Winter 1648, and the ancient town of Hamelin is struggling to survive the most savage war Europe has ever known. Besieged by a vicious mercenary army, confounded by the endless machinations of its leaders, and gripped by starvation, fever and vermin, Hamelin is desperate for any respite.

Is there a connection between the two calamities? In a novel of gritty intelligence, Christopher Wallace reveals the truth behind the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, involving the reader in the devils and demons who patrol the great European plain ready to seize their moment whenever chaos invites them in.