the Piper's Pursuit by Melanie dickerson

Katerina Ludken is a woman on a mission--to kill the Beast of Hamlin and to find the children who have vanished from her village.

Steffan of Hagenheim is a man on a mission--to prove to anyone who cares that he is not just the bad son of his noble family. Killing the Beast seems a good way to do so.

Hennek, Mayor of Hamlin, has his own mission--to keep his sins hidden from his adoring villagers. And he's willing to remove anyone who dares stand in his way.

Each Melanie Dickerson book gets better, and The Piper's Pursuit is no exception. I read this entire novel in one afternoon.

Katerina trusts no one, for her own reasons. This part of the plot was played out very well. Better yet, it's not left as a petty quirk. It is overcome. While some readers may find it annoying, I found her character refreshing. She thinks about things. She sets goals and works to achieve them. She'll stand up to a greedy mayor who would very much like to kill her if that's what it takes. She is a well-written, strong yet feminine character--characters in short supply, especially in young adult literature.

Then there's Steffan. He so desperately wants to be good, yet there's so much bad, inside and out, for him to overcome. That doesn't slow him down. He'll never give up or give in, he'll face down the Beast and the mayor both . . . but will he face his past?

Let's turn our attention from our heroes to our villain--Hennek. Greedy, ruthless, deranged, more than a little creepy, and oh so conceited. I could go on, but you get the idea. His villain was well-written--and I'm not sure whether to call that a good or a bad thing!

For fans of Melanie Dickerson's distinct plot style, this installment doesn't disappoint. Far from it. In fact, it might even have earned Kat's trust.