Shadows of Villisca
Hugo Swanepoel
Shadows of Villisca
Historical Mystery Novel Inspired by Real Events
In the quiet town of Villisca, Iowa, history never truly sleeps.
Over a century after the infamous 1912 axe murders shocked the nation, investigative researcher Alex Hartman and forensic scholar Dr. Samuel Graves arrive in Villisca chasing rumors of something older and darker than anyone had ever imagined.
When a modern family is found murdered in a chilling copy of the past, their investigation spirals into a tangled web of cryptic journals, forbidden sermons, and a long-forgotten traveling carnival that once passed through town... but did it ever leave?
As Alex and Graves peel back layers of buried truth, they uncover evidence of a blood covenant that links past and present, and a ritual still very much alive. Haunted by warnings left in fragile letters and ancient sermons, they must race to expose the sinister force at the heart of Villisca before they become the next chapter in its bloody legend.
History has teeth. And in Villisca, it's ready to bite again.
Duration - 5h 43m.
Author - Hugo Swanepoel.
Narrator - Patrick Kelly Shannon.
Published Date - Sunday, 12 January 2025.
Copyright - © 2025 Hugo Swanepoel ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
Shadows of Villisca Historical Mystery Novel Inspired by Real Events In the quiet town of Villisca, Iowa, history never truly sleeps. Over a century after the infamous 1912 axe murders shocked the nation, investigative researcher Alex Hartman and forensic scholar Dr. Samuel Graves arrive in Villisca chasing rumors of something older and darker than anyone had ever imagined. When a modern family is found murdered in a chilling copy of the past, their investigation spirals into a tangled web of cryptic journals, forbidden sermons, and a long-forgotten traveling carnival that once passed through town... but did it ever leave? As Alex and Graves peel back layers of buried truth, they uncover evidence of a blood covenant that links past and present, and a ritual still very much alive. Haunted by warnings left in fragile letters and ancient sermons, they must race to expose the sinister force at the heart of Villisca before they become the next chapter in its bloody legend. History has teeth. And in Villisca, it's ready to bite again. Duration - 5h 43m. Author - Hugo Swanepoel. Narrator - Patrick Kelly Shannon. Published Date - Sunday, 12 January 2025. Copyright - © 2025 Hugo Swanepoel ©.
Language:
English
Opening Credits
Duration:00:00:09
Epigraph
Duration:00:00:10
Dedication
Duration:00:00:13
Shadows of Villisca
Duration:00:00:25
Prologue: The First Covenant
Duration:00:07:48
Chapter 1: Through Forgotten Walls
Duration:00:16:59
Chapter 2: House of Silence
Duration:00:14:35
Chapter 3: Echoes in the Walls
Duration:00:15:28
Chapter 4: Secrets in the Letters
Duration:00:16:19
Chapter 5: Hands That Built the Cross
Duration:00:13:16
Chapter 6: Anointed in Lies
Duration:00:15:05
Chapter 7: Doors Best Left Closed
Duration:00:14:27
Chapter 8: Oath of the Watchers
Duration:00:20:24
Chapter 9: Whispers in the Cipher
Duration:00:16:56
Chapter 10: Symbols of Truth
Duration:00:17:30
Chapter 11: Over the Threshold
Duration:00:22:45
Chapter 12: Forsaken Estate
Duration:00:18:24
Chapter 13: Voices Behind the Doors
Duration:00:12:46
Chapter 14: In the Margins
Duration:00:17:23
Chapter 15: Lights of the Carnival
Duration:00:13:10
Chapter 16: Lost Beyond the Veil
Duration:00:16:05
Chapter 17: Into the Fog
Duration:00:15:05
Chapter 18: Shepherd of the Lost
Duration:00:12:42
Chapter 19: Cradle of Darkness
Duration:00:16:23
Chapter 20: Ashes of the Shepherd
Duration:00:21:41
Epilogue: The Manor Calls
Duration:00:03:41
Acknowledgements
Duration:00:03:17
Ending Credits
Duration:00:00:12