”
VARIETY
“Pay the Piper reveals more of the depth and breadth of Romero’s imagination and talent, a wonderful treat, delivered with impeccable timing as the shadows lengthen and our thoughts turn to Halloween.”
CEMETERY DANCE
“Pay the Piper was fantastic.”
BOOK RIOT
“Where this novel excels is where it points out the real, live monsters that plague small communities in coastal Louisiana.”
SOUTHERN REVIEW OF BOOKS
“An eerie masterpiece.”
WGN CHICAGO
“A perfect blend of supernatural forces and horror.”
CAPES & TIGHTS
“The effective Lovecraftian Bayou Gothic we’ve been waiting for.”
AWAKE AT MIDNIGHT
“An important book — a heavy book, a difficult book, and a beautiful one.”
FANDOMENTALS
“A wildly fun, yet profound horror novel that seeps with character and personality.”
FANFIADDICT
“This is Southern Gothic at its best – a gripping, atmospheric story steeped in Louisianan lore.”
GINGER NUTS OF HORROR
“A top-tier, bone-chilling horror story.”
NERDS THAT GEEK
“Grade: A. A richly atmospheric horror novel.”
HORROR DRIVE-IN
“This story combines gothic, supernatural and some cosmic horror along with folk horror. It is a perfect blend of all of these genres.”
POP HORROR