The Shadow of a Monster: The Making of James Wilfred Rowland
The Making of James Wilfred RowlandBy SWSmith
Length1h 49m
About this audiobook
SHADOW OF A MONSTER
The Making of James Wilfred Rowland
The story begins in the 1970s with an eight-year-old, James, witnessing his
father, Ross, a violent alcoholic, exert brutal control over his wife and then the
family. Ross’s sadistic teachings of power and dominance set the stage for
James’s troubled development. Despite the compassionate efforts of Enid
McNolty, a teacher who tries to guide him toward a better path, Ross’s abuse
tightens its grip, and James begins mimicking his father’s violence.
As the years progress, Ross escalates his cruelty, targeting James’s siblings and
driving him to the breaking point.
James transforms into a cunning and manipulative individual in his late teens,
ultimately becoming the monster he loathed. In the end, James Wilfred
Rowland embarks on a life of predation, but not without first exacting revenge
on those who made him.
Abuse, fear, manipulation, and a demented definition of power underscore this
chilling origin story.
Audiobook details
GenreMystery and Thriller, Horror
Length1 hr 49 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMar 3, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Content Warning
2Prologue: Storm
3Courtship
4Cracks in the Foundation
5Quiet Change
Show all chaptersShow less
6Dimming Light
7Part 1: The Boy in the Shadows - Reign of Terror
8Mr. Buckley
9The Turning Point of Terror
10Mrs. McNolty
11The Awakening of Strength
12The Line Crossed
13Part 2: Breaking Point - Escalation
14A Darker Thrill
15Practicing the Art of Violence
16Practicing the Mask of Innocence
17Subtle Sabatoge
18The Storm Brewing
19The Predator Emerges
20Into the Woods
21Part 3: The Monster Emerges - The Last of Ross Rowland
22The Last of Mr. Buckley
23Part 4: James Wilfred Rowland - The House of the Shadow No More
24The Shadow of a Monster Begins
25Jury Duty
More from SWSmith
The ReunionJana Deleon6h 31m4.6 (1.6K)$26 · $0.00
Animal 3K’wan6h 33m4.6 (2.8K)$20
To Hold and ProtectSandra Owens7h 59m4.6 (1.1K)$8 · $0.00
Extinction WarNicholas Sansbury Smith12h 1m4.6 (6K)$23
Savy WisdomPeggy McColl2h 53m4.7 (448)$15
3 a.m. Premium: Books 1–5Nick Pirog15h 27m4.6 (8.2K)$25
Farewell My Lovely (Annotated)Raymond Chandler10h 37m4.6 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Labyrinth of the SpiritsCarlos Ruiz Zafon27h 55m4.5 (77.2K)$53 · $0.00
Tracing Killer EvidenceJodie Bailey5h 46m4.7 (242)$12 · $0.00
AGATHA CHRISTIE Premium CollectionAgatha Christie37h 15m4.6 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
Sign of the MakerBrian Shea7h 13m4.6 (2.5K)$17
No Sin UnpunishedLynDee Walker7h 43m4.6 (1.4K)$17
The Cases of Lord Peter Wimsey - Complete Series (Annotated)Dorothy L. Sayers148h 10m4.6 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
Sherlock HolmesMade for Success14h 22m4.5 (4.3K)$25
Sons of War 4: SoldiersNicholas Sansbury Smith, Tom Abrahams12h 54m4.6 (507)$25
Murder in the TowerRoy Lewis8h 23m4.6 (784)$20
Glen AffricKarine Giebel22h 51m4.5 (3.2K)$46 · $0.00
JAMES BOND 007 Complete CollectionIan Fleming102h 36m4.5 (3.1K)$2 · $0.00
Deadly Badlands PursuitSharee Stover5h 53m4.6 (361)$12 · $0.00
The Count of Monte CristoAlexandre Dumas52h 31m4.5 (1.2M)$1.20 · $0.00
We’re AliveKc Wayland5h 10m4.5 (4.3K)$15
The Undead PoolKim Harrison16h 13m4.4 (34.6K)$33 · $0.00
Glacier's EdgeR. A. Salvatore13h 44m4.5 (3.4K)$33 · $0.00
Haint BlueStephanie Alexander11h 55m4.5 (675)$23
The King in Yellow (Annotated)Robert W. Chambers8h 53m4.6 (122)$0.99 · $0.00
Good OmensNeil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett12h 33m4.4 (1.1M)$33 · $0.00
Dark of NightJonathan Maberry, Rachael Lavin4h 59m4.4 (3.8K)$20 · $0.00
The Renegade HunterLynsay Sands10h 7m4.4 (17.3K)$29 · $0.00
The Fall of the House of CabalJonathan L. Howard14h 54m4.4 (4.1K)$23
Lost GodsBrom14h 50m4.4 (18.5K)$33 · $0.00
The Complete Works of E. F. Benson (Illustrated)E. F. Benson335h 9m4.6 (124)$1 · $0.00
The AccusedJana DeLeon6h 32m4.4 (3.9K)$12 · $0.00
Corpus HermeticumHermes Trismegistus3h 43m4.4 (8.6K)$7 · $0.00
LambChristopher Moore15h 22m4.3 (211.3K)$33 · $0.00
CARMILLA (Gothic Classic) (Annotated)Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu4h 2m4.4 (1K)$0.99 · $0.00
The ExorcistWilliam Peter Blatty12h 52m4.3 (285.9K)$8 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Mary ShelleyMary Shelley128h 25m4.5 (185)$2 · $0.00
Twice TemptedJeaniene Frost8h 17m4.3 (54.8K)$26 · $0.00
Between Two FiresChristopher Buehlman14h 25m4.3 (97.2K)$23
1984George Orwell12h 18m4.3 (6M)$25 · $0.00
You may also like
The CheaterNancy Taylor Rosenberg11h 2m3.6 (1K)$21
Sleeping BeautyPhillip Margolin9h 25m4.0 (5.4K)$29 · $0.00
A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful MarriageM.K. Oliver10h 34m3.8 (7K)$29 · $0.00
Before She Knew HimPeter Swanson10h 15m3.9 (99.1K)$29 · $0.00
Confessions on the 7:45Lisa Unger12h 29m4.0 (93.2K)$29 · $0.00
The Zodiac MurderRoy Lewis6h 35m4.4 (1.7K)$17
For Better and WorseMargot Hunt10h 8m3.8 (19K)$25 · $0.00
A Talent for MurderPeter Swanson8h 24m3.8 (53.4K)$26 · $0.00
The IcemanAnthony Bruno8h 6m4.1 (3.7K)$20
Good Girls LieJ.T. Ellison11h 54m3.9 (26.3K)$29 · $0.00
True Evil: Book Two in the Evil TrilogyJulia Derek6h 15m4.1 (345) Only with Ultra
Killer's IslandAnna Jansson11h 1m3.5 (1.2K)$15 · $0.00
Cruelty FreeCaroline Glenn9h 42m3.6 (2K)$29 · $0.00
RetreatKrysten Ritter8h 42m3.7 (12.7K)$26 · $0.00
Last Winter, We PartedFuminori Nakamura4h 51m3.6 (2K)$17 · $0.00
My Sister RosaJustine Larbalestier12h 38m3.9 (10.9K)$23
The Winner Stands AlonePaulo Coelho12h 26m3.6 (121.9K)$29 · $0.00
Eden in WinterRichard North Patterson10h 52m3.8 (1.7K)$23
It's One of UsJ.T. Ellison11h 38m3.9 (62.7K)$29 · $0.00
Never Saw Me ComingVera Kurian11h 48m3.8 (41.8K)$29 · $0.00