Welcome back, shadow dwellers, to another thrilling descent into the darkness on TRUE ASSASSINS! The only weekly show that dares to peel back the blood-soaked curtains on history's most lethal operators, all inspired by the chilling tales in Orlando Madsbrine's masterpiece, TRUE KILL.

This week, prepare for a double dose of deadly deception! First, we plunge into a world of clashing steel and savage betrayals with a tale of Viking vengeance gone brutally wrong. Picture this: a fearsome Saxon warlord, Athelred, carving through Norse invaders like a hot knife through butter, only to be blindsided not by a Viking axe, but by the poisoned whisper of treachery from within his own ranks! His trusted advisor, lured by glittering gold, sinks a fatal arrow, leaving Athelred in the dust and the Vikings slithering away like snakes in the night. But hold onto your horned helmets, because this isn't the end! Athelred's widow, the formidable Elgifu, isn't one for weeping. Oh no, she's brewing a storm of her own, fueled by a grief so potent it forges her into the Head-taker, a legend whispered in terrified tones across the fjords. Forget battlefield glory; Elgifu’s war is a cold, calculated dance of retribution, where the severed head of her fallen husband becomes a grim calling card, a brutal message delivered one Viking longship at a time.

But wait, there's more blood to spill! Fast forward to a plush drawing-room where appearances are as deceiving as a double-edged dagger. Enter the pompous Inspector Thaddeus, a self-proclaimed genius of deduction, and his bumbling sidekick, the seemingly inept Eustace. While Thaddeus puffs his pipe and pontificates, Eustace trips, stumbles, and generally makes a catastrophic mess of everything. Everyone, including the smug Lady Windemere, dismisses him as a harmless fool, a source of comic relief in the face of grim murder. Little do they suspect that behind those wide, apologetic eyes lurks a mind as sharp as any assassin’s blade! Eustace's clumsiness is a masterful act, a smokescreen for his deadly designs. Shattered vases and toppled furniture become the perfect cover for planting poisoned darts and eliminating targets with breathtaking audacity. Even the great Thaddeus falls prey to Eustace's charade, collapsing in bewildered surprise as the "incompetent" sidekick pulls off the ultimate disappearing act, leaving behind a legacy of unsolved 'accidents' and the chilling truth that the greatest assassin is often the one you never see coming.

#TrueCrimePodcast #Assassins #MurderMystery #Betrayal #Vengeance #Vikings #Saxon #Poison #Deception #TwistEnding #HeadTaker #TrueKill #OrlandoMadsbrine #CrimeStories #DarkHistory #Intrigue #Suspense #YoungAdultReads #TeenFiction #DeadlyShadows #CloakAndDagger #RecklessHitmen #DaringKills

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trueassassins.substack.com