Disposable Wives: Murder and Menace in Green Bay's Rural Belgian Settlement by Lynda Drews

 

He was known as the Bay Settlement Bruiser, the Belgian Archfiend, and, to some, a murderer. Over four decades, suspicion shadowed him through a series of disturbing deaths and disappearances—among them, his three wives.

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.

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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.