Morning Ran Red: The Villisca Axe Murders [Paperback]

Stephen Bowman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2000

On June 10, 1912, the village of Villisca, Iowa awoke to discover a mass murder had occurred while the town slept. An entire household of eight people had been axed to death in their beds. Within 24 hours, in spite of limited mass communications, the story was national and international news, knocking the White Star Titanic off the front page and captivating the general public. The mass murder became a catalyst to a growing nation starting to realize the 20th century, with all of its advancements, held new forms of terror and insecurity. If the mass murder could happen in this idyllic little village, it could happen anywhere. Author Stephen Bowman's version of the story has been compared to Capote's IN COLD BLOOD mystery as it recreates the gruesome murder and the aftermath in an expose of rural family strife and local mores toward bigotry, superstition and caste system which still exists in rural America today. The suspenseful mystery brings to life a vivid cast of characters. Through the main characters, the themes of rural life and prejudice are revealed as they each struggle with conflicts between self-respect, family honor and justice. The crime remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th century

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen Bowman is the author of Morning Ran Red, When The Eagle Screams and Operation Monarch.

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (September 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595131085
• ISBN-13: 978-0595131082
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #493,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Morning Ran Red very accurate, June 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Morning Ran Red: The Villisca Axe Murders (Paperback)

As someone who has done a lot of reading about the Villisca Axe Murders, as well as visiting the site, this book holds true to many of the actual details. Just enough literary license is used for a dramatic effect. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes intrigue and mystery, but especially to people who are familar with the actual story.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Fiction/Poor History, December 3, 2004

By 

Terrence Read (Lincoln, NE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Morning Ran Red: The Villisca Axe Murders (Paperback)

As a fan of mysteries and especially the Villisca axe murder story, Morning Ran Red is an interesting work of fiction. It is loosely based on an actual Southwest Iowa crime and the events' characters. As someone who has researched the Villisca case thoroughly, you will not find any semblence of accurate history in its pages. It will hold your attention to the end. But for those who say it is accurate in its details, they are not well-versed in the actual Villisca story.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A native, November 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Morning Ran Red: The Villisca Axe Murders (Paperback)

I grew up in Villisca hearing the stories of the ax murders. My grandmother was a young girl living in town when it happened and my siblings and I loved listening to her recount. I really enjoyed reading the book!