Determined to uncover the truth, Pauline Villiesse—sister to Soquet’s third wife—refuses to let the past be buried. With the help of Xavier Martin, a respected translator navigating both language and loyalty within the Belgian immigrant community, she begins a relentless pursuit of justice.
Set in the decades following the Civil War, this riveting true story reveals a world shaped by faith, survival, and tightly bound traditions—where secrets are protected, reputations are everything, and justice is far from guaranteed.
Drawn from archival court records and primary sources, Disposable Wives is the true story of the women Wisconsin's justice system failed—and the woman who refused to let them be forgotten.
About The Author
Lynda Drews, a Wisconsin native, gave the commencement speech at her University of Wisconsin-La Crosse alma mater. She encouraged students to journal their lives as she had.
In 2009, Run at Destruction: A True Fatal Love Triangle was the outcome. Publisher's Weekly said: "the author and victim's shared moments... are remarkable." The Investigation Discovery Channel filmed a segment based on that book, and it was endorsed by Ann Rule, the best-selling true crime author.
Lynda's Door County, Wisconsin mystery novel, Circle of Innocence, was published in 2014. Midwest Book Review said it "excels in psychological depth," and Brian Freeman, the best-selling author of The Bone House, endorsed it.
Desperate Parallels (released in 2018) was inspired by Lynda's IBM global executive career. While working in America and Japan, she learned first-hand the issues women faced, and continue to face, in the corporate business world.
The Maid and the Socialite: The Brave Women Behind Green Bay's Scandalous Minahan Trials (released in 2023) takes place in Lynda's hometown in an era where women were treated as less than equal to the city's powerful men. The Midwest Book Review states that this true story is told with "the drama of fiction and the compelling research of fact."
When Lynda's not writing, she teaches classes for WRITE ON DOOR COUNTY, reads, runs, knits, plays bridge, and drinks coffee. The latter is a necessity, even at bedtime.
My Review
The author did such an thorough job of presenting this crime, you would think it was recent, instead of the late 1880's.
Yes, evil walks among us, and we get to meet one up close and personal. From doing away with his wives, and children, with no regard for human life, everyone is disposable!
I found it interesting that this was a Belgium community, and they had their own language, and we learn quite a bit about them.
The story is told from the POV of a sister of one of the victims, and the author gives us a glimpse into her life, and others in this community.
We get an in-depth look into this trial, and did it turn out like I hoped?
We also go on in years and all that happens after the trial, and concludes with what happens to some of the other characters in this read!
Great job!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Book Whisperer, and was not required to give a positive review.
When
Kari White’s seven uncles beg her and her brother Jake to come to
Georgia and revamp their inn, she isn’t happy about it. She doesn’t
remember them nor does she want to leave West Virginia. But family comes
first, and the Apple Inn has a lot of potential, despite the deadlines
they’re up against … not to mention the land-hungry Queenie Ville, who
has her eye on buying their property.
Amy R Anguish
grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven
different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a
football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband,
daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English
degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify
God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real
struggles, it can still work out for good.
To
inherit her grandfather’s estate, Roxanne Clarke has to prove the
identity of her birth mother. Considering all the ancestry help online,
that shouldn’t be a problem. However, the only clues Roxanne has are an
old photograph and hints provided by a member of her grandfather’s
household that her mother was born in Yorkshire.
American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award winner Valerie Massey Goree resides in San Antonio, Texas.
When
crime fiction novelist Kelly Landon agrees to write a memoir for an
eccentric, elderly gentleman, her quiet life turns upside-down.
Christina Rost
is an award-winning author, mother to three amazing children, and is
married to her high school sweetheart. While she currently resides in
Oklahoma City, she’s lived all over the US, a few years in the UK, and
loves to travel. When she isn’t spending time with her family or writing
you’ll find her chatting over coffee and perusing antique stores for
tattered books.
Sixteen-year-old
Sam Keller has lived in foster homes and group homes most of his life
and has long ago given up on the dream of a stable, forever family.
Adults have always let him down, and so has God, and he has no use for
either.
Kimberly Banet
received her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. She started
writing in 2020. Her debut novel, Just Another Home, was a 2023 ACFW
Genesis Finalist.
Gerard
Truman frantically arrived at Holliday Hotel in need of a place to stay
that was near the clinic in Willow Creek. His sister, Stacie, was ill
and the prognosis didn’t look good. Carol Holliday immediately welcomed
Gerard and placed him in the room she called Resurrection Rest. Dr. Eva
Livingston was an intelligent, driven doctor. Direct, serious, and
lacking compassion, she was not known for her bedside manner. Seeing no
hope for Stacie, she urges Gerard to say his good-byes and remove his
sister from life-support. As she battles Gerard, Eva is forced to take a
look at herself and reevaluate how she is faring as a doctor. His faith
shakes her and even as she is frustrated by his determination, she
finds herself drawn to him as well. But it will take a miracle for this
arrogant doctor to change.
Courtney Lyman
lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband, their three children, and
two cats. She is the author of the KW Consulting series, the Holliday
Hotel series, as well as several Christmas novellas. She stays busy with
her family’s activities, her ministries at church, and in whatever time
is left, knitting, singing, and playing games.
Posts
