Twelve-year-old Lillia Pameroy arrives in Deadwood expecting adventure…not a missing person.
When she sees her friend Tod’s face on a Missing Person poster, everything changes. He came to the Black Hills chasing dreams of gold—but now he’s vanished somewhere in the vast, rugged wilderness.
Search parties form, but time is slipping away.
As Lillia searches, she begins to see what others cannot—shadowy figures, long-forgotten miners, and echoes of the past that refuse to stay buried. Then, during a growing snowstorm, she discovers something impossible:
Footprints in the snow…appearing where no one has walked.
Are they leading her to Tod—or deeper into danger?
With the storm closing in and the mystery tightening around her, Lillia must decide whether to trust her gift or turn back before it’s too late.
Because in the Black Hills, not every spirit means to help.
And some secrets are still being guarded.
Scroll down to explore photographs that inspired Haunted Hills and discover how the history and landscape of the Black Hills helped shape this mystery.
Lillia arrives in the historic gold rush town of Deadwood expecting adventure and reunion.
Instead, she finds something that stops her cold…a Missing Person poster with her friend Tod’s face staring back at her.
In a town filled with stories of the past, Lillia realizes this mystery is happening now—and time may already be running out.
High above Deadwood, Mount Moriah Cemetery overlooks the town and the hills beyond. Here, Lillia and Grantie Nora pause to place respect stones on headstones, just as my granddaughter did during our visit. It is a peaceful, reflective moment…one that reminds Lillia that the past is never truly gone in the Black Hills.
The streets of Deadwood are alive with reenactments, where performers bring the gold rush days back to life for visitors. Tod worked among these lively shows, stepping into the role of the past each day. But when he goes missing, the laughter and excitement fade, and the same people who entertained the crowds become part of the search.
Tod Benson stands ready for another reenactment on the streets of Deadwood. Dressed in character, he is part of the town’s living history, until his own story takes a frightening turn. What began as fun and performance soon becomes something far more real.
Deep within Wind Cave, Lillia experiences an imagining unlike any before. She sees Alvin McDonald, the young explorer who carefully mapped the cave by candlelight, determined to understand its hidden passages. In the quiet darkness, Lillia feels the weight of history pressing close, as if the cave itself is remembering.
The Black Hills once drew thousands with the promise of gold and a better life. This 1889 photograph captures the spirit of that time, when hope, risk, and hardship shaped the land. In Haunted Hills, those same stories linger—waiting to be uncovered once more.
On the road toward Wind Cave, a prairie dog town offers a brief and welcome distraction. We stopped so my grandson could take photographs, just as Nora does in Haunted Hills. It is a lighthearted pause…before the mystery deepens and the stakes grow higher.
This horse became the inspiration for Wild Heart, the one Lillia rides during her stay at Outlook Resort. With a perfect heart-shaped marking, the name seemed meant to be.In the midst of uncertainty, Wild Heart brings Lillia a brief sense of strength and freedom.
This early photograph of Deadwood captures the rugged hillside town during the height of the gold rush. Wooden buildings climb the slopes, and narrow roads wind through a place filled with hope, hardship, and the promise of striking it rich.In Haunted Hills, this is where Lillia’s journey begins…in a town where the past is never far away, and some stories are still waiting to be uncovered.
The Setting for Haunted Hills…
Haunted Hills is set in the Black Hills of South Dakota, with much of the story centered around the historic town of Deadwood.
Lillia and her Grauntie Nora, explore a landscape of pine-covered hills, winding mountain roads, and wide open spaces that can quickly turn rugged and remote. Deadwood, once a booming gold rush town, still reflects its past with wooden buildings, steep streets, and a strong sense of history.
Beyond the town, the hills hold old mining sites, quiet trails, and hidden places where it is easy to lose your way.
This setting, both beautiful and unpredictable, plays an important role in the mystery as Lillia follows clues through the town and deep into the surrounding wilderness.