For years, the serial kidnapper known as the Piper got rich by abducting children from San Francisco’s wealthiest families.
When crime reporter Scott Fleetwood gets a call from a man identifying himself as the Piper and offers an exclusive interview, Fleetwood jumps at the chance. But the caller turns out to be a fake, and the rash decision costs the life of the real Piper’s latest victim.
For eight long years, Fleetwood has lived with unbearable guilt—and the enduring disdain of the entire Bay area. Now he hears from the real Piper—and it’s not for an interview. The kidnapper has the reporter’s son. But he doesn’t want money…he wants blood. And he’s going to use Fleetwood to get it.
In the tradition of Harlan Coben and Gregg Hurwitz, Simon Wood weaves a plot thick with suspense and heavy with action. Paying the Piper grabs hold from page one and doesn’t let go until new debts are paid and old scores settled.
Download and start listening now!
"I'm not a big fan of the child-in-peril thrillers. That said, Simon Wood keeps that part within the respectable PG-13 bounds in Paying the Piper. We've been table-of-content mates in short fiction anthologies. I liked his sense of pace, nifty plot twists, and well-drawn characters, particularly the law enforcement types. His writing is forceful but smooth. In short, I spent several nights following his heroes and villains in print with enlivened interest, and I remained entertained until the surprising end. Great stuff here." — Ed (4 out of 5 stars)
"I'm not a big fan of the child-in-peril thrillers. That said, Simon Wood keeps that part within the respectable PG-13 bounds in Paying the Piper. We've been table-of-content mates in short fiction anthologies. I liked his sense of pace, nifty plot twists, and well-drawn characters, particularly the law enforcement types. His writing is forceful but smooth. In short, I spent several nights following his heroes and villains in print with enlivened interest, and I remained entertained until the surprising end. Great stuff here."
" This is a great book. Simon Wood is an excellent author an I will read all the rest of his books since I enjoyed this one so much. "
" Well-designed plot; good research; poor roles for women. "
" Another thrilling story from Simon Wood. Love the pace, twists and surprises in Simon'a books. "
" I came across this author by accident and I will now read everything he's written! Paying the Piper was fantastic! "
" Excellent! Couldn't put this one down. Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time "
" It was entertaining, interesting, moved quickly, easy to read, and an enjoyable read. He has several books and I will try another soon. "
" Good plot with some twists and turns to keep the story bubbling along. "
" A quite interesting kidnapping tale. For once, I had even guessed who "the bad one" was. "
" Very fun to read.. Many twists and turns.. Hard to put down "
" I read tons of indie thrillers, and I can now say that Simon Wood's are among the absolute best. Paying the Piper is a lightning-fast, highly suspenseful read with many dramatic and shocking plot twists. It is also an extremely well-written book. Highly recommended. "
" Excellent book, page turner and edge of the seat. Each time I thought I had the plot figured out Simon threw a curve. Could not wait see what happened next and then I was sad when I had finished the book. "
" Pretty good thriller about a kidnapper named the Piper who usually takes children for ransom, but now is out for revenge! "
" Could not put this book down. It was the first Simon Wood book I read and I thought all the way through, okay, we know who done it, blah blah blah. Ending. Suprise! "
" Absolutely loved it! I think I will be reading many more books from Simon. "
Simon Wood is former race car driver, pilot, endurance cyclist, and an occasional private investigator. Having dealt with dyslexia from an early age, Wood has been met with rave reviews for his previous publications, including Working Stiffs, We All Fall Down, Paying the Piper, Dragged into Darkness, Asking for Trouble, and The Fall Guy, among others published under his horror pseudonym, Simon Janus. Originally from the UK, Wood moved to the US in 1998 to share his world with his American wife, Julie.
Laural Merlington is an audiobook narrator with over two hundred titles to her credit and a winner of multiple Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, she has also directed over one hundred audiobooks. She has performed and directed for thirty years in theaters throughout the country. In addition to her extensive theater and voice-over work, she teaches college in her home state of Michigan.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.